TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (November 22, 2017) – The goal of the NJCAA preseason is to make progress, and if progress is the goal, the Salt Lake Community College Bruins are achieving that goal in spades.
 
The Bruins are 8-0, thanks to a 2-0 record last weekend in the SLCC-hosted Bruin Classic. Salt Lake earned wins over both Lee College and South Mountain Junior College, posting a series of offensive outbursts in the win.
 
Salt Lake's 99-62 win over Lee proved to be a great sign of progress for the Bruins, as they shot 59 percent from the floor to down the Runnin' Rebels. SLCC also shot 53.2 percent against South Mountain.
 
Bruins coach Todd Phillips said the offensive progress of the team has been a bright spot as the preseason has progressed.
 
"We are playing really well right now at 8-0 and are excited to see what this team can become," he said. "We have played well but have a lot of room for improvement. We are learning that if we want to score points it starts on the defensive end."
 
The Bruins host the SLCC Thanksgiving Classic this weekend, a composite tournament featuring both the SLCC men and women that will showcase some of the NJCAA's traditional programs. The Bruin men will face off against Northeastern Junior College Friday and the Utah All-Stars Saturday. 
 
Northeastern Junior College is 5-1 on the season, after falling 78-69 to Sheridan College in their last game. The Plainsmen play in Region 9 and are located in Sterling, Colorado. The Bruins will also host the Utah All-Stars, a team comprised of top prospects from around the Beehive State.
 
"(Northeastern) brings in a really solid team who will compete for the Region 9 title," Phillips said. "It's going to be a great test for us. We have to guard their perimeter shooters and run them off the three-point line. (I) expect a high energy game with both teams getting up and down the court."
 
Salt Lake will play Northeastern Junior at 7:00 p.m. Friday, and will host the Utah All-Stars at 7:00 p.m. Saturday. Tickets will be available at slccbruins.com. The game will stream at live.ksl.com and live stats will be available at slccbruins.com.
 
Phillips said he's excited about the direction the Bruins are going.
 
"When our guys get after it, we can really create havoc defensively," he said. "Our defense creates our offense and leads to early transition where we are really explosive in the open court. The fans saw a glimpse of that last week."