January 29, 2022 – Springfield, MO –
Baptist Bible College’s men’s basketball team currently reps an 11-3 record after defeating Arkansas Baptist College 89-83. The Baptist Bible College Patriots had remained unranked in NCCAA DI rankings the entire 2021-22 season. What has made chair members reluctant to vote the inaugural NCCAA member into the NCCAA Top Ten is the fact that their strength of schedule is quite poor. Although 11-3, eight of their wins came from teams with losing records. Also, one of their 3 losses came from a lower division opponent in Southwest Adventist University, whom is an NCCAA DII institution. Due to teams that will most likely decline an invite to the NCCAA DI National Championship because of NAIA Playoff schedule conflicts, Baptist Bible College still has a good chance at making it to the dance even without winning their region/conference championship.
Baptist Bible College currently averages 87.1 points per game, which ranks them #3 in the NCCAA in scoring. The Patriots average 41.2 rebounds per game, dominating the glass and ranking #4 in the NCCAA. Averaging 18.5 assists per game, the Patriots rank #2. Displaying these statistics and their current statistical rankings may make one wonder why the Patriots remain unranked, but on Feb. 1st, 2022, Baptist Bible fans may have to wonder no more and a top ten ranking may become a reality.
Patriots Coach Darin Meinders brings a great resume to the table and should hopefully be a top candidate for NCCAA DI Central Region Coach of the Year. The Patriots are currently 1-1 in conference play and will face their next conference foe on Feb. 12th, 2021 when they go up against College of the Ozarks. How the Patriots go up against teams with high powered offenses will definitely go into factor what the chair members will decide in the next upcoming polls. To unofficially secure a spot in the National Tournament, the Patriots will need to prove to the chair that they a team that can win at a higher level. Some members may already see it, but it will take more than a few votes to get the Patriots into the top ten. You can see the rankings on Feb. 1st when they are released here.
