MINNEAPOLIS-- The Trine men's basketball team is ranked 23rd in the nation in the latest Top 25 Poll, released Monday by D3Hoops.com.
This is the first national ranking for the Thunder as a member of NCAA Division III. An eight-game winning streak has propelled Trine to the national ranking and a 10-1 overall record, tied for the best start in program history. The team's lone loss came at the hands of eighth-ranked Ohio Wesleyan. The Thunder owns five wins against teams with winning percentages of .500 or better. Included among Trine's victories this season is a sweep of two opponents to win the Carnegie Mellon DoubleTree Invitational. The D3Hoops.com Top 25 Poll serves as the official NCAA Division III Men's Basketball poll.
Click Here for D3Hoops.com Top 25 Poll.
Pacing the team's hot start has been a defensive effort that has the Thunder ranked among the best defensive units in the nation. Trine is allowing 59.5 points per game, a mark that ranks seventh nationally. The Thunder have been ranked as high as second in the nation in that category. The defense allows opponents to shoot 38.4 percent from the field, a mark that ranks 21st in Division III.
Trine's defensive effort produced a five-game streak of holding opponents below 40-percent shooting from the field. The Thunder have held opponents to a 28 percent shooting effort from three-point range, the 18th-best mark in the country.
Continuing its trend from the last two seasons, Trine is also committing turnovers at one of the lowest rates in the nation. The Thunder is committing 11.8 turnovers per game, which ranks 41st in the nation. The team has finished each of the last two seasons in the top 10 nationally in that category.
Jared Holmquist (Reed City, Mich./Reed City) has established himself as one of the top post players in the nation this season. The senior's seven double-doubles are tied for the sixth-most in the country. He averages a team-best 21.2 points (43rd in nation) and 10.6 rebounds per contest (21st). He could become just the second player in program history to average over 10 points and 10 rebounds per game in a season. Holmquist has won two MIAA Player of the Week awards and was named the DIII News Player of the Month for November.
Will Dixon (Indianapolis, Ind./Zionsville) has helped pace the hot start with 18.3 points per game. The junior has matched Holmquist's two Player of the Week honors and was named to the D3Hoops.com Team of the Week after winning MVP honors in the Carnegie Mellon DoubleTree Invitational.
Another ranking system, used by HERO Sports, pegs Trine as the 17th-best team in the nation. The HERO Sports ranking system is based on statistical analysis that weighs predicted outcomes against a schedule, rank-differences of opponents, margin of victory and recent play.
Trine opens MIAA play this Wednesday, Jan. 6 with a showdown at defending MIAA champion Calvin. The Knights are off to a 5-6 start this year. A win would give the Thunder its best start on record in program history.