JUCO basketball: IHCC releases 2023-24 schedule
Sep. 8—OTTUMWA — Perhaps one of the toughest junior college basketball campaigns ever assembled, head coach Josh Sash the Indian Hills Men's Basketball team has announced its 2023-24 schedule.
"We are excited about the upcoming season," Sash stated. "We've put together a national schedule that will challenge us with matchups against some of the best programs in junior college. The goal is to be playing our best basketball in March and this schedule will certainly prepare us to do that."
This year's slate features 30 contests, including 19 at the historic Hellyer Center. The Warriors will also play host to three multi-team classics throughout the first half of the season. In total, the Warriors will take on nine teams that played at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Men's Basketball National Championship last year and 10 teams that finished the season in the national rankings. Indian Hills will take on six opponents that have combined to win 17 NJCAA DI National Championships.
"We look forward to the support of Warrior Nation back in the Hellyer Center, continuing to create the best atmosphere in junior college basketball," Sash added.
This year's season opener is set to tip off on the road at McCook Community College in Nebraska on Nov. 7, the third consecutive year the two programs have squared off.
The Warriors' season opener is set for Nov. 10 as part of the annual Iowa-Missouri Challenge, a two-day, eight-game event. Indian Hills opens up against Missouri State University — West Plains at the Hellyer Center at 7 p.m. on Nov. 10, followed by a date with Moberly Area Community College (MO) on Nov. 11. Moberly Area is coming off a trip to the national tournament and a top-five national rankings.
A year removed from a thrilling matchup between the top two teams in the nation at the time, Indian Hills will return a trip to Northwest Florida State College in Niceville on Nov. 14. The Raiders, three-time national champions, are coming off a runner-up finish at last year's national championship.
As part of the Warriors early season road swing, Indian Hills will follow-up the game at Northwest Florida State with a trip to Coastal Alabama-North on Nov. 15 in Monroeville, Alabama. The Eagles are coming off a major turnaround season that saw the program win 23 games, more than the team won in each of the previous two seasons combined.
The Warriors will round out its November road trip with a matchup at perennial power Vincennes University (IN) in Vincennes. The Trailblazers have won four national championships and most recently reached the national tournament last season, reaching the quarterfinal round.
Indian Hills closes out the month of November at home with a pair of non-conference matchups. The Warriors will host Kansas City Kansas Community College, led by former Warrior assistant Brandon Burgette and Warrior alum Frank Williams on Nov. 21. Indian Hills will also host Northern Oklahoma Junior College — Tonkawa on Nov. 28.
The gauntlet of high-caliber programs intensifies to kick off December with the RJ Performance/Bowling RV Classic at the Hellyer Center. The Warriors will take on three-time national champions South Plains College (TX) on Dec. 1 before squaring off with the defending national champions John A. Logan College (IL) on Dec. 2.
The following weekend features the annual Reed Overhead Doors Classic featuring Indian Hills, Vincennes, Sauk Valley Community College (IL) and College of Southern Idaho. Indian Hills and Vincennes will match up on Dec. 8 followed by the Warriors and Southern Idaho, three-time national champions, on Dec. 9.
The Warriors close out the first half of the season at home against Seward County Community College (KS) on Dec. 14 and Cloud County Community College (KS) on Dec. 30.
The new year kicks off at home against Highland Community College (IL) on January before heading to Sauk Valley on Jan. 9.
The Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) schedule opens up on Jan. 13 at Marshalltown Community College. Following a non-conference date at the Hellyer Center vs. North Central Missouri College on Jan. 17, the Warriors head to long-time conference foe Southeastern Community College in West Burlington on Jan. 20.
As part of the ICCAC slate, the Warriors will host Marshalltown on Feb. 3 and entertain Southeastern at the Hellyer Center on Feb. 24.
The second half of the season also features a home-and-home series with national power Triton College (IL) and trips to Kankakee Community College, Missouri State-West Plains, Moberly Area, and Highland. Indian Hills will also host Carl Sandburg College (IL), Sauk Valley, and McCook in the closing weeks of the regular season. The regular season finale is set for Mar. 2 at home vs. Triton.
The NJCAA Region 11 Tournament is set to open Mar. 6 with the championship game slated for Mar. 9. The NJCAA North Central District Championship is slated for Mar. 16 with the Iowa champion to serve as host. The NJCAA National Championship gets underway Mar. 24 in Hutchinson, KS.
