Men's Hoops Moves To 19th In Latest National Rankings
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's basketball program continues its rise to stardom, climbing three spots to 19th in this weeks' D3Hoops.com Top 25 National Poll, which was released Monday. The Blue Jays broke into the Top-25 for the first time in program history during week 10 of the national poll, and continue to climb in week 11 as the team continues to win.
D3Hoops.com Top 25 Poll
The Blue Jays, under the direction of Hall of Fame head coach Jim Calhoun, have won their last 21 games, and are 22-2 on the season. The streak is the fourth-longest in Division III behind only Swarthmore, St. John's, and Yeshiva. Swarthmore has won 23 straight and is ranked No. 1 in the Top 25, while St. John's and Yeshiva have won 22 straight, and are ranked ahead of the Blue Jays as well at No. 4 and No. 17.
Saint Joseph, in just its second season fielding a men's basketball team, clinched the 2019-20 GNAC regular-season title and home-court throughout the postseason tournament with a 95-83 road win over Emmanuel on February 15. The Blue Jays sport a spotless 10-0 conference record heading into the regular-season finale on Saturday vs. Colby-Sawyer. A win would make them the second school in GNAC Men's Basketball history to go undefeated in league play, joining Albertus Magnus in 2012 (18-0) and 2015 (18-0).
In non-conference action, USJ most notably went 3-1 this season against New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) opponents, picking up wins over Trinity College, Bates College, and Williams College. Its lone NESCAC loss - and last loss to date - was at Tufts University on November 23, nearly three months ago to the day. Tufts was previously in the Top-25 for multiple weeks this season.
The Blue Jays rank in the top-five in Division III in numerous statistical categories. They are currently second in scoring margin (winning by an average of 20 points per game), third in rebounding margin (grabbing 12 rebounds more per game than opponents), tied for third in field-goal percentage (shooting it at nearly 52% from the field), and are fifth in defensive rebounds per game at nearly 32. Additionally, junior forward Jordan Powell (Middletown, Conn.) leads the nation in field goal-percentage at nearly 71% from the floor.
The D3hoops.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, sports information directors, and media members from across the country and is published weekly. Points are awarded on a 25-24-23-22-etc. basis. Other Northeast region schools in the National Top 25 include No. 12 Colby, No. 14 Middlebury, No. 15 Springfield, No. 21 WPI, and No. 22 Babson. A total of 416 schools, representing 43 separate conferences, are eligible for the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
UP NEXT
The USJ men's basketball team closes the regular season at home with a GNAC matchup against Colby-Sawyer on Saturday, February 22. Tip-off between the Blue Jays and the Chargers is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. inside the O'Connell Center, following the conclusion of the USJ women's game versus the Chargers, which will tip-off at 1:00 p.m., as part of the 'Hoops for Hounds' initiative. Tickets for both games can be purchased here.
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