Earlier this week the National Christian College Athletic Association released their first top ten ranking of the year for division II men’s and women’s basketball. After returning a majority of their roster from a top ten team a year ago and one that narrowly missed an at-large bid to the national tournament, the Barclay College men’s basketball team once again found themselves receiving national recognition.

The Bears along with three other teams in the Southwest Region were among the top ten. Last years national champion, Randall University (Moore, Okla.), was ranked #2, Manhattan Christian College (Manhattan, Kans.) was ranked #3, and Arlington Baptist College (Arlington, Texas) was ranked #4, while the Bears were ranked #10.

“We feel honored to get this recognition, but we also know that it really doesn’t matter where you start the season,” said head coach Royce Bryan. “It’s a long season and we have a long way to go.”

In the very near future, the Bears will face all three of the ranked region teams, plus Dallas Christian College (Dallas, Texas) in the same 7 day span following Thanksgiving break. It will surely be a measuring stick for the Bears as they embark on a new season.