Arkansas Tech is now a unanimous No. 1 in the NCAA Division II men’s basketball top 25 poll, while voters were unfazed by the Golden Suns’ loss at Christian Brothers on Monday and kept Tech at the No. 7 spot in the D-II women’s poll.
The Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys (19-0 overall, 6-0 Gulf South Conference) captured all eight first-place votes in the National Association of Basketball Coaches NCAA Division II poll released on Tuesday.
This marks the third straight week that the Wonder Boys have been ranked No. 1, matching former GSC member Montevallo for the longest consecutive run atop the poll for any team from the Gulf South Conference.
Montevallo was No. 1 for three weeks two different times during the 2005-06 season.
This marks the first time that the Wonder Boys have been a unanimous No. 1. Fort Hays State, which had garnered a first-place vote in each of the last two weeks, fell to No. 8 in this week’s rankings thanks to back-to-back losses.
Arkansas Tech is one of two unbeaten teams remaining in NCAA Division II men’s basketball. The other is Southern Indiana, which is ranked No. 2 this week with a record of 19-0.
The Arkansas Tech Golden Suns (18-1, 5-1) were one of the final four unbeaten teams in NCAA Division II women’s basketball, but their undefeated run ended Monday night with a 78-72 loss at Christian Brothers.
National voters did not penalize the Suns, though, and chose to keep them at No. 7 in the USA Today/ESPN Women’s Basketball Coaches Association NCAA Division II poll for a second consecutive week.
This is the highest national ranking for Tech’s women since March 12, 2003, when they were No. 5.
The Golden Suns are now the highest-ranked team in the GSC. Delta State fell from No. 6 to No. 12 after its loss at Henderson State on Saturday.
Tech will visit Southern Arkansas for a doubleheader at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 4. Russellville radio station KWKK 100.9 FM and www.athletics.atu.edu will have live play-by-play coverage from the W.T. Watson Athletic Center in Magnolia.
The Wonder Boys and the Golden Suns will return home to host Arkansas-Monticello at 4 and 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6. The doors to Tucker Coliseum will open at 3 p.m.
Click here to view the NCAA Division II men’s top 25.
Click here to view the NCAA Division II women’s top 25.
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