INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The (Receiving Votes) Central Missouri Mules are ranked third out of 10 teams listed in the latest NCAA-II Men's Basketball Central Regional Rankings released on Wednesday, March 4, by the NCAA.
The Mules are one of five MIAA men's basketball programs to be featured on the list alongside Washburn (No. 1), Missouri Western (No. 5), Rogers State (No. 7), and Arkansas-Fort Smith (No. 8).
The Central Region comprises teams from the MIAA, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), and the Great American Conference (GAC).
Following the completion of conference postseason tournament play, the top eight teams in the final Central Regional Rankings released during the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament Selection Show at 10:00 p.m. CT on NCAA.com on Sunday, March 8, will earn a berth in the 64-team NCAA Division II National Tournament.
The two-seeded Mules begin the 2026 MIAA Men's Basketball Championships in the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 5, with tip-off slated for 8:15 p.m. inside historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City, Mo., as they'll await the winner of the Missouri Southern vs Northwest Missouri opening round matchup.
NCAA-II Central Regional Rankings
| Rank |
School |
Overall D-II Record |
In-Region DII Record |
| 1 |
Washburn |
26-1 |
22-1 |
| 2 |
Oklahoma Baptist |
26-2 |
26-2 |
| 3 |
Central Missouri |
22-8 |
19-6 |
| 4 |
St. Cloud State |
23-5 |
23-5 |
| 5 |
Missouri Western |
19-10 |
19-9 |
| 6 |
Ouachita Baptist |
19-6 |
19-6 |
| 7 |
Rogers State |
17-9 |
17-9 |
| 8 |
Arkansas-Fort Smith |
17-8 |
17-8 |
| 9 |
Harding |
19-7 |
19-7 |
| 10 |
Southern Nazarene |
21-7 |
21-7 |
