By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
For the first time since the 2015-16 season, Fort Hays State Men’s Basketball is receiving recognition in both the NABC and D2SIDA Top 25 national polls during the regular season. Now at 7-0 overall, the Tigers are off to their best start since the 2013-14 season. The Tigers are among the receiving votes section of both polls.
Fort Hays State received five votes this week in the NABC poll. The Tigers are 36th in the order of voting points for the poll and are one of six teams from the Central Region mentioned in the poll (3 among the Top 25 and 3 among the receiving votes list). Despite one loss on the season, defending national champion Northwest Missouri State (8-1) remains No. 2 in the nation, while Minnesota Duluth is No. 22 with a 9-0 record and Minnesota State is No. 25 with a 7-1 mark.
This is the first time since December 1, 2015 of the 2015-16 season the Tigers were referenced in the receiving votes list of the NABC poll during the regular season. The last time the Tigers were among the Top 25 of the NABC poll was during 2013-14, a season when the Tigers elevated as high as No. 15, then made their last appearance on February 4, 2014 at No. 23 and fell out of the Top 25 on February 11. Fort Hays State made an appearance in the receiving votes section of the NABC Preseason Top 25 Poll entering the 2019-20, but was never listed in any regular season polls to follow.
The Tigers received nine votes in the D2SIDA Top 25 Poll this week. The Tigers are tied for 29th in the order of voting points for the poll and are one of five teams from the Central Region mentioned in the poll. Northwest Missouri State (No. 2), Minnesota Duluth (No. 13), and Augustana (No. 17) are among the Top 25, while Minnesota State and Fort Hays State are receiving votes. Fort Hays State’s last and only appearance in the D2SIDA Top 25 was on December 1, 2015 at No. 24. The D2SIDA Poll has only been in existence since 2014-15.
Fort Hays State has one more game on its slate this week with Nebraska-Kearney coming to Hays on Saturday (Dec. 11) for the first of two MIAA meetings between the teams this season. At the start of this week, Fort Hays State was one of 14 men’s basketball teams in NCAA Division II still undefeated this season.
NABC Top 25 Poll – December 7, 2021
| Rank | School | Record | Votes | Previous |
| 1 | Lubbock Christian (14) | 7-0 | 398 | 1 |
| 2 | Northwest Missouri State (2) | 8-1 | 384 | 2 |
| 3 | Mercyhurst | 7-0 | 361 | 3 |
| 4 | West Texas A&M | 10-1 | 334 | 5 |
| 5 | Nova Southeastern | 5-0 | 332 | 6 |
| 6 | Indiana (PA) | 7-0 | 328 | 7 |
| 7 | Chico State | 7-0 | 317 | 8 |
| 8 | Augusta | 7-0 | 291 | 10 |
| 9 | Queens (N.C.) | 7-1 | 233 | 4 |
| 10 | West Liberty | 7-1 | 212 | 14 |
| 11 | Lincoln Memorial | 7-1 | 208 | 15 |
| 12 | Barry | 7-0 | 195 | 22 |
| 13 | Cal State San Bernardino | 7-1 | 169 | 11 |
| 14 | Dominican (NY) | 8-0 | 158 | 24 |
| 15 | Hillsdale | 6-1 | 155 | 16 |
| 16 | Embry-Riddle | 9-1 | 148 | 18 |
| 17 | Fairmont State | 6-1 | 129 | 9 |
| 18 | Angelo State | 7-1 | 119 | 12 |
| 19 | Truman State | 6-2 | 111 | 20 |
| 20 | Ferris State | 7-1 | 98 | 23 |
| 21 | Union | 8-0 | 86 | NR |
| 22 | Minnesota Duluth | 9-0 | 81 | NR |
| 23 | Cal State San Marcos | 7-0 | 70 | NR |
| 24 | Grand Valley State | 6-1 | 66 | 13 |
| 25 | Minnesota State | 7-1 | 53 | 17 |
Receiving Votes: Upper Iowa 35, Augustana (S.D.) 24,
Georgia College 12, Cal Poly Pomona 11, Emmanuel (Ga.) 10, Flagler (Fla.) 9,
Stonehill (Mass.) 8, Biola (Calif.) 7, Columbus State (Ga.) 7, UCCS (Colo.) 7, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 5,
UNC Pembroke 5, Charleston (W.Va.) 4, MSU Denver (Colo.) 2, Pace (N.Y.) 1,
Regis (Colo.) 1, Texas-Tyler 1.
D2SIDA Top 25 Poll – December 7,
2021
| Rank | School | Votes | Record | Previous |
| 1 | Lubbock Christian (10) | 390 | 7-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Northwest Missouri State (4) | 379 | 8-1 | 2 |
| 3 | Indiana (Pa.) (1) | 368 | 7-0 | 3 |
| 4 | West Texas A&M | 339 | 10-1 | 5 |
| 5 | Chico State | 302 | 7-0 | 6 |
| 6 | Ferris State | 297 | 7-1 | 7 |
| 7 | Embry-Riddle | 295 | 9-1 | 8 |
| 8 | Mercyhurst | 285 | 7-0 | 9 |
| 9 | Dominican (N.Y.) | 277 | 8-0 | 13 |
| 10 | West Liberty | 247 | 7-1 | 14 |
| 11 | Lincoln Memorial | 227 | 7-1 | 16 |
| 12 | Nova Southeastern (1) | 223 | 5-0 | 11 |
| 13 | Minnesota Duluth | 200 | 9-0 | 17 |
| 14 | Hillsdale | 196 | 6-1 | 15 |
| 15 | Union | 189 | 8-0 | 18 |
| 16 | Queens (N.C.) | 169 | 7-1 | 4 |
| 17 | Augustana | 147 | 8-1 | 19 |
| 18 | CSU San Marcos | 141 | 7-0 | 22 |
| 19 | Augusta | 124 | 7-0 | 23 |
| 20 | CSU San Bernardino | 91 | 7-1 | 12 |
| 21 | Barry | 87 | 7-0 | RV |
| 22 | Truman State | 63 | 6-2 | RV |
| 23 | Fairmont State | 50 | 6-1 | 10 |
| 24 | Angelo State | 47 | 7-1 | 21 |
| 25 | Bentley | 36 | 5-1 | RV |
Receiving Votes: Charleston (W.Va.) – 24, Grand Valley State – 18, Minnesota State – 18, Fort Hays State – 9, UNC Pembroke – 9, Biola – 5, Florida Tech – 2.