FHSU Athletics
INDIANAPOLIS – The Fort Hays State men's basketball team was among the 10 teams listed in the first release of NCAA Region Rankings by the NCAA on Wednesday. For the first release of region rankings, the NCAA lists its top 10 teams currently being considered for selection to the NCAA Tournament by region alphabetically. The list of 10 teams can change week-to-week as future results affect the formulas for consideration. Rankings will be assigned to the teams in the second and third editions in the weeks ahead.
Fort Hays State is in good shape at this point, sitting at 20-5 overall. In the formula used for the NCAA Region Rankings, the Tigers are 17-5 overall since their three games against NAIA opponents are not factored in.
According to the report for the Central Region linked at the bottom of the region rankings page on NCAA.com, Fort Hays State has the fourth-best In-Region RPI and fifth-best Division II Performance Indicator value in the Central Region. Minnesota State owns the highest In-Region RPI and Performance Indicator values, while Northwest Missouri State is second-best in both and MSU Moorhead is third-best in both. Minnesota Duluth is fifth in RPI and fourth in Performance Indicator. The Tigers are seeking their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since the 2015-16 season after nearly missing an at-large selection each of the last two years when they won 23 and 21 games respectively.
Eight teams from the Central Region will be selected to compete in the Central Regional of the NCAA Tournament following the conclusion of conference tournaments. The region consists of teams from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, and Great American Conference. Champions from each of the three conference tournaments within the region will receive automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament.
The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) has seven teams listed in the first release, while FHSU and Northwest Missouri State represent the MIAA and Southeastern Oklahoma State represents the Great American Conference (GAC).Below is the list of 10 teams currently being considered in the Central Region alphabetically.
School - Overall DII Record - In-Region Record
Augustana (S.D.) • 14-10 • 14-10
Fort Hays State (Kan.) • 17-5 • 17-5
Minnesota Duluth • 22-5 • 22-5
Minnesota State • 21-2 • 21-2
Minot State (N.D.) • 17-7 • 17-7
MSU Moorhead • 22-4 • 22-4
Northwest Missouri St. • 20-4 • 20-3
Southeastern Oklahoma • 17-7 • 16-7
Southwest Minnesota St. • 16-10 • 16-10
Winona State • 16-9 • 16-9