Undefeated UW-Platteville is the nation's new number one team, according to the D3hoops.com poll. The 10-0 Pioneers moved up from the third spot, claiming 13 of the 25 first-place votes.
Sixth-year Coach Paul Combs' club won its first 10 games despite playing a demanding schedule. Eight of the 10 opponents have records of .500 or better. The five NCAA III West Region teams UWP have faced are a combined 29-13 in games not against the Pioneers. (UWP's record does not include an 84-79 exhibition win against NCAA Division I Bradley.)
"It's a great example of what hard work and dedication does," Combs said. "It's a tribute to our four seniors (Jeff Skemp, Charlie Lohoff, Kyle Tetschlag and Bo Richter) and their commitment to Platteville basketball."
The stretch of tough games does not get any easier for the Pioneers, whose Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference includes fifth-ranked UW-Stevens Point and sixth-ranked UW-Whitewater.
UW-Platteville faces 6-2 Carthage in the St. Norbert College Nicolet National Bank Holiday Tournament Dec. 29. Carthage is led by the explosive sophomore guard Steve Djurickovic, who averages 32.2 points per game. St. Norbert, off to its best start in 13 years at 6-1, faces the College of St. Scholastica (4-4) in the second game Monday at 7 p.m. The consolation game is at 5 p.m. and the championship at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
"Although we are very humbled by the number one ranking, we also realize we've only played 10 games to date," Combs said. "Our primary focus is getting ready for Carthage."
The Pioneers are first in the country for the first time since Dec. 12, 1999, a season following their fourth NCAA III national championship in nine years. The Pioneers, who won NCAA national titles in 1991, 1995, 1998 and 1999, began the 1999-2000 season 9-0 before falling to a very strong Mid-American Nazarene team 69-63 in the semifinals of the Clarke College Holiday Tournament before a packed house. UWP dropped from the top spot in the next rankings and had not been there again until now.
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.
Week 4 men's poll
| # | Team | W-L | Pts. | Last Week |
| 1 | UW-Platteville (13) | 10-0 | 604 | 3 |
| 2 | Wheaton (Ill.) (7) | 8-0 | 601 | 2 |
| 3 | St. Thomas (3) | 8-0 | 560 | 4 |
| 4 | Washington U. (2) | 9-1 | 537 | 1 |
| 5 | UW-Stevens Point | 8-1 | 529 | 5 |
| 6 | UW-Whitewater | 9-1 | 490 | 6 |
| 7 | Elmhurst | 9-1 | 475 | 10 |
| 8 | Amherst | 7-0 | 441 | 7 |
| 9 | Augustana | 8-2 | 406 | 8 |
| 10 | Buena Vista | 8-1 | 379 | 9 |
| 11 | Elms | 9-0 | 350 | 12 |
| 12 | Capital | 9-1 | 316 | 14 |
| 13 | Ursinus | 5-1 | 313 | 13 |
| 14 | Richard Stockton | 9-1 | 219 | 20 |
| 15 | Carnegie Mellon | 8-1 | 209 | 12 |
| 16 | Illinois Wesleyan | 6-2 | 203 | 15 |
| 17 | Ithaca | 8-0 | 202 | 19 |
| 18 | Centre | 7-1 | 197 | 16 |
| 19 | Whitworth | 7-1 | 167 | 18 |
| 20 | St. Mary's (Md.) | 7-1 | 138 | 17 |
| 21 | Trinity (Texas) | 8-1 | 129 | 22 |
| 22 | Puget Sound | 5-2 | 120 | 21 |
| 23 | Texas-Dallas | 9-0 | 100 | 24 |
| 24 | Mass-Dartmouth | 7-1 | 99 | 23 |
| 25 | DeSales | 8-0 | 72 | 25 |
Dropped out: None.
Others receiving votes: Roanoke 48, Worcester Polytech 46, Gettysburg 38, Millikin 34, William Paterson 16, Middlebury 12, Rhode Island College 12, Transylvania 12, Gordon 11, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 10, Defiance 8, Lawrence 6, Bethel 5, Salem State 5, Carthage 3, Franklin and Marshall 2, Carleton 1.