Men's basketball makes history with first ever #1 national ranking
"The latest rankings and any success we're having is simply a result of having such a special group of players. They're focused on the right things, they work incredibly hard and they're unselfish people who care about each other."
- Coach Aaron Landon
- Men's basketball team
(Rankings as of January 30, 2024)
In a historic moment for Saint Martin's University and the Saints intercollegiate athletic department, the men's basketball team has been voted #1 in the latest D2CSC poll (January 2024), marking the first time in school history that any team has reached this milestone. The D2CSC poll is voted on by numerous college sports communicators and media members throughout Division II. The Saints also were voted #1 in the CBBNation Poll, which surveys both coaches and media members throughout DII.
The Saints jumped out to a 16-1 start this season behind an unflinching roster of talented veterans, savvy transfers, and one of the deepest rosters in all of college basketball. After rolling through a challenging non-conference schedule with an undefeated record including a 7-0 mark versus regional opponents including wins againts 2023 NCAA participants Point Loma and Academy of Art, the Saints suffered their only defeat in a one-point overtime loss to Northwest Nazarene. They have been flawless ever since. Led by senior Kyle Greeley who averages 16.9 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game, the Saints have been dominating with an explosive offense and a stifling defense. They are holding opponents to the second lowest field goal percentage in the country, while sitting in the top 20 in scoring, with over 86 points per game. The Saints were one of only five one-loss teams in the country.
Not only is this the first time any SMU sport has been ranked #1 nationally, it also marks the first time since February 15, 2016 that a GNAC men's basketball team was on top of a National poll, as Western Oregon was #1 in both the NABC and D2CCA poll that week.
This achievement not only solidifies Saint Martin's University's position as a force within the highly contested collegiate basketball landscape, but it also reflects a broader upward trend in the competitive success manifesting across the Saints' entire athletic department. Inspired by a campus that has played an instrumental role in this process, the students, alumni, faculty, staff, fans and local community have transformed Lacey, WA into the Pacific Northwest's heartland of college basketball.
"The latest rankings and any success we're having is simply a result of having such a special group of players," says Coach Aaron Landon. "They're focused on the right things, they work incredibly hard and they're unselfish people who care about each other. Saint Martin's is a special place that gave us all a home and opportunity, so we love to see our school get recognition like this."
Read the full press release and stay updated on the Saints season by visiting smusaints.com
