Do or Die. Win or go Home. Every game is Game 7!! That is right, The NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championships, is HERE with 64 teams battling it out for the Red Banner! Today features 32 games with the winners advancing to tomorrow’s Round of 32! I believe you can watch most of today’s action for free. There are 3 Pods, who are charging to view, but with games going on at the same time, you should be able to watch a game ALL day long today!
Find the Full Schedule for today HERE
NAIA Men’s Basketball Preview Show
Naismith Quadrant
Favorite Matchup’s:
NWC vs Graceland
LC State vs Saint Francis (IN)
Bracket Busters:
Friends/FloMo winner
13-seed Saint Mary (KS)
Player Matchups to Watch:
Isaiah Malone(USF) vs Alton Hamilton (LC State)
KJ Spiller (Friends) vs Latavious Mitchell (Florida Memorial)
Shaunn Monroe (Lourdes) vs Lane Sparks (Huntington)
Cole Bowen (Graceland) vs Alex Van Kalsbeek (NWC)
Caldwell, Idaho
College of Idaho vs UC Merced
College of Idaho has been a host site since the merger. They have not lost a home tournament game, reaching Kanas City each of the past five seasons. This, however, is one of the toughest Pods that they have seen in Caldwell and will be no free trip to Kansas City. They start off with the CalPac Regular Season Champions and at-large selection, UC Merced. This is a matchup is going to be all about who can control the pace of play. UC Merced is one of the slowest paced teams in the NAIA and come into this game averaging 72.5ppg, which is tied for the lowest ppg total in the tournament. The Bobcats are also the best DEFEFF team in the NAIA. College of Idaho, on the other hand, comes in averaging 87ppg and are very good defensively as well. Look for the Yotes to force the tempo in this one to try and make UC Merced uncomfortable. The Yotes are so great at locking in their matchup defense and forcing turnovers and tough shots that lead to run outs and layups. If they can jump on UC Merced early, it will be really hard for the Bobcats to make a comeback! However, if the Yotes get caught playing the Bobcats tempo, Cameron Brown and company can make this a really tough game as they did when they knocked off The Master’s earlier this season!
Friends (KS) vs Florida Memorial
This has the makings of the Game of the Day! Lots of talent including two Player of the Year winners in KJ Spiller and Latavious Mitchell. Friends made a lot of noise this season in the KCAC and Coach McClintock has really put together a great team in year 2, headlined by KJ Spiller! Florida Memorial is big, physical and really talented! They haven’t played as consistently as you’d expect this season, but this is a team who could certainly figure things out and make a DEEP run! Latavious Mitchell has been great all season. This game has a lot of things to monitor, but ultimately it should be a great game and could come down to who has the ball last!
1 College of Idaho
8 Friends (Kan.)
9 Florida Memorial
16 UC Merced (Calif.)
| Game Time | Game Information |
| March 14 Game 1 – 5 p.m. MST | 8 Friends (Kan.) vs 9 Florida Memorial Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 14 Game 2 – 7 p.m. MST | 1 College of Idaho vs 16 UC Merced (Calif.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 15 Game 3 – 7 p.m. MST | Winner of game 1 vs Winner of game 2 Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
Langston, Oklahoma Pod
Langston vs Saint Mary (KS)
St. Mary is Coming off Winning the KCAC tournament and outside of a midseason slump, the Spires have played really good basketball this season. Langston is 36-2 at home in the Chris Wight era, though, both of those losses came earlier this season! Langston has been pretty banged up all season long. The Lions feature a really good inside/out duo in Bryce Monroe and Joshua Smith. This USM squad, especially if they hit shots early, is dangerous enough to make this a game! If they hit early shots and play loose you could see an upset here. However, the Langston Lions, at home, tend to really lock in defensively and if they do that against the Spires and it leads to some missed early shots, Langston could really put the clamps down early! Really watch this one early to see if Langston gets early separation or if USM hits enough shots early to get comfortable!
Central Baptist vs William Carey
Central Baptist, from a 14-seed made it to the NAIA Quarterfinals last season! This is a team led by Sage Borboun and Jonas Carlisle who play hard, are scrappy and just flat compete! William Carey boasts a dynamic duo themselves, in Cam Brown and Dylan Brumfield, that CBC will need to contain. WCU has lost 4 of it’s past 5 games coming into this game, so we will see what legendary coach, Steve Knight, does to rally his Knights! Both of these teams play a lot of like, so we will see if the Mustangs have some more magic in them as they try to make another run to Kansas City!
4 Langston (Okla.)
5 Central Baptist (Ark.)
12 William Carey (Miss.)
13 Saint Mary (Kan.)
| Game Time | Game Information |
| March 14 Game 1 – 1 p.m. CST | 4 Langston (Okla.) vs 13 Saint Mary (Kan.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 14 Game 2 – 3 p.m. CST | 5 Central Baptist (Ark.) vs 12 William Carey (Miss.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 15 Game 3 – TBA | Winner of game 1 vs Winner of game 2 Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
Huntington, IN POD
Huntington vs Lourdes
After being one of the last teams in, WHAC Player of the Year, Shaunn Monroe and Lourdes, will have a chip on their shoulder in this one! Lane Sparks and Huntington though come into this one in top form! The Monroe/Sparks battle is one of the best player matchups on the slate as both are two of the best bucket getters in the NAIA! For Lourdes though, if they want a shot in the end to win this one, they will have to slow down Landen Jordan on the inside! One other thing to watch in this one is how CL DPOY, Maximus Gizzi does on shutting down Monroe. Gizzi has shut down some good guards this season. If he does it again today, HU will be in prime position to move on to the Round of 32!
