NABC Coaches Poll (Feb. 2, 2021)
INDIANAPOLIS – The arrow for Findlay and Hillsdale in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference continues to trend up as both programs saw their stock increase in the new National Association of Basketball Coaches Poll.
Findlay (12-1, 11-1) went up one spot from seventh to sixth while Hillsdale (12-1, 12-1) saw its own gain from No. 15 to No. 12 as both teams prepare for a Saturday afternoon showdown in Michigan.
The Great Midwest also released its first public Point Rating System (PRS) totals for the season to date (PDF document can be found in the standings) for men's and women's basketball. The formula, which awards points for results based on their opponents’ win/loss percentage in conference play only, will ultimately determine seeding for eight teams attempting to make the conference championship tournament field.
Any ties at the top of the standings in winning percentage during the regular season would not be broken for deciding a regular season conference champion.
That is the scenario that unfolded in 2019-20 as Findlay and Hillsdale shared the distinction of co-regular season champion. Hillsdale had the edge in the PRS for the No. 1 overall seed, but it was Findlay who would go on to host the conference final four with the Chargers eliminated in the quarterfinals.
If the season were to end today, HC, UF, Walsh and Kentucky Wesleyan would all host first-round quarterfinal contests. Ohio Dominican, Cedarville, Tiffin and Trevecca Nazarene would also make the playoffs.
For Ohio Valley, Malone and Lake Erie, plenty of time in the season remains to move up or down with games left on each team’s schedule. This is the second year the PRS system is being utilized; the men’s schedule originally intended to complete a 20-game double round robin format.
Saturday will be the second meeting of the season between Findlay and Hillsdale. Both programs have been a constant appearing somewhere in the NABC Coaches Poll as one of Division II’s best.
Findlay is the league’s second-best scoring team (79.8 ppg) and Hillsdale has been the best defensive unit (60.8 ppg). Both teams are 1 and 2 in margin of victory and are also in the top four in rebounding. UF head coach Charlie Ernst and HC head coach John Tharp will have their teams ready to go and much like the Jan. 2 tussle, anticipate this one to go down to the wire once again.
Hillsdale completed one contest already this week, using double overtime to stop a five-game win streak for Cedarville, picked second in the preseason coaches poll.