KANSAS CITY, Mo.  – The University of Arkansas at Monticello men’s basketball team has entered the top 10 at No. 8 in the latest NABC Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll.

UAM (9-0) first entered the poll at No. 23 after a 6-0 start, followed by a 10 spot leap to No. 13 after defeating West Florida and Montevallo to move to 8-0. This past week, the Weevils played only one game, but kept its perfect record intact with a 76-74 win over Lemoyne-Owen College on the road.

“It’s really special to be ranked this far up,” said head coach Mike Newell. “Our players are taking interest in it now. I had a couple of them call and want to know where we were ranked, which tells me they are wanting to improve. We have to continue to get better and stay healthy, so we can focus on our goal of winning championships.”

UAM leads a cast of three Gulf South Conference teams to earn a spot on the poll. Ouachita Baptist is quickly climbing in the poll, moving to No. 16, followed by Valdosta State at No. 20 and Harding at No. 24. North Alabama dropped out of the poll after a No. 15 slate last week, but still received eight votes.

Leading the way individually for UAM is senior Raymond Wright (New York, N.Y.), averaging just over 19 points per contest. So far, Wright has scored in the double-digits in each of the eight games he has played. He has also racked up two double-doubles, giving him 14 for his career.

The Weevils have a break for the holidays before their next game, a December 29 contest against Texas A&M-Commerce, followed by a December 30 match up with St. Edwards on its home court.