Grace Leads the 2026–27 NAIA Preseason Top 25: Favorites, Conference Counts and State Breakdown

NAIA Hoops Report’s 2026–27 preseason Coaches’ Top 25 graphic: Grace No. 1, Freed-Hardeman No. 2, Arizona Christian No. 3, and Rocky Mountain No. 4. — NHR graphic featuring the top four in the official NAIA preseason coaches’ poll, released October 21, 2026.

Grace is the coaches’ starting point. Freed-Hardeman is the champion everyone still has to chase. That tension makes the first national poll of 2026–27 more interesting than a simple countdown.

The Gared-NAIA Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll, released October 21, puts Grace at No. 1 ahead of Freed-Hardeman, Arizona Christian and Rocky Mountain. Grace collected 14 first-place votes, Freed-Hardeman four and Arizona Christian one. Those are first-place votes, not total poll points; the national release did not provide point totals.

The big-picture numbers: 25 ranked teams, 14 conferences and 17 states. Keiser and Oklahoma Wesleyan share No. 11, so there is no No. 12. This is the official coaches’ order, not a separate NHR ranking.

The early favorites

No. 1 Grace: continuity is the advantage

Grace went 31–4 last season and reached a fourth consecutive NAIA quarterfinal. According to the national release, the Lancers return their entire roster without a graduation or transfer departure. They also bring four straight Crossroads regular-season titles and five straight league tournament titles into the season.

NHR read: This is a continuity pick, not merely a reputation pick. When a team that was already playing deep into March can build on its shared experience instead of rebuilding its rotation, the preseason case practically writes itself. The 14 first-place votes show how strongly the coaches value that foundation.

No. 2 Freed-Hardeman: the standard survives a coaching change

The Lions finished 35–1 and beat Langston 76–71 for the 2026 national championship. That was their second title in three seasons, both won against Langston. New head coach Grant Burns spent the previous five seasons on the staff, including both championship runs.

NHR read: Grace owns the preseason No. 1 beside its name, but Freed-Hardeman owns the most recent championship evidence. An internal coaching promotion gives the Lions a bridge between eras. That does not erase the challenge of replacing personnel, but it makes this a very different situation from starting over.

No. 3 Arizona Christian: a familiar contender with unfinished business

Arizona Christian finished 25–8 and came within a point of Freed-Hardeman in a 79–78 national-quarterfinal loss. The GSAC preseason reference guide notes six consecutive regular-season conference titles and a returning group that includes three starters and six rotation players. The Firestorm received the only first-place vote that did not go to Grace or Freed-Hardeman.

NHR read: That combination of league consistency and a narrow loss to the eventual champion makes Arizona Christian more than a name to fill out the top three. The question is whether the returning core can turn another strong regular season into the extra March win it needed last time.

No. 4 Rocky Mountain: the breakthrough has staying power to prove

Rocky Mountain’s first season under Danny Neville produced 31 wins, including a 21-game winning streak. The Battlin’ Bears return starters Royce Robinson, Mekhi Jourdan and Jacob Bilodeau, plus six additional players with rotation experience, according to their official preseason preview. They were also picked to win the expanded 12-team Frontier Conference.

NHR read: No. 4 changes the assignment. Rocky is no longer introducing itself as a surprise contender; it is entering the season with a target. Returning a substantial piece of the rotation gives the Bears a credible chance to make last season a foundation rather than a one-year story.

The next wave is not far behind

Indiana Wesleyan completes the top five. Nelson, Georgetown, Langston, LSU Shreveport and Cumberlands round out the top 10. Langston’s presence at No. 8 is a useful reminder of how crowded this race is: the most recent national runner-up is not even in the preseason top five. Outside the first four, the poll offers plenty of contenders, not a clean dividing line between favorites and everyone else.

The complete official Top 25

Team-only list for easy mobile reading. The shared No. 11 is preserved exactly.

1. Grace (Ind.)
2. Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.)
3. Arizona Christian
4. Rocky Mountain (Mont.)
5. Indiana Wesleyan
6. Nelson (Texas)
7. Georgetown (Ky.)
8. Langston (Okla.)
9. LSU Shreveport (La.)
10. Cumberlands (Ky.)
T11. Keiser (Fla.)
T11. Oklahoma Wesleyan
13. Ave Maria (Fla.)
14. Loyola (La.)
15. Eastern Oregon
16. College of Idaho
17. The Master’s (Calif.)
18. Georgia Gwinnett
19. Concordia (Neb.)
20. Hope International (Calif.)
21. Pikeville (Ky.)
22. Madonna (Mich.)
23. William Carey (Miss.)
24. Wayland Baptist (Texas)
25. Morningside (Iowa)

Ranked teams by conference

These are counts of ranked programs, not voting points or first-place votes. Membership is for 2026–27, and Receiving Votes teams are excluded.

Great Southwest Athletic Conference: 3 (Arizona Christian, The Master’s, Hope International).
Mid-South Conference: 3 (Freed-Hardeman, Georgetown, Cumberlands).
Sooner Athletic Conference: 3 (Nelson, Langston, Wayland Baptist).
Cascade Collegiate Conference: 2 (Eastern Oregon, College of Idaho).
Crossroads League: 2 (Grace, Indiana Wesleyan).
Great Plains Athletic Conference: 2 (Concordia, Morningside).
Southern States Athletic Conference: 2 (Loyola, William Carey).
Sun Conference: 2 (Keiser, Ave Maria).
Appalachian Athletic Conference: 1 (Pikeville).
Continental Athletic Conference: 1 (Georgia Gwinnett).
Frontier Conference: 1 (Rocky Mountain).
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference: 1 (Oklahoma Wesleyan).
Red River Athletic Conference: 1 (LSU Shreveport).
Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference: 1 (Madonna).

