Head coach Pat Juckem and the WashU Bears were ranked No. 13 in the most recent D3 Hoops Top 25 rankings. (Photo: Primo Greenway)
Steven Millbrook
Staff Writer
The first three weeks of the new season have been very good to the Washington University men’s basketball team.
The Bears picked up wins over ranked opponents in both their first two games. They followed that up by winning the 39th Annual Lopata Classic with a pair thrilling wins at home. Then on Tuesday, the Bears were rewarded for their quality play to start the year, as they were moved up to No. 13 in the first D3Hoops.com national Top 25 poll of the season.
WashU was picked No. 22 in the preseason poll, but vaulted up nine spots, after earning wins in five of its first six games of the season.
After being voted second in the preseason poll, Wisconsin-Whitewater was selected as the new No. 1 team. The preseason top team, Christopher Newport, slipped to No. 10 after losing twice in its first seven games.
WashU will get a chance to show off its new No. 13 ranking, Tuesday night, when it hosts crosstown rival Webster University in a game at the WashU Field House.
Tip off is set for 7 p.m.
D3Hoops.com Men’s Basketball Top 25 – Week 1
| Rank | School (1st-Place votes) | W-L | Pts. | Prev. |
| 1 | Wisconsin-Whitewater (13) | 5-0 | 607 | 2 |
| 2 | Hampden-Sydney (8) | 4-0 | 570 | 8 |
| 3 | John Carroll (2) | 4-0 | 568 | 3 |
| 4 | Mount Union (1) | 5-0 | 529 | 5 |
| 5 | Calvin (1) | 5-0 | 522 | 10 |
| 6 | Oswego State | 4-0 | 504 | 6 |
| 7 | Keene State | 4-1 | 425 | 4 |
| 8 | New York University | 5-1 | 401 | 9 |
| 9 | Case Western Reserve | 4-0 | 384 | 13 |
| 10 | Christopher Newport | 5-2 | 360 | 1 |
| 11 | Guilford | 4-0 | 309 | — |
| 12 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | 6-0 | 291 | — |
| 13 | WashU | 5-1 | 245 | 22 |
| 14 | Swarthmore | 4-1 | 237 | 11 |
| 15 | Williams | 5-1 | 232 | 7 |
| 16 | Emory | 3-1 | 221 | 19 |
| 17 | Redlands | 4-1 | 175 | — |
| 18 | Trinity (Conn.) | 6-0 | 172 | — |
| 19 | Marietta | 4-1 | 153 | — |
| 20 | Illinois Wesleyan | 4-2 | 141 | — |
| 21 | Virginia Wesleyan | 6-0 | 125 | — |
| 22 | Wisconsin-Oshkosh | 4-1 | 106 | 25 |
| 23 | Tufts | 5-0 | 73 | — |
| 24 | Trine | 5-0 | 71 | — |
| 25 | Pomona-Pitzer | 5-0 | 70 | — |
Dropped out: No. 12 Johns Hopkins; No. 14 Randolph-Macon; No. 15 Mary Hardin-Baylor; No. 16 Wabash; No. 17 Catholic; No. 18 Carthage; No. 20 East Texas Baptist; No. 21 North Park; No. 23 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps; No. 24 Middlebury.
Others receiving votes: Illinois College 68; Randolph-Macon 61; Catholic 54; St. Thomas (Texas) 52; Carthage 50; Albertus Magnus 41; Trinity (Texas) 34; Widener 32; St. Joseph (Conn.) 30; Rowan 28; UW-Platteville 25; Stockton 20; Coe 16; Elmhurst 16; Wabash 15; DeSales 14; Mary Hardin-Baylor 12; Dubuque 12; Babson 11; Nichols 10; St. Norbert 10; Hope 6; Mary Washington 3; Montclair State 3; Utica 3; Maryville 2; UW-Superior 2; Arcadia 1; Concordia-Moorhead 1.
The D3Hoops.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly. Points are awarded on a 25-24-23-22-etc. basis.
2023-24 WashU Bears Men’s Basketball Schedule
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 28, 2023 (Tuesday) | 7 p.m. | Home | Webster University | WashU Field House |
| December 2, 2023 (Saturday) | 2 p.m. | Away | Millikin University | Decatur, Ill. / Griswold Center |
| December 16, 2023 (Saturday) | 1 p.m. | Home | Fontbonne | WashU Field House |
| December 17, 2023 (Sunday) | 3 p.m. | Home | Principia | WashU Field House |
| December 30, 2023 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Home | Wabash College | WashU Field House |
| January 6, 2024 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Away | University of Chicago | Chicago, Ill. / Ratner Athletics Center |
| January 12, 2024 (Friday) | 7:30 p.m. | Home | Emory | WashU Field House |
| January 14, 2024 (Sunday) | 12 p.m. | Home | University of Rochester | WashU Field House |
| January 19, 2024 (Friday) | 6:30 p.m. | Away | New York University | New York City, N.Y. / John A. Paulson Center |
| January 21, 2024 (Sunday) | 11 a.m. | Away | Brandeis | Waltham, Mass. / Gosman Center |
| January 26, 2024 (Friday) | 7:30 p.m. | Home | Carnegie Mellon | WashU Field House |
| January 28, 2024 (Sunday) | 12 p.m. | Home | Case Western Reserve | WashU Field House |
| February 2, 2024 (Friday) | 6:30 p.m. | Away | Carnegie Mellon | Pittsburgh, Pa. / Wiegant Gymnasium |
| February 4, 2024 (Sunday) | 11 a.m. | Away | Case Western Reserve | Cleveland, Ohio / Horsburgh Gymnasium |
| February 9, 2024 (Friday) | 6:30 p.m. | Away | Emory | Atlanta, Ga. / Woodruff P.E. Center |
| February 11, 2024 (Sunday) | 11 a.m. | Away | University of Rochester | Rochester, N.Y. / Louis Alexander Palestra |
| February 16, 2024 (Friday) | 7:30 p.m. | Home | New York University | WashU Field House |
| February 18, 2024 (Sunday) | 12 p.m. | Home | Brandeis University | WashU Field House |
| February 24, 2024 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Home | University of Chicago | WashU Field House |