by US Fed News

The NCAA released its first Division II West Region polls for the 2008-09 basketball season this afternoon, and both Cal State Dominguez Hills basketball teams find themselves ranked in the top 5. The CCAA-leading men's team sits second behind BYU-Hawai'i, while the women currently stand in the 5th spot, behind Alaska Anchorage, Seattle Pacific, UC San Diego and Humboldt State. Reigning CCAA Player of the Week Jerrell Smith leads the Toros, who are set to battle 2nd-place CS San Bernardino this Friday. Smith, who earned the CCAA Co-Newcomer of the Year last year with teammate Rodney Yearby, was tabbed the POW after leading the Toros to a sweep of Humboldt State and Sonoma State, keeping the Toros atop the CCAA standings.

This marks the second-consecutive year CSUDH has been ranked in the NCAA's top 10, topping out at No. 6 last season. Neka Mixon, who also claimed CCAA Player of the Week last week to give the Toros a conference sweep, has led the women's team to five wins in their last six games, the only blemish coming against the Lumberjacks last Friday. This entry into the NCAA's West Region poll marks the first time since March 2007 the women's squad has been tabbed a west region contender. MEN: 1. BYU-Hawaii 11-1 7-0 2. Cal St. Dom. Hills 13-2 13-2 3. Seattle Pacific 10-4 8-3 4. Western Washington 6-3 5-3 5. Central Washington 8-4 7-4 6. UC San Diego 9-4 9-4 7. Humboldt State 10-6 9-5 8. Dixie St. 7-5 7-5 9. Cal Poly Pomona 6-5 6-5 10. Chaminade 8-3 6-2 WOMEN: 1. Alas. Anchorage 14-1 9-0 2. Seattle Pacific 12-1 11-1 3. UC San Diego 16-2 14-1 4. Humboldt St. 11-6 11-5 5. Cal St. Dom. Hills 9-5 9-5 6. California Poly Pomona 11-8 11-6 7. Mont. St. - Billings 11-6 9-6 8. Northwest Nazarene 8-6 8-6 9. Western Wash. 8-5 6-5 10. Grand Canyon 11-6 10-5 The poll will be released on a weekly basis up until March 4, with the NCAA Division II Committee considering overall and in-region records against NCAA Division II programs in selecting the eight teams per region that qualify for the NCAA postseason on March 8, also known as "Selection Sunday."For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com

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