West Liberty, W.Va. – The No. 8-ranked West Liberty University men's basketball team has earned a spot among the ten teams under consideration in the initial NCAA Atlantic Region rankings, released Wednesday.

The Hilltoppers are joined by California (Pa.), Concord, East Stroudsburg, Fairmont State, Fayetteville State, Gannon, Shepherd, Virginia State, and West Chester, listed in alphabetical order.

The Atlantic Region consists of teams from the Mountain East Conference (MEC), Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). Each conference's tournament champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, with five additional at-large teams selected to complete the regional bracket. The initial rankings include three teams from the MEC, five from the PSAC, and two from the CIAA.