The nationally third-ranked Ferris State University men's basketball squad is tabbed as the #1 team in the region this week in the initial NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Rankings, which were announced today (Feb. 15).

The Bulldogs, who own a three-game lead atop the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) standings and can clinch at least a share of the overall league crown with one more victory this year, are the highest-ranked school in the first regional listing.

Behind FSU in the top five overall is former league foe and current Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) leader Findlay at number two with Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) power and defending regional champion Bellarmine (Ky.) listed third. Another GLIAC school, Lake Superior State, is fourth with Southern Indiana from the GLVC fifth.

The bottom half of the regional listing includes Hillsdale (#6), Drury (#7), Malone (#8), Walsh (#9) and Indianapolis (#10).

The top eight teams at the end of the season will earn berths into the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional set for March 10-13 at a campus site to be determined. The winner of all three conference tournaments (GLIAC, GLVC, G-MAC) will earn an automatic bid with the number one team in the region likely to host the Midwest Regional Tournament in March.

Ferris State has made 12 previous NCAA Tournament appearances, including each of the past three seasons to date. The Bulldogs reached the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Championship Game and the Sweet Sixteen of the national tournament two years ago before making another regional semifinal appearance last campaign.

Along with the regional listing, Ferris State is also #3 this week in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) D2 Rankings. It marks the fourth-straight season in which FSU has been ranked in the top 25 at least once. FSU is also second in the D2SIDA National Rankings and leads the MLive Statewide Power Poll featuring the top small college programs in the state.

Presently, the Bulldogs own a 25-1 overall record to date this year and are 15-1 in the GLIAC. FSU holds a three-game lead over Lake Superior State in the standings with four games remaining in the regular season.

This week, Ferris State visits Michigan Tech on Thursday (Feb. 15) night for a 7:30 p.m. (ET) league game in Houghton before taking on Northern Michigan on Saturday (Feb. 17) beginning at 1 p.m. (ET) in Marquette.