The Valdosta State men’s basketball team has debuted at No. 7 in the first regional rankings of the 2010-11 season.

The Blazers are seventh in the South Region. The top eight teams in the region at the end of conference tournament play in March qualify for the 64-team Division II national tournament.

Tampa (12-1) is No. 1 in the South Region. Alabama-Huntsville (17-2) is No. 2, Harding (12-2) is No. 3, Rollins (10-4) is No. 4, Florida Southern (9-5) is No. 5 and Christian Brothers (12-4) is No. 6.

Arkansas Tech (9-3) is No. 8 and SIAC schools Benedict (9-4) and Kentucky State (10-3) round out the top 10.

The Gulf South Conference, Sunshine State Conference and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference are the three conferences that make up the South Region.

The three conference tournament winners and five at-large teams will make up the eight teams from the South Region that go to the national tournament.

The region rankings will be updated at 4 p.m. every Wednesday through March 2.

Last season, the Blazers won the South Region tournament for the first time in their history to advance to the Elite Eight.

The Blazers host West Florida tonight at 8 p.m.

The Valdosta State women’s basketball team did not crack the top 10 in the women’s South Region rankings.