Losses Cause Shakeup In The NABC/Division II Coaches Poll
Release and poll courtesy of the NABC
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Losses by six of the top 11 teams in the last poll of 2008 have caused a significant shakeup in the first NABC/Division II Coaches Poll of the 2009 calendar year.
Findlay was able to retain its No. 1 ranking into the new year, but South Carolina Aiken suffered two losses in a post-Christmas event at Florida Southern and dropped out of the top 10 as a result. The Pacers were replaced in the No. 2 spot by Southwest Baptist - who picked up a huge win over then-No. 10 Missouri Southern on Dec. 29 - and LIU-C.W. Post, who moved to its highest ranking in school history at No. 3.
Findlay, SBU and C.W. Post are among the five remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division II on this date. The other two are also in the top 25, with Bellarmine at No. 5 behind fourth-ranked Central Oklahoma and Mercyhurst making its first appearance in the poll at No. 21. The Knights improved to 12-0 with a win over now-No. 19 Northern Kentucky and Mercyhurst moved to 11-0 win two weekend victories in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference crossover play. (Clayton State was undefeated prior to a Monday night loss to Georgia College and State that is not reflected in this week's rankings.)
The second five is led by Minnesota State, followed by Gannon, Southern Indiana, BYU-Hawaii and Augusta State. Southern Indiana and Bellarmine are set to face off in the week's top game on Saturday in Louisville, but not before Bellarmine hosts No. 20 Kentucky Wesleyan two nights before that matchup.
South Carolina Aiken dropped nine spots to No. 11, followed by Missouri Southern, Saint Martin's, Arkansas-Monticello and Grand Valley State.
The next poll will be released Jan. 13.
NABC/Division II Coaches Poll (Jan. 6, 2009)
| Rank | School (first place votes) | Record | Points | Previous Rank |
| 1 | Findlay, Ohio (7) | 10-0 | 199 | 1 |
| 2 | Southwest Baptist, Mo. (1) | 11-0 | 193 | 3 |
| 3 | LIU-C.W. Post, N.Y. | 9-0 | 181 | 6 |
| 4 | Central Oklahoma | 11-2 | 159 | 8 |
| 5 | Bellarmine, Ky. | 12-0 | 155 | 13 |
| 6 | Minnesota State | 13-2 | 154 | 9 |
| 7 | Gannon, Pa. | 9-1 | 130 | 4 |
| 8 | Southern Indiana | 14-2 | 115 | 18 |
| 9 | BYU-Hawaii | 6-1 | 111 | 12 |
| 10 | Augusta State, Ga. | 7-2 | 110 | 7 |
| 11 | South Carolina-Aiken | 7-2 | 108 | 2 |
| 12 | Missouri Southern | 14-1 | 100 | 10 |
| 13 | St. Martin's, Wash. | 12-2 | 99 | 15 |
| 14 | Arkansas-Monticello | 10-2 | 97 | 5 |
| 15 | Grand Valley State, Mich. | 8-2 | 73 | 16 |
| 16 | Clayton State, Ga. | 9-0 | 72 | T25 |
| 17 | Arkansas Tech | 10-2 | 64 | 20 |
| 18 | Valdosta State, Ga. | 12-2 | 63 | T25 |
| 19 | Northern Kentucky | 9-3 | 53 | 17 |
| 20 | Kentucky Wesleyan | 9-2 | 43 | 11 |
| 21 | Mercyhurst, Pa. | 11-0 | 34 | NR |
| 22 | Northern State, S.D. | 11-2 | 33 | 19 |
| 23 | Catawba, N.C. | 9-3 | 30 | 14 |
| 24 | St. Cloud State, Minn. | 10-2 | 22 | NR |
| 25 | Benedict, S.C. | 5-1 | 21 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Lynn (Fla.) 19, Central
Missouri 18, Claflin (S.C.) 18, Angelo State (Texas) 17, Merrimack
(Mass.) 15, Armstrong Atlantic State (Ga.) 13, Chrsitian Brothers
(Tenn.) 12, Delta State (Miss.) 11, Edinboro (Pa.) 11, Central
Washington 10, Dallas Baptist (Texas) 10, Alderson-Broaddus (W.Va.)
9, Augustana (S.D.) 4, Saint Anselm (N.H.) 4, Fort Lewis (Colo.) 3,
Elizabeth City State (N.C.) 2, North Alabama 2, Ashland
(Ohio) 1, Harding (Ark.) 1, Stonehill (Mass.) 1.
Records are through games of Jan. 4, 2009.
