KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Montana Tech’s men’s basketball team has made school history.
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the fifth edition of the 2021-22 Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll today. After receiving votes in the last two polls, Montana Tech enters the Top 25 at No. 20 this week.
The school said in a release that the this marks the first time the Orediggers have ever been ranked in the Top 25. Tech has only received votes previously.
The Orediggers have won four of their last five games and eight of nine. That includes Saturday’s convincing won over then-No. 6 Carroll College.
Carroll College is the only other Frontier Conference school in the Top 25. The Saints dropped six spots and are now in No. 12.
Montana Tech travels to Providence Thursday and hosts Montana State Northern Saturday on Kelvin Sampson Court.
2021-22 NAIA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll Five (Jan. 26, 2022)
| RANK | LAST WEEK | SCHOOL [1st Place Votes] | RECORD | FINAL POINTS |
| 1 | 2 | William Penn (Iowa) [14] | 19-1 | 552 |
| 2 | 3 | Talladega (Ala.) [3] | 17-1 | 541 |
| 3 | 1 | Loyola (La.) [3] | 17-1 | 525 |
| 4 | 5 | Oklahoma Wesleyan | 21-1 | 508 |
| 5 | 7 | Indiana Wesleyan | 19-3 | 485 |
| 6 | 4 | William Jessup (Calif.) | 21-2 | 480 |
| 7 | 10 | Thomas More (Ky.) | 17-2 | 436 |
| 8 | 8 | Arizona Christian | 20-3 | 426 |
| 9 | 12 | SAGU (Texas) | 16-3 | 424 |
| 10 | 13 | College of Idaho | 18-3 | 382 |
| 11 | 14 | LSU Alexandria (La.) | 13-1 | 358 |
| 12 | 6 | Carroll (Mont.) | 19-3 | 344 |
| 13 | 17 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 16-2 | 315 |
| 14 | 9 | Grace (Ind.) | 18-4 | 306 |
| 15 | 15 | Science & Arts (Okla.) | 16-4 | 274 |
| 16 | 21 | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 18-4 | 273 |
| 17 | 18 | Hope International (Calif.) | 16-4 | 262 |
| 18 | 24 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 18-3 | 258 |
| 19 | RV | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 18-3 | 232 |
| 20 | RV | Montana Tech | 18-5 | 198 |
| 21 | RV | Faulkner (Ala.) | 15-4 | 166 |
| 22 | 22 | IU South Bend (Ind.) | 15-3 | 160 |
| 23 | RV | Bethel (Kan.) | 17-4 | 144 |
| 24 | 16 | Marian (Ind.) | 14-4 | 133 |
| 25 | NR | Briar Cliff (Iowa) | 14-6 | 132 |
Dropped from the Top 25: Concordia (Neb.), WVU Tech (W.Va.), Jamestown (N.D.), Lewis-Clark State (Idaho), Xavier (La.)
Others Receiving Votes: Alice Lloyd (Ky.) 128; Concordia (Neb.) 73; Oregon Tech 68; WVU Tech (W.Va.) 45; Tennessee Southern 40; Stillman (Ala.) 38; Florida College 26; Southwestern (Kan.) 26; Indiana Tech 23; Jamestown (N.D.) 20; Northwestern (Iowa) 16; Evangel (Mo.) 10; Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 7; LSU Shreveport (La.) 7; Texas A&M Texarkana 6; Missouri Baptist 6 ; Texas Wesleyan 4; IU Kokomo (Ind.) 3.
