NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
SEWARD, Neb. – For the 16th time in school history, the Concordia University women’s basketball team has appeared at No. 1 in the NAIA Division II women’s basketball coaches’ poll. Thirteenth-year head coach Drew Olson’s squad has been showered with the top spot in the 2018-19 preseason ranking, as announced on Tuesday (Oct. 23) by the NAIA. The top billing comes on the heels of a national runner-up claim this past March.
In the national coaches’ preseason poll, the Bulldogs received 10 of 12 first-place votes and a total of 311 points. A day earlier, Concordia was pegged as the favorite to win the GPAC title for the third season in a row. The Bulldogs are aiming for a conference three-peat after sweeping GPAC regular-season and tournament titles in back-to-back campaigns.
The Bulldog women’s basketball program’s 16 all-time No. 1 rankings includes the final nine polls of the 2002-03 season, the first four polls of the 2012-13 campaign, two polls in January 2018 and the 2018-19 preseason release. This marks only the second time ever that the program has been tabbed the preseason No. 1 (2012-13). Concordia continues to seek its first-ever national title after reaching the final game in both 2015 and 2018 in addition to semifinal appearances in 2003, 2005, 2012 and 2017. Olson’s program is the only one in NAIA women’s basketball to advance to the national semifinals in three of the past four years and four of the past seven.
Olson’s teams have finished inside the top 25 in nine of his first 12 seasons. The highest final national ranking was a No. 2 placement in both 2015 and 2018. Both the 2011-12 and 2016-17 squads were ranked third at the close of their seasons. The Bulldogs have finished inside the top 10 in five of the past seven years.
A busy three-day stretch to open up the season awaits. Concordia will be at NCAA Division I South Dakota State University for an exhibition at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday. The Bulldogs will then be at the Viterbo Invitational in La Crosse, Wis., on Friday and Saturday. Friday’s matchup will feature Concordia versus No. 15 Indiana Wesleyan University at 3 p.m.
In addition to Indiana Wesleyan, other nationally-ranked teams that will appear on the 2018-19 schedule are No. 2 Dakota Wesleyan, No. 3 Southeastern University (Fla.), No. 8 Northwestern, No. 11 Morningside, No. 13 Hastings, No. 14 University of Saint Francis (Ind.), No. 15 Indiana Wesleyan, No. 16 Jamestown and potentially No. 22 Cardinal Stritch University (Wis.).
Preseason rankings under Olson
2018-19: 1
2017-18: 3
2016-17: 14
2015-16: 4
2014-15: 9
2013-14: 5
2012-13: 1
2011-12: 22
2010-11: 11
2009-10: 22
2008-09: 7
2007-08: NR
2006-07: NR
Final end of season rankings under Olson
2017-18: 2 (NAIA did not release a poll after the national tournament)
2016-17: 3
2015-16: 19
2014-15: 2
2013-14: 13
2012-13: 9
2011-12: 3
2010-11: NR
2009-10: NR
2008-09: 8
2007-08: 10
2006-07: NR