Crossroads League Trio Ranked Among Top 25
KANSAS CITY – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics released its fifth Division II Men’s Basketball Top-25 Poll of the regular season on Tuesday, touting No. 3 Bethel, No. 9 Indiana Wesleyan and No. 19 Saint Francis inside the top-25, with Taylor and Spring Arbor receiving votes.
No. 3 Bethel (23-3, 13-1 CL) improved one spot and gained 12 points in the poll to a total of 291, after extending its current win streak to 12-straight victories. The Pilots went 4-0 since the last rating and opened a three-game lead in the standings with a win over Indiana Wesleyan.
Bethel, which notched a home league win over Grace College on Saturday, features a plethora of former area prep standouts. The Pilots talent-laden roster includes the senior trio of guards Clay Yeo (Triton), Jordyn Coon (Warsaw) and Nick Kindig (Tippecanoe Valley). Yeo, who has returned from a knee injury, averages 13.7 points-per-game, second best for the Pilots. Kindig checks in at 12.2 ppg. while Coon scores at a 10.8 ppg. clip. The Bethel roster also includes junior guard Tanner Shepherd (Triton) and freshman guard Brady Bechtel (Goshen).
The Pilots play at conference foe Spring Arbor tonight and then host Mount Vernon Nazarene Saturday and Marian on feb. 14. Bethel concludes the Crossroads regular season at Saint Francis on Feb. 18.
No. 9 Indiana Wesleyan (20-6, 10-4 CL) hauled in 232 points in the poll, dropping three spots and 25 points after going 2-2 since the previous poll. The Wildcats suffered a pair of road losses but topped Goshen and Marian at home to maintain control of second place.
No. 19 Saint Francis (18-8, 8-6 CL) earned 137 points and climbed one spot and 10 points after righting the ship with a 3-1 clip since the previous rankings. The Cougars climbed back into a tie for third in the standings with recent wins over Taylor, Goshen and Marian.
Taylor (17-9, 8-6 CL) dropped out of the top-25 with 60 points, sliding from No. 16 and 154 points in the prior ratings. The Trojans lost a season-worst three-straight games to drop into a three-way tie for third in the league standings.
Spring Arbor (16-10, 8-6 CL) jumped into the ratings for the first time this season with six points. The Cougars rattled off three wins in a row to jump into a tie with Saint Francis and Taylor for third-place in the league standings.
Spring Arbor features former Warsaw standout Paul Marandet. The freshman guard is averaging 12.5 points and over four assists per game. Spring Arbor hosts Bethel tonight and then plays at Grace College Saturday at 3 p.m. and at Goshen College on Feb. 14 at 7 p.m.
The NAIA Top-25 Poll is voted on by a panel of head coaches from around the nation. The next men’s basketball Top-25 Poll will be announced on February 21.