12/20/05– FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JAGUARS RECEIVING VOTES IN AP POLL; RANKED 25TH IN COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID-MAJOR TOP 25
CONTACT: Kit Strief

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MOBILE, Ala. - The University of South Alabama men’s basketball is receiving votes for the first time this season in the AP poll this week. USA climbed to No. 25 in the latest Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll which was released on Tuesday. Last week's Mid-Major poll had the Jaguars with 12 receiving votes.

USA is receiving one vote in the AP poll and is the only Sun Belt Conference team to be in either the AP or ESPN/USA Today polls this week.

USA is off to a 7-1 start after defeating No. 25 Houston in the seventh annual Coors Classic on Saturday at the Mitchell Center, 66-62. The Jaguars have won six straight games for the first time since 2000-01. The 7-1 start is the best since the 1983-84 squad began 12-1 and finished 22-8 and a berth in the NIT.

Gonzaga leads the latest Mid-Major poll with all 31 first-place votes and 775 points. Northern Iowa is second with 712 votes, followed by Bucknell with 699, Old Dominion with 656 and Winthrop rounds out the top five with 613 votes.

Sun Belt Conference member Western Kentucky is 19th in the latest poll with 162 points and the Jaguars are 25th with 96 points. Denver and Middle Tennessee are among 34 teams that are receiving votes. Denver stands at 29th and is receiving 79 votes, while Middle Tennessee is 47th and receiving eight votes. USA's Dec. 30th foe, Western Michigan, is 47th and receiving eight votes.

The Jaguars look to keep their current six-game winning streak intact tonight as they host Louisiana-Monroe (4-6) at 7:05 p.m. in the Mitchell Center. The is the second meeting this season with ULM as the Jaguars defeated the Indians in come-from-behind fashion last Wednesday in Monroe, 81-71.