By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
INDIANAPOLIS – Fort Hays State Men’s Basketball is ranked No. 6 in the first set of Central Region Rankings, released by the NCAA on February 16. The Tigers are in good position for a potential berth to the NCAA Tournament with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
Fort Hays State is among six strong teams leading the region rankings, all of which hold Top 25 rankings in the NABC Division II Poll. The Tigers were 15-4 against NCAA Division II competition as of Sunday (18-4 overall). They are 1-0 since with a win over Lincoln on Monday. The Tigers hold the sixth-best performance indicator in the Central Region and No. 6 Region RPI.
Northwest Missouri State, Central Oklahoma, and Fort Hays State are the only schools from the MIAA referenced in the first set of region rankings. The NSIC has the top three teams in the region so far with Augustana at No. 1, Upper Iowa at No. 2, and Minnesota Duluth at No. 3. NWMSU, UCO and FHSU follow at No. 4-6. Southeastern Oklahoma State and Southern Nazarene, representing the GAC, sit at No. 7 and No. 8 in the region. The NSIC has two more teams among the rankings, Wayne State and Winona State, at No. 9 and 10, despite not having better overall records
Winners of conference tournaments get an automatic bid to the NCAA Central Regional regardless their records or where they rank regionally, essentially with the ability to steal bids from teams on the bubble. Eight teams make the NCAA Tournament to compete in the NCAA Central Regional.
Below are the NCAA Central Region Rankings for February 16, 2022.
NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Region Rankings – February 16, 2022
| Rank | School | Overall DII Record | In-Region Record |
| 1 | Augustana (S.D.) | 19-2 | 19-2 |
| 2 | Upper Iowa | 22-4 | 21-4 |
| 3 | Minnesota Duluth | 20-4 | 20-4 |
| 4 | Northwest Missouri State | 21-3 | 20-3 |
| 5 | Central Oklahoma | 18-4 | 18-4 |
| 6 | Fort Hays State | 15-4 | 15-4 |
| 7 | Southeastern Oklahoma State | 16-5 | 15-5 |
| 8 | Southern Nazarene | 17-7 | 17-7 |
| 9 | Wayne State (Neb.) | 11-9 | 11-9 |
| 10 | Winona State | 13-9 | 13-9 |