The Eagles follow fourth-ranked Bellarmine University in the first poll that includes five teams from the Great Lakes Valley Conference in the region’s top 10 teams. Following USI and Bellarmine from the GLVC are Quincy University (sixth), Truman State University (seventh), and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (eighth).
The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference was represented by 21st-ranked Ferris State University (third), 22nd-ranked University of Findlay (fifth), Lake Superior State University (ninth), and Wayne State University (10th), while ninth-ranked Kentucky Wesleyan College (fourth) was the lone representative from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
The upcoming NCAA II Midwest Region Tournament, which is set for March 11-14, is comprised of eight teams, with the GLVC, GLIAC and GMAC Tournament winners receiving automatic bids and at-large bids going to teams from the top eight of the regional rankings. The regional is routinely hosted by the top seed in the regional.
USI is back in action tomorrow night when it visits Bellarmine for the 2016-17 regular season finale in Louisville, Kentucky. The game will be broadcast live on NCAA.com.
Following Thursday night’s game, the Eagles advance to the GLVC Tournament, March 2-5, at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. USI has clinched the third seed in the tournament, earning a first-round bye.
| MIDWEST | |||
| Rank | School | Overall DII Record | In-Region Record |
| 1 | Bellarmine | 22-3 | 22-3 |
| 2 | Southern Indiana | 23-2 | 21-2 |
| 3 | Ferris State | 23-4 | 23-4 |
| 4 | Kentucky Wesleyan | 24-2 | 23-2 |
| 5 | Findlay | 19-5 | 19-5 |
| 6 | Quincy | 19-5 | 19-5 |
| 7 | Truman | 17-7 | 16-7 |
| 8 | Wisconsin-Parkside | 16-6 | 16-6 |
| 9 | Lake Superior State | 14-9 | 14-9 |
| 10 | Wayne State (Michigan) | 15-9 | 15-9 |
