Ten Days In, A Look at How JHS Preseason Top 25 Have Fared
Just a week and a half into the 2021-22 Men’s Juco basketball season and plenty of upsets already in the books. Some noise coming from some unusual suspects, at least one’s we haven’t heard a lot out of in recent years. And some perennial powers consistently on the leader board, stumbling with some early bogies.
For instance, in Region V, Odessa College and South Plains College have waved banners on a regular basis over the last five seasons. OC has participated in Hutch four of those years, absent in 2020. While South Plains made it in all five. Ranger made runs to the final four in 2019 and 2021, but both of those years the aforementioned Region reps were also in attendance.
Clarendon College, in 2020 (the covid cancelled year), was the only time the region had a team with a name other than Odessa, South Plains, or Ranger make the 24 team field in Hutch.
Jump to the middle of week two this season, Odessa currently stands at 2-2. The Wranglers didn’t lose their second game last year until the semifinals of the WJCAC post season tournament. The same for South Plains. The Texans lost in the national quarterfinals last season, they too didn’t record their second loss until the Conference Tournament semis. Right now, the three time champs are 1-1, both games played on a neutral court.
Meanwhile, Ranger has fared the best, with a record of 3-1. The lone loss coming from region rival Howard College, who has raced to a 5-0 start. You starting to get the picture? But it’s a long season and many things can change and usually do.
Here are the early season results for all teams listed in the Juco Hoop Scoop preseason top 25:
#1 Salt Lake CC (3-0) – wins at home over Northeastern JC (CO), 100-77, and a 149-70 blowout of Jump Start Academy; and a road win 79-71 over conference foe Utah State – Eastern. Next up: home games Friday and Saturday vs. Eastern Wyoming CC and Laramie County CC. Laramie (3-1) also beat Northeastern JC and the loss was this week at home to the hands of College of Southern Idaho, by seven.
#2 Chipola College (3-0) – all double digit home wins over #4 DII Davidson-Davie by 25, Marion Military by 40, and Southwest Tenn CC by 16. Next up: in the Florida Shootout at Eastern Florida Friday and Saturday vs. #14 Eastern Florida (2-0) and Sante Fe (3-0), who’s fresh off a home upset win over #8 Florida SouthWestern, 83-81.
#3 Indian Hills CC (1-1) – opened the season at home beating Tyler JC, 78-46, but losing to #13 Butler CC, 77-68, only the 8th home loss in Coach Hank Plona’s six previous years at IHCC. Next up: games at Southeastern CC (IA) vs. #15 Moberly Area CC and Missouri State-West Plains in the Iowa/Missouri Challenge Friday and Saturday.
#4 John A. Logan College (2-0) – played in the Three Rivers Classic in Poplar Bluff, MO, beat #23 Mineral Area College 80-65 and Three Rivers College 76-66. Next up: Play in the Vincennes McDonald’s Classic on Friday and Saturday against #24 Northeast Mississippi CC (3-0) and East MS CC (2-1).
#5 South Plains College (1-1) – on neutral court at Central Oklahoma Univ. beat Northern Oklahmoa – Enid 68-65 and lost to Murray State College OK (5-1) 81-76, who’s only loss was to Odessa.
#6 Kilgore College (4-0) – two home wins over Texas Gladiators and DII U of Ark. Cassatot, and two wins in the Central Oklahoma Univ. Classic over Missouri State – West Plains (1-3), 81-64 (with losses to Coffeyville, Kilgore, and Odessa) and Northern Oklahoma – Enid (1-3), 76-53. Next up: Friday and Saturday in NOC-Tonkawa vs. Cowley College (3-1) and DII Allen County KS (3-1) with their lone loss to Cowley by 5.
#7 Coffeyville CC (3-2) – home wins over DII Ft. Scott, 87-60, and at Missouri State-West Plains, 70-67, then another home win over #11 NEO in the Community State Bank Classic, 86-70, before suffering back to back losses to Eastern Oklahoma State (3-1) in their classic 109-103, and the rematch at NEO, 81-73. Next up: home against DII #15 Southern Arkansas Univ. Tech on Friday.
#8 Florida SouthWestern State College (2-1) – blasted Victory Rock Prep, 146-51, lost to Sante Fe (3-0) 83-81 in Gainesville, then rebounded with a 99-68 home win over St. Petersburg. Next up: in the Florida Juco Shootout at Eastern Florida State on Friday/Saturday vs. Tallahassee CC and Florida State-Jacksonville
#9 Shelton State CC (3-0) – three straight home wins over Motlow State, 86-77, Gordon State (GA), 66-44, and East Georgia State, 80-65. Next up: home vs. South Georgia Tech tonight (Thursday).
