AUSTIN, Texas — The National Association of Basketball Coaches released its weekly coaches poll Tuesday, elevating St. Edward's men's basketball to No. 15 in the NCAA Division II national rankings.
The Hilltoppers enter the week riding a five-game win streak, fueled by road victories over
Texas A&M-Kingsville and
Texas A&M International, followed by
a thrilling home 73-71 Battle of the Saints rivalry win over St. Mary's at the Recreation and Athletics Center.
Forward
JAMISON KAY continues to anchor the Hilltopper surge. The senior is coming off a career-high 24-point performance and recently surpassed the 1,000-point milestone, scoring in double figures in five of the last six games while raising his season average to 12.8 points per game.
BLAKE NIELSEN remains one of the Lone Star Conference's most versatile playmakers, ranking third in the conference in scoring at 18.5 points per game and seventh in assists at 3.9 per contest, directing one of the nation's most efficient offenses.
St. Edward's leads the Lone Star Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.62), assists per game (16.9), field-goal percentage defense (39.4 — ninth nationally), and scoring margin (+13.0), combining offensive precision with defensive consistency during its current surge.
The Hilltoppers now face a pivotal stretch, playing three games in five days before the next national rankings release. St. Edward's hosts Angelo State on Thursday, Feb. 12, during the inaugural Challenge of the Deans, followed by Senior Day against Texas Permian Basin on Saturday, before traveling to Oklahoma Christian on Monday for a makeup contest.
NABC Division II Coaches Poll (Feb. 10, 2026 – Regular Season Poll #11)
Record Points Previous
1. Nova Southeastern, Fla. (9) 18-1 390 2
2. Cal State East Bay (4) 22-0 377 3
3. Washburn, Kan. (3) 22-1 372 1
4. Daemen, N.Y. 24-1 351 4
5. Anderson, S.C. 21-1 337 5
6. Gannon, Pa. 20-2 325 6
7. West Liberty, W.Va. 19-3 301 8
8. Fairmont State, W.Va. 18-3 281 9
9. Oklahoma Baptist 19-2 264 10
10. Eastern New Mexico 19-3 237 11
11. Lubbock Christian, Texas 20-4 235 7
12. Palm Beach Atlantic, Fla. 20-3 234 12
13. Michigan Tech 20-4 205 17
14. West Alabama 20-3 171 18
15. St. Edward's, Texas 20-4 146 19
16. Ouachita Baptist, Ark. 18-3 132 20
17. Northern Michigan 20-4 106 16
18. Saint Martin's, Wash. 18-4 104 21
19. Grand Valley State, Mich. 18-4 102 14
20. Black Hills State, S.D. 18-4 101 13
21. Virginia Union 21-3 88 22
22. Walsh, Ohio 18-3 70 15
23. McKendree, Ill. 18-4 54 23
24. Missouri S&T 16-4 50 24
25. Arkansas Fort Smith 18-4 43 25
Others receiving votes: Rockhurst (Mo.) 23, Central Missouri 20, Point Loma (Calif.) 20, St. Cloud State (Minn.) 12, Southern Nazarene (Okla.) 11, DBU (Texas) 9, Montana State Billings 9, Felician (N.J.) 7, Western New Mexico 6, Tuskegee (Ala.) 3, Indiana (Pa.) 2, Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 1, Saint Anselm (N.H.) 1.
Dropped out: None
