"I didn't even know North Arkansas College was a thing," North Arkansas Community College sophomore point guard Jakob Neidig says.
As one of only three community colleges in all of Arkansas, you might be forgiven for not knowing the juggernaught that plays in Harrison.
"We have a chance to win our 17th game," head coach Steve Hunter tells his team as they prepare for a rematch with Rhema, one of their 16 prior wins. They're 19-4 now, ranked 13th.
Hunter took his offense from Ozark high school to NorthArk, and 10 of the heralded high school coach's 14-man roster is made up of players from the Ozarks.
"Growing up in that area I think it's a hotbed for basketball," Hunter says. "I think coaches do a good job."
Lots of them do, apparently. There are players from Logan-Rogersville, West Plains, Dora, Crane, and Strafford, to name a few. It keeps old high school rivalries alive.
"We let each other know who won what games and what we did well and what they did wrong, so, constant reminders," Neidig said.
The Pioneers are an offensive powerhouse. They score 99 points per game, and Neidig guard is fourth in the country in assists. And he should be playing soccer right now.
"My father went to Missouri State and it's been a goal of mine to play soccer at Missouri State," Neidig said at his signing day in February 2013. But it wasn't meant to be.
"I kind of lost that burning desire to keep playing soccer and I missed playing ball so I just switched back over," he says.
It's one of Coach Hunter's favorite recruiting stories. He coached Jakob Neidig at Ozark and says Neidig is the first person he wanted to run his offense.
"Talking to him and his dad he said anytime he did something just for fun he went and played basketball," Hunter said.
Their roster is full of similar stories. Sophomore shooting guard Corbin Medley thought his playing days were over once he left Logan-Rogersville.
"This has given me multiple opportunities to go to the next level and be able to perform hopefully at the same level I am now," Medley said. He's scoring 13 points per game. It's part of what's making this such a special season in Harrison.
"If you think about it, our identity's been established," Hunter says. "We need to do what we do."
Even if North Ark's identity isn't a given throughout the Ozarks, the second chance it gives these players from the Ozarks to do what they do is instantly recognizable.
