UT Jumps Two Spots in NABC Poll
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The University of Tampa men's basketball team is now No. 20 in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) NCAA Division II poll, earning its third straight listing in the poll.
The Spartans started the season with 12 consecutive wins before falling to Rollins College on Saturday in its Sunshine State Conference opener. UT is now 12-1 on the year.
Tampa is one of two Sunshine State Conference schools in the top-25 with Florida Southern at No. 16. Rollins and Saint Leo are also receiving votes. Fellow NCAA South Region foe University of Alabama in Huntsville comes in at No. 3 with North Alabama receiving votes.
UT has shot into the national rankings following an impressive start. The duo of Da'Markco Foster and Anthony Griffis is turning in 18.8 and 15.1 points per game respectively as the Spartans are shooting .467 from the field and .387 from beyond the arc.
Head coach Richard Schmidt has his Spartans back in the national rankings for the first time since the 2010-11 season. This is also the earliest in the season that the Spartans have been listed in the top-25 since 2002.
As a team, Tampa ranks seventh in the nation in win-loss percentage (92.3), 34th in scoring margin (12.1), 18th in 3-point field goals per game (9.1), 43rd in 3-point field goal percentage (38.7) and 29th in rebound margin (7.4).
Foster is also listed among national leaders in points per game (47th, 18.8) and 3-point field goal percentage (46th, 40.7) while Griffis is 42nd in 3-point field goal percentage (42.0). Point guard Jon Riles is also 30th in assists per game at 5.4.
Tampa returns to action on Wednesday in an SSC road game at Eckerd at 7:30 p.m.
Live stats and a video webcast for all home games will be available through TampaSpartans.tv. Live stats for road games will be available through TampaSpartans.com.
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