Ottumwa -- Even though they weren’t placed in the number-one spot like they were in an earlier preseason poll, the Indian Hills Warriors still garnered a top-ten national ranking in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s preseason Top 20.
The Warriors will enter the 2011-12 season ranked ninth in the NJCAA poll. They were 14th in last year’s preseason poll and finished the season with a 23-10 record. Indian Hills has been in the preseason national ratings nine of the past 11 years.
The Sporting News had Indian Hills No. 1 in its preseason poll released last month.
College of Southern Idaho, the defending national champion, is ranked first in this year’s ratings. Monroe College from New York is second and Midland College from Texas is third.
Two teams the Warriors will play in the regular season are sandwiched around Indian Hills. Howard (TX) College is eighth and Three Rivers (MO) is 10th. They are the only ranked Division I teams on the IHCC schedule. Kirkwood CC, whom the Warriors play twice, is fourth in Division II.
Fans can get an early look at the Indian Hills basketball team at a special “Meet the Warriors” event on Tuesday, October 25, at the Hellyer Student Life Center. The evening’s activities will start at 7:00.
The players will be introduced and then participate in a 3-point shoot-out and dunk contest. The Warriors will also play an intrasquad scrimmage.
The IHCC cheer squad will perform and the basketball team members will be available for autographs at the conclusion of the event.
There will be free admission for the evening. The Warriors open the regular season in the Jack Blackwell Tire Company Classic Nov. 4-5.