Every other week at NCAA.com, the DII men's basketball Power 10 rankings provide a view of the landscape of the upper echelon of the sport. It gives insight to the true contenders to make a push in the tournament and which teams may figure out how to dethrone Nova Southeastern from its current perch.

But what about teams outside of that top 10? What about teams that aren't in the DII men's basketball championship on an annual basis, but thanks to fast starts, are looking like they may be this March? 

The 2026 portion of the schedule is set to open, and with it, the heart of conference play. This is where teams tend to separate themselves; where the conference powerhouses show their might and why they make the tournament year in and year out. But can there be some surprises in the mix?

CAL STATE EAST BAY
The Pioneers are another team off to an undefeated 2025 start, sitting at 10-0 entering the second half of play. Considering they were an 11-17 team a year ago, this is certainly a surprising start. Cal State East Bay has not made the DII men's basketball championship since 1988, and under current coach Bryan Rooney, the Pioneers were 70-70 prior to this season since he took over in 2017. Now, the Pioneers have reached No. 12 in the NABC rankings, the highest mark in program history. 

Thus far, the Pioneers have played one of the easiest schedules in DII men's basketball, a strength of schedule ranked 264 out of 298. They are 4-0 in the CCAA and did go into the holiday break with an impressive win over 2025 national runners-up Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Pioneers don't score a ton of points, but they do have the CCAA's best defense, allowing a mere 62.4 points per game. The CCAA has been the winner of the West Region four years in a row (Chico State in 2022, Cal State San Bernardino in 2022-23 and the Toros last year), and it has been a nice blend of new, surprising faces. While the Pioneers have a tough road ahead (their future opposition has a .536 winning percentage), anything can happen in the Wild West.