ANGOLA, Ind. – In a volatile week nine D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, the Trine University men's basketball team is sitting in second behind only John Carroll University with identical 20-1 records. The Blue Streaks accumulated 12 first-place votes and 598 points while the Thunder collected eight first-place votes and 587 points. Hampden-Sydney College and Randolph Macon College split the final five first-place votes 3-2 and are third and fourth in the rankings.
Second is tied for the highest the Trine men's basketball team has ever been ranked. They received eight first-place votes which is the most in program history. The Thunder are closing in on the program record for most wins in a single season in the NCAA DIII era (22).
Emmanuel Megnanglo and Aidan Smylie are leading a defense that leads the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) and ranked nationally in multiple categories. Trine is fifth in the country in steals per game at 12.8 and three are inside the top five in the conference, with Smylie (MIAA leader), Cortez Garland and Megnanglo. The Thunder are averaging 19.2 turnovers forced per game for their opponents.
Along with Megnanglo's steal numbers, he also has helped the Thunder be ranked 22nd in NCAA DIII in blocks per game at 5.0. Individually, the senior forward is third in the nation at 3.4 blocks per game. In the last two games, he has brought down 10 boards versus Hope College and 12 against Alma College. He has recently eclipsed 500 career rebounds as well as 100 career steals and 200 career blocks.
This week, Trine plays host to Albion College on Wednesday, February 7 at 7:30 p.m. followed by the team's final regular season road game at The University of Olivet on Saturday, February 10 at 3 p.m.