The Sandhills Community College Flyers basketball team takes a No. 1 national ranking into Saturday’s season opener against Germanna CC (Va.) in the Louisburg College Coke Classic.

The two-day event calls for another game on Sunday against Southside Virginia CC. The starting time for both contests is 4 p.m.

Second-year coach Mike Apple’s squad won the NJCAA Division III National Championship held at Sullivan County Community College (N.Y.) last March. Returnees T.J. Jones, Raheem Washington, T.J. Gill and Chris Vinson join a promising group of first-year players that will begin the long journey that last season ended with 11 wins in a row and a 30-6 record.

Following the Flyers in the first Division III poll are two other teams from the national tournament in No. 2 SUNY-Delhi and No. 3 Cedar Valley CC (Texas). The Flyers defeated Cedar Valley 101-86 in the title game.

The Flyers play at Rockingham CC next Wednesday before opening at home against Shooting 4 Greatness Academy of Raleigh on Saturday. The starting time on Military Appreciation Day is 2 p.m.