FHSU Athletics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State men's basketball moved into the Top 25 of the NABC Division II national rankings on Tuesday. After six-straight weeks of lurking among the receiving votes section, the Tigers jumped into the NABC Top 25 for the first time this season at No. 24.
This is the first appearance in the NABC Top 25 for the Tigers since the 2021-22 season, when they were ranked for three straight weeks in the February 15, 22, and March 1 regular season polls. The Tigers are no stranger to the NABC Top 25 throughout their storied basketball history, this being the 109th time the they have been in the Top 25 of the NABC poll.
The last time the Tigers were ranked in the poll, they held the No. 21 ranking in the March 1, 2022 edition heading into postseason play. FHSU made the MIAA Tournament semifinals that season, where it fell to a No. 15 ranked Northwest Missouri State squad. Unfortunately, that turned out to be the end of the season for FHSU, left out of the NCAA Tournament after compiling a 23-6 overall record. That was the best record for a team under head coach Mark Johnson to not make the NCAA Tournament.
The Tigers will instantly put their ranking to the test this week when they travel to face Missouri Western, which just dropped out of the NABC rankings this week after holding the No. 22 ranking last week, and then No. 16 ranked Northwest Missouri State. Earlier this season, FHSU defeated Northwest Missouri State and Missouri Western at home in the same week when both were ranked in the Top 25. Northwest Missouri State was No. 17 and Missouri Western was No. 22. FHSU defeated NWMSU 57-49 and MWSU 73-49.
Northwest Missouri State has been ranked in the NABC Top 25 Poll each of the last 13 times it has played FHSU and Saturday will see that string run to 14 straight meetings. Northwest Missouri State moved up five spots in the poll this week after holding the No. 21 ranking last week. The aforementioned meeting with NWMSU in the MIAA Tournament semifinals during the 2021-22 season was the last time the Tigers faced an NABC Top 25 opponent while also being ranked in the Top 25.
Northwest Missouri State is the only MIAA team among the top 25 of the latest D2CSC national poll. The Bearcats are No. 11 in the latest edition, also released on Tuesday. FHSU is back in the receiving votes section of the D2CSC Poll for the fourth time this season and once held a No. 16 ranking earlier this season in that poll.
NABC Top 25 Poll - January 30, 2024
Rank - School - Record - Points - Prev
1 - West Texas A&M (15) - 18-1 - 399 - 1
2 - Minnesota State (1) - 19-1 - 384 - 5
3 - Nova Southeastern (Fla.) - 15-2 - 365 - 6
4 - Fort Lewis (Colo.) - 17-2 - 338 - 8
5 - Dallas Baptist (Texas) - 16-2 - 308 - 4
6 - North Georgia - 16-2 - 302 - 10
7 - Saint Martin's (Wash.) - 17-2 - 293 - 2
8 - West Georgia - 17-2 - 290 - 9
9 - Gannon (Pa.) - 17-2 - 253 - 12
10 - Colorado School of Mines - 18-3 - 232 - 14
11 - Benedict (S.C.) - 15-2 - 216 - 15
12 - MSU Moorhead (Minn.) - 17-3 - 206 -3
13 - Colorado Mesa - 15-3 - 204 - 7
14 - California (Pa.) - 16-2 - 182 - 17
15 - East Stroudsburg (Pa.) - 16-2 - 176 - 19
16 - Northwest Missouri State - 15-4 - 162 - 21
17 - West Liberty (W.Va.) - 15-3 - 153 - 20
18 - Lander (S.C.) - 15-3 - 141 - 11
19 - Minot State (N.D.) - 16-4 - 103 - 16
20 - Ferris State (Mich.) - 16-4 - 99 - 13
21 - USC Aiken (S.C.) - 15-3 - 78 - 18
22 - Cal State Dominguez Hills - 16-3 - 67 - NR
23 - Chico State (Calif.) - 14-4 - 54 - 24
24 - Fort Hays State (Kan.) - 15-4 - 44 - NR
25 - St. Thomas Aquinas (N.Y.) - 15-3 - 36 - NR
Receiving Votes: Minnesota Duluth 26, Northern Michigan 17, Charleston (W.Va.) 12, Florida Southern 12, Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) 11, UNC Pembroke (N.C.) 9, Lubbock Christian (Texas) 7, Saint Michael's (Vt.) 6, Washburn (Kan.) 5, Indianapolis (Ind.) 4, Emmanuel (Ga.) 3, Cedarville (Ohio) 1, Concord (W.Va.) 1, Montana State Billings 1.
D2CSC Top 25 Poll - January 30, 2024
Rank - Team - Points - Record - Prev
1 - Minnesota State (8) - 390 - 19-1 - 2
2 - West Texas A&M (7) - 377 - 18-1 - 3
3 - Nova Southeastern (1) - 353 - 14-2 - 5
4 - Saint Martin's - 350 - 17-2 - 1
5 - East Stroudsburg - 304 - 16-2 - 9
6 - Dallas Baptist - 298 - 16-2 - 6
7 - Gannon - 294 - 17-2 - 7
8 - North Georgia - 268 - 16-2 - 12
9 - MSU Moorhead - 230 - 17-3 - 4
10 - California (Pa.) - 206 - 16-2 - 13
11 - Northwest Missouri State - 197 - 15-4 - 17
12 - West Georgia - 191 - 15-2 - 20
13 - Lander - 175 - 15-3 - 10
14 - St. Thomas Aquinas - 171 - 15-3 - 14
15 - Fort Lewis - 170 - 17-2 - 21
16 - USC Aiken - 159 - 15-4 - 8
17 - Northern Michigan - 153 - 16-5 - 19
18 - Ferris State - 116 - 16-4 - T15
19 - Colorado School of Mines - 112 - 18-3 = 22
20 - Benedict - 101 - 14-2 - T15
21 - Florida Southern - 98 - 13-5 - 23
22 - Cal State Dominguez Hills - 86 - 16-3 - RV
23 - Colorado Mesa - 82 - 15-3 - 11
24 - Saint Michael's - 68 - 15-4 - 24
25 - West Liberty - 67 - 15-3
RVReceiving Votes: Post – 44; Chico State – 38; Charleston – 22; UNC Pembroke – 20; Fort Hays State – 20; Lincoln Memorial – 7; Cedarville – 5.