CHARLOTTE, N.C.- The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers will open the 2023-2024 Men's Basketball season ranked #8 in the country as announced by the NJCAA on Monday. 

The Bucs were 20-9 a season ago, fighting back to finish as the runners-up in the Southern Conference to reach the postseason where they fell in a tough first round matchup to #7 Tallahassee at the FCSAA State Tournament in Niceville. The Bucs return three key pieces to the mix including Oregon commit Dezdrick Lindsay who put up 10.7 points per game while shooting 50% from the field a season ago as a freshman.  Also back for the Purple and Aqua is AJ Hopkins who started 26 games as a rookie last season and Jaehshon Thomas who looks poised for a breakout year. 

The preseason poll was led at the top by Northwest Florida who garnered all 14 first place votes and was followed by South Plains, Odessa, last year's National Champion John A Logan, and Salt Lake in the top five.  FSW was one of four FCSAA squads ranked as Chipola checked in at #11 and Daytona State at #22. 

The Bucs have five games against ranked opponents on their 2023-2024 schedule.  Their first will be November 17^th at home in Suncoast Arena when they take on #5 Salt Lake in a rematch of a shootout last season in Utah. The next one the Bucs have circled on their schedule is December 2^nd at the Florida Juco Shootout when they match up with #1 Northwest Florida State in Melbourne. Their next time out will be another top 25 opponent as they square off at home against #25 Monroe.  In Citrus Conference play, the Bucs have a home and home scheduled with #22 Daytona State with the first matchup being on the East Coast on February 3^rd before the two tangle in Fort Myers to wrap up the regular season on March 4^th.

The Bucs kick off their 2023-2024 campaign next Wednesday at home when they host Mont Academy in a 7 PM tip off from Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers.

NJCAA DIVISION I MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON TOP 25 RANKINGS