[ By STEVE CARPENTER ]

[ BLUE DRAGON SPORTS INFORMATION ]

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team opens a new season on Friday as a Top 10 nationally-ranked team.

The Blue Dragons will start the 2018-19 season at No. 9 in the NJCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Rankings, which were released on Monday by the NJCAA.

This is Hutchinson’s eighth consecutive preseason ranking and fifth-straight time in the Top 10. This is the seventh time in the Steve Eck era for the Blue Dragons to be ranked in the Top 10.

Hutchinson has now been ranked in 48 consecutive polls and have been ranked in all but one of the last 77 rankings released.

Perennial Florida power Northwest Florida State is the preseason No. 1 pick. South Plains is No. 2 and College of Southern Idaho is No. 3. Jayhawk Conference foe Coffeyville checks in at No. 4 and Eastern Florida State is No. 5.

No other Jayhawk Conference team is in the preseason rankings.

 

NJCAA PRESEASON DIVISION I MEN’S BASKETBALL RANKINGS

Record Points

1. Northwest Florida State 0-0 200

2. South Plains 0-0 192

3. Southern Idaho 0-0 184

4. Coffeyville 0-0 176

5. Eastern Florida State 0-0 168

6. Vincennes 0-0 160

7. Odessa 0-0 152

8. Salt Lake 0-0 144

9. Hutchinson 0-0 136

10. Florida SouthWestern State 0-0 128

11. Moberly Area 0-0 120

12. Indian Hills 0-0 112

13. Holmes 0-0 104

14. Western Nebraska 0-0 96

15. Trinity Valley 0-0 88

16. Missouri State-West Plains 0-0 80

17. Arizona Western 0-0 72

18. Daytona State 0-0 64

19. John A. Logan 0-0 56

20. Pearl River 0-0 48

21. Shelton State 0-0 40

22. Georgia Highlands 0-0 32

23. Connors State 0-0 24

24. Cape Fear 0-0 16

25. Ranger 0-0 8