UMSL senior guard Isaiah Fuller was named GLVC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week on Wednesday. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
DeMarcus Dixon
Staff Writer
NORMANDY, MO — Wednesday turned out to be a fantastic day for the University of Missouri-St. Louis men’s basketball team.
First, senior point guard Isaiah Fuller was named Great Lakes Valley Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, following his spectacular performance in the Tritons’ three wins last week.
Then, just a little while later, when the National Association of Basketball Coaches announced its new NCAA Division II Top 25 national poll, UMSL had moved up seven spots, from No. 18 to No. 11, earning the Tritons their highest national ranking in program history.
All the well-earned recognition came due following UMSL’s brilliant week of basketball last week, which included a road win over then-No. 22 ranked Southwest Baptist, and a pair of sensational home wins against Drury and Missouri S&T.
The Tritons are 8-0 on the season, which also matches the best start in program history. UMSL also began the 2014-15 season with an 8-0 record.
Northwest Missouri State, the defending national champions, are the No. 1 team in the country and Hillsdale is ranked No. 7. Those two are the only other Midwest Region teams ranked in the Top 25.
Fuller, a key member of last year’s NCAA Midwest Region championship team, is playing his first season as a full-time starter, and boy, is he making the most of it.
For the season, the 6-foot-2, Oak Park., Ill. native, is averaging 15.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game — all of which are the best numbers of his career. And yet last week, Fuller was somehow even better.
He averaged 20.0 points, 4.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in UMSL three victories, which included a career-high 31 point performance in the win over Drury. For the week, Fuller shot 67 percent (22-of-33) from the field, 75 percent (three-of-four) from three-point land, and 87 percent (13-of-15) from the free throw line.
The Tritons will conclude a three-game homestand on Saturday, December 10, when they’ll host another GLVC matchup against Lewis. That contest, which will be played at the Mark Twain Building, is scheduled to tip off at 3 p.m.
NABC NATIONAL TOP 25 POLL
| RANK | SCHOOL | RECORD | POINTS | PREVIOUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwest Missouri State (14) | 8-0 | 397 | 1 |
| 2 | Indiana (PA) | 7-0 | 380 | 3 |
| 3 | Nova Southeastern (1) | 7-0 | 367 | 4 |
| 4 | West Liberty | 7-0 | 345 | 5 |
| 5 | Black Hills State (1) | 8-0 | 344 | 6 |
| 6 | Central Oklahoma | 5-0 | 317 | 7 |
| 7 | Hillsdale | 9-0 | 300 | 9 |
| 8 | Colorado School of Mines | 8-0 | 290 | 10 |
| 9 | Minnesota State | 9-0 | 256 | 16 |
| 10 | Lincoln Memorial | 8-1 | 225 | 11 |
| 11 | UMSL | 8-0 | 224 | 18 |
| 12 | Fort Lewis | 8-0 | 212 | 19 |
| 13 | Augusta | 5-1 | 205 | 2 |
| 14 | Virginia Union | 7-1 | 178 | 20 |
| 15 | Cal State San Bernardino | 6-1 | 172 | 15 |
| 16 | Emporia State | 7-0 | 144 | 23 |
| 17 | UNC Pembroke | 8-1 | 124 | 8 |
| 18 | Florida Southern | 7-1 | 113 | 14 |
| 19 | Fairmont State | 5-1 | 104 | 12 |
| 20 | Bentley | 6-1 | 95 | 22 |
| 21 | West Virginia State | 7-0 | 90 | NR |
| 22 | Texas-Tyler | 5-0 | 72 | NR |
| 23 | Dominican | 8-1 | 45 | NR |
| 24 | West Texas A&M | 4-2 | 30 | 25 |
| 25 | St. Thomas Aquinas | 7-1 | 26 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Saint Martin’s (Wash.) 23, Young Harris (Ga.) 17, Minnesota Duluth 16, Alabama Huntsville 11, East Stroudsburg (Pa.) 10, Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 10, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 7, Claflin (S.C.) 9, Miles (Ala.) 7, Southwest Baptist (Mo.) 7, Angelo State (Texas) 5, Lander (S.C.) 5, New Haven (Conn.) 3, Western Washington 3, Illinois Springfield 2, West Georgia 2, Ferris State (Mich.) 1, St. Edward’s (Texas) 1.
Dropped out: Embry-Riddle (13), Southwest Baptist (17), West Alabama (21), Miles (24).