KINGSPORT, Tenn--For a second year in a row, the Southeastern University men's basketball team will participate in one of the most unique tournaments in college basketball.
Every year, during Thanksgiving weekend, college basketball tournaments take to new arenas in Maui, the Bahamas, Orlando, and now Kingsport.
"The Show" NAIA Division II Showcase enters its second season, featuring many ranked and receiving votes programs across the country.
Southeastern was 1-1 at The Show last year, and will have the opportunity to avenge last year's loss on Saturday. The Fire will again be matched up with West Virginia Tech in their first game of the weekend.
Currently unranked, WVUT enters the weekend with a 2-2 record, as does SEU. The Golden Bears have had no problem finding the bottom of the basket to start the season, averaging 103 points per game, and shooting 51.8% from the field. Both of those numbers rank in the top seven in NAIA Division II thus far.
Junior Ryan Atkins is the team's top scorer at just over 24 points per game, and lit up the Fire for 27 points and four assists off the bench in Kingsport last year.
The second opponent of the weekend is No. 23 Rochester, which is off to a 10-1 start and boasts the nation's top defense at 62.3 points per game. However, the Warriors have played just one NAIA team with a winning record, Grace, which resulted in their first loss of the season.
Southeastern will be looking to improve its resume with a pair of quality opponents ahead of the next NAIA Division II Coaches' Poll, released on Monday. The Fire are currently receiving votes, and have a 2-2 overall record.
To keep up with the action in eastern Tennessee,
live video is available through Rio Grande, and
live stats can be found on Dakstats.
