Kansas City, Missouri — The Northwestern College men’s basketball team moved up to the 23rd spot in the final NAIA Coaches’ poll released Wednesday by the national office.
Receiving votes in the last two coaches’ poll, Northwestern moves into the top 25 for the first time this season and totaled 156 points. They are one of four teams from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) recognized in the Feb. 23 poll, joining Morningside (12) in the top 25 while both Jamestown and Dakota Wesleyan are receiving votes.
Indiana Wesleyan holds down the top spot in the final poll, receiving 20 of the 21 possible first place votes. William Penn moved up to No.2 and earned the final first place vote while LSU Shreveport (La.), Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) and Arizona Christian round out the top five.
Northwestern has won 11 straight games and is 21-5 this season heading into Saturday’s semifinal against Jamestown. Saturday’s game is a 3pm tip-off and tickets go on sale at the athletic office beginning on Thursday, Feb. 25.
2020-21 NAIA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Final Poll (February 24, 2021)
| RANK | LAST WEEK | SCHOOL [1st Place Votes] | RECORD | FINAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Indiana Wesleyan [20] | 28-1 | 591 |
| 2 | 3 | William Penn (Iowa) [1] | 21-1 | 570 |
| 3 | 2 | LSU Shreveport (La.) | 13-1 | 537 |
| 4 | 4 | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | 16-1 | 530 |
| 5 | 5 | Arizona Christian | 22-2 | 517 |
| 6 | 6 | Shawnee State (Ohio) | 23-2 | 511 |
| 7 | 7 | Faulkner (Ala.) | 22-2 | 480 |
| 8 | 9 | SAGU (Texas) | 9-1 | 452 |
| 9 | 11 | Talladega (Ala.) | 23-2 | 416 |
| 10 | 10 | Providence (Mont.) | 15-2 | 404 |
| 11 | 12 | Science & Arts (Okla.) | 14-2 | 401 |
| 12 | 8 | Morningside (Iowa) | 20-4 | 391 |
| 13 | 13 | Marian (Ind.) | 19-4 | 376 |
| 14 | 15 | Stillman (Ala.) | 14-2 | 343 |
| 15 | 14 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 15-6 | 298 |
| 16 | 16 | Loyola (La.) | 12-4 | 267 |
| 17 | 20 | Texas A&M Texarkana | 10-1 | 264 |
| 18 | 18 | Bethel (Kan.) | 16-6 | 225 |
| 19 | 19 | LSU Alexandria (La.) | 16-3 | 221 |
| 20 | 22 | Oklahoma Wesleyan | 17-5 | 195 |
| 21 | 17 | Bethel (Ind.) | 20-9 | 174 |
| 22 | 25 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 17-5 | 164 |
| 23 | RV | Northwestern (Iowa) | 20-5 | 156 |
| 24 | RV | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 22-7 | 125 |
| 25 | RV | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 17-8 | 80 |
Dropped from the Top 25: Jamestown (N.D.), Warner (Fla.), William Jessup (Calif.)
Others Receiving Votes: Carroll (Mont.) 75, William Jessup (Calif.) 73, Warner (Fla.) 66, Dillard (La.) 60, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 60, Wayland Baptist (Texas) 56, Jamestown (N.D.) 54, Rochester (Mich.) 36, Lyon (Ark.) 35, Texas Wesleyan 30, Holy Cross (Ind.) 16, Point (Ga.) 16, Thomas More (Ky.) 14, Xavier (La.) 10, Park (Mo.) 8, Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 7, Central Baptist (Ark.) 6, Vanguard (Calif.) 4, The Master’s (Calif.) 3, Ave Maria (Fla.) 3.
