BLUE DRAGONS ARE PRESEASON NO. 1 IN NJCAA RANKINGS
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
Last season, the Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team captured its first-ever NJCAA national championship.
Starting its 51st season next week, the Blue Dragons start a season ranked No. 1 for the second time in program history.
The NJCAA released its 2024-25 preseason basketball rankings on Monday and the Blue Dragons received all 12 first-place votes to sit atop the national rankings to open the new season, which begins on November 1 at NOC-Tonkawa.
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The Blue Dragons were preseason No. 1 before the 2017-18 season. The previous high in an NJCAA National ranking was No. 2 in the 2014-15 preseason poll. The Dragons were No. 3 in the 2013-14 preseason rankings.
This is the fourth time Blue Dragons women's basketball has been ranked No. 1 in the national rankings. Dating back to last season, the Dragons have been ranked No. 1 for five-consecutive polls.
The first time the Blue Dragons were ranked No. 1 was in the 2012-13 season and spent five weeks at No. 1. Then in the 2014-15 season, the Blue Dragons were ranked No. 1 for six weeks.
Last season, the Blue Dragons were unranked to open the season and subsequently went 37-0 to capture the national championship with an 88-80 overtime victory over Northwest Florida State on April 1 in the NJCAA Tournament championship game in Casper, Wyoming.
Starting his 18th season on the Hutchinson bench, head coach John Ontjes has four players returning from last year's national championship team.
All-conference, All-Region 6 and NJCAA All-Tournament performer Hailey Jackson is the lone full-time starter back for the new season. Also returning is guard Kahlen Norris, guard Jada Pleasant and forward Madi Denison are back this season.
The NJCAA preseason Top 5 has Hutchinson, Northwest Florida State, Wabash Valley, Eastern Arizona and Three Rivers.
Dodge City is the only other KJCCC team in the preseason rankings at No. 14.
The Blue Dragons will have one home scrimmage, which will be at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday against Tabor College at the Sports Arena.