Southwest Men's Basketball Team Enters NJCAA Poll at Number 21

For the first time since the pre-season, the Southwest men's basketball team enters the National Junior College Athletic Association Division 1 Poll this week at number 21.

The Saluqis, under first year Head Coach Jerry Nichols, are 17-2 on the season including 10-2 in the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association. They have won 14 of the last 15 games with only one loss since November 9. One of the top scoring teams in the NJCAA, Southwest ranks 11th nationally with an average of 96.1 points per game and also ranks fifth in three-point percentage (40.0), seventh in steals per game (11.5) and eighth in assists per game (20.1).

Eleven players average at least 10 minutes played per game and five have scoring averages of at least eight points per game. Sophomore Perrin Buford is the leader with an average of 14.1 points per game followed by sophomore DeVante Jones (13.9) and freshman Rasheed Brooks (13.3). Buford also leads the team in assists with a 3.5 per game average, while sophomore Andre Brown is the top rebounder with a 7.8 average.

The Southwest men's basketball team (Saluqis) will play conference road games this week at Jackson State on February 5 then at 11th-ranked Columbia State on February 9. Southwest defeated Columbia State 73-68 on January 9 at the Verties Sails Gymnasium in their only meeting of the season.

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Photo caption: Top 25 NJCAA Division 1 National Poll, February 04, 2014