What started in November culminates this coming Sunday with the DII men's basketball selection show. While we don't know all 64 teams that will fill out the bracket, we know the stalwarts from the DII men's basketball Power 10 will be making an appearance.
Spoiler alert: The top four teams are still very strong, and there has been no change. There was a bit of a shakeup elsewhere, but for the most part, it was simply toggling a few positions, and the faces remain very familiar.
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Remember, the Power 10 rankings are mine — there is no voting body or committee. I use Inkblot Sports RPI in my rankings, as well as the KPI from Faktor Sports to pair selection metrics and what I watch. This often leads to a different top 10 that you'll see in the national polls and that is precisely why I started the Power 10 rankings more than half a decade ago.
The 10th Power 10 of the regular season
(games through Sunday, March 2)
No. 1 Nova Southeastern | Previous: 1. The Sharks are heading to the SSC tournament on a 14-game winning streak. Kudos to Rollins for holding Nova Southeastern to 75 points, the Sharks' lowest total since last year's DII Men's Elite Eight victory over SNHU. However, there is very little the Sharks aren't No. 1 at, whether it is offensive statistics or selection metrics. While they have a stranglehold on the No. 1 spot, they are by no means the clear-cut favorite in the South Region. Why?
No. 2 UAH | Previous: 2. Here's why. The Chargers extended their winning streak to 27 games, the longest in college basketball at any level. They are one basket away from a perfect regular season, and that loss came to Nova Southeastern in a 105-104 overtime classic. These two should wind up playing for the South Region, and with revenge on the mind, anything goes.
No. 3 Daemen | Previous: 3. The Wildcats are one of two undefeated teams remaining in all college basketball (DIII's Wesleyan (CT) is the other) and have the third-longest winning streak in college basketball at 25 games. They closed the regular season with an 11-point win and not allowing a single opponent to score more than 78 points all season. In an era where offense is king, this defense has proven it is very much for real.
No. 4 West Liberty | Previous: 4. The Hilltoppers are the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Region and have really found their groove on this 13-game winning streak. They have scored 100 points or more in four straight games and five of their last six, and put up an astounding 162 points last Wednesday when NINE players scored at least 10 points. They are just one of three teams scoring north of 100 points per game this season and their third trip to the DII Men's Elite Eight since 2021 is well in their sights.
No. 5 Washburn | Previous: 6. The Ichabods are now back in the top five after their two-game skid. They are the top seed in the Central Region by a wide margin — the 'Bods have a mere two losses and no one else in the last regional rankings had fewer than six. This team is winning games by more than 20 points a night and has a trio of Bevo Francis Award candidates in Brayden Shorter, Jacob Hanna and Jack Bachelor.
No. 6 Point Loma| Previous: 7. I'm still trying to figure out what the Sea Lions have to do to break the top 10 in the NABC poll. It's mind-boggling. This is the No. 1 team in the West and has been for nearly the entire season. They have a top 10 KPI and are one of 12 teams with an RPI north of .600. They have a five-game winning streak and have won 15 of their last 16, Maybe it's because they find themselves in some closer-than-expected games, but at the end of the day, all that matters is the W.
No. 7 Columbus State | Previous: 8. How about these Cougars? All they do is win. That is nine in a row and 15 of their last 16. They have swept three of the top teams in the PBC, but were swept by Augusta, so it will be interesting to see what happens if they meet in the conference tournament. This is a team that has one 20-win season and a trip to the tournament in the past seven years, so sitting at 25-3 tells you how impressive this run has been.
No. 8 Lincoln Memorial | Previous: First five out. The Railsplitters' rollercoaster up and down the rankings continues. The simple fact is that this is a very good basketball team. They have an explosive 1-2 punch in Wes Enis and Elyjah Freeman, are very efficient from the floor and score points. Currently, they are No. 2 in the Southeast and have a top 10 KPI. It is also worth noting that the Railsplitters seem to come alive in March, so maybe the rollercoaster is just peaking.
No. 9 (tie) Colorado School of Mines, Lubbock Christian, DBU| Previous: 6, 9, 10 (tied), respectively
Okay, I can see you thinking that this is a cop out, but here's the reasoning: These are hands down three of the best teams in DII, but they each have lost once in their last three games, and finding the needle in the haystack that separates them is darn near impossible.
Lubbock Christian has the highest KPI of the three, so that gives the Chaps the edge, right? Not so fast, because Colorado School of Mines has the top RPI in the South Central, giving the Orediggers the No. 1 overall seed. Ah, but of course, statistically speaking, DBU has the best overall record and offensive numbers of the bunch, so short story long, these three are separated by a fraction and thus tie for our final spot.
First five out (in alphabetical order):
- Florida Southern. Look, I get it. The Mocs have seven losses, so how are they this high? They have played the eighth toughest schedule in DII, have had a top 10 KPI all season, and are the fourth-best team in the South. If you remember a few years back, when the Central Region was a beast, the top six teams in that region were usually in the top 20. That's the exact way you should look at the South this season.
- Lake Superior State. The Lakers have won four in a row and six of their last seven. The Midwest Region is going to be wild, and the Lakers' grit may be what gets them through.
- Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bears are back to their winning ways and are a top team in their region and the KPI. They may not have as many signature wins as I would like, but they have been good all season long.
- Missouri S&T. Yes, the Miners are still No. 1 in the Midwest. Yes, they have a pretty 23-4 overall record. What drops them for me is that three of those four losses were in the last month, and in a wide-open and deep Midwest, you want the momentum at your back.
- Michigan Tech. Did someone say momentum? The Huskies remain red hot, now winners of seven in a row and 10 of their last 11. That includes a win over LSSU and two wins over Ferris State.
Just missed: Ferris State, Valdosta State
