ARLINGTON, Texas -- As the UTA men's basketball team continues to have success on the court, the Mavericks have increased the program's overall profile with an increase of attention from various media outlets and rankings that focus on mid-major level college basketball.

The Mavericks rose to second in the country in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, behind Gonzaga, and are ranked sixth in the MidMajorMadness.com Power Rankings.

After losing three consecutive non-league road games early in the season, UTA dropped a bit in the eyes of some college basketball pundits. However, the team's victories at Texas and then No. 12 Saint Mary's refocused attention toward the preseason Sun Belt Conference favorites.

UTA head coach Scott Cross acknowledges the various polls and rankings might not win games, but is important for the program to continue to raise its profile as one of the elite mid-major teams in college basketball on an annual basis.

"I think it is huge for the program," said head coach Scott Cross. "Anytime you can show that our program is comparable to teams such as Gonzaga and Wichita State is a positive. It helps raise the profile of the program in recruiting and it should excite our fans and help continue to build our base of support.

"For the players, I think seeing that their hard work is acknowledged helps them become more confident every time they step out on the floor. The rankings validate that we do have a very good basketball team and that we are capable of being successful against anyone we play."

One of the reasons Cross' team enters every game with an expectation to come out victorious is because of the program's emphasis on toughness, defensive intensity and attention to detail. Those attributes have resulted in the Mavericks entering Thursday's game at Loyola Marymount ranked No. 1 in the nation in 3-point field goal defense.

UTA is limiting opponents to just .292 shooting from behind the 3-point arc and have held all but three to below 30 percent from long distance. Three of the Mavs' opponents have shot less than 20 percent from 3-point range, each of which has taken place in its home arena (Minnesota, Texas & Bradley).

"Our 3-point field goal percentage defense was one area that we weren't as good last year," said Cross. "Heading into this year, that was one of our points of emphasis. Limiting the number of 3-pointers your opponent attempts has a big effect on the outcome of a game. So, we've really worked on rotations to make sure we are getting to shooters.

"Our guys have definitely bought in to being solid defensively on the perimeter. Luckily, teams have shot a very low percentage against us. We need to continue to work hard defensively. I'm sure there will be some game where somebody gets hot, but we need to make it tough for them. When we watch film, we want to see open shots for our team and shots over an outstretched hand for the opponent.

UTA returns to action Thursday at Loyola Marymount, a team that has won 4-straight games and earned an impressive 69-66 road victory last night at Colorado State.

The Mavericks open Sun Belt Conference play on Saturday, Dec. 31 against league newcomer Coastal Carolina. Single game, group and specially-priced multi-game ticket packages are available online at UTATickets.com. Enter promo code "TV" to be entered to win a television. All youth ages 18 and under are admitted free of charge.

Click here for a complete list of this season's game promotions.

The 2017 Sun Belt Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships are scheduled for a week of March Madness in the Big Easy. New Orleans will once again be home to the two championships that will take place at Lakefront Arena from March 7-12 and ticket books can now be purchased from your school's ticket office. For more information, visit the Sun Belt Conference's championship central websites - Men's Championship - Women's Championship - and be sure to follow the #FunBelt on social media - @SunBelt.