2026 Men's Regional Rankings

[BurlingameRoad]

First regional rankings are out today. Here's the 10 in the Central Region (unseeded this week):

Arkansas-Fort Smith
Central Missouri
Fort Hays State
Harding
Missouri Western
Oklahoma Baptist
Ouachita Baptist
Rogers State
St. Cloud State
Washburn

6 from the MIAA
3 from the GAC
1 from the NSIC

[mosofan1]

Fort Hays picked up loss #10 in Joplin last night falling to MOSO. After Washburn, the MIAA is a slugfest where any team can loss on a given night.

[fanofnsic]

They need to go back to releasing these earlier. I used to like having a actual top 10 but even just putting out this list end of January just gives games a bigger feel to them and importance which is missing some now with how they do this.

[BurlingameRoad]

Fort Hays picked up loss #10 in Joplin last night falling to MOSO. After Washburn, the MIAA is a slugfest where any team can loss on a given night.

Man, Hays has been going through it. 2-5 in the last 7 and one of the wins was in OT against Newman. That’s still a solid win for Southern though.

Not that I’m saying anything new here but the depth of the league really is crazy this year.

[BurlingameRoad]

They need to go back to releasing these earlier. I used to like having a actual top 10 but even just putting out this list end of January just gives games a bigger feel to them and importance which is missing some now with how they do this.

Totally agree. A whole month of games with regional rankings attached would be awesome.

[Boltsup]

SNU picked up a huge double digit win over Ouachita Baptist on Thursday night, I’m hoping that can push them back into the conversation after a rough injury stretch in January.

[BurlingameRoad]

First seeded rankings came out before Wednesday night's games:

1. Washburn
2. Oklahoma Baptist
3. Central Missouri
4. Arkansas-Fort Smith
5. St. Cloud State
6. Missouri Western
7. Ouachita Baptist
8. Fort Hays State
----
9. Rogers State
10. Harding

Biggest surprise is...Fort Smith over St. Cloud State? Nothing super surprising though.

[Try II]

First seeded rankings came out before Wednesday night's games:

1. Washburn
2. Oklahoma Baptist
3. Central Missouri
4. Arkansas-Fort Smith
5. St. Cloud State
6. Missouri Western
7. Ouachita Baptist
8. Fort Hays State
----
9. Rogers State
10. Harding

Biggest surprise is...Fort Smith over St. Cloud State? Nothing super surprising though.

4/5 seed only matters if you play better in your home uni or something. UAFS beat Emporia and Northwest; Huskies lost to both.

[NSICHoops]

4-6 certainly feels like it could go a lot of ways depending on how you apply the criteria. I would maybe even throw Central Mo at 3 in that cluster, but they feel like they have a little more cushion to be at the top of that heap.