Arkansas Tech University, which did not receive an at-large bid to the 2012 NCAA Division II Tournament for women’s basketball, is ranked 16th in this week’s USA Today/ESPN NCAA Division II top 25 poll.
A total of 64 women’s basketball teams received bids to the NCAA Division II Tournament either as automatic qualifiers from their respective conferences or as at-large selections.
Of the teams ranked in this week’s top 25 national poll, 24 were invited to participate in March Madness. The lone exception is Arkansas Tech.
The Golden Suns ended their season with an overall record of 22-4. They were regular season champions of the Great American Conference, but they dropped an 84-72 decision to Southeastern Oklahoma State in the first round of the GAC Tournament.
As a result, the NCAA put West Texas A&M (19-9) into the NCAA Division II Tournament South Central Regional as the final at-large selection and excluded Arkansas Tech from the competition.
Arkansas Tech has now been ranked in 44 consecutive USA Today/ESPN NCAA Division II women’s basketball top 25 polls (including preseason polls).
The Golden Suns entered the rankings at No. 24 on Dec. 8, 2009, and they have been included in every poll since — the final 13 polls of the 2009-10 season, all 16 of the 2010-11 polls and all 15 polls so far in 2011-12.
Arkansas Tech was 83-10 overall with two NCAA Division II Tournament South Regional championships over the past three seasons.
Click here to view the USA Today/ESPN NCAA Division II top 25 poll.
Click here to learn more about Golden Suns basketball.
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