Wildcats lead 5 MSC teams ranked in Preseason Top 25 Poll

10/22/2025 11:19:32 AM

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Bethel (Tenn.) Wildcats earned their highest rating since 2015 as the #2 team in the nation in the NAIA Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Top 25 Poll, the national office annonunced Wednesday.

The Wildcats, 2024-25 Mid-South Conference Tournament Champions, have all but one player for last year's roster returning to the court. Bethel, coming off of their 27-8 year where they lost in the national semifinals to eventual champion Dordt (Iowa), will be led by Madison and Micah Hart who averaged 34.6 points per game and 12.7 rebounds per game combined. At the helm remains reigning NAIA Coach of the Year Chris Nelson.

Just behind Bethel sat the Campbellsville Tigers in third. The Tigers lost their leading scorer, but brought in six freshmen who will look to contribute right away. Also coming back for the team is MSC First-Team All-Conference combo guard Whitney Hay and MSC Second-Team All-Conference defensive menace Tyra Flowers. Prolific Head Coach Ginger High Colvin earned her 500th career win in the 2024-25 season, collecting another MSC Coach of the Year honor.

The final MSC top-ten team, the Freed-Hardeman Lions, came in at #6. They concluded their 2024-25 season in the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Tournament. The Lions' first contest of the year will be Saturday, October 25th against Oakwood University.

The remaining two ranked MSC squads populated the last two spots: #24 Lindsey Wilson and #25 University of the Cumberlands. Receiving votes was Georgetown (Ky.).

Defending NAIA champion Dordt received all 20 first-place votes and 600 voting points at the top of the rating. After the Wildcats and the Tigers, Dakota State (S.D.) earned 474 points for fourth and Marian (Ind.) landed fifth with 471 voting points.

The first regular-season poll is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 12.

Poll Methodology

  • The national poll is for publicity purposes only and does not influence the selection process for national championship consideration.
  • A panel of head coaches representing each conference and the Continental Athletic Conference (Independents) votes in the poll.
  • The Top 25 teams are selected using a points-based system:
    • 30 points for a 1st-place vote, 29 for 2nd, 28 for 3rd, and so on.
  • The highest and lowest rankings received by each team are discarded before final tallying.
  • Teams receiving only one point are not listed as “receiving votes.”