SPEARFISH, S.D. – For the fifth consecutive week, the Black Hills State University men's basketball team makes a move upward in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Top-25 poll on Tuesday afternoon, checking in at No. 11 in the sixth regular season release and first of the new year. The No. 11 ranking comes as the Yellow Jackets earned a victory on the road at Northern State on January 1, defeating the Wolves 77-70 to snap an 11-game losing streak in the series, and post their first win over Northern since 1978 and first win in Aberdeen since 1968. The Green & Gold will now re-enter RMAC play with a mark of 11-1 (4-0 RMAC), having won nine consecutive games, the longest streak in the RMAC and tied for the second-longest amongst South Central Region squads.

The Yellow Jackets are among the top statistically in the nation in several different categories, including ranking third in NCAA Division II in effective field goal percentage (59.8%) and field goal percentage (52.0%), ninth in assist/turnover ratio (1.56), tenth in assists per game (18.8), 11^th in defensive rebounds per game (29.58), 21^st in scoring margin (+14.8), 26^th in 3-point percentage (38.6%), and 29^th in 3-point percentage defense (29.0%).

The Yellow Jackets continue to be the lone Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) team to be ranked or receiving votes, and are one of seven ranked or receiving votes in the South Central Region as Lone Star Conference foes Lubbock Christian is No. 6, St. Edward's is No. 17, Eastern New Mexico is No. 19, West Texas A&M is No. 20, St. Mary's is No. 23, and Dallas Baptist is receiving votes.

Black Hills State will play their first RMAC game of the 2026 calendar year on Thursday, January 8, as they visit Regis for a 5 p.m. tip-off in the Regis Field House in Denver.