AUSTIN, Texas — The National Association of Basketball Coaches posted its latest NCAA Division II men's basketball national rankings, moving St. Edward's up three spots to No. 13 after the Hilltoppers posted wins over Fort Lewis College and Central Oklahoma last week to improve to 13-1. 
 
St. Edward's combines the Lone Star Conference's best field-goal percentage defense, limiting opponents to 38.5 percent shooting, and the second-most generous (16.5 assists per game) offense to boast the league's best average scoring margin, winning by 17 points per game (15th in the nation). 
 
Graduate point forward BLAKE NIELSEN ranks fourth and ninth in the LSC in points and assists per game, averaging 17.8 and 3.5 on 47.8 percent shooting per game, including 36.2 percent from deep. Freshman point guard RYDER BRADLEY averages 13.4 points and 3.9 assists per game. Together, they lead an offense that ranks seventh in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.61). 
 
JAMISON KAY has upped his scoring output in December, scoring at least 15 points per game over the last five games. 
 
Washburn remains the top-ranked team in the nation. Four Lone Star Conference teams are in the top 25. Lubbock Christian (12-2) is the highest-ranked at eighth. West Texas A&M is immediately after St. Edwards at no. 14, and St. Mary's is no. 20. 
 
St. Edward's and Lubbock Christian face each other when play resumes in Austin on January 2. 
 
NABC Division II Coaches Poll (Dec. 23, 2025 – Regular Season Poll #5)
 
Record Points Previous
1. Washburn, Kan. (16) 13-0 400 1
2. Daemen, N.Y. 14-0 384 2
3. Palm Beach Atlantic, Fla. 12-0 352 6
4. Nova Southeastern, Fla. 8-1 350 5
5. Michigan Tech 11-1 315 9
6. North Georgia 9-1 275 11
7. Anderson, S.C. 10-0 269 14
8. Lubbock Christian, Texas 12-2 250 7
9. Southern Nazarene, Okla. 10-1 240 3
10. Gannon (Pa.) 10-1 232 15
11. Arkansas Fort Smith 11-0 220 20
12. Cal State East Bay 10-0 213 19
13. St. Edward's, Texas 13-1 207 16
14. West Texas A&M 11-2 201 4
15. Black Hills State, S.D. 10-1 190 17
16. West Liberty, W.Va. 8-2 177 12
17. Missouri S&T 8-2 140 10
18. West Alabama 10-1 122 NR
19. Fairmont State, W.Va. 8-2 120 8
20. St. Mary's, Texas 9-2 118 13
21. Miles, Ala. 9-1 76 18
22. Adelphi, N.Y. 10-1 67 NR
23. Montana State Billings 12-2 49 NR
24. Eastern New Mexico 10-1 44 NR
25. Indiana, Pa. 8-1 41 NR
 
Others receiving votes: Northern Michigan 19, Walsh (Ohio) 16, Missouri Western 13, Upper Iowa 13, Saint Martin's (Wash.) 12, Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 11, Grand Valley State (Mich.) 10, Oklahoma Baptist 10, Florida Southern 9, Virginia Union 7, UVa-Wise (Va.) 6, Northwest Nazarene (Idaho) 4, Point Loma (Calif.) 4, Slippery Rock (Pa.) 4, Alabama Huntsville 3, McKendree (Ill.) 3, Central Missouri 2, Cal Poly Pomona 1, Concord (W.Va.) 1.
 
Dropped out: Assumption (21), Point Loma (22), Oklahoma Baptist (23), Upper Iowa (24), Florida Southern (25).
 
Records are through games of Dec. 21, 2025. The next poll will be released on Tuesday, Jan. 6.