XULA earns first top-25 national ranking of 2017-18
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana men’s basketball returned to the national spotlight Tuesday when it was ranked 22nd in the NAIA Division I Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.
The top-25 appearance is the first for the XULA men since the preseason poll of Oct. 25, 2016, when they were 25th. It is the first time since Jan. 19, 2016, that the Gold Rush have been ranked in January.
XULA is 14-4 overall and in first place in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference at 3-0 after its 69-55 victory Monday at Talladega. The victory was the eighth in a row for the Gold Rush and the program’s longest winning streak since eight in a row Jan. 10-Feb. 5, 2015.
The Gold Rush will play 19th-ranked William Carey at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at XULA’s Convocation Center, then visit GCAC and city rival Dillard at 5 p.m. Saturday at Dent Hall.
NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Jan. 14)
| RANK | PREVIOUS | SCHOOL | RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 | 3 | William Penn (Iowa) (4) | 16-1 | 215 |
| 2 | 8 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (4) | 17-0 | 211 |
| 3 | 4 | LSU Shreveport (La.) (1) | 16-1 | 205 |
| 4 | 5 | The Master’s (Calif.) | 18-1 | 201 |
| T5 | 7 | Columbia (Mo.) | 18-1 | 186 |
| T5 | 1 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 17-1 | 186 |
| 7 | 9 | Hope International (Calif.) | 18-1 | 176 |
| 8 | 10 | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | 16-2 | 167 |
| 9 | T12 | Central Methodist (Mo.) | 17-1 | 163 |
| 10 | 2 | Carroll (Mont.) | 16-2 | 155 |
| 11 | 21 | Wayland Baptist (Texas) | 12-3 | 146 |
| 12 | 6 | Pikeville (Ky.) | 16-2 | 143 |
| T13 | 18 | Dalton State (Ga.) | 13-4 | 132 |
| T13 | 17 | LSU Alexandria (La.) | 14-4 | 132 |
| 15 | 20 | Science & Arts (Okla.) | 13-3 | 123 |
| 16 | 16 | Montana Western | 14-3 | 111 |
| 17 | 19 | Missouri Baptist | 15-3 | 102 |
| 18 | T24 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 14-3 | 95 |
| 19 | T24 | William Carey (Miss.) | 12-4 | 88 |
| 20 | NR | Westmont (Calif.) | 14-3 | 86 |
| 21 | 14 | Oklahoma City | 11-4 | 81 |
| 22 | RV | Xavier (La.) | 13-4 | 76 |
| 23 | RV | Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) | 12-6 | 65 |
| 24 | 11 | Faulkner (Ala.) | 13-4 | 55 |
| 25 | RV | Life (Ga.) | 13-5 | 50 |
Others Receiving Votes: SAGU (Texas) 33; Vanguard (Calif.) 33; Peru State (Neb.) 24; Langston (Okla.) 17; Montana State-Northern 14; Campbellsville (Ky.) 10; Harris-Stowe State (Mo.) 10; Talladega (Ala.) 3; Texas Wesleyan 3.
Dropped Out: No. 12 (tie) Mid-America Christian (Okla.); No. 15 Campbellsville (Ky.); No. 22 William Jessup (Calif.); No. 23 Arizona Christian
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Ed Cassiere
