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Basketball Programs Among Top in the Country
Posted: Dec 15, 2023

Basketball Programs Among Top in the Country

CHARLOTTE, Nc. – Nearing the conclusion of the first half of the 2023-2024 basketball season, one Region 20 men's programs and two Region 20 women's programs are among the rankings while others have received votes in the national polls.

In the latest Division II Women's Basketball poll report, CCBC Essex, with a 7-4 record, moved up to the fourth spot, up from #5 the week before. The reigning national champions were the unanimous #1 in the preseason poll in October. True to form, CCBC Essex built a challenging non-Region schedule to open their season and prepare their team for a deep postseason run. After a 2-0 start, the Knights lost to Division II preseason #6 Harcum, who now sits at #13. A week later the Knights traveled to Texas for a daunting three game stretch against Division I opponents. CCBC Essex closed the month of November with a win in their first region contest over College of Southern Maryland to move their record to 3-4. After a short visit out of the top 10, the Knights have put together a five-game winning streak to climb right back into the top five where they belong. Things don't get easier before the semester break as they play at Division I Harford on December 15 and then host Harcum in a rematch on December 16 and #10 Union on December 17.

Staying in the top five, Prince George's Community College's (PGCC) Men's Basketball team has held the #4 ranking in the Division III poll for the last few weeks. The Owl's debuted at #8 in the preseason poll and have compiled an 8-1 record to become a mainstay at the number four spot. PGCC began their climb immediately, opening their season with a win against preseason #4 Northampton Community College. The Owl's were 14 points victors over Northampton, setting an immediate tone for their season. After two more wins to move to 3-0, their only blemish of the season came at the hands of a talented Division I Allegany College of Maryland team. Since that loss, PGCC has won five straight, including wins over non-Division opponents. The Owl's have impressed by closing out the tight contests and it hasn't gone unnoticed as Head Coach Terrell Harris was named HoopDirt.com JUCO National Coach of the Week on December 11. Additionally, sophomore Saveon Jackson earned Region 20 Player of the Month accolades for November for his contributions to the Owl's success. PGCC hosts Division II CCBC Catonsville on December 15 before hitting the road to play two Division III opponents in Massasoit and Hostos on December 17 and 18.

After a District Title and National Tournament appearance last season, PGCC's Women's Basketball program opened the season at #9 in the Division III preseason poll. The Owl's were tested in their first game, traveling to #12 Northampton. The Owl's were defeated in that game but put together a five-game winning streak to follow. After the loss they fell to #12 but have climbed up to #10 during the win streak. They have defeated two Division I teams, two Division II teams and have split against Division III teams, winning their Region 20 contest against Butler County Community College. The Owl's are averaging 74.9 points per game and allowing 64.3. Freshman Jai'Den Anderson was named Region 20 Player of the Month in November, sweeping the award for PGCC. The Owl's lost their most recent non-Division contest to Division II #4 CCBC Essex and host CCBC Catonsville on December 15. They will face two more division opponents before the break when they travel to play Massasoit on December 17 and #13 Hostos on December 18.

Howard Community College is the highest featured Division II men's basketball program; while CCBC Catonsville, Cecil, and Chesapeake have also earned votes this season. After appearing on the preseason poll at #12, Howard opened the season against Monroe Community College and Sullivan Community College. Monroe, unranked at the time, is now #16 in the polls, while Sullivan, #7 at the time, is now #17. Howard defeated Monroe and lost a close overtime game to Sullivan, dropping them from the polls. Other than a Division I loss to Allegany, the Dragons had won nine of their last 10 games leading up to the latest poll. Despite being unable to crack the top 20 again, Howard has received votes in every poll this season and beaten previously ranked Niagara and receiving votes Raritan Valley. They've compiled quite the resume while playing all their games on the road due to facility upgrades on their campus. They did lose their most recent contest to Hagerstown, a non-Division game. Howard plays back-to-back on December 15 and 16 against Division II Delaware Tech and Beaver County to close their first half.

After appearing in the national tournament last year, Chesapeake College earned recognition from the committee in the preseason poll, along with Cecil College. Chesapeake is currently 2-0 against regional opponents, including a win over CCBC Dundalk. CCBC Catonsville started the season 6-0 and won 8 of their first 10 to impress the Division II committee. After earning votes in the national poll, the Cardinals hit a four-game patch of challenging contests, including #16 Monroe and previously ranked Niagara. They would lose all four games by an average of just 8.5 points, including an overtime loss on Niagara's home floor. One of those losses was to Division I Baltimore City, and the other to CCBC Dundalk, showcasing the talent in Region 20 this season. Cecil will have the opportunity to avenge an early November loss to Monroe on December 15 and then host #17 Sullivan on December 16.