AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Augusta State received its fourth national ranking of the preseason recently when the Jaguars were picked No. 6 in the nation by the Basketball Times.

The Jaguars, who opened their 2007-08 schedule with a 65-63 exhibition victory over College of Charleston on Thursday, Nov. 1, are the only Peach Belt Conference team to appear in the rankings. The Jags were also tabbed No. 6 in the nation by both Sporting News (formerly Street and Smith’s) and the NABC/Coaches Poll and were picked No. 9 in the country by the Division II Bulletin.

Senior forward Tyrekus “AJ” Bowman, the Peach Belt Conference Player-of-the-Year and an NABC All-American as a junior, was named to the Top 25 All-America list, his second preseason All-American selection.

Two of ASU’s regular-season opponents -- Virginia Union and Montevallo -- are ranked among the top 20, while Wingate, the squad that knocked the Jaguars out of last season’s NCAA Tournament in the South Atlantic Regional semifinals, comes in at No. 16 in the poll.

South Dakota State, in its last season in Division II before moving to Division I, is the top-ranked team in the nation followed by last year’s national runnerup Winona State. The Warriors, who won the 2005-06 national championship, suffered their only loss last season in the NCAA Tournament championship game at the buzzer to Barton.

Grand Valley State, which beat Michigan State in an exhibition Friday night on the Spartans’ home floor in East Lansing, Mich., is ranked No. 3 while Northwest Missouri State and Metropolitan State round out the top five.

Augusta State heads up the second five followed by West Virginia State, Christian Brothers (Tenn.), Alaska Anchorage and Bentley (Mass.)

Top 10 Team Capsules

1. South Dakota (23-7): Potentially, this could be a script from Hollywood. South Dakota winning the national championship in its last NCAA II season, prior to heading to the D1 level. Coach Boots would like nothing more after the Coyotes’ first-round loss in the NCAA tourney last year. He returns 12 of his 14 players, led by pre-season All-Americas 6-6 Dylan Grimsley (16.1 points, 6.5 rebounds per game) and 6-6 Eric Hall (15.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg). Other muscle in this powerful lineup are 6-6 Jesse Becker (13.0 ppg, 4.4 apg), 6-5 Dustin Little (10.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg), 6-11 Steve Smith (10.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and 6-7 Tyler Cain (6.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg). A typical Boots defense is expected again, holding foes under 70 ppg and 41 per cent field shooting.

2. Winona State(Minn.) (35-1): The Warriors look to make it to the national championship game for a third straight season, and wash away the disappointing finale of last year. Their NCAA II record of 56 straight wins, including defending their 2006 national title, fell short when Barton scored 10 points in the last 45 seconds of the championship game to win it all. Winona returns two of the finest players in D2: 6-8 John Smith (16.8 ppg, 9.8 rpg) and 6-4 Jonte Flowers (14.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg), along with starter 6-5 Quincy Henderson (8.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg). It won’t be easy for Coach Mike Leaf’s club to get out of its tough, tough region which includes number-one ranked South Dakota and number-five Metropolitan State, among others, to make it back to the title bout.

3. Grand Valley State (Mich.) (29-5): This Elite Eight team returns four starters and continues to win in a workmanlike manner. Headlining the team are All-Americas 6-10 Callistus Eziukwu (12.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg) and 6-2 Jason Jamerson (13.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg), along with returning starters 6-1 L.J. Kilgore and 6-4 Pete Trammell. GVS also expects instant help from transfer 6-5 Nick Freer, a former starter at D1 Eastern Michigan. Coach Ric Wesley’s club would like to change the outcome of last year’s final game, losing at the buzzer against eventual champ Barton.

4. Northwest Missouri State (24-7): Eleven of 13 lettermen return this year, led by All-America, 6-8 junior Hunter Henry who averaged 17.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Other double-figure scoring comes from 5-10 Lance Sullivan and 6-4 Andy Peterson. Coach Steve Tappmeyer expects a Big D, as his Bearcats held opponents under 60 ppg last year, and a paltry 40 per cent field shooting. Improvement on the boards and successfully replacing the point guard from last year are keys to a championship season.

5. Metropolitan State (Colo.) (28-4): We thought Metro State would exit the elite D2 schools when brilliant Coach Mike Dunlap left last summer for the assistant’s job at the NBA’s Denver Nuggets. It looked like an impossible challenge for new, interim head coach, Brannon Hays. Well, not to worry. The “interim” title is gone after the Roadrunners sprinted to 28 wins and their 10th straight trip into the NCAA tournament. The same is expected this year, thanks to three returning starters: 5-11 Marquise Carrington (12.6 ppg, 4.7 apg), 6-8 Jesse Wagstaff (11.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and 5-10 defensive ace Terrell Burgess. Fresh, new Australian recruits continue this tradition at Metro State.

6. AUGUSTA STATE (24-7): Head coach Dip Metress returns nine of his top 10 scorers from last year and is likely to be even better than his club which reached the NCAA regional tourney semifinals. All-America standout 6-5 Tyrekus “AJ” Bowman averaged 20.5 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. All-leaguers 6-11 Garret Siler (13.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and 6-4 Ben Madgen (15.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg) are major assets, as are defensive ace 5-9 Steve Smith and play-maker 5-9 Daniel Dixon. Several other veterans and talented recruits offer huge promise this winter.

7. West Virginia State (26-7): Ted Scott is a scoring machine, and Coach Bryan Poore loves a guy who can score 27-ppg in this solid lineup which reached the NCAA tournament last year, only to lose to eventual champ Barton. Re-joining the 6-2 Scott in the starting lineup are 6-8 Wade Pidock (11.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg), 6-6 James Helton (8.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and assists ace 6-0 Jason Slay. Transfers should help make this team even better this year.

8. Christian Brothers (Tenn.) (21-7): Never heard of this school? Well, Coach Mike Nienaber is changing that. His Buccaneers won 21 games last year, and they do it with a fierce defense which allows just over 61 ppg. All five starters return, led by 6-6 All-America Kevin Weybright (20.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg), 6-8 Nick Kohs (12.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg) and 6-0 Reggie Peyton (11.0 ppg). The other returning starters are 6-2 Justin Ray and 6-1 Kyle Couvion.

9. Alaska Anchorage (19-9): Coach Rusty Osborne loves winters in Alaska, especially when he returns two dynamic veterans and a handful of transfers. The starters back are 6-6 Carl Arts (15.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg) and 6-0 Luke Cooper (8.2 apg). Talented newcomers include 6-2 Chris Bryant from D1 Drake and 6-9 Jeremiah Traueman of San Diego Christian.

10. Bentley (Mass.) (32-1): Coach Jay Lawson is certainly one of the finest coaches in NCAA II basketball, and he does it his own way. He doesn’t look for flashy statistics and big scorers…just gutsy players who thrive on team play and brutal defense. The club’s unbeaten season ended at 32 wins last year with an Elite Eight loss to Winona State. Four starters return: 6-6 Nate Fritsch (12.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg), 6-3 Lew Finnegan (12.2 ppg), 5-11 Yusuf Abdul-Ali (9.9 ppg) and 6-2 Jason Westrol (7.3 ppg). As we look at those statistics, we wonder how this team can be a national challenger again. Well, Lawson will figure a way.