The McLennan Highlanders' basketball team is ranked 23rd in the NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Preseason Poll released today.
Defending national champion Hutchinson (Kansas) is first, followed by Northwest Florida State in second. South Plains (Texas), a Region V opponent of the Highlanders, is third, followed by Vincennes (Indiana) in fourth and Eastern Florida State rounding out the top five.
Odessa (seventh), also from Region V, along with Panola (12th) and San Jacinto (16th) from Region XIV are the only other Texas colleges in the poll.
The Highlanders boasted an 11-1 conference record last season to claim a second consecutive North Texas Athletic Conference Championship and finished the season with an overall record of 29-2. McLennan opens the 2017-18 season at home against Lone Star College-Tomball Nov. 2 at 6:30 p.m.
The first regular-season poll will be released Dec. 6.
