Eagle Women Remain No. 1 In D-II Going Into Great Midwest Tournament

On Tuesday (Feb. 28) afternoon, Ashland University's women's basketball team was announced as the No. 1 team in NCAA Division II for the ninth straight week by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
 
The Eagles (28-0) once again pace the WBCA NCAA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll going into the 2023 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament, which will begin on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. against Ursuline (13-15) at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium.
 
Ashland is the only undefeated women's basketball team in Division II, and one of only five undefeated women's hoops teams at all NCAA levels.
 
The Eagles received all 23 first-place votes in the latest coaches poll.
 
Ashland is 105-3 (.972) all-time playing as the No. 1 team in Division II. The Eagles have been ranked No. 1 in the Coaches Poll 53 times, a Division II poll record.
 
Since the 1995-96 season, Ashland has been ranked in the Top 25 of the coaches poll 153 times, in the Top 10 132 times, and this is the 105^th time AU is in the Top 5. The Eagles' all-time record as a ranked team is 287-18 (.941). For a complete history of Ashland women's basketball coaches poll rankings prior to 2022, go to page 43 of the program record book.
 
The NCAA postseason is approaching, and three of the top five teams in the country come from the Midwest Region – No. 1 Ashland, No. 2 Drury (27-1) and No. 5 Grand Valley State (26-2).
 
As has been the case for several weeks, Ashland continues to be No. 1 in the latest D2SIDA poll and on MasseyRatings.com.
 
The Eagles' postseason path goes like this:

• The eight-team 2023 Great Midwest Tournament will be Tuesday (at home) and Friday and Saturday (March 3-4 – at home with a win on Tuesday).
• The eight-team 2023 NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament will be March 10-11 and 13 at a site to be determined.
• The 2023 NCAA Division II Elite Eight and Final Four will be March 20 and 22, respectively, in St. Joseph, Mo.
• The 2023 NCAA Division II Championship Game will be April 1 in Dallas, Texas.

 
2022-23 ASHLAND UNIVERSITY WBCA TOP 25 POLL RANKINGS: No. 5 (preseason), No. 3 (Nov. 22), No. 2 (Nov. 29), No. 3 (Dec. 6), No. 2 (Dec. 13 and 20), No. 1 (Jan. 3, 10, 18, 24 and 31; Feb. 7, 14, 21 and 28).
  Overall – 28 games (best in NCAA Division II)
Home – 13 games
Road/neutral-site – 26 games
Regular-season – 32 games
Regular-season at home – 15 games
Regular-season on road/neutral-site – 26 games
Great Midwest regular season – 24 games
Great Midwest regular season at home – 12 games
Great Midwest regular season on road/neutral-site – 21 games (21-0 all-time)
As a ranked team in the WBCA poll – 28 games