Finally there’s some stability atop the DII men’s basketball Power 10 rankings. After three-straight rankings of new No. 1s, the West Texas A&M Buffs maintain their hold on the top spot after surviving a near-upset in overtime against Angelo State. The rest of the Power 10 saw some movement as well while an old, familiar face returns to the rankings.
Remember, the Power 10 rankings are mine and mine alone — there is no voting body, just me, my insane spreadsheets, and some stats. As March creeps closer, I attempt to mesh the good ol’ eye test with some of the numbers the selection committee uses to fill the bracket. It is also important to note that the only games that matter to me are those played against DII competition.
As I mentioned in the initial Power 10 rankings, this season I will be using stats from InkblotSports. You can see those metrics — which include RPI and PI amongst other selection metrics — here or join the Inkblot Sports Patreon here.
DII MEN’S BASKETBALL CENTRAL:
The fourth DII men’s basketball Power 10 for 2024 (through 2/10/24)
No. 1 West Texas A&M| Previous: 1
The Buffs have one loss by one point three months ago. This team is showing it can win games in every which way, whether it is a runaway or hanging on in overtime against a really tough ball team. All five starters are now averaging double figures in scoring, while four of the five starters contribute four or more rebounds per game. This is a team effort, and that makes the Buffs even more dangerous.
No. 2 Minnesota State | Previous: 2
Sharks fans won’t be happy, especially with the recent surge, but the numbers tell the tale for me. The Mavericks have a higher RPI (.628 to .619), higher PI (33.3 to 32.4) and have played a tougher schedule than Nova Southeastern — in a very deep Central Region, mind you — which keeps the Mavs at No. 2 for another week. This is another deep team that sees all five starters averaging 10.4 or more points per game.
No. 3 Nova Southeastern | Previous: 3
The Sharks avenged an earlier loss to Florida Tech this past weekend in a 73-70 thriller and also handily disposed of (what should be) regionally ranked Embry-Riddle to move their winning streak to seven. This looks like the team we expected them to be right off the bat, and now that they are past the learning curve, they look tough. The Sharks are scoring 102.8 points per game, so the high-tempo style is alive and well in Florida.
No. 4 DBU | Previous: 4
The Patriots have won five in a row and 13 of their last 14 with their lone loss coming to No. 1 West Texas A&M. DBU is also No. 2 in RPI and PI in an absolutely loaded South Central, so that speaks volumes in itself. Cameron Kahn, who scores 20.1 points per game while adding a team-high seven rebounds per game, leads the way for this offense that scores 90 points nightly.
No. 5 Fort Lewis | Previous: 9 (tied)
Did someone say loaded South Central? Well, here you go, the third team from the region in the top 5 of DII men’s basketball. We needed some separation between the RMAC’s Big Three and now we have it: Fort Lewis has won eight in a row with wins against nationally ranked Colorado Mesa and Colorado School of Mines, plus a win over an MSU Denver team that looks like it can sneak its way into the first regional rankings. That’s dominance.
No. 6 Gannon | Previous: 7
Gannon pushed its win streak to 10 games with a thriller win in the final four seconds against Indiana (PA). This team is No. 1 in the Atlantic Region by a wide margin, especially with the season sweep over Cal (PA). The Golden Knights just don’t stop scoring, now averaging 105.3 points per game.
No. 7 West Georgia | Previous: 8
West Georgia has now won 11 in a row and are running away with the Gulf South Conference. Should Nova Southeastern slip at all, West Georgia could easily assume the No. 1 seed in the South, which is dangerous for the rest of the region — the Wolves are 11-0 on their home court. It’s possible Zawdie Jackson is actually getting better, scoring at least 21 points in seven of his last eight games, while setting and then breaking his season high in back-to-back games with 31 and 34 points, respectively.
No. 8 Northwest Missouri State | Previous: First five out
It took a while, but the Bearcats are back in the Power 10. Northwest Missouri State is rolling, now winners of eight in a row, including a big one against Fort Hays State and then over a Washburn team (in which Mitch Mascari went 9-for-12 from 3-point land) battling for a spot in the top eight of the Central Region. As always, the Bearcats are powered by one of the best defenses in the nation and Wes Dreamer and Bennett Stirtz are a dangerous duo. You have to like this experience coming down the stretch.
No. 9 Colorado Mesa | Previous: 9 (tied)
Believe it or not, despite the loss to Fort Lewis, the Mavericks still have a higher RPI and PI than the Skyhawks. Again, with the South Central as tough as it is, it is impressive to be the third-best team per RPI, even though in seeding, Fort Lewis should hold the edge with the head-to-head. All that is to say that this team is really good and Trevor Baskin (a team-high 15.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists) is the leader they need.
No. 10 (tie) MSU Moorhead, North Georgia | Previous: First five out, 5, respectively
It is really hard to compare RPI and PI across regions, especially when they are as close as MSU Moorhead and North Georgia’s. The Nighthawks lost to a Columbus State team they should have beaten, but despite that, they still hold the top spot in both RPI and PI in the Southeast and cling to the final spot in the Power 10. A huge matchup against Lander awaits this week.
MSU Moorhead certainly hit a cold streak but bounced back with a big win over nationally ranked Minot State, now giving them signature wins against Minnesota Duluth and the Beavers. Now winners of four in a row, the Dragons have several winnable games remaining to pick up steam heading into what should be a tightly contested NSIC tournament.
The first five out (listed alphabetically)
- Cal (PA): I know the national polls have East Stroudsburg higher, but the metrics don’t, so the Vulcans stay within reach of the Power 10.
- Cal State San Bernardino: Why is no one talking about the defending West Region champs? The Coyotes just beat nationally ranked Chico State for a second time and hold the top RPI in the West.
- Minnesota Duluth: The Bulldogs were No. 5 in the preseason Power 10 and are starting to look more the part when it matters. They have won eight in a row, with one of those victories being over Minnesota State.
- Northern Michigan: The Wildcats are the No. 1 in the Midwest and with so much uncertainty among the rest of the top 25 — and a pair of wins against Ferris State — I’ll give them some top-15 love for now.
- St. Thomas Aquinas: The East is a close race between the Saint Michael’s and the Spartans, but right now, the Spartans feel like they are playing really well amid a seven-game winning streak.
The best of the rest: Colorado School of Mines, East Stroudsburg, Ferris State, Florida Southern, Fort Hays State, Minot State, Missouri Western, Saint Martin’s, Saint Michael’s