Note: Games played last night are not reflected in this poll or the records listed below.

Oklahoma Wesleyan has gone from sharing No. 11 to leading the country. Morningside has climbed from the final spot in the preseason poll into the top 10. Five new teams have joined the rankings.

The first regular-season Stadionic NAIA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 gives us a very different national picture than the one we had in October.

Oklahoma Wesleyan leads the November 11 poll at 6–0 with 14 first-place votes. Indiana Wesleyan moves to No. 2 with five first-place votes, while preseason No. 1 Grace drops to No. 3. Rocky Mountain holds fourth, Georgetown moves into the top five, and No. 6 Arizona Christian receives the remaining first-place vote.

The big-picture numbers: 25 ranked teams, 13 conferences and 14 states. This is the official coaches’ poll, separate from NHR’s independent rankings. Records below are those listed in the poll, not updated live records.

The new national picture

No. 1 Oklahoma Wesleyan: the biggest statement at the top

The Eagles rise 10 places from their preseason tie for No. 11, taking the top spot with a 6–0 record and 14 of the 20 first-place votes shown in the release.

NHR read: The early results have moved Oklahoma Wesleyan from contender to national measuring stick. Now comes the next assignment: sustaining that standard as opponents get more film and conference play adds its own demands.

Indiana Wesleyan and Grace keep the Crossroads near the top

Indiana Wesleyan climbs three spots to No. 2 at 4–0 and collects five first-place votes. Grace slips two places to No. 3 at 4–1. The order changed, but the Crossroads still has two of the nation’s top three teams.

Rocky Mountain holds; Georgetown climbs

Rocky Mountain remains fourth, with a 0–0 record listed in the poll. Georgetown moves from seventh to fifth at 4–1, giving the Mid-South its highest-ranked team.

Rocky’s listed record is a reminder that early polls compare teams at different stages of their schedules. Georgetown, meanwhile, has improved its standing despite already having a loss.

Morningside makes the biggest leap

The Mustangs climb 16 spots from No. 25 to No. 9 at 4–0, the largest rise among teams ranked in both polls. Ave Maria advances from No. 13 to No. 10, while Cumberlands improves from tenth to eighth.

The Mustangs have now established themselves as a national contender!

Biggest moves

Among teams ranked in both polls:

• Morningside: 25 to 9, up 16.
• Oklahoma Wesleyan: tied for 11 to 1, up 10.
• Georgia Gwinnett: 18 to 12, up six.
• Wayland Baptist: 24 to 19, up five.
• Indiana Wesleyan: 5 to 2, up three.
• Ave Maria: 13 to 10, up three.

The largest drops among teams that remain ranked are Langston (8 to 21), Keiser (tied for 11 to 22), Freed-Hardeman (2 to 11) and LSU Shreveport (9 to 15).

Five new teams enter

Montana Tech leads the newcomers at No. 14. The Orediggers were receiving votes in the preseason and are listed at 4–0. Their opening stretch includes an 83–71 win over College of Idaho. Frontier schedule

The other arrivals are No. 18 St. Thomas (Fla.), No. 23 Life (Ga.), No. 24 Bethel (Kan.) and No. 25 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.).

Comparing the ranked lists, The Master’s, Concordia (Neb.), Hope International, Madonna and William Carey drop out. The release’s dropped-team line also names Williams Baptist, but Williams Baptist was receiving votes in the preseason rather than ranked, so it is not counted as a sixth departure here.

The complete official Top 25

Records are as listed in the poll. Brackets indicate first-place votes.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan [14] — 6–0
2. Indiana Wesleyan [5] — 4–0
3. Grace (Ind.) — 4–1
4. Rocky Mountain (Mont.) — 0–0
5. Georgetown (Ky.) — 4–1
6. Arizona Christian [1] — 5–1
7. Nelson (Texas) — 3–0
8. Cumberlands (Ky.) — 5–0
9. Morningside (Iowa) — 4–0
10. Ave Maria (Fla.) — 4–0
11. Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) — 3–1
12. Georgia Gwinnett — 6–0
13. Eastern Oregon — 3–0
14. Montana Tech — 4–0
15. LSU Shreveport (La.) — 3–2
16. Loyola (La.) — 4–1
17. College of Idaho — 3–1
18. St. Thomas (Fla.) — 3–1
19. Wayland Baptist (Texas) — 2–1
20. Pikeville (Ky.) — 2–1
21. Langston (Okla.) — 2–2
22. Keiser (Fla.) — 1–1
23. Life (Ga.) — 4–0
24. Bethel (Kan.) — 3–0
25. Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) — 4–1

Ranked teams by conference

• Mid-South: 3 — Georgetown, Cumberlands, Freed-Hardeman.
• Sooner Athletic: 3 — Nelson, Wayland Baptist, Langston.
• Sun: 3 — Ave Maria, St. Thomas, Keiser.
• Cascade: 2 — Eastern Oregon, College of Idaho.
• Crossroads: 2 — Indiana Wesleyan, Grace.
• Frontier: 2 — Rocky Mountain, Montana Tech.
• Great Southwest: 2 — Arizona Christian, Embry-Riddle.
• KCAC: 2 — Oklahoma Wesleyan, Bethel.
• Southern States: 2 — Loyola, Life.
• Appalachian Athletic: 1 — Pikeville.
• Continental Athletic: 1 — Georgia Gwinnett.
• Great Plains: 1 — Morningside.
• Red River: 1 — LSU Shreveport.

The Mid-South, Sooner and Sun share the lead in ranked teams. The Crossroads has the strongest placement of its two representatives, with Indiana Wesleyan second and Grace third.

Ranked teams by state

Florida and Kentucky lead with three each. Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Montana, Oklahoma and Texas have two apiece. Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Oregon and Tennessee each have one.

Receiving votes

Bellevue, Columbia, Concordia (Neb.), Dalton State, Dordt, Grand View, Huntington, Indiana Tech, IU Kokomo, LSU Alexandria, Madonna, Oregon Tech, Talladega, Taylor, Texas A&M–Texarkana, The Master’s and Williams Baptist.

The NHR takeaway

Oklahoma Wesleyan has earned the coaches’ top spot. Indiana Wesleyan is close behind, and Grace remains in the top three. Morningside has made the largest climb, while Montana Tech leads five new ranked teams.

There is plenty to watch beyond No. 1. Georgia Gwinnett is 6–0 and pushing toward the top 10. The Sun has three ranked programs. The Frontier and KCAC each have a new second representative.

The preseason gave us expectations. The first regular-season poll gives us a new snapshot after three weeks of action. The next few weeks will show which teams can keep building on their early momentum.

Good at basketball.