Oilers Fall to 6th in Midwest Region
The NCAA released its third regional rankings of the year on March 1 and the University of Findlay men's basketball team is ranked sixth in the Midwest Region poll. They fell one spot since last week despite having won eight straight contests.
The regional rankings, voted on by the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Committee, are the basis for awarding seeds in the NCAA Championship. The top eight seeds in the final poll of the season on March 5 will qualify for the 2017 NCAA Division II National Tournament with the top-seed earning the right to host the first three contests of the event.
The Oilers have qualified for the NCAA Division II National Tournament 12 times since joining the DII ranks full-time during the 2000-01 campaign. They reached the Elite Eight in 2005 and followed with a Sweet 16 appearance in 2008. In 2009, the Oilers ran the table, finishing with a 36-0 record en route to a NCAA Division II National Championship.
The Oilers are also ranked 18th nationally, marking the 16th time they have appeared in the NCAA Division II poll in the past 17 seasons.
NCAA DII Midwest Regional Rankings
(Overall DII Record, In-Region Record)
1. Bellarmine (23-3, 23-3)
2. Ferris State (24-4, 24-4)
3. Southern Indiana (23-3, 21-3)
4. Quincy (20-5, 20-5)
5. Kentucky Wesleyan (26-2, 25-2)
6. Findlay (20-5, 20-5)
7. Truman State (18-8, 17-8)
8. Wisconsin-Parkside (17-6, 17-6)
9. Lake Superior State (15-9, 15-9)
10. Wayne State (16-9, 16-9)
Full rankings can be found here: