Thread: Vikings. Unbeatable.

Basketball
Unbeaten Lawrence Vikings Get National Recognition
Jan 25, 2006, 08:18 AM CST
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By John Gillespie

On an upset-filled Saturday, the stars were aligned for one remarkable statistic. Duke, Florida, and Pittsburgh all lost for the first time this season.

When that happened, the Lawrence University Vikings of Appleton became the only undefeated team left in all of men's college basketball.

That remarkable fact is garnering the Vikings national recognition on ESPN and in USA Today.

"I just laughed when I heard it. To have Lawrence mentioned with Duke, Pittsburgh, and Florida just doesn't make sense," said John Tharp, Lawrence's head coach.

It's not often you hear a Division 3 team's name breathed in the same sentence with Division 1 powerhouses. Especially a Division 3 school with 1,300 enrollees.

Thanks to the best start in school history, the Lawrence University men have achieved their highest ranking in school history. They're third in the country.

"I had a friend call me and tell me we were on ESPN," Vikings forward Chris Braier said. "It was pretty surreal to see Lawrence on SportsCenter."

The Vikings' 14-0 start is even better than 2003 when they went to the Division 3 Elite Eight. They've won their 14 games by an average of 15 points over their competition.

While the Vikings are enjoying the national recognition, they're looking to stay the only unbeaten team in college basketball.

"I'm proud of the way they practice every day," said Coach Tharp. "I feel pretty good about where we stand."

GO VIKINGS!!!