Courtesy of CAU Sports Information
ATLANTA, Ga. – On Tuesday, January 26, the Panthers of Clark Atlanta University (CAU) broke into the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II Top-25 national rankings. It is the first time the Panthers have been ranked since the 1996-97 season (ranked 20th in the preseason polls and 16th on January 21, 1997).
CAU enters this week’s poll ranked 25th in the nation (tied with Georgia State & College). The ranking comes amidst a 13-game win-streak and a victory over Stillman College on Saturday, January 23 – the only team to beat the Panthers this year. Head Coach Darryl Jacobs stated that this team is completely different from the team that lost it’s first game of the season: “We have grown together, which has allowed each player to have individual growth. Each night, as we play, we strive to execute and play a great game. It has been a long time since CAU has dominated in basketball, but now we are on top and will do everything in our power to gain the title at the end of the road.”
The day the rankings were released, the Panthers traveled to Orangeburg, South Carolina and defeated the Panthers of Claflin University (CU) 61-58, increasing their win-streak to 14 games. Jacobs, remains focused on taking the season game-by-game: “Each win gives a team confidence, and though we learned a great deal from our first loss, we make it our mission to play as a team every game and remain humble. We have to play each game as if it’s the first, not be afraid of a challenge or rivalry and never doubt any team we face.