OBU Basketball Teams Earn Preseason Rankings

Both the men's and women's basketball teams of Oklahoma Baptist University found themselves in the NAIA's Preseason Top 25 poll released Tuesday.

The Bison, coming off a fourth consecutive national quarterfinal run, are ranked fifth in the men's poll after a 31-6 record from last season. The men were ranked 10th in last season's final poll. The Bison return Leonard Mosley and Robert Hart and have added several players who are expected to make an immediate impact.

The OBU women were not ranked in last year's final poll and lost All-American Jadrea Seeley, but are ranked 16th in the preseason poll. OBU returns three starters and has added three guards that could become difference makers  Priscila Alves, Tabetha Eaton and Keely Tolin.

Defending champions Mountain State and Southern Nazarene are the top ranked teams in the men's and women's polls, respectively.

On the men's schedule for this season are No. 12 Lubbock Christian for two games, No. 15 Houston Baptist, No. 19 Oklahoma Christian for two games, as well as vote-getters John Brown and LSU-Shreveport.

The women have nine games against Top 25 teams and another four against teams that got points in the poll.

They have two each with No. 1 SNU, No. 3 Oklahoma City, No. 12 John Brown and No. 21 Oklahoma Christian and one against No. 13 Columbia College. Against teams getting votes in the poll, OBU has two games with Wayland Baptist and one each with Park and Langston.