The Chipola men's basketball team will host teams from three different states this weekend for the annual Milton Johnson Classic. Two games on both Friday and Saturday will be played on Robert Trammell Court in the Milton H. Johnson Center with the Indians playing the second game each day.

Tipping off the action on Friday will be the Bears of Southwest Mississippi Community College, coached by Bryan Bender, and the Southwest Tennessee Community College Saluqis, coached by Jarrett Stephens.

The Bears are 2-0 on the young season with an overtime road win over a future Chipola opponent, Baton Rouge Community College, and a 109-52 victory over Faith Prep.

The Saluqis are also undefeated in 2021-2022 as they claimed a 71-65 win at Holmes Community College on opening night. The Saluqis were the TCCAA/NJCAA Region VII a year ago and lost to the eventual National Champion, Coffeyville Community College, in the opening round at the NJCAA Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas.

The Indians will take on Marion Military Institute from Marion, Alabama in Friday's nightcap. The MMI Tigers are coached by Timothy Rodgers and will be playing their first two games of 2021-2022 this weekend.

Coach Donnie Tyndall's squad is coming off a 94-69 opening night over Davidson-Davie Community College. The Indians will take on Southwest Tennessee at 3 PM on Saturday, in a game that features two teams that advanced to the NJCAA Tournament a season ago. That game will proceed a 1 PM matchup between MMI and Southwest Mississippi.

About Coach Milton Johnson

Milton Johnson was the coach of Chipola for 32 seasons and is a member of the FCSAA (1990), University of West Alabama (1992), and NJCAA (1993) Hall of Fames.

His Chipola teams won 628 games and seven state championships from 1961 to 1993. He was named Division Coach of the Year nine times, Region VIII Coach of the Year six times, and FCCAA Coach of the Year four times. Johnson also coached six seasons at Campbellton High School where he won three Class C State Championships.

The gym where the Indians play their home games is named the Milton H. Johnson Center in his honor.

Milton Johnson Classic Schedule

Friday, November 5

• 5:00 PM Southwest Misssissippi vs. Southwest Tennessee (Live Stream)
• 7:00 PM Chipola vs. Marion Military Institute (Live Stream)

Saturday, November 6

• 1:00 PM Southwest Mississippi vs. Marion Military Institute (Live Stream)
• 3:00 PM Chipola vs. Southwest Tennessee (Live Stream)