ROLLA, Mo. – For the third consecutive week the Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team is ranked in the regular season National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Top 25 poll.
 
SMSU, off to a 6-1 start for the first time since the 2016-17 season, is ranked No. 18 in this week's poll receiving a total of 136 points. It's the 25th time in program history SMSU has been ranked in the NABC Top 25 poll. 
 
SMSU opened the season defeating a pair of teams ranked in the preseason NABC Top 25 poll, including No. 16 Fort Hays State on Nov. 8 and No. 1 and defending national champion Minnesota State on Nov. 16. 

The Mustangs finished last week 2-0, picking up a dominant 76-56 win over Wayne State in its NSIC opener before closing the week with an 80-69 non-conference victory over Briar Cliff (Iowa).
 
SMSU is one of four Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference teams ranked in this week's poll with MSU Moorhead at No. 7, while Minnesota Duluth is ranked No. 11 and Minot State is ranked No. 20.
 
SMSU returns to Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action on Friday, Dec. 6, hosting No. 11 ranked Minnesota Duluth (5-1) with tip-off slated for 7:30 p.m.