The Wayland Baptist Pioneers are ranked in the NAIA Top 10 for the first time in at least 14 years.
The Pioneers (16-3, 5-3 Sooner Athletic Conference) are No. 9 in the latest NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Poll. It's the first time the team has cracked the top 10 since at least before the 2000-01 season, when mid-season rankings are available. Wayland's 2005-06 team was ranked as high as 11
th.
The last time the Pioneers were known to be ranked in the top 10 came at the conclusion of the 1990-91 season when they were No. 8. Two years before that the Pioneers ended the 1988-89 campaign No. 5.
Coach
Matt Garnett's team this week moved up to No. 9 from No. 14 following a convincing 82-64 win over John Brown on Jan. 24. That put the team at 16-2, the second-best start in team history.
This week's poll, released Tuesday, was voted upon prior to Wayland's 88-67 loss to defending national semifinalist St. Gregory's on Monday night. St. Gregory's was ranked No. 6 in the preseason.
Wayland plays its next four games on the road, starting at 8 p.m. Thursday in Shawnee, Okla., against Oklahoma Baptist (15-5, 4-4), which fell from No. 8 to No. 20 this week.
NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll – Jan. 27
| RANK | LAST WEEK | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | 2014-15 RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 | 2 | Cal State San Marcos (5) | 20-2 | 246 |
| 2 | 3 | Pikeville (Ky.) (2) | 20-1 | 241 |
| 3 | 4 | Hope International (Calif.) (3) | 18-1 | 238 |
| 4 | 6 | Talladega (Ala.) | 17-3 | 224 |
| 5 | 7 | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | 17-2 | 216 |
| 6 | 1 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 19-3 | 205 |
| 7 | T9 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 18-3 | 204 |
| 8 | 13 | Dalton State (Ga.) | 16-2 | 196 |
| 9 | 14 | Wayland Baptist (Texas) | 16-2 | 185 |
| 10 | 15 | Arizona Christian | 17-4 | 165 |
| 11 | 11 | Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) | 14-2 | 164 |
| 12 | 19 | Great Falls (Mont.) | 17-4 | 161 |
| 13 | 16 | Columbia (Mo.) | 18-3 | 153 |
| T14 | 12 | Concordia (Calif.) | 17-4 | 142 |
| T14 | 5 | Martin Methodist (Tenn.) | 17-3 | 142 |
| T14 | 17 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 17-3 | 142 |
| 17 | 25 | Mid-America Christian (Okla.) | 14-6 | 112 |
| 18 | T9 | Montana Western | 15-5 | 108 |
| 19 | 20 | Xavier (La.) | 15-6 | 105 |
| 20 | 8 | Oklahoma Baptist | 15-5 | 98 |
| 21 | 21 | Evangel (Mo.) | 13-7 | 89 |
| 22 | RV | Bethel (Tenn.) | 16-4 | 88 |
| 23 | 24 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 17-4 | 71 |
| 24 | 23 | Philander Smith (Ark.) | 13-5 | 60 |
| 25 | 22 | LSU Alexandria | 11-2 | 57 |
| | | | |
Others Receiving Votes: William Carey (Miss.) 51; Westmont (Calif.) 37; Montana Tech 33; Missouri Valley 14; SAGU (Texas) 14; Vanguard (Calif.) 8; Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 4; Central Methodist (Mo.) 3.
