The Southern Oregon men return to Cascade Conference at McNeal Pavilion this weekend, kicking off with a matchup with one of Nation's top teams Friday night.

The Raiders (8-3, 2-0) host eighth-ranked Eastern Oregon (10-1, 2-0) Friday night and College of Idaho (4-9, 1-1) Saturday night. Both games tipoff at 5:30 p.m. Because of new Cascade Conference rules that will alternate the start time of the men's and women's basketball games, the men's games will start at 5:30 p.m. for the first half of the season.

Southern Oregon looks to bounced back after a non-conference setback at William Jessup last weekend. Even with the setback, the Raiders are receiving votes for the second straight week.

As a team, Southern Oregon continues to rank as one of the best in the Nation defensively. The Raiders rank sixth in the NAIA with a .378 field goal percentage defense.

Junior Jordan Highland (Tualatin, Ore./Tualatin) leads the team and ranks sixth in the conference in scoring at 15.5 points per game. Highland also ranks seventh in field goal percentage at .563 and 15th in free throw percentage at .757.

Freshman Kyle Tedder (Coos Bay, Ore./Marshfield) ranks 15th in the conference in scoring at 12.9 per game and is seventh in 3-pointers made at 2.45 per game.

Eastern Oregon, ranked in the Top 10 for the third straight week, has been idle since Dec. 4. The Mountaineers rank second in the NAIA in 3-pointers made (10.5 per game) and sixth in scoring (88.5 per game). Junior Jamar Johnson leads Eastern in scoring at 15.9 per game.

College of Idaho is led by point guard Miguel Rodriguez, who ranks 10th in the Nation in assists with 5.9 per game. Sharpshooter Jamar Johnson ranks 10th in the Nation in 3-point percentage at .500.