KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Montana Tech's men's basketball team remained ranked in the NAIA coaches' top 25 poll for the 25th-consecutive time, the NAIA announced Wednesday with its fifth ballot of the 2025-26 season.
The Orediggers checked in at No. 20, keeping their post as the highest-ranked Frontier Conference team in the country.
Tech posted a 2-1 record in the two weeks since the last rankings, sandwiching conference road wins over Dakota State and Montana Western around a tough loss at Bellevue. The Orediggers boast a 16-4 record overall and are 10-4 in the Frontier.
Rocky Mountain jumped into the poll at No. 23, the only other Frontier Conference team to be ranked. Bellevue received votes.
Montana Tech's 25-week streak in the poll is the fourth-longest in the NAIA.
The next iteration of the poll — selected by a panel of NAIA head coaches from around the country — is scheduled for February 11.
The four-time defending conference champions will hit the road again this weekend to continue Frontier Conference play Friday at Carroll and Saturday at No. 23 Rocky Mountain. Tipoff both days is scheduled for 7 p.m.
2025-26 NAIA Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 – Poll No. 5
| RANK |
LAST TIME |
INSITIUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] |
RECORD |
POINTS |
| 1 |
1 |
Grace (Ind.) [17] |
20-0 |
509 |
| 2 |
2 |
Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) [1] |
20-1 |
493 |
| 3 |
4 |
Oklahoma Wesleyan |
18-2 |
476 |
| 4 |
5 |
Ave Maria (Fla.) |
19-2 |
430 |
| 5 |
11 |
Indiana Wesleyan |
17-3 |
410 |
| 6 |
8 |
Cumberlands (Ky.) |
17-3 |
391 |
| 7 |
10 |
Arizona Christian |
16-5 |
376 |
| 8 |
17 |
Nelson (Texas) |
16-3 |
361 |
| 9 |
7 |
Langston (Okla.) |
15-4 |
345 |
| 10 |
3 |
Bethel (Ind.) |
17-3 |
331 |
| 11 |
6 |
Keiser (Fla.) |
16-3 |
299 |
| 12 |
13 |
Indiana Tech |
16-3 |
283 |
| 13 |
12 |
Pikeville (Ky.) |
17-3 |
277 |
| 14 |
9 |
Hope International (Calif.) |
16-4 |
253 |
| 15 |
15 |
LSU Shreveport (La.) |
15-4 |
250 |
| 16 |
22 |
Columbia (Mo.) |
18-2 |
237 |
| 17 |
14 |
Friends (Kan.) |
16-4 |
230 |
| 18 |
18 |
Georgetown (Ky.) |
15-5 |
205 |
| 19 |
23 |
William Carey (Miss.) |
19-1 |
181 |
| 20 |
15 |
Montana Tech |
16-4 |
179 |
| 21 |
20 |
Graceland (Iowa) |
18-3 |
150 |
| 22 |
21 |
Oregon Tech |
15-5 |
137 |
| 23 |
RV |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
17-3 |
124 |
| 24 |
23 |
Taylor (Ind.) |
16-4 |
113 |
| 25 |
RV |
IU Kokomo (Ind.) |
18-2 |
79 |
| Dropped from Top 25: Benedictine-Mesa (Ariz.), Bethel (Kan.) |
| Receiving Votes: Morningside (Iowa) 76; Benedictine-Mesa (Ariz.) 63; Southeastern (Fla.) 51; Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 29; Huntington (Ind.) 21; LSU Alexandria (La.) 18; Northwestern (Iowa) 18; Bethel (Kan.) 15; Loyola (La.) 11; Shawnee State (Ohio) 11; The Master's (Calif.) 10; Texas Wesleyan 7; Bellevue (Neb.) 5 |
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