For the first time since the 2012-13 season, Middle Tennessee men’s basketball is back in the Associated Press Top 25 conversation.
The Blue Raiders received seven points in the week six poll following a dominant, 71-48, win against SEC foe Vanderbilt. The seven points place them 32nd nationally in the AP poll.
“I think it’s a credit to the team for being able to go on the road and win games,” Head Coach Kermit Davis said. “Obviously we had two good wins at Ole Miss and South Alabama, and I thought our team played extremely hard against Vanderbilt.
“We’ve won seven in a row against probably a Top 20 or 30 non-conference schedule.”
Middle Tennessee last received votes on March 4, 2013, to conclude a streak of three consecutive weeks of representation in the AP poll.
“I’ve talked to our guys about the RPI, about what every game means and that every game matters,” Davis added. “Maybe teams in Conference USA don’t have a margin of error like ACC teams do.
“We really haven’t talked about rankings but I think any time your program can get any kind of national notoriety and receive votes in a poll it’s definitely progress and is good for your players and fans.”
Middle Tennessee, currently ranked No. 6 in the NCAA RPI and No. 19 in the NCAA Strength of Schedule, faces its third Nashville-based opponent of the season Wednesday in a 7:00 p.m. tip at Belmont before traveling to VCU on Saturday.
