ATLANTA, Ga – Out of 14 institutions, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) has three teams represented in this week’s Men’s Basketball Division II Media Regional Poll, sponsored by D2SIDA.
Clark Atlanta, Claflin, and Morehouse have all been powerhouses this season and are scheduled to face each other soon as conference play continues. The rankings, released January 10, ranked three SIAC teams, among those in the South Region rankings are: Clark Atlanta (14-1) is ranked ninth, Claflin (16-1) is ranked seventh, while Morehouse (13-0) is ranked third.
Morehouse College – #3 in South Region
In the latest ranking by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the 13-0 Maroon Tigers have risen to #20, up from #25 last week.
The D2SIDA poll has Morehouse at #18, in its national Top 25 poll, and at #3, in the South Region poll, conducted by sports information directors. Last week, Morehouse was at #8 in the D2SIDA regional poll and was unranked in the national poll.
The Maroon Tigers travel to Fort Valley, GA, Saturday, at 3 p.m., to play the Fort Valley State Wildcats.
Claflin University – #7 in South Region
Claflin Panthers, 16-1 and 9-0 in conference play is ranked #7 in the D2SIDA Men’s South Region rankings. The Claflin University Panthers pushed their season winning streak to 15 games, rolling past Tuskegee University 73-51 which pushes their conference record to a perfect 9-0 record.
Claflin will host Paine College in a SIAC East Division contest at home, Saturday, Jan. 13. The contest gets underway following the women’s contest at approximately 3:30 p.m.
Clark Atlanta University – #9 in South Region
Clark Atlanta Panthers, 14-1 and 8-0 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, are ranked ninth in the latest D2SIDA men’s South Region rankings. The Panthers are fresh off a week in which they won their eighth and ninth consecutive games, 81-54 over Lane College on Jan. 4, and 76-71 over LeMoyne-Owen College on Jan. 6.
The Panthers are back in action on Jan. 13 when they visit Albany State at 4 p.m., and then at Fort Valley State at 8 p.m. on Jan. 15.
Not only have these teams dominated the conference, according to NCAA National Rankings, Claflin University is ranked #3 in field-goal percentage (defense) at 37.4 percent while Morehouse is tied for #1 in Win-Loss percentage with their perfect 13-0 record.