BOSTON, Mass. – For the 48th straight week, the High Point University men's basketball team has been ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll which matches the Big South record for the most consecutive weeks.
 
"On December 26, 2023, High Point University men's basketball entered the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 — the longest-standing mid-major poll in the country, voted on by some of the most respected coaches in college basketball," Head Coach Flynn Clayman stated. "We have now maintained a presence in that ranking for 48 consecutive polls, a record for the Big South Conference."
 
"This remarkable streak of consistency and daily competitiveness is truly special. In 2023, I never could have imagined a run of sustained success that would stretch into 2026. This achievement is a powerful testament to the hard work, sacrifice, and dedication of our players, coaches, administrators, fans, and supporters over the past several years. Together, we have built High Point Men's Basketball into a winning, globally respected program and brand. Here's to even more success in 2026!"
 
The Panthers first entered the poll during the 2023-24 season on December 26, 2023. During this stretch, the Panthers have been rated as high as No. 5 twice (Feb. 5, 2024 and Nov. 10, 2025) and recorded a 71-16 record.
 
Since December 26, 2023, only one Big South school has been ranked in the poll (Winthrop on January 26, 2026). Prior to this week's rankings, Longwood was the last school in the league to be ranked on December 18, 2023.
 
High Point was rated No. 8 in this year's preseason Collegeinsider.com poll, marking the Big South's fifth appearance in the preseason ranking in the last six seasons (2020-21 - Winthrop at No. 9; 2022-23 - Longwood at No. 25; 2023-24 - UNC Asheville at No. 17; 2024-25 - High Point at No. 9).
 
Previously, High Point had only ranked in the CollegeInsider Mid-Major Top 25 on four other occasions, all during the 2014-15 season, the same season John Brown III became HPU's first finalist for the CollegeInsider.com Lou Henson Award.
 
HPU matched Winthrop's record which was 48 consecutive polls that crossed over four seasons from 2004-05 (starting Jan. 31, 2005) to 2007-08 (ending with Nov. 26, 2007 ranking).
 
High Point is 18-4 overall and 6-1 in league play after picking up a road win over Radford on Friday night. Currently the Panthers are nationally ranked in multiple stat categories including 3rd in points per game (behind Miami (OH) and Georgia), 3rd in points differential (behind only St. Louis and Michigan), 10th in field goals percentage, and 4th in steals per game.
 
The Panthers also boast a 123.0 raw offensive rating on Kenpom, ranking Top 10 nationally and surpassing last season's program and Big South Conference record breaking offensive rating of 120.9. High Point is the only team from the 2024-25 season currently in the Top 10 for the 2025-26 season. This is the third season in a row in the Top 10 nationally.
 
The Panthers have taken a tremendous leap defensively, going from a 105.6 raw defensive rating, sitting at 163rd in the country, to currently a 101.8 rating during the 2025-26 season which is good for 60th in the country.
 
This season High Point broke the program record for largest margin of victory over a division I opponent three times, defeating Canisius, Bryant, and Gardner Webb. The win over Gardner-Webb was also a Big South Conference record. In non-conference, Coach Clayman set the Big South Conference and program records for the most non-conference wins by a first-year head coach with 12.
 
High Point hosts Presbyterian on Thursday, January 29 for a late-night game at 9:00 p.m. for the Big South's first ESPNU Wildcard Game.