INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Jan. 27) -- The Central Washington University men's basketball team is ranked ninth in the first NCAA Division II West Region poll of the 2009-10 season, released Wednesday by the NCAA national office.
The Wildcats (9-6, 3-2 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) are one of five GNAC teams listed in the first top-10 ranking of the season. The top three teams in the region -- Seattle Pacific, Western Washington, and Alaska Anchorage -- all represent the GNAC, while the region's seventh-ranked team, Montana State Billings, is Central Washington's next opponent on Thursday night in Billings, Mont.
Central has already faced four other teams that are listed in this week's regional poll. The Wildcats suffered losses against all four -- at home against second-ranked WWU and third-ranked UAA, and neutral-site losses to fifth-ranked Dixie State (Utah) and eighth-ranked Brigham Young-Hawaii. CWU has six remaining games against teams ranked in this week's top 10, beginning with the game at MSU Billings and followed by a Feb. 4 home match-up with top-ranked Seattle Pacific.
Teams listed in the top eight in the final regional polls, assuming that conference champions from the GNAC, California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and Pacific West Conference (PWC) are among the top eight, will qualify for the 2010 NCAA Division II West Region tournament in mid-March.
Following Central's visit to Montana State Billings on Thursday, the Wildcats will travel to Lacey for a Saturday night showdown with Saint Martin's. CWU plays five of its next six games on the road.
2010 NCAA DIVISION II WEST REGION POLL #1 (January 27, 2010)
1. Seattle Pacific (13-2, 13-2)
2. Western Washington (14-3, 13-2)
3. Alaska Anchorage (7-2, 7-2)
4. Cal State San Bernardino (9-2, 9-2)
5. Dixie State (11-3, 11-3)
6. Humboldt State (12-4, 12-4)
7. Montana State Billings (7-5, 7-5)
8. Brigham Young-Hawaii (7-4, 5-4)
9. CENTRAL WASHINGTON (7-5, 7-4)
10. Cal Poly Pomona (7-4, 7-4)
Records listed in parenthesis are Division II overall record, followed by Division II in-region record.