Total: 25 teams across 14 represented conferences. Great Southwest, Mid-South and Sooner share the lead with three apiece, accounting for nine of the 25 ranked teams, or 36 percent.

NHR read: The Mid-South has the strongest top-10 concentration, with Freed-Hardeman, Georgetown and Cumberlands all in that group. The Crossroads has only two ranked teams, but both are in the top five. Conference depth and top-end placement tell different stories, and this poll gives us a good example of each.

Ranked teams by state

This breakdown uses each institution’s home state, not its players’ hometowns. All 25 ranked institutions are in the United States.

Kentucky: 3 (Georgetown, Cumberlands, Pikeville).
California: 2 (The Master’s, Hope International).
Florida: 2 (Keiser, Ave Maria).
Indiana: 2 (Grace, Indiana Wesleyan).
Louisiana: 2 (LSU Shreveport, Loyola).
Oklahoma: 2 (Langston, Oklahoma Wesleyan).
Texas: 2 (Nelson, Wayland Baptist).
Arizona: 1 (Arizona Christian).
Georgia: 1 (Georgia Gwinnett).
Idaho: 1 (College of Idaho).
Iowa: 1 (Morningside).
Michigan: 1 (Madonna).
Mississippi: 1 (William Carey).
Montana: 1 (Rocky Mountain).
Nebraska: 1 (Concordia).
Oregon: 1 (Eastern Oregon).
Tennessee: 1 (Freed-Hardeman).

Total: 25 teams across 17 states. Kentucky leads with three. Six states have two each, and 10 states have one. Indiana stands out for placement: its two ranked teams occupy No. 1 and No. 5.

Poll history worth remembering

Last year’s preseason poll started with College of Idaho at No. 1, followed by Arizona Christian, Georgetown and Langston. Freed-Hardeman opened at No. 5 before finishing as national champion. The Yotes finished 21–11 and exited in the Round of 32.

NHR read: A preseason ranking is an informed starting point, not a March bracket in disguise. Freed-Hardeman’s run is the most immediate reminder that a team does not have to begin at No. 1 to finish there. College of Idaho’s different path shows why the top spot should never be treated as a guarantee.

There is also an important calendar distinction. The 2026–27 coaches manual lists additional Coaches’ Top 25 releases on November 11, November 25 and December 16, followed by National Selection Committee Top 25 releases on January 20, February 3 and February 17. The NAIA polls manual describes the coaches’ poll as a publicity tool rather than a direct national-championship selection mechanism. The two rankings should not be treated as interchangeable.

Five more facts that make this poll interesting

Grace has an all-Indiana hometown roster. All 16 players listed on the Lancers’ current 2026–27 roster have Indiana hometowns. That is a separate distinction from the two Indiana institutions appearing in the Top 25.
Georgia Gwinnett is already No. 18 in year two. The Grizzlies went 25–7 in their debut season. Their second-year backcourt preview identifies eight returning players, giving a very young program a meaningful measure of continuity.
The top four come from four different conferences. Grace represents the Crossroads, Freed-Hardeman the Mid-South, Arizona Christian the Great Southwest and Rocky Mountain the Frontier.
Freed-Hardeman’s success is larger than one title run. Its coaching announcement records a 97–11 mark over the previous three seasons and four consecutive Mid-South tournament championships.
The tie does not create a 26-team Top 25. Keiser and Oklahoma Wesleyan share No. 11, the numbering resumes at No. 13, and there are still exactly 25 ranked programs.

Receiving Votes: a separate watch list

The national release also lists 26 additional programs receiving votes. They are not included in any ranked-team conference or state total above.

Bellevue (Neb.); Benedictine Mesa (Ariz.); Bethel (Ind.); Columbia (Mo.); Dalton State (Ga.); Embry-Riddle (Ariz.); Faulkner (Ala.); Friends (Kan.); Graceland (Iowa); Grand View (Iowa); Huntington (Ind.); Indiana Tech; IU Kokomo (Ind.); IU South Bend (Ind.); Lewis-Clark State (Idaho); Life (Ga.); LSU Alexandria (La.); McPherson (Kan.); Mid-America Christian (Okla.); Montana Tech; Northwestern (Iowa); Olivet Nazarene (Ill.); Southeastern (Fla.); Taylor (Ind.); William Penn (Iowa); Williams Baptist (Ark.).

The NHR takeaway

Grace has the clearest preseason continuity case. Freed-Hardeman has the championship standard. Arizona Christian has both consistency and a recent near-miss. Rocky Mountain has a breakthrough season to build on. Behind them is a field spread across 14 conferences, with enough proven programs to make October certainty a risky habit.

The first countable games arrive October 22, according to the NAIA release. That is when this conversation starts getting new evidence. Until then, the coaches have given us a starting map, not a final destination.

Good at basketball.

Source and methodology: Official NAIA poll released October 21, 2026; linked NAIA, conference and school sources for history and current affiliations. Conference and state totals are NHR’s count of the 25 ranked institutions only. “NHR read” passages are original analysis. The accompanying NHR graphic reproduces the official poll’s top four and is not an independent ranking.