Buffs basketball climbs to no. 20

Milligan College, Tenn. (Jan. 11, 2008) --- This week the Milligan College men's basketball team climbed to 20th in the third regular season National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Men's Basketball Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll.

The Buffs are coming off a winning holiday run with two non-conference wins and a conference victory against the Lions of Bryan College. The Buffs (13-2, 4-1) have dominated all but one of their conference encounters.

Leading the charge up the national rankings is junior Jeff Barnes (Franklin, Tenn.) who recently surpassed the 1,000 point milestone. Complimenting Barnes' points total is local standout Derrick Nave (Elizabethton, Tenn.) and Derrick Nave (Morrow, Ohio). Both made significant contributions to the recent close conference win.

"The team has really come together over the holiday period," commented Head Coach Tony Wallingford. "Rankings are always good for confidence but the Championship is our main goal."