IWU Men's Basketball Cracks NAIA Top Five

MARION, Ind. -- Indiana Wesleyan University earned its highest ranking of the season with the No. 5 spot in the newest NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top-25 Poll released Monday evening.
The Wildcats moved up two spots from the last poll where IWU was No. 7 even with a loss last week. IWU dropped a 79-72 decision at No. 9-ranked Bethel (Ind.) College in Mishawaka, Indiana. The Wildcats salvaged a split during the week with an 83-51 victory over Marygrove (Mich.) College in non-conference action.
Indiana Wesleyan was not the only ranked program to lose last week as eight teams in the top-10 suffered a loss. One of the teams did not play.
The top four teams remained unchanged as Oklahoma Wesleyan University continues its reign at top with all 15 first place votes for 405 points. Walsh (Ohio) University is second with 390 points, Oregon Tech is third at 372 points and Indiana University-Southeast chimes in at fourth with 371 points.
Indiana Wesleyan tallied 343 points with its current 20-4 record. IWU is 8-2 in conference play and is currently all alone in first place.
Three other Mid-Central College Conference programs are ranked in the top-25 as University of Saint Francis (Ind.) is No. 8, Bethel is No. 9 and Spring Arbor (Mich.) University moved up four spots to No. 19.
Indiana Wesleyan hosts a pair of contest this week as the Wildcats play Huntington (Ind.) University at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 2 and then No. 19-ranked Spring Arbor at 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 6 in Luckey Arena.