Northwestern College opens the 2017-18 women's basketball season ranked 17th in the NAIA Division II coaches' poll released earlier today by the national office.
The Red Raiders totaled 164 points and hold the #17 spot in the initial poll, trailing No.16 Friends (Kan.) by three points. Northwestern is one of five GPAC teams recognized in the preseason poll, joining Concordia (Neb.), Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.), Morningside and Hastings (Neb.).
Two-time defending champion Marian (Ind.) owns the top spot and earned 11 of the 12 possible first place votes. Saint Xavier (Ill.), last year's runner-up, is second and received the lone remaining first place vote. Concordia, Southeastern (Fla.) and St.Francis (Ill.) round out the top five.
Head Coach
Chris Yaw, who begins his seventh season as the head of the women's basketball program, returns all five starters and its top eight scorers from a 2016-17 team that finished fifth in the GPAC with a 10-10 record, 20-12 overall. They were one of five GPAC teams that earned a spot at the 32-team NAIA Division II Championship, defeating Southern Oregon in the first round before losing to No.1 seed Southeastern (Fla.).
Northwestern will open the season at home against William Penn (Iowa) on Tuesday, Oct. 31.
NAIA Press Release |
2017-18 NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll (Oct. 24)
| RANK |
LAST WEEK |
SCHOOL [1ST PLACE VOTES |
2016-17 RECORD |
TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 |
1 |
Marian (Ind.) [11] |
35-3 |
312 |
| 2 |
2 |
Saint Xavier (Ill.) [1] |
34-3 |
302 |
| 3 |
3 |
Concordia (Neb.) |
34-3 |
293 |
| 4 |
5 |
Southeastern (Fla.) |
28-1 |
276 |
| 5 |
4 |
St. Francis (Ill.) |
34-2 |
275 |
| 6 |
6 |
College of the Ozarks (Mo.) |
28-5 |
266 |
| 7 |
7 |
Eastern Oregon |
30-5 |
249 |
| 8 |
9 |
Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) |
27-7 |
241 |
| 9 |
8 |
Jamestown (N.D.) |
27-6 |
236 |
| 10 |
11 |
Morningside (Iowa) |
24-9 |
225 |
| 11 |
13 |
Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) |
25-7 |
207 |
| 12 |
14 |
Tabor (Kan.) |
27-7 |
193 |
| 13 |
15 |
Indiana East |
29-6 |
180 |
| 14 |
17 |
Indiana Tech |
25-8 |
169 |
| 15 |
15 |
Southern Oregon |
27-5 |
168 |
| 16 |
12 |
Friends (Kan.) |
28-6 |
167 |
| 17 |
18 |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
20-12 |
164 |
| 18 |
19 |
Indiana Northwest |
25-7 |
125 |
| 19 |
NR |
Reinhardt (Ga.) |
27-6 |
122 |
| 20 |
21 |
Hastings (Neb.) |
22-10 |
115 |
| 21 |
NR |
Saint Francis (Ind.) |
18-16 |
110 |
| 22 |
23 |
Siena Heights (Mich.) |
24-10 |
98 |
| 23 |
NR |
Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) |
20-12 |
91 |
| 24 |
25 |
Milligan (Tenn.) |
23-10 |
77 |
| 24 |
NR |
UC Merced |
17-12 |
77 |
Others Receiving Votes: Mayville State (N.D.) 56; Northwest Christian (Ore.) 27; Saint Mary (Kan.) 26; IU Kokomo 25; Oregon Tech 22; Point (Ga.) 13; Taylor (Ind.) 10; Indiana Wesleyan 8; Valley City State (N.D.) 7; Kansas Wesleyan 6; Trinity Christian (Ill.) 6; Aquinas (Mich.) 4; Keiser (Fla.) 3; Bellevue (Neb.) 3
