NO. 2 INDIAN HILLS TO HOST NO. 1 NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDNESDAY
Ottumwa, IA – It’s official – Indian Hills Men’s Basketball and Northwest Florida State College will square off as the top two nationally ranked opponents Wednesday night at the Hellyer Center. After the official release of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Men’s Basketball Poll was announced Monday, the Warriors check in at No. 2 while the Raiders, the defending national champions, are ranked No. 1.
The premiere junior college basketball matchup of the year will feature the two historic basketball programs at one of the top junior college venues in the Hellyer Center. Indian Hills and Northwest Florida State will meet at 7:00 PM – all action can be seen live on GoHillsTV.
The No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup will be the second game between the top two ranked teams in the nation to be played at the Hellyer Center. The Warriors, ranked No. 1 in 2008, hosted No. 2 nationally ranked Chipola College on Monday, November 3 of that year. Indian Hills fell in a narrow 62-61 matchup that night.
The Warriors check into this week’s ranking at No. 2 after starting the preseason at No. 3 in the national poll. Despite a 3-0 start, the Warriors slipped to No. 5 in the national poll before rattling off three more victories last week, including a win at No. 12 John A. Logan on Wednesday night.
Northwest Florida State will enter Wednesday’s matchup after maintaining its spot at No. 1 in this week’s national poll. The Raiders, last year’s NJCAA DI Men’s Basketball National Champion, earned the preseason No. 1 spot and have opened the year with a 6-0 record.
Northwest Florida State earned 10 first-place votes in the poll while the Warriors received for first-place votes. The Raiders received 346 total points in the poll voting compared to the Warriors’ 338 points.
The two teams are also ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the latest JUCO Advocate NJCAA DI Men’s Basketball Media Poll.
The two teams have met four previous times with each occurring since the 2013 season. Northwest Florida knocked off the Warriors 86-72 in Ottumwa on December 1, 2018 before taking a 65-64 win over Indian Hills in Niceville, FL on November 22, 2019. The Raiders earned a 65-64 win over Indian Hills at last year’s national tournament on their way to the title. Indian Hills secured one victory over the Raiders, an 89-88 victory on November 30, 2013 in Niceville, FL.
