March 5, 2008
 
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - For the first time since 1991, the University of North Alabama men's basketball team has cracked the Top 10 in the NABC/Division II Coaches poll.

UNA, 23-7 overall, debuted in the poll at No. 23 and moved up four spots last week. The Lions are riding an eight-game winning streak entering Friday's quarterfinal round in the Gulf South Conference Basketball Tournament.

The last time that UNA's Men's Basketball Team was ranked in the Top 10 was a No. 9 ranking in the 1991-92 pre-season poll, coming off the 1991 National Championship.
UNA also ranks No. 1 in the NCAA Division II South Region and will find out its placement in the Division II National Tournament on Sunday night at 9:30 p.m.

The top six spots in the NABC/Division II coaches poll remained the same this week, but a massive shakeup took place after that due to numerous losses suffered by teams in last week's Top 25.

Of the 19 teams that were ranked from seventh to 25th last week, 12 of them lost at least once. That allowed two new teams to crack the Top 10 and three new teams to enter the poll as most of the NCAA Division II conferences head into their tournament weeks.

Bentley and Grand Valley State, the last two schools at the NCAA level without a loss, retained the top two spots with Winona State, Northern State, South Carolina Aiken and Findlay retaining the next four spots. Gannon moved up from tenth to seventh this week, while North Alabama and Minnesota State entered the Top 10 at eighth and ninth, respectively. Augusta State stayed among the Top 10 this week at No. 10.

The second five is headed by Alaska-Anchorage, followed by Benedict, Edinboro, Cal State-San Bernardino and Southwest Baptist.

The new entries this week include West Texas A&M, Alderson-Broaddus – one of two teams who have earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament along with Johnson C. Smith – and Saint Rose.