ROLLA, Mo. – The Ouachita men's basketball team continues to climb up the rankings, receiving nine votes in Tuesday's National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II Top 25 Poll. The Tigers hold a 12-2 overall record and remain perfect through eight Great American Conference games, marking the best start in the program's NCAA era. 

Senior guard Devon Hancock has been the offensive catalyst for the Tigers, leading the team averaging 17 points through 14 games, which ranks third in the GAC. Ouachita's pace and space style has been effective in transition. The Tigers rank 20th nationally in Division II averaging 17.5 points per game off the fast break, routinely capitalizing on turnovers and defensive stops to create scoring opportunities in less than five seconds before opponents can get set.

Ouachita allows just 58.8 points per game, which is the lowest scoring average in Division II. Opponents have struggled to find any rhythm from beyond the perimeter, shooting just 25.8% from 3-point range, also the best mark in America. 

Junior forward Christian Parks has become a cornerstone of Ouachita's defensive identity. Parks leads the GAC with 38 blocks, which ranks seventh among all Division II players. The Meridian, Missippi native earned his second GAC Defensive Player of the Week honor after helping the Tigers secure an eighth consecutive victory during a road swing in Oklahoma. The Tigers pose an imposing front court and rank 11th nationally averaging 5.0 blocks per contest. 

With national attention turning to Arkadelphia, Ouachita returns home for a pivotal conference stretch at Bill Vining Arena. The Tigers intend to 'Release the Roar' as they host Oklahoma Baptist on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Ouachita faces No. 14 Southern Nazarene on Saturday at 3 p.m. for its tenth GAC matchup that could have significant conference and national implications.