The Northwest College men’s basketball team remains on the outside looking in at the latest top 20 listing released by the NJCAA. At 8-0, however, the team is quickly moving toward the front of the contenders’ line.

For the second consecutive week, the NJCAA men’s basketball poll reads more like a Who’s Who directory of teams playing the sport. Last week, in addition to the 20 ranked teams, an extra 29 schools received votes in the poll. This week, that list actually expanded with 31 schools beyond the top 20 receiving votes.

Northwest College is one of three schools to receive 24 votes this week, the most amassed by unranked teams. Chipola and the North Dakota State College of Science are the others.

Shelton State College currently sits at No. 20 in the national rankings with 29 votes.

The Trapper men travel to Sheridan for games tonight (Friday) and Saturday. The team will face the Rocky Mountain College JV team for the third time this season and will also face Little Big Horn College in a non-regional affair.

No Region IX teams are ranked among the top 20 this week on the men’s side. Several, however, appear alongside the Trappers in the list of schools receiving votes.

“There isn’t that one dominant team in our region this year,” said Trapper men’s basketball coach Andy Ward. “Overall, I think the region is up from where it was last year. There are a lot of very good teams in the area.”

in the women’s poll, Casper College rose two spots to No. 6 this week. The T-birds are the only Region IX women’s team mentioned in this week’s poll.

Head coach Janis Beal takes her Northwest College women’s team, 7-2, to Idaho for games against Southern Idaho and No. 18 Snow College. The Trapper women defeated Snow in a head-to-head battle two weeks ago as NWC surged to a huge first-half lead before fending off a second-half rally by Snow.

NJCAA men’s basketball

1. Monroe 6-0, 2. Coffeyville 8-0, 3. Northwest Florida 6-0, 4. Indian Hills-Ottumwa 8-0, 5. Palm Beach State 7-0, 6. South Plains 6-0, 7. Vincennes 9-0, 8. Eastern Oklahoma 7-0, 9. Midland 5-1, 10. Salt Lake 5-0, 11. Southern Idaho 6-1, 12. Howard 6-1, 13. Hutchinson 7-0, 14. Eastern Utah 8-0, 15. Lamar State-Port Arthur 8-0, 16. Barton 9-0, 17. San Jacinto-Central 7-1, 18. Seward County 6-0, 19. Connors State 7-1, 20. Shelton State 5-0.

Others: NORTHWEST, Arizona Western, Casper, Central Arizona, Chattahoochee Tech, Chattanooga State, Chipola, Coahoma, Colby, Cowley County, Delgado, East Mississippi, Eastern Arizona, Gordon, Gulf Coast State, Hagerstown, Holmes, Iowa Western, Jackson State, Kankakee, Kansas City-Kansas, Lawson State, Lee, McLennan, Missouri State-West Plains, North Dakota State College of Science, North Idaho, Northeast Mississippi, Odessa, Olney, Otero, Paris, Pensacola State, Sauk Valley, Sheridan, Three Rivers-Mo., Trinity Valley, Wabash Valley, Western Wyoming.

NJCAA women’s basketball

1. Trinity Valley 8-0, 2. Gulf Coast State 6-0, 3. Hutchinson 6-0, 4. Northwest Florida 6-0, 5. Midland 7-2, 6. Casper 7-0, 7. Central Arizona 6-1, 8. Walters State 6-0, 9. Independence 6-0, 10. Seward County 7-0, 11. Shelton State 5-0, 12. Pensacola 5-1, 13. Northern Oklahoma-Enid 5-1, 14. Jefferson 3-1, 15. Chipola 6-2, 16. State Fair 4-1, 17. Weatherford 6-0, 18. (tie) Snow 4-2 and Middle Georgia 3-2, 20. Copiah-Lincoln 3-1.

Others: Arizona Western, Arkansas Baptist, Murray State College, New Mexico Junior College, Paris, Salt Lake, Southwest Tennessee, Southwestern Illinois, Tallahassee.