Good morning, NAIA hoops fans!

The NAIA has approved a fifth season of competition, and the impact on rosters and recruiting could be significant. We’ll get into that below, along with a pair of dramatic Wednesday finishes, standout performances and the latest around NAIA men’s basketball.

A fifth season is coming

The NAIA membership approved the change on November 4. The fifth season will be available beginning in 2027–28, with eligibility tied to academic progress and the other eligibility requirements.

Here are the key transition points:

• An athlete must have begun 2026–27 with eligibility remaining and have sufficient terms of attendance available to potentially benefit.
• A player using a fourth season in 2026–27 could return in 2027–28 if they have attendance terms remaining and meet the other requirements.
• The change does not restore eligibility for someone who exhausted four seasons before 2026–27.
• An expired NCAA five-year clock alone will not automatically prevent an athlete from competing in the NAIA. Previous participation and enrollment still matter.

Players should check their individual situation with their school’s eligibility staff. Read the NAIA’s official announcement and eligibility FAQ for the details.

See the NAIA’s post on X and the NAIA Hoops Instagram reel. We’ll dive deeper into the ruling with NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr during our Friday Feature interview on Road To Muni, November 6!

Top 25 scoreboard: verification pending

Two ranked matchups remain unresolved in our November 4 score review: No. 1 Grace vs. Cornerstone and No. 9 LSU Shreveport vs. No. 23 William Carey. The national feed has shown conflicting game statuses, and we have not independently confirmed those reported finals. We are withholding their scores rather than presenting them as verified results.

Rankings refer to the official preseason coaches’ poll. This is an incomplete scoreboard; follow our November 4 results page for verified scores.

Other top games: two wild finishes

Voorhees 69, Spartanburg Methodist 67. Shannon Jones knocked down the winning jumper with six seconds left after Spartanburg Methodist had tied it. Voorhees rallied from a 35–26 halftime deficit, with Timothy Smith scoring 19 of his 22 points after the break.

CJ Terrell gave the Pioneers 22 points and 12 rebounds. Spartanburg Methodist’s athletic communications release reported the final and the late-game sequence.

Alice Lloyd 98, Union Commonwealth 97. What a comeback! Alice Lloyd erased a 24-point deficit and scored 69 second-half points. Naz Welch’s layup with 23 seconds left gave the Eagles their first lead and the win. Evin Eversole led Alice Lloyd with 23 points, while Welch finished with 19 on a perfect 7-for-7 night from the floor. School recap | Official box score

Exhibition: Ferris State 84, Defiance 65. Defiance was within three at halftime before Ferris State pulled away. Nate Miles delivered a game-high 25 points for the Yellow Jackets. Ferris State identifies the game as an exhibition; it is listed separately from the regular-season results here. Game recap

Wednesday’s top performers

• Timothy Smith, Voorhees: 22 points, including 19 in the second half.
• CJ Terrell, Spartanburg Methodist: 22 points and 12 rebounds.
• Evin Eversole, Alice Lloyd: 23 points, four steals and five blocks.
• Naz Welch, Alice Lloyd: 19 points on 7-for-7 shooting, including the game-winning layup.
• Jabari Covington, Union Commonwealth: 23 points and seven assists.
• Nate Miles, Defiance: A game-high 25 points in the Ferris State exhibition.

These selections come from the verified games above, not a complete national statistical leaderboard.

Around the NAIA

• National weekly honors: Life’s Triston Conger earned the first offensive award after scoring 36 against Georgia Southern and 33 against Southeastern. Morningside’s Alex Wilcoxson received the defensive honor after collecting eight steals across two games.
• Next coaches’ poll: November 11. Grace sits at No. 1 in the preseason poll.
• Tonight: La Sierra visits Pepperdine at 9:30 p.m. Central. The Pepperdine schedule lists the matchup for Thursday, November 5.

And keep Friday’s Jim Carr interview on your radar. There is plenty to discuss as coaches and players work through what a fifth season could mean.

NAIA hoops. Good At Basketball.