Story by Wyatt Ebersole

The Butler Men jumped up to number 12 in the latest NJCAA poll after going 3-0 last week. The Grizzlies knocked off Division 2 KCK on Tuesday 80-73, and then travelled to Tonkawa, Oklahoma to play in the Tonkawa Classic where they dispatched of the Northern Oklahoma College Enid Jets 84-72 on Friday, and then followed that up with a dramatic 77-76 win over the tournament Northern Oklahoma College Tonkawa Mavericks on Saturday.

The Grizzlies are one of seven teams in the Jayhawk Conference to appear in the National Poll. Of the nationally ranked Jayhawk Conference teams, the Grizzlies are the third highest ranked team behind #4 Hutchinson and #8 Coffeyville. The other conference teams in the poll are Garden City at #22 and Seward County, Barton, Cowley who are all receiving votes. 

The Grizzlies are 6-0, their best start since the 2014-15 season when they finished 34-3 and made an appearance at the National Tournament. The Grizzlies have also appeared in the last three in-season national polls going back to last season. The Grizzlies 12th ranking is the highest they've been ranked since the week 2 poll last season where the Grizzlies jumped up to #6 after upsetting #2 Indian Hills on the road.

The Grizzlies return to the friendly confines of The Power Plant on Wednesday to begin Jayhawk Conference play against the Colby Trojans at 7:30pm and then will make the long drive to Liberal, Kansas, a place where the Grizzlies have not won since 2019-20 season where they will face their first big test of the season in the Seward Saints on Saturday at 4:00pm.