SEARCY, Ark. – The Harding men's basketball team is officially in the "home stretch" of its quest for a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, appearing at No. 9 in the final NCAA Central Region rankings released Wednesday.
The rankings are the final public update before the NCAA Division II Selection Show on Sunday. The Bisons (19-7 vs. DII, 19-7 in-region) are looking to repeat the magic of last season, when they secured an automatic bid to the field of 64 by winning the 2025 Great American Conference (GAC) Tournament.
Harding enters the postseason as one of four GAC programs represented in the regional top 10. Oklahoma Baptist leads the conference contingent at No. 2, followed by Ouachita Baptist at No. 6, Harding at No. 9, and Southern Nazarene at No. 10. Washburn (26-1) remains the top-ranked team in the Central Region.
The Bisons' path back to the big dance leads them to Fort Smith, Arkansas, for this weekend's GAC Tournament. As the defending champions, Harding will likely need a deep run—or another tournament title—to climb into the top eight of the region and secure a postseason berth.
The Central Region tournament field consists of eight teams: the champions of the GAC, MIAA, and NSIC, followed by the five highest-ranked at-large programs.
The final field of 64 will be announced Sunday at 10 p.m. CT on NCAA.com.
NCAA CENTRAL REGION RANKINGS (MARCH 4, 2026)
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Washburn (26-1)
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Oklahoma Baptist (26-2)
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Central Missouri (22-8)
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St. Cloud State (23-5)
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Missouri Western (19-10)
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Ouachita Baptist (19-6)
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Rogers State (17-9)
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Arkansas-Fort Smith (17-8)
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Harding (19-7)
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Southern Nazarene (21-7)