#10 College of Southern Idaho (3-1) – double digit wins at home over Colorado Northwestern and Central Wyoming CC, before losing at home to Lee College TX (4-0) 78-75, then a road victory in WY over Laramie County (3-1), 84-77. Next up: At Casper College Friday.
#11 Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (4-1) – big home wins over a couple of JV squads, then split in Coffeyville Classic, losing to host 86-70 and beating Independence CC 94-83, then a home win over Coffeyville Tuesday past 81-73. Next up: two games in Ft. Scott Classic with Bethel JV and SW Christian JV Friday and Saturday.
#12 Odessa College (2-2) – back to back losses in Hutchinson Classic to host 92-90 and Barton CC 92-85 OT, then back to back wins over Murray State College, 82-69, and Missouri State-West Plains 71-56 in Mitchell Elite 8 Classic at UCO, Edmond OK. Next up: the East/West Challenge at Collin CC in Plano, TX today (Thursday), Friday, and Saturday vs. Jacksonville (2-0), Navarro (2-1), and Angelina (2-2).
#13 Butler CC (4-0) – two JV wins sandwiched around victories over Marshalltown (68-64) and #3 Indian Hills 77-68, in IHCC Classic. Next up: a home match against McPherson College on Saturday.
#14 Eastern Florida State College (2-0) – beat Central Point 95-71 at home and on the road at ASA Miami 78-28. Next up: hosting the Florida Juco Shootout Friday and Saturday with match-ups against #2 Chipola College (3-0) and State College of Florida.
#15 Moberly Area CC (3-0) – big margin wins in 3 home games over William Penn JV, 119-54, Link Year Prep (MO), 95-65, and DII #11 John Wood CC (IL), 115-68. Next up: games Friday and Saturday vs. Southeastern CC (IA) and #3 Indian Hills CC in the Iowa/Missouri Challenge held at Southeastern CC.
#16 Georgia Highlands College (1-0) – opening day victory over Chattahoochee Valley 81-71 at home, haven’t played since. Next up: tonight (Thursday) vs. New Rock Prep.
#17 Pearl River CC (2-0) – wins over William Carey JV, 100-32, and Baton Rouge CC, 74-59 at home. Next up: tonight (Thursday) at Baton Rouge.
#18 Connors State College (5-0) – three home wins out of the gate over SW Christian Univ, 87-62, Central Baptist College, 109-45, and Mid America Christian Univ, 98-36, then 2 consecutive road wins at Paris JC, 71-65 and Independence CC, 82-64. Next up: yesterday (Wed.) vs. Oklahoma Wesleyan JV (outcome unknown) and Saturday vs. Paris JC (TX).
#19 Harcum College (4-0) – opened at home with win over DII CCBC-Catonsville, 130-82 and then took the road to Vincennes Classic to beat Shawnee CC 87-74 and Vincennes 87-61, and then won at Lincoln Trail, 79-60.
#20 South Georgia State College (3-0) – wins over Thomas Univ JV, 87-60, and Reinhardt Univ JV, 131-34 and a win at Denmark Tech 63-45. Next up: tonight (Thursday) at Edward Waters Univ JV.
#21 Triton College (2-0) – beat Lake County, 95-55 at home and Wilbur Wright on the road 95-57. Next up: they are included in the Iowa/Missouri Challenge at Southeastern CC (IA) Friday and Saturday where they will play Three Rivers College and Missouri State-West Plains.
#22 Northwest Florida State College (2-0) – two victories at home over Coastal Alabama North 92-53, and USC-Salkehatchie, 100-81. Next up: Polk State and Indian River State at St. Petersburg in Florida Juco Shootout Friday and Saturday.
#23 Mineral Area College (2-2) – beat Lake Land in home opener 91-62, then took to the road for neutral court at Three Rivers Classic, losing to #4 John A. Logan, 80-65 and beating Link Year Prep 97-60, followed by a road loss to Southwestern Illinois College, 63-60. Next up: Wednesday, Nov. 17 hosting #4 John A. Logan.
#24 Northeast Mississippi CC (3-0) – home wins over Bevill State, 105-54 and DII ASU-Mid-South, 91-76 on each end of a road victory at Itawamba CC (MS) 90-85 in OT. Next up: vs. #4 John A. Logan and Vincennes in Vincennes McDonald’s Classic Friday and Saturday.
#25 Dawson CC (3-1) – home win over Rocky Mountain College JV, 110-59, back to back neutral court wins over DII United Tribes Tech, 84-76 and Williston State, 81-78 in New Town, ND, before losing to North Dakota SCS, 72-69, all three games in the preseason Mon-Dak conference tournament. Next up: tonight (Thursday) at Dakota College – Bottineau.
Look for the Juco Hoop Scoop Power Rankings to make its first appear in early December.
