After an 18-0 start to the season, the Chipola men's basketball team will start the new year on top of the NJCAA. In the first D1 Men's Basketball Rankings of 2023 released on Monday, the Indians are ranked number one.
On December 17, the previous number one team, Salt Lake Community College, lost to the number four team, College of Southern Idaho, 84-81. Also on that day, the #2 Indians defeated Enterprise State, 97-34.
Due to the Christmas holidays, the NJCAA did not publish its weekly rankings for two weeks, causing the Indians to wait until the new year to ascend to the top of the poll.
Chipola also had to win two games in the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitor's Bureau at Gulf Coast State College during the holidays. On Friday, December 30, the Indians came from behind to defeat State College of Friday, 81-74, then followed the next day with a 117-39 win over North Florida Prep.
Coach Donnie Tyndall's squad will face a tough test in their first game as the top-ranked team. On Saturday, January 7, the Indians will host the defending National Champions, Northwest Florida, in both team's first Panhandle Conference game of the season. The Raiders are 14-4 on the season and are tied for 25th in the NJCAA Rankings with Florida SouthWestern.
Tip-off for Saturday's game at The Milt will be at 7:30 PM, following the women's game against the Raiders.
Notes
- The Indians have not been ranked first in the NJCAA Poll since Greg Heiar's 2006-2007 team was at the top of the poll for ten straight weeks.
- The 18-0 start for the Indians is its best since the 2012-13 team started the season with the same record.
- Chipola's next opponent, Northwest Florida, started the season as the number one team after winning the 2021-2022 National Championship.
- After losing to the Raiders in the first contest between the two teams last season, Chipola got the best of Northwest Florida in the next three meetings, including a semifinal win in the FCSAA Tournament.
- Chipola has already defeated two teams in the top 25. On December 4, the Indians defeated the current 12th ranked team, Monroe College, 72-62. One week later, Chipola defeated Florida SouthWestern (T25) in the FCSAA Shootout, 70-69.
- Along with the Indians and the Raiders, another Panhandle Conference team is among the Top 25 of the NJCAA Rankings. Tallahassee Community College comes in at 6th with a 16-1 record.