After a phenomenal year that saw Southern Polytechnic State University's Runnin' Hornets reach the NAIA national championship tournament for the second straight year, the SPSU basketball squad enters the 2001-2002 season ranked number #14 in the nation in the preseason NAIA poll. SPSU kicks off its regular season on the road November 9 at the Urbana University Tip-Off Classic in Urbana, Ohio.

Last season, the SPSU Runnin' Hornets (24-11) won the Georgia Alabama Carolina Conference (GACC) tournament championship and advanced to the round of 16 at the NAIA national tournament. SPSU head coach Helfer is optimistic about the 2001-2002 team. "We have a lot of returning players who have experience at the national level. If we stay focused, we can use that experience to our advantage," said Helfer, the 1999-2000 GACC coach of the year.

Now in his fifth season, Helfer is returning four starters and eight of his top 10 players. Among those are seniors Duwand Jackson, Duriel Coleman, Antonio Graham, D'Juan Neal and Mike Benson. Helfer admits that the preseason ranking is nice but that the team will have to work just as hard as it did last season to accomplish its goals.

"The pre-season ranking is a reflection of what we accomplished last year. It doesn't reflect anything from this season because we have not played yet," he said.

In the schedule this year are several divisional games, tournaments and match-ups with teams from last year's NAIA national tournament. The Runnin' Hornets play defending national champs Faulkner University twice this season, after taking two of three from them last year. SPSU will also take on Cobb County neighbor Life University November 28.