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It certainly didn’t happen overnight, but it is clear as day. The Riverland Community College men’s basketball team is now one of the most prominent programs in all of NJCAA Division III.

The No. 1 ranked Blue Devils, who have played in two of the last three NJCAA Tournaments, are off to a 15-0 start with a deep roster that shares the ball, shoots efficiently and plays tough defense.

The rise of Riverland has been led by one of their former players as Derek Hahn, who played basketball and baseball at RCC, has already surpassed 200 wins in less than 10 seasons on the job.

“It’s one of those mile markers that every coach uses to look back and reflect,” Hahn said of his 200 wins. “It’s a large group of people putting in their time and effort, who have allowed that to happen. The number one contributor to that is the players who we’ve been able to get in the door.”

Hahn has been able to bring in talented players and keep them in the lineup. After graduating All-American Savier McCall from last year’s team, the Blue Devils haven’t slowed down.

“Anything that’s worthwhile in life takes time to develop and we’ve developed it on a yearly basis where we’ve been able to track athletes who are going to keep us at the top and give us a chance to play in the National Tournament on a yearly basis,” Hahn said. “It’s not easy and we’ve got a ton of wars left to fight here and we’ve got a really tough conference stretch coming up.”

RCC has five players averaging at least 10 points per game as Nazih Chehade averages 13.5 points per game, Damar Jenkins averages 12.9, Austin grad Buai Duop averages 12.9, Christian Campbell averages 11.9 and Jose Yepez averages 10.4.

Duop has thrived with the Blue Devils as he’s transformed himself into an all-around scoring option, while also increasing his athleticism.

“Last year, I came in here as a freshman knowing I was either going to sit on the bench or play. I made that decision to have the mentality of working hard every day and listening to what the coach said. Now I’m in a great spot and the team is doing great. It’s been a great ride,” Duop said. “I’m talking trash every day, but in a good way. Honestly, it gives the guys more energy and it helps them get better every day.”

Duop recalls playing with McCall in open gyms in AHS when he was a senior. At the time, Duop didn’t have his mind set on going to RCC, but he’s now glad he did as McCall helped initiate him into a winning program last season.

“Savier kind of took me under his wing last year and he built up my confidence,” Duop said.

With so many effective scorers on the team, Duop has never felt pressure to take over a game. Instead, he’s learned that every night can be anyone’s night, depending on matchups and the rhythm of the game.

“We don’t need a guy putting on a cape,” Duop said. “It’s a team sport. We’re passing the ball and getting guys open. It’s kind of a family thing and everybody knows who’s playing what role.”

Hahn said that many community members have taken note of the positive changes in Duop.

“I can’t tell you how many people who come to our games regularly or who are community members who are aware of him from his time at the high school that have seen him not only physically look different, but the mental difference that I see in him is night and day from his first day here,” Hahn said of Duop. “When he got here early on, he had some growth to do in the mental area and now that’s been a big improvement. That’s big for him and hopefully he continues on it.”

The Blue Devils are outscoring opponents on a 91.9-64.2 average per game. Their previous best start was winning their first 12 games of the season before a loss.

RCC leads the nation in three-pointers made per game (11.9) and is ranked third in three-pointer percentage (38.0).

“We can score in so many different ways and when you’ve got multiple guys on the floor that can stretch it, that allows us to be a pretty good offensive team,” Hahn said. “We’re fourth in the country in points scored and third in the country in points allowed.”

With an added bonus of the assurance scholarship for Austin residents, RCC is  a great opportunity for local players to excel on the court. Duop is certainly glad that he became a Blue Devil.

“A lot of the younger generation only cares about Division I basketball. When I talk to younger kids, they all say they want to go Division I,” Duop said. “Division I takes a lot of work. When I was young, I would’ve said I wanted to go there too, but you’ve got to be honest with yourself. It doesn’t matter where you’re playing, a lot of coaches are going to look at you. The main thing I tell these little kids is to stay focused and listen to their parents, that’s all they need to do.”

The Blue Devils will return from break when they play Northland Community College at Central Lakes 4 p.m. Sunday.  RCC’s next home game will be against Minnesota West at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 15.