It was a bit quiet with teams on break last week. However, 2025 is in the rearview window and the second half of the season is ready to begin. When it does, undefeated Washburn and Daemen will be No. 1 and No. 2 in the Power 10 rankings.
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Here comes the weekly disclaimer. The Power 10 is ranked and tracked by me, and these rankings don't reflect the input of any voting body or the NCAA selection committee. I like to combine selection committee metrics and what is happening on the court to land somewhere between coaches polls and selection criteria. I no longer rely on KPI as a deciding factor, and instead I will be using more strongly moving forward. As a reminder, the Power 10 rankings are every other week, so there is a lot more fluctuation than a typical weekly ranking.
The DII men’s basketball Power 10 (through Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025)
No. 1 Washburn | Previous: 1. The Ichabods moved into the No. 1 spot in the previous Power 10 rankings, and if anyone questioned why, they answered it at the River City Holiday Classic. There, on the road in hostile LSC territory, the ‘Bods upended No. 4 West Texas A&M by 12 and then No. 5 Lubbock Christian by 26. Washburn is 13-0 and has done it against the No. 11 strength of schedule in DII. This is as impressive a start as we’ll see.
No. 2 Daemen | Previous 2. The Wildcats ended the 2025 portion of their schedule a perfect 14-0 and now have only one loss in their last 43 games. They added a signature win over nationally ranked Assumption by 10 points to their resume and will open the 2026 year against nationally ranked Adelphi. Zach Phillipkowski and Benjamin Bill are a ridiculously dangerous duo, combining for 35.6 points and 16.6 rebounds a game. I don’t think the Wildcats lose a game in the East this year.
No. 3 Nova Southeastern | Previous: 3. Nova Southeastern bounced back from its first loss since January of last season with a 125-68 pummeling of then nationally ranked Assumption. If you had any concerns about the Sharks, they should be resolved. The Sharks look like they are in midseason form, averaging 105 points per game and allowing just 76.1, while also being in the top 5 in DII in both assist-to-turnover ratio and turnovers forced per game. Any team with Dallas Graziani running the engine is in good hands.
No. 4 Gannon | Previous: 8. Gannon is the best team in the Atlantic Region and right now it doesn’t feel very close. The Golden Knights are 9-0 in-region, have the top PI and RPI, and have played a relatively tough schedule. Now 10-1 and winners of four straight, the Golden Knights are clicking, scoring 96.0 points per game, tied for second most in DII, and winning games by 21.6 points per game. Pace Prosser leads the charge with 15.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, with a team-high 49 assists and 25 steals. This team has the depth, talent and coaching to win its region.
No. 5 Michigan Tech | Previous: 10 (tied) I have been high on the Huskies since the preseason, and thus far they have delivered. They are now 11-1 overall with nine wins in a row and the top PI in the Midwest Region. The defense is stingy and has allowed more than 60 points just twice since its lone loss. That gives them the third-best scoring defense in DII at 58.8 points allowed per game. Marcus Tomashek has found his groove again, averaging 27.6 points over three games heading into the break.
No. 6 Palm Beach Atlantic | Previous: Just missed. Yes, I am aware that the Sailfish beat the Sharks and are undefeated. I do have them a bit lower, because although they are 13-0 overall, they are 8-0 against DII competition having played a weaker SoS than Nova Southeastern. Still, this team is very good, averaging 91.3 points per game and allowing just 66.2. Patrick Le Gassick leads the scoring attack with 20.2 points per game, and the team shoots a very impressive 52.6% from the floor, fourth best in DII. The Sailfish come out of the break with a tricky five-game stretch, so let’s see if they can improve their stock further.
No. 7 Lubbock Christian | Previous: 5. The Chaps lost two in a row, but one was to what appears to be an unbeatable Washburn team. They quickly rebounded with wins against an 11-4 Central Missouri team, a Dominican (NY) that went to the second round of the tournament last year, and nationally ranked West Liberty. That gives them a very strong resume and tough SoS which has them atop the PI in a deep South Central Region. Armando Miller Jr. doesn’t look like he’s cooling off any time soon, averaging 22.4 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
No. 8 Anderson (SC) | Previous: 9. The Trojans are the last remaining undefeated team in the SAC and Southeast Region, which obviously gives them the top RPI and PI in a crowded region at the top. They were ranked No. 7 in the final NABC poll of 2025, marking their highest ranking ever. Osmar Garcia-Araujo is on fire, having won consecutive SAC player of the week awards. Over his final three games of the 2025, he averaged 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and nearly four assists as the Trojans picked up pivotal wins against Lincoln Memorial and Carson-Newman to improve to 10-0 and the best start in program history.
No. 9 North Georgia | Previous: Just missed. The Nighthawks are like a yo-yo in 2025, going up and down the rankings on a weekly basis. Sure, they slipped against Lander, but they also look like the team to beat in the PBC and are 9-1 in the region. My concern, as it has been all year, is how close the Nighthawks games are, and that usually catches up to teams. Perhaps the 98-78 blowout over USC Aiken before the break is a turning point. A.J. White continues to lead the way, averaging 20.1 points per game and leading the team in assists.
No. 10 St. Edward’s | Previous: 7. The fall in rankings has nothing to do with the Hilltoppers play, but more of a market correction with the results of other teams’ success. In fact, this team could very well be 14-0 if it weren’t for a three-point loss to Western New Mexico a few weeks back. This team has the metrics and talent to remain in the top 10, despite what other national polls say.
Just missed (in alphabetical order)
- Arkansas-Fort Smith. The Lions are one of six remaining undefeated teams heading into 2026. Now we need to watch as they enter the heart of MIAA play, and the schedule gets tougher.
- Black Hills State. The Yellow Jackets are running away with the RMAC and Cam Lowe is playing like a player-of-the-year candidate.
- Fairmont State. That was a tough loss to close the pre-holiday slate, but even at 8-2 the Fighting Falcons are a high-scoring, tough team to beat.
- Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bears aren’t even in the national top 25, but they just missed the top 10 for me. They need to improve against the tougher teams of DII, but since a rough opening weekend, they went on a 10-1 run to close out 2025.
- Missouri S&T. The Miners are just 5-2 against DII competition and need to show they can compete in the Midwest. The talent is there up and down the starting lineup.
- Southern Nazarene. The Crimson Storm are 10-1, but that loss to Northwestern Oklahoma State was a tough one, falling on a buzzer beater. Still, this starting lineup is four-deep in double-digit scorers, and they should take the GAC.
- St. Mary’s (TX). The Rattlers are 9-2 and have a pretty tight defense that should keep them in every ball game. We’ll see what they are made of as they have Lubbock Christian and West Texas A&M coming out of break.
- West Alabama. The Tigers are 10-1 and have the No. 2 PI in a deep South Region. They have a very stingy defense and a starting five that has incredible balance scoring, keeping opposing defenses at bay.
- West Liberty. The Hilltoppers picked up their second loss, but it went to the wire against Lubbock Christian. Per usual, this is a team that can hang with anyone and should be over the learning curve of a new-look team entering 2026.
- West Texas A&M. The Buffs had a rough go at the River City Classic, dropping their first two games of the year to Central Missouri and Washburn. Let’s see how the respond out of the break.
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