In the previous Power 10 rankings, I said, “If Minnesota State wasn’t undefeated, I think the Buffs are the top team in DII men’s basketball. To be honest, they still may be.” Well, since then Minnesota State has lost, the Buffs are still rolling, and are now indeed, the No. 1 team in the DII men’s basketball Power 10 rankings. 

It is the second week in a row that we have a first-timer in the No. 1 spot. West Texas A&M is a cool 18-1, but more on the Buffs in just a minute. There is also the wildest tie I’ve ever had in the Power 10 rankings… but more on that in a few. Here is your weekly reminder: The Power 10 rankings are mine and mine alone — there is no voting body, just me, some stats and a whole bunch of notes. I attempt to mesh the good ol’ eye test with some of the numbers the selection committee uses to fill the bracket in March. It is also important to note that the only games that matter to me are those played against DII competition.

As I mentioned in the initial Power 10 rankings, this season I will be using stats from InkblotSports. You can see those metrics — which include RPI and PI amongst other selection metrics — here or join the Inkblot Sports Patreon here. 

DII MEN’S BASKETBALL CENTRAL:

The third DII men’s basketball Power 10 for 2024 (through 1/27/24)

No. 1 West Texas A&M| Previous: 2

Since 2018 the Buffs are 173-26 with three DII Men’s Elite Eight appearances and one national runners-up campaign. So, it is somewhat unbelievable that this is the first time in history West Texas A&M is seeing the No. 1 spot in several polls. But it is well deserved. The Buffs are the No. 1 unquestioned spot in the South Central (which is the toughest region this year in my opinion) after their most recent 14-point win over DBU. It’s even more impressive when you think that the Buffs lone loss was by a mere point 16 games ago. There are just too many weapons to contain on this team, and it will make them tough for the rest of the season. 

No. 2 Minnesota State | Previous: 1

Yes, the Mavericks lost their first game of the season — and at the hands of a streaking and nationally ranked Minot State — but they bounced back with a key NSIC victory over then-Power 10 MSU Moorhead. Minnesota State still has the top RPI and PI in the Central, which is a deeper region than the South or West, giving the Mavericks a slight edge over Saint Martin’s or Nova Southeastern for now. Yet another big matchup against Minnesota Duluth awaits this week that is pretty much a must win.

No. 3 Nova Southeastern | Previous: 4

DII men’s basketball has been a rollercoaster this season, and the Sharks have been in the front row of the ride. Yes, the Sharks have two rather big losses to what are looking like DII tournament teams, but they also keep racking up points and winning ball games, including their last three in a row. Remember, this was almost an entirely new team. Minus West Texas A&M, there is no team looking completely unbeatable right now. Let’s see what the defending champions look like in February with three months of playing together under their belts. 

No. 4 DBU | Previous: 6

This is how wild the rankings are this season. When no undefeated teams remain before February, even if you lose a big game, you can still win. Despite the loss to West Texas A&M, DBU moved up in the South Central RPI and PI rankings to the No. 2 spot. As I mentioned, if I think this is the toughest region in DII men’s basketball, then holding the No. 2 spot in RPI and PI speaks volumes to how good this team is. Let’s not forget, the Lubbock Christian team the Patriots defeated after the Buffs’ loss is very good and quite the bounce-back statement. 

No. 5 North Georgia | Previous: 7

The Nighthawks keep moving up, and this week they have a chance to continue their ascent if they can beat nationally-ranked USC Aiken on Wednesday. Frank Champion continues to play in a league of his own, but North Georgia has two very capable scorers in Champion and AJ White, making this a tough team to stop. The Peach Belt and Southeast Region is pretty deep this year, so the Nighthawks — who are No. 1 in both RPI and PI in the region — have to win every game they can to keep that host seed intact. 

No. 6 Saint Martin’s | Previous: 3

The Saints have been very good, but that loss to Alaska Anchorage — which has the GNAC’s top-scoring defense and top-3 in DII — definitely stings a bit. Still, Saint Martin’s is the No. 1 team in the West Region in both RPI and PI, which makes them one of eight No. 1 seeds if the tournament started today… and that means the Saints are pretty darn good. The Saints are still a very balanced team, scoring just over 85 points per game and winning games by more than 15 points a night, which will make them a tough out in a challenging West.

No. 7 Gannon | Previous: 10 (tied)

The Golden Knights currently own the top RPI and PI in the Atlantic Region, so you may be noticing the trend. With so many teams losing these past two weeks, where you stand in the region plays a large role on where you land in the Power 10. Gannon continues to lead DII men’s basketball in scoring with 106.0 point per game and — like the high-energy teams Gannon head coach Jordan Fee assisted within Nova Southeastern — are pressuring offenses non-stop, second (to the Sharks, naturally) in DII with 13.8 steals per game. If you want to stop Gannon, you got to get them into a half-court game and makes sure you do some extra laps to increase your stamina before you play the Knights. 

No. 8 West Georgia | Previous: First five out

The Wolves are on fire, winners of eight in a row and actually wrestled the top PI in the South Region away from Nova Southeastern. Here’s what’s interesting about West Georgia’s 17-2 overall record (16-2 against DII): The two losses came in back-to-back games. That means outside of that cold streak, the Wolves have dominated to a nine-game and now eight-game winning streak. The Wolves — who possess the top-scoring offense in the Gulf South Conference — have a few winnable ball games ahead of them to really bolster this winning streak. As long as Zawdie Jackson keeps playing like he has (22.3 points per game on 55 percent shooting from the floor and 53 percent from 3-point land) the Wolves could do just that. 

No . 9 (tie) Colorado Mesa, Colorado School of Mines, Fort Lewis | Previous: 8, first five out, best of the rest

While one may look at the past weekend and think this trio is easy to separate, the bigger picture isn’t so simple. Colorado Mesa has the best RPI and PI of the three, a rather impressive feat. However, Fort Lewis just defeated the Mavericks, and despite having by far the lowest SOS of the top eight RPI teams in the region, the Skyhawks must be considered for the Power 10. The Orediggers fit into the equation by simply being the hottest team in the RMAC. They own the second-best RPI and PI in the conference and have won 14 in a row. Naturally, their last loss was to… Colorado Mesa, making this spot so tough to decide. Fort Lewis plays Colorado School of Mines this week. If the Skyhawks win, we have the separation we need for one of these teams to pull away. If the Orediggers win, well, the RMAC remains a huge headache to try and figure out. 

The first five out (listed alphabetically)

• Lander
• Minot State
• MSU Moorhead
• Northwest Missouri State
• USC Aiken

The best of the rest: Cal (PA), Ferris State, Florida Southern, Minnesota Duluth, Missouri Western, St. Thomas Aquinas, West Liberty

Team to watch

Each week, I’ll highlight teams that may not be getting national attention… but very well should. This week we look at Fort Hays State.

It is easy to get overlooked in the Central Region where the top four teams are all in the top 15 in DII men’s basketball (at least mine!). But that doesn’t diminish what the Tigers are doing this season. Beginning with their New Year’s Eve “upset” of then No. 5 Central Oklahoma, the Tigers have won seven of their last eight. They have the best scoring defense in DII men’s basketball by nearly two full points, as the only team allowing fewer than 60 points per game (58.2 to be precise). You can currently pencil in the Tigers around the fourth or fifth seed in the Central, and they have a tougher SOS than all the teams ahead of them except MIAA rival Northwest Missouri State — who not only did they beat, but also held the Bearcats to their lowest scoring output of the season at just 49 points. This team is proving it can win meaningful games and should be on everyone’s radar.