With its best start since the 2006-2007 season, the Butler women's basketball team is ranked eighth in the NJCAA Division I Top 25 poll, which was released Wednesday.
The No. 8 ranking is the highest for the Grizzlies (10-1) since the 2001-2002 season, when Butler reached fourth in the nation after a 20-0 start. The national ranking is also a first under head coach Mike Helmer, who picked up his 100th collegiate win back on Nov. 20 against Pratt.
The last time Butler cracked the NJCAA Top 25 poll was back in December 2006, as the Grizzlies started off the season 12-1. However, Butler was ranked no higher than 21st during the season.
Butler is one of three KJCCC teams ranked in the top 10, with Jayhawk West teams Hutchinson (10-0) and Seward County (9-0) ranked fifth and seventh, respectively. Cowley County is also in the rankings at 16th. The Grizzlies were just one of two teams previously unranked in the preseason poll to be ranked in the top 10, with Gulf Coast State (Fla.) ranked sixth.
With eight first-place votes, Chipola (Fla.) holds the top spot after entering the preseason ranked fourth. Trinity Valley (Texas), College of Southern Idaho, Walters State (Tenn.) and Hutchinson round out the top five.
Butler will host Barton on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., then hit the road Saturday to face Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa at 5 p.m. The Grizzlies will end the December portion of the schedule with a home game against Seminole State (Okla.) on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m.
| NJCAA Top 25 National Poll | December 4, 2013 | |||||
| Rank | College | Record | Points | 1st place votes |
Previous Rank |
| 1. | Chipola, Fla. |
10-0 | 200 | 8 |
4 |
| 2. | Trinity Valley, Texas | 9-1 |
192 | 0 |
1 |
| 3. | College of Southern Idaho |
9-0 |
184 | 0 | 5 |
| 4. | Walters State, Tenn. |
11-0 |
176 | 0 | 11 |
| 5. | Hutchinson |
10-0 |
168 | 0 | 3 |
| 6. | Gulf Coast State, Fla. |
10-0 |
160 | 0 | NR |
| 7. | Seward County |
9-0 |
152 | 0 | 19 |
| 8. | Butler |
10-1 |
144 | 0 | NR |
| 9. | Shelton State, Ala. |
6-1 |
136 | 0 | 9 |
| 10. | Florida State-Jacksonville | 6-2 |
128 | 0 | 22 |
| 11. | Northwest Florida State |
7-1 |
120 | 0 | 7 |
| 12. | North Idaho |
9-1 |
112 |
0 | 14 |
| 13. | Arizona Western | 7-3 |
104 | 0 | 17 |
| 14. | Collin County, Texas |
9-1 |
96 | 0 | NR |
| 15. | Western Nebraska |
9-2 |
88 | 0 | 15 |
| 16. | Cowley County |
10-2 |
80 | 0 | NR |
| 17. | Hill, Texas |
7-0 |
72 |
0 | NR |
| 18. | Vincennes, Ind. |
8-2 |
64 |
0 | NR |
| 19. | Northeastern Oklahoma A&M |
8-1 |
56 |
0 | NR |
| 20. | Tyler, Texas |
7-1 |
48 | 0 | NR |
| 21. | Palm Beach State, Fla. | 5-1 |
40 | 0 | NR |
| 22. | Midland, Texas |
9-5 |
32 | 0 | 18 |
| 23. | Three Rivers, Mo. |
6-2 |
24 | 0 | 12 |
| 24. | Monroe Community, N.Y. |
10-1 |
16 | 0 | NR |
| 25. | Northeast, Neb. |
10-0 |
8 | 0 | NR |
Other schools receiving votes: Dodge City (10-1); Louisiana State-Eunice (9-1); Paris, Texas (6-3); Pensacola State, Fla. (6-3); Wabash Valley, Ill. (6-2).
Dropped from rankings: Central Arizona (2); Blinn, Texas (6); Weatherford, Texas (8); Northern Oklahoma-Enid (13); Copiah-Lincoln, Miss. (20); State Fair, Mo. (24); Malcolm X, Ill. (25).
