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The Hampden-Sydney Tigers aren’t just undefeated on the season. They’re now No. 2 in the country for Division 3 NCAA basketball. 

It’s the highest national ranking for the Tigers, ranked eighth in the preseason poll, since 2003-04 when the program was ranked No. 1 during week seven. The Garnet & Grey earned 570 points in this week’s poll, including eight first-place votes. H-SC is undefeated at 4-0 on the season, including a 74-53 home win past defending NCAA Division III National Champion and preseason No. 1 Christopher Newport University on November 8 in S. Douglas Fleet Gymnasium at Kirby Field House.

The rest of the field 

So who’s No. 1? That would be the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. They’re 5-0 with 607 points and 13 first-place votes. They’re followed by Hampden-Sydney at No. 2, John Carroll (OH) University (4-0, 568) at No. 3, the University of Mount Union (OH) (5-0, 529) at No. 4, Calvin (MI) University (5-0, 522) at No. 5, Oswego State (NY) (4-0, 504) at No. 6, Keene State (NH) College (4-1, 425) at No. 7, New York University (5-1, 401) at No. 8, Case Western Reserve (OH) University (4-0, 384) at No. 9 and Christopher Newport (5-2, 360) at No. 10. Fellow Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) member Guilford (NC) College (4-0, 309) is ranked 11th and ODAC school Virginia Wesleyan University (6-0, 125) is ranked 21st among the Top 25, while Randolph-Macon College (2-2) is receiving votes (61) in the poll.

Hampden-Sydney Tigers claim crown

The Tigers have been on Thanksgiving break since Nov. 18, when they won the Wooster Rotary Classic in Ohio. Hampden-Sydney held off Rose-Hulman (IN) Institute of Technology 80-66 to win the championship.   

Hampden-Sydney senior Davidson Hubbard posted game-highs of 23 points and nine rebounds, while classmate and team captain Adam Brazil added 11 points and a game-high and career-high 10 assists en route to the win. To no one’s surprise, Hubbard was named the Classic’s Most Valuable Player, while senior team captain Josiah Hardy (Ashburn) earned the event’s Defensive MVP honors for the unbeaten Tigers (4-0), who led 44-39 at halftime and secured the outcome with a 24-9 run to begin the second half. Brazil was named to the All-Tournament Team. The Fightin’ Engineers (2-1) were led by Kobe Stoudemire with 15 points.

“Proud of these guys,” said fifth-year head coach Caleb Kimbrough. “This was a long road trip and we played two very good teams. I thought our commitment in the second half to defense and rebounding led to the win tonight. This team will keep growing, this is just the start.”

What’s next? 

The Tigers return to action this week in its first ODAC game of the season. They’ll play at home against Averett University on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m. in Fleet Gym.