KEENE, N.H. – Off to a 3-0 start and coming off a win over preseason No. 25 ranked Williams College on Sunday, the Keene State College men's basketball team moved up three spots to No. 7 in the first in-season D3hoops.com Top 25 poll released on Monday evening.
The Owls, who were ranked No. 10 in the preseason poll, accumulated 411 points, edging out eighth-ranked Tufts (406) and 15 behind No. 6 University of Wisconsin-Platteville. KSC is familiar with both teams, having played each of them a season ago (falling to Tufts 65-62 and beating Platteville 93-75 in South Dakota). The Owls will again meet the Jumbos when they visit Medford in early December. KSC's slate also features games against No. 21 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, who moved into the poll this week and Middlebury College (receiving votes). Williams, who the Owls beat 75-71 on the road a day ago, is the second team listed in the receiving votes category (essentially No. 27).
Keene State, who did not open their season until November 16, has come out of the gates with three wins away from home and two in true road games, defeating Western New England University (4-2; 19-8, 12-4 CCC in 2023-2024) 83-78 in their opener and Williams (3-1; 23-7, 9-1 NESCAC in 2023-2024 while reaching Sweet 16) yesterday. The Owls also decimated Thomas College (3-4) 109-78 on Saturday evening in the opener of the Purple & Gold Classic.
The Owls' home opener awaits next, as they welcome the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to Spaulding Gymnasium on Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. tip-off.
KSC has now appeared in 30 consecutive polls dating to Week 1 of the 2022-2023 season, tied for the longest streak in the country with John Carroll University (preseason No. 3 who moved to No. 19 in the most recent poll). Hampden-Sydney College has appeared in 23 straight rankings, while the State University of New York at Oswego saw their string of 23 poll appearances in a row snapped then they were receiving votes in the preseason poll.
Defending national champion Trine University (5-0) maintained the top spot in the poll and picked up 23 of the 25 first place votes, with second-ranked Washington University (St. Louis) and Emory University picking up one top vote apiece. Illinois Wesleyan University, who skyrocketed up 12 spots to No. 4, and Trinity College (Conn.) round out the top five.
KSC has made the Sweet 16 in back-to-back seasons and the NCAA tournament seven times since 2015 while picked atop the Little East Conference preseason poll by the league's coaches before the season. The Owls are looking to become the first team in league history to win it four consecutive times.
NCAA selections will be conducted using a new system – in place for all applicable Division III sports – this season, with the highest-ranked teams using the NCAA Power Index (NPI) formula receiving 22 at-large bids after teams earn automatic bids. Those rankings will be public and released in early February with every team in Division III listed, in accordance with the normal regional rankings.
The new D3hoops.com Top 25 polls will be released each Monday afternoon or evening in season, with only slight alterations around the holidays. The Owls have been ranked as high as No. 4 in their present run of poll appearances, which has seen them go 57-6 (.905) since the start of the 2022-2023 season.