Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Rush in NAIA preseason top 25 for 8th time in 9 years

NEW ORLEANS — For the eighth time in nine seasons, Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball is among the top 25 in the NAIA Division I preseason coaches poll.
     

The Gold Rush — 24-9 a year ago, Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season co-champion and an NAIA National Championship tournament qualifier — are tied for 23rd place with Westmont. XULA's highest ranking last season was 22nd. The NAIA announced the rankings Tuesday.
     

Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball"It's great to see Xavier among the preseason top 25 again," third-year head coach Alfred Williams said. "We look forward to start competing this week and building on what we accomplished last season. We have a great group of guys who are focused on success and winning the right way."
     
The XULA men will open their 81st season with games at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, against Keiser Friday (7 p.m. AST/6 p.m. New Orleans time) and Virgin Islands Sunday (2 p.m. AST/1 p.m. New Orleans time). The home opener will tip off at 7 p.m. Nov. 1 against Carver in the Convocation Center.
     

The first regular-season rankings will be announced Dec. 4. By that time the Gold Rush will have played four times against top-10 opponents: Nov. 12 away, Nov. 26 home against No. 2 LSU-Alexandria and Nov. 5 home, Nov. 19 away against No. 10 William Carey. XULA's opening opponent, Keiser, was among the "others receiving votes" in NAIA Division II.
     

The NAIA DI preseason No. 1 is The Master's, which received 4-of-9 first-place votes and 212 points. Two points back and tied for second were LSUA with two first-place votes and William Penn with three.
     

XULA is one of two GCAC teams in the top 25. Dillard is No. 11. XULA will play host to the Bleu Devils Jan. 26 and visit Dillard's Dent Hall Feb. 16.

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25
Preseason Poll

(first-place votes in parentheses — records from 2017-18) 
 

RANKPREVIOUSSCHOOLRECORDPOINTS
11The Master's (Calif.) (4)29-3212
2-tie4William Penn (Iowa) (3)30-5210
2-tie14LSU-Alexandria (La.) (2)29-8210
49Georgetown (Ky.)27-7203
58Oklahoma City24-9191
66Columbia (Mo.)27-4182
73LSU-Shreveport (La.)30-5174
82Pikeville (Ky.)28-5172
911-tieHope International (Calif.)25-6150
1010William Carey (Miss.)25-6147
11-tie7Central Methodist (Mo.)27-6144
11-tie18Dillard (La.)21-10144
11-tie15Texas Wesleyan22-11144
14NRRocky Mountain (Mont.)18-14140
1516Dalton State (Ga.)25-9118
1617Cumberlands (Ky.)21-10106
1720Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)23-10104
1822SAGU (Texas)24-1096
19NRMidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)16-1579
20RVWayland Baptist (Texas)25-1073
21NRMenlo (Calif.)20-1168
225Carroll (Mont.)28-663
23-tie25Xavier (La.)24-957
23-tie13Westmont (Calif.)24-857
25RVLindsey Wilson (Ky.)24-949
Dropped from the Top 25: Montana Western, Graceland (Iowa), Our Lady of the Lake (Texas), Life (Ga.), Central Baptist (Ark.)


Others Receiving Votes: Peru State (Neb.) 48, Harris-Stowe State (Mo.) 42, Science & Arts (Okla.) 22, Campbellsville (Ky.) 20, Graceland (Iowa) 19, Stillman (Ala.) 17, Missouri Baptist 11, Faulkner (Ala.) 9, William Jessup (Calif.) 6, Providence (Mont.) 5, Wiley (Texas) 5, Life (Ga.) 4, Langston (Okla.) 3.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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