The National Association of Basketball Coaches released its preseason rankings for NCAA Division II men’s basketball with defending national champion Gannon ranked third behind Nova Southeastern and Washburn.
For those of us in the Mountain time zone, Black Hills State and Eastern New Mexico are ranked in the top 25 nationally.
The Yellowjackets have secured three “Elite Eight” finishes in the past five seasons and are the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s preseason favorite ahead of Colorado State Pueblo.
| RANK | SCHOOL (1ST VOTES) | 2025-26 RECORD | POINTS | PREVIOUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nova Southeastern (7) | 31-2 | 387 | 1 |
| 2 | Washburn (3) | 31-2 | 362 | 3 |
| 3 | Gannon (6) | 34-3 | 342 | 6 |
| 4 | West Liberty | 27-5 | 283 | 7 |
| 5 | DBU | 29-7 | 276 | 15 |
| 6 | Black Hills State | 30-5 | 261 | 10 |
| 7 | Lander | 30-6 | 260 | 23 |
| 8 | Cal State East Bay | 33-1 | 228 | 2 |
| 9 | Minnesota State | 21-12 | 198 | NR |
| 10 | West Alabama | 27-6 | 185 | 17 |
| 11 | Point Loma | 27-6 | 183 | 19 |
| 12 | Oklahoma Baptist | 31-4 | 181 | 8 |
| 13 | Palm Beach Atlantic | 26-6 | 164 | 11 |
| 14 | Walsh | 29-4 | 162 | 9 |
| 15 | Daemen | 33-2 | 151 | 4 |
| 16 | Eastern New Mexico | 26-6 | 133 | 13 |
| 17 | Grand Valley State | 26-7 | 131 | 22 |
| 18 | Anderson | 29-3 | 129 | 5 |
| 19 | Central Missouri | 24-10 | 112 | NR |
| 20 | McKendree | 22-8 | 107 | NR |
| 21 | Saint Martin’s | 26-6 | 100 | 18 |
| 22 | St. Cloud State | 26-7 | 95 | 25 |
| 23 | Lubbock Christian | 27-6 | 94 | 14 |
| 24 | Fairmont State | 26-6 | 70 | 12 |
| 25 | Alabama Huntsville | 23-10 | 56 | NR |
