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Of the more than 1,000 schools sponsored by the NCAA, Arkansas Tech is the only institution with undefeated teams in both men’s and women’s basketball. Now, both the Wonder Boys and Golden Suns have national championship aspirations.

Only once has a Division II school won national championships in both men’s and women’s basketball. In 1984 Central Missouri State (now Central Missouri) saw both teams win national titles, as the Mules edged St. Augustine’s 81-77 and the Jennies topped Virginia Union 80-73.

The Wonder Boys’ unprecedented rise to national prominence can be traced back to the hiring of coach Mark Downey. In this, his fourth year at the helm, Downey has taken the program from a much-maligned also-ran to a legitimate national contender.

An 82-71 victory over Harding in Searcy on Saturday coupled with Augusta State’s loss to Valdosta State launched the Wonder Boys to their first number one ranking in the program’s history.

The Wonder Boys have compiled a record of 39-9 since the start of the 2008-09 season. The Golden Suns have enjoyed considerably more success in recent years than their Wonder Boys counterparts. The women’s basketball program reached its peak in the early ‘90s, winning back-to-back national championships. In 1999, the Golden Suns reached the championship game, dropping a 80-63 decision to North Dakota as the Fighting Sioux won their third straight national championship.

Since making the leap to Division II, the Golden Suns have made eight NCAA tournament appearances, the last coming in 2008. The Golden Suns seem poised to make a ninth this season, racing out to a programbest 16-0 start under third-year coach Dave Wilbers.

Despite their spotless record, the Golden Suns will play underdog on Saturday as No. 2 Delta State comes to Tucker Coliseum for a pivotal GSC West showdown. The Lady Statesmen (14-0, 3-0) are seeking an unprecedented fifth straight GSC crown.

The Wonder Boys also have an important task ahead of them as they square off against the Statesmen. Delta State was picked to finish ahead of Tech in the preseason. The Statesmen (12-3, 3-0) have won seven straight since dropping a 102-93 decision to Valdosta State on Dec. 15.

Both teams put their undefeated records on the line tonight as they travel to Arkadelphia to take on Ouachita Baptist.