Chaminade, BYU-Hawaii, Dixie St. remain in poll; marques Whippy leads nation in rebounding

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Three Pacific West Conference men’s basketball teams remained in the latest NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball West Region Poll.

Dixie State (16-5/16-4 In-Region) climbed back up to fourth from fifth, while BYU-Hawaii (16-5/14-5) slipped from sixth to seventh. Chaminade (16-5/16-4) is ranked sixth in the region.

The Division II men’s basketball committee in Indianapolis released the rankings on Wednesday, March 2. The Top 10 teams are listed for each of the eight regions. The next ranking will be the announcement of the 64-team NCAA Division II Tournament field and will take place during the selection show on Sunday, March 6.

BYU-Hawaii senior guard Marques Whippy (Bua, Fiji/Woods Cross, UT)continues to lead all NCAA Division II men’s basketball players in rebounding with a 12.4 per game average, while his 3.1 steals per contest ranks him second in the nation.

Junior teammate Jake Dastrup (Grant’s Pass, OR/Grant’s Pass) is ranked 15th in Division II in three-pointers made per game (3.1) and 14^th in three-point shooting (44.2% - 72 for 163), while BYU-Hawaii senior guard Heath Gameren (Brisbane, Australia) stands 20^th in assist/turnover ratio (2.40).

Chaminade junior center Mamadou Diarra (Bamako, Mali/Stoneridge Prep) is ranked eighth in the nation in blocked shots per game (2.9) and tied for 19th in rebounds per game (9.9). Senior teammate Shane Hanson (Canyon Lake, CA/Temescal Canyon) is ranked third in three-point shooting at 46.5% (60 for 129).

Grand Canyon junior guard Kyle Speed (Seattle, WA/Lake Washington) is ranked fourth in Division II in assist/turnover ratio (3.61).