KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Montana Tech men's basketball team is on the national radar headed into 2025-26, earning a No. 11 ranking in the preseason NAIA coaches' top 25 poll, the national office announced Wednesday.
The Orediggers — fresh off a fourth-consecutive Frontier Conference championship and NAIA national tournament appearance — were the only Frontier team included in the poll.
Montana Tech became the only program in conference history to win four consecutive regular-season and tournament championships in the same season in 2024-25, finishing the season with a 24-7 record.
Hayden Diekhans returns for his senior season after winning the Frontier's player of the year and defensive player of the year honors last year, and Tech also brings back former conference sixth-man of the year in senior
Camdyn LaRance.
The Orediggers won head coach
Adam Hiatt his 175th game at the helm of the Montana Tech program last year.
Montana Tech begins its journey in 2025-26 at home Saturday against Eastern Oregon. Tipoff in Valley Bank Arena is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
2025-26 NAIA Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Top 25 Poll
| Rank |
Institution [First-Place Votes] |
2024-25 Record |
Points |
| 1 |
College of Idaho [11] |
35-2 |
525 |
| 2 |
Arizona Christian [5] |
30-5 |
513 |
| 3 |
Georgetown (Ky.) [2] |
29-5 |
473 |
| 4 |
Langston (Okla.) [1] |
26-8 |
447 |
| 5 |
Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) |
30-6 |
438 |
| 6 |
Indiana Wesleyan |
22-10 |
397 |
| 7 |
Grace (Ind.) |
29-6 |
365 |
| 8 |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
27-6 |
364 |
| 9 |
The Master's (Calif.) |
26-6 |
363 |
| 10 |
Oklahoma Wesleyan |
28-8 |
345 |
| 11 |
Montana Tech |
24-7 |
336 |
| 12 |
Pikeville (Ky.) |
25-7 |
321 |
| 13 |
LSU Alexandria (La.) |
31-3 |
320 |
| 14 |
Southern Oregon |
23-11 |
318 |
| 15 |
Ave Maria (Fla.) |
25-7 |
269 |
| 16 |
Bethel (Ind.) |
24-9 |
191 |
| 17 |
Nelson (Texas) |
24-9 |
178 |
| 18 |
Dalton State (Ga.) |
24-7 |
177 |
| 19 |
Morningside (Iowa) |
25-8 |
176 |
| 20 |
Cumberlands (Ky.) |
24-9 |
155 |
| 21 |
Indiana Tech |
23-8 |
128 |
| 22 |
Life (Ga.) |
27-7 |
127 |
| 23 |
Graceland (Iowa) |
24-8 |
115 |
| 24 |
Friends (Kan.) |
24-8 |
106 |
| 25 |
Keiser (Fla.) |
26-6 |
94 |
Receiving Votes: Dordt (Iowa) 90; Georgia Gwinnett 76; LSU Shreveport (La.) 53; Saint Mary (Kan.) 48; Hope International (Calif.) 33; Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 29; Central Baptist (Ark.) 24; Johnson (Tenn.) 16; Oregon Tech 11; Rio Grande (Ohio) 8; Peru State (Neb.) 6; Spring Arbor (Mich.) 5; Madonna (Mich.) 4; Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 2
|
Poll Methodology
- The national poll is for publicity purposes only and does not influence the selection process for national championship consideration.
- A panel of head coaches representing each conference and the Continental Athletic Conference (Independents) votes in the poll.
- The Top 25 teams are selected using a points-based system:
- 30 points for a 1st-place vote, 29 for 2nd, 28 for 3rd, and so on.
- The highest and lowest rankings received by each team are discarded before final tallying.
- Teams receiving only one point are not listed as "receiving votes."
- For the Preseason Poll, there is no "previous ranking" column since it is the initial poll and differs from the prior rating system.
Visit Montana Tech athletics' home online, GoDiggers.com, anytime for up-to-the-minute news and coverage of the Orediggers. Give Montana Tech athletics a like on Facebook, and follow the Orediggers on X and Instagram at @DiggerAthletics.
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