The Ashland University men's basketball team was ranked No. 4 in the initial release of the NCAA Division II Midwest Region rankings released on Wednesday (Feb. 20) afternoon.
The top eight teams in the region will qualify for the NCAA Tournament with automatic bids going to the tournament champions of the GLIAC, Great Lakes Valley Conference and Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The NCAA field will be announced March 10 at 10:30 p.m.
The Eagles (21-4, 13-4 GLIAC), ranked No. 18 in the NABC Division II coaches' poll, have three games remaining in the regular season with their final road trip starting Thursday at 8 p.m. at Northwood. Ashland won its last two games at Kates Gymnasium, defeating Purdue Northwest and Parkside.
AU's road trip concludes Saturday at Saginaw Valley with the regular season concluding on Feb. 28 against Wayne State at Kates Gymnasium.
The Eagles need only to win one more game or a loss by Parkside or Northern Michigan to clinch a GLIAC Tournament quarterfinal home game on March 5. Ashland is a game behind Davenport for first place in the league standings.
Ferris State (No. 7) and Northern Michigan (No. 8) are the other two GLIAC teams listed in the rankings. Davenport, which is in its final year as a transitional member of NCAA Division II, is not eligible for the national tournament.
The next release of the Midwest Region rankings will come next Wednesday, Feb. 27.
The full rankings follow.
AU
MBB/BB