NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana extended its streak in the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll and climbed three places to 14th Tuesday.
The Gold Rush, 13-4 after a 71-52 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference home victory Monday against Edward Waters, are in the top 25 for the 53rd consecutive time — the longest active streak in the division — and the 66th time in the last 67 polls. The poll position is the highest for the XU men since they were 13th on Oct. 28, 2014. It's their highest rank in a non-preseason poll since March 12, 2014, when they were 12th.
It's the first time since 2010-11 that the Gold Rush climbed in each of the first two regular-season polls. Xavier was 19th in the preseason Oct. 27 and tied for 17th Dec. 8.
For the second time this season, Xavier is one of three GCAC teams in the top 25. Talladega climbed from 11th to 10th, and Tougaloo is 25th in its first top-25 appearance since March 7, 2012.
Georgetown (Ky.) received all 10 first-place votes to earn its first No. 1 ranking since Oct. 29, 2013, and replace Pikeville at the top spot. Starting with the 2010-11 season, eighteen men's programs have been No. 1.
Xavier's next game will start at 7:30 p.m. Monday against GCAC opponent Philander Smith at XU's Convocation Center. Philander Smith is unranked this week but was 20th in the preseason and defeated current No. 4 Columbia (Mo.) 72-69 in December.
NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Jan. 3)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Georgetown (Ky.) (10) 14-0 250 2
2 Pikeville 13-1 238 1
3 Freed-Hardeman 12-2 231 3
4 Columbia (Mo.) 14-1 220 5
5 William Penn 12-1 219 6
6 LSU-Alexandria 11-2 203 8
7 Lewis-Clark State 14-1 201 7
8 Dalton State 11-2 195 9
9 Arizona Christian 13-2 194 4
10 Talladega 13-3 182 11
11 Hope International 12-2 175 10
12 Westmont 12-3 144 14
13 Texas Wesleyan 8-3 143 20
14 Xavier 12-4 141 tie-17
15 Lindsey Wilson 11-3 132 19
16 Carroll (Mont.) 9-3 119 16
17 Wayland Baptist 10-3 116 12
18 Southwestern Assemblies of God 11-3 106 15
19 MidAmerica Nazarene 9-4 105 13
20 Biola 15-1 100 RV
21 Langston 8-3 97 23
22 Central Methodist 9-4 82 NR
23 Montana State-Northern 12-2 80 24
24 Vanguard 10-2 54 21
25 Tougaloo 7-4 47 RV
Dropped from rankings: No. 17 (tie) Martin Methodist, No. 22 Wiley, No. 24 Avila
Others receiving votes: Our Lady of the Lake 42, Campbellsville 42, Martin Methodist 31, Benedictine (Kan.) 27, Park 12, Wiley 9, Mid-America Christian 6, Mobile 5, Oklahoma City 4, Montana Western 4, Avila 3
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information DirectorXULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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