Williamsburg, KY – A dominant 6-0 start to the season has earned the University of the Cumberlands men's basketball team a major jump in the national rankings, climbing eight spots to No. 12 in the latest NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll, released Monday afternoon. The Patriots are averaging 90.3 points per game while holding opponents to just 74.0.
 
Cumberlands has been consistent on both ends of the floor through the opening stretch, shooting 48.3 percent from the field and nearly 40 percent from three, while outrebounding teams by over five per game. The Patriots have topped the 90-point mark in four of their six contests and have won each game by an average margin of 16.3 points.
 
Leading the way is senior guard Kyle Duke, who has been one of the most efficient scorers in the NAIA. Duke is averaging 22.2 points per game while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor, 52 percent from three, and 86.5 percent from the foul line. The senior has scored 133 total points, the eighth most in the country this year. Brant Smithers has been lethal from long range, knocking down 45 percent of his threes to average 12.3 points per game. He ranks sixth in the NAIA with 19 made threes this season. Andrew McConnell continues to set the tone at the point with 11.3 points and a team-best 18 assists, while Javecckio Thomas (10.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and Brady Bell (9.5 ppg) round out a balanced lineup.
 
Abraham Ibezimakor has made an early impact, averaging 7.7 points and 8.3 rebounds over his first three games. Malachi Robinson (3.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and Anthony Harris (4.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg) have provided a defensive presence inside, while Tanner Walton has dished out 16 assists with an impressive 72.7 shooting percentage from the floor.
 
The Patriots rank among the top offenses in the Mid-South Conference, averaging nearly 12 made threes per game while assisting on 14.3 field goals per contest. Defensively, UC is forcing 11.5 turnovers per game, collecting seven steals per outing, and blocking over four shots a game.
 
Three teams from the Mid-South Conference remain in the first poll of the regular season with Freed-Hardeman remaining fifth overall, while Georgetown dropped from third to 17^th. Cumberlands jump the most of all teams in the MSC, moving up eight spots to 12^th.
 
Cumberlands will look to keep its momentum rolling as it heads into the Campbellsville Classic this weekend, facing Brescia University (Ky.) on Friday at 5 PM before taking on Truett McConnell (Ga.) on Saturday at 2 PM inside Powell Athletic Center.
 
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