CHARLOTTE, N.C.- After two successful weekends of scrimmages, the expectations are lofty for the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers this season as the NJCAA National Office announced that the Bucs will open the 2021-2022 season as the #3 ranked team in the land in a release Monday afternoon.
The Bucs went 18-5 a season ago, coming up just short of their fourth consecutive conference championship after making the move to the Southern Conference last year. They advanced to the FCSAA State Tournament for the fifth straight year, winning a game before falling to National Tournament participant Indian River by three in the semifinals.
The Bucs feature one of the more veteran rosters in all of junior college basketball this season with 12 players with collegiate playing experience on it. They return six players from last year's squad, led by 1st Team All-Conference performer Jonathan Dos Anjos who averaged 10 points and 6 rebounds per game while shooting 58% from the field. FSW will also look to the experience of three Division I transfers and a 2021 NJCAA All-American transfer in Justin Archer to help carry the load.
Salt Lake was a unanimous #1 in the poll followed by Indian Hills at #2, FSW #3 and South Plains and Mineral Area at #4 and #5. The Bucs were one of four FCSAA teams in the top 15, the most of any region in the country, as they were joined by Northwest Florida at #11, Chipola at #13, and Eastern Florida at #14.
The Bucs open up their regular season schedule at home on November 1st when they host Victory Rock Prep in a 7 PM tip from Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Fans will get a chance to see them before that though with a Tip Off event on Wednesday, October 20th at 7 PM and a regulation scrimmage at Suncoast Arena on October 26th at 7 PM. Both events are non-ticketed events and will be free to the public.