NABC Poll (Dec. 15)
INDIANAPOLIS – A pair of victories helped Findlay jump eight spots in the new National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Poll for Division II that was released on Tuesday afternoon.
The Oilers (3-0, 3-0) entered last week ranked 23rd and maintained their league-leading pace in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference standings. UF was receiving votes in the preseason NABC rankings.
Seven teams remain ranked ahead of the Great Midwest preseason coaches favorite still waiting to play their first contest of 2020-21.
Findlay secured conference player of the week accolades in the form of sophomore big man Nathan Bruns, who averaged a double-double in wins against Tiffin and Ohio Valley at home.
Findlay had notable contributions from senior forward Anthony Masterlasco, who currently leads the Great Midwest in steals. He scored a season-high 21 points vs. OVU on 10-of-14 shooting and has been in double figures each game so far.
Junior guard Ethan Linder was also near perfect vs. the Fighting Scots with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting. The Oilers blew the doors open with a 30-0 first half run to eventually settle with a 32-point margin of victory.
The Oilers have one game on the docket this week, a non-conference matchup on Thursday against Trevecca Nazarene. UF and TNU met in the season opener for both programs on Dec. 3 in a result that counted towards the league standings.
Since joining the Great Midwest in 2017, Findlay has a winning percentage over 90 percent with a 55-6 record. Overall, those numbers translate to over 82 percent in the win percentage category with an 80-18 record.
Also garnering votes in this week’s poll is Hillsdale. The Chargers (1-0, 1-0) earned six votes and have played one game, a win vs. Trevecca Nazarene as well. Senior forward Austen Yarian was also named conference player of the week for his efforts in the team’s season opener.
Hillsdale and Findlay are defending 2019-20 Great Midwest co-regular season champions after finishing 15-3 in conference play, respectively.