Oilers Ranked No. 2 in First Regional Poll

The University of Findlay men's basketball team is ranked second in the first NCAA Division II Midwest Region poll of the year, which was released on Feb. 14.

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 4 will qualify for the 2018 NCAA Division II National Tournament with the top-seed earning the right to host the first three contests of the event.

The Oilers have an overall record of 23-3 this season and are ranked 15th in the latest NCAA Division II poll. They have already clinched the regular season Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) title and have earned the right to host the 2018 G-MAC Tournament, which will take place on March 1-3 in Croy Gymnasium.

Findlay has a 6-3 record against teams that are ranked across the nation in their respective regions. In the Midwest, the Oilers have accumulated a 4-3 mark against ranked opponents.

Historically, the Oilers have qualified for the NCAA Division II National Tournament 13 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 and again in 2017. In 2009, the Oilers ran the table, finishing with a 36-0 record en route to a NCAA Division II National Championship.

NCAA DII Midwest Regional Rankings
(Overall DII Record, In-Region Record)

1. Ferris State – 24-1, 22-1
2. Findlay – 20-3, 19-3
3. Bellarmine – 19-2, 18-2
4. Lake Superior St. – 17-6, 15-6
5. Southern Indiana – 16-7, 16-5
6. Hillsdale – 18-6, 18-6
7. Drury – 15-4, 14-4
8. Malone – 16-7, 16-7
9. Walsh – 13-6, 13-6
10. Indianapolis – 15-7, 15-6