Northwestern vs Graceland
Rumor has it, that Alex Van Kalsbeek will be making his return from a foot injury earlier this year. If so, AVK vs Cole Bowen is going to be a GREAT matchup to watch! Even if not, Alex’s little brother, Jesse, is the GPAC Freshman of the Year and fellow Freshman, Jalen Langsly, has had quite the season as well! The Red Raiders have seen their fair share of good players this season, so HC Kris Korver, will have a good gameplan heading into this one! Graceland, despite the final 10 minutes of the Heart Conference title game, has been really tough! They play good defense and are tough on the glass. Head Coach, Todd Lorensen, was a former Head Coach at Mount Marty in the GPAC, so both teams should have good scouts in this one! For Graceland, it’s going to be all about slowing this Red Raider offense down! NWC averages nearly 14ppg more than them, so controlling the pace is important! For NWC, if Alex Vankalsbeek is back, look for them to go to him early and often to get him back into the groove, after sitting for nearly the past month!
3 Huntington (Ind.)
6 Northwestern (Iowa)
11 Graceland (Iowa)
14 Lourdes (Ohio)
| Game Time | Game Information |
| March 14 Game 1 – 6 p.m. EST | 3 Huntington (Ind.) vs 14 Lourdes (Ohio) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 14 Game 2 – 8 p.m. EST | 6 Northwestern (Iowa) vs 11 Graceland (Iowa) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 15 Game 3 – TBA | Winner of game 1 vs Winner of game 2 Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
Georgetown, KY POD
Georgetown vs LSU Shreveport
Top Players:
Georgetown | Jaquias Franklin, Tae Dozier, Jabrion Spikes
LSU Shreveport | Taj Anderson, Davion Coleman, Trey Boston
Notes:
These two teams are no strangers to playing one another in the NAIA Tournament as this will be the 3rd meeting between the two. The previous mathups were both decided on late game winning shots, both by Georgetown and both years Georgetown would later be crowned National Champions. No matter what you think of Shreveport being in, this is a team that is better than a 15-seed. They just haven’t played consistently enough to warrant a better seed. Make no bones about it though, Taj Anderson and the Pilots have the talent to win this game. Georgetown, however, is also loaded with talent and they play tough defense. This game should be a fun one!
LC State vs Saint Francis (IN)
Top Players
LC State | Alton Hamilton (CCC POY), MaCarhy Morris
St Francis | Isaiah Malone, Luke Almodovar
Notes
One of the more intriguing matchups of the Opening Round! Both teams led by talented Sophomores! For USF, it’s Sophomores, Luke Almodovar and Isaiah Malone vs LC State’s Sophomores, Alton Hamilton and MaCarhy Morris! Both of these teams’ stat lines are like mirror images of one another! USF has been on the struggle bus a bit to end the season, but this is a TALENTED squad that if they can flip that switch again, they are VERY dangerous! LC State has gotten healthy and have been trending upward for the better part of a month now. This one has the feel of a game that could be a ‘Game of the Day’ type!
2 Georgetown (Ky.)
7 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)
10 Saint Francis (Ind.)
15 LSU Shreveport (La.)
| Game Time | Game Information |
| March 14 Game 1 – 6 p.m. EST | 2 Georgetown (Ky.) vs 15 LSU Shreveport (La.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 14 Game 2 – 8 p.m. EST | 7 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) vs 10 Saint Francis (Ind.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 15 Game 3 – 5 p.m. EST | Winner of game 1 vs Winner of game 2 Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
Cramer Quadrant
Favorite Matchups:
Cumberlands vs Milligan
Indiana Tech vs Oregon Tech
Dalton State vs St. Mary-Woods
Bracket Busters:
13-seed Milligan
11-seed St. Mary Woods
Player Matchups to Watch:
Anthony Johnson vs McCaskill Rivers
Trace Williams vs Ezra McKenna
Blake Davidson vs Jamison Guerra
Glendale, AZ POD
Arizona Christian vs Westcliff
Top Players
Arizona Christian | Anthony Howell, Ese Onakpoma
Westcliff | Micaiah Hankins, Rayven Turner
Notes:
ACU has the 3rd longest win streak (12) in the NAIA headed into this one. Coach Rutter has the Firestorm playing great basketball. Especially after losing All-American, Trent Hudgens early in the season. Westcliff is no slouch. They have beaten a few D2’s this season and now are coming off of a CalPac Tournament Title. This is a Warriors team who won’t come into this game scared or intimidated. ACU is such a fun team. They play tough defense and Onakpoma and Howell have helped carry the scoring load! If they can get Hudgens back, they may be the favorite to win a National Title!
Indiana Tech vs Oregon Tech
Top Players
Indiana Tech | Blake Davidson, Crew Gibson, Javel Lewis
Oregon Tech | Jamison Guerra, Kam Osborn, Keegan Shivers
Notes:
This is going to sound repetitive, as we have so many great/intriguing matchups on the slate, but this game is another one that could be a Game of the Day type! Indiana Tech leads with Blake Davidson and Crew Gibson. The Owls come into this one after almost a 2-week hiatus. Which may have actually been a good thing for Oregon Tech as they were pretty banged up at the end of the season. Oregon Tech has the size to match up with Indiana Tech and are the veteran group in this one. Both of these two are good enough to win this POD and advance to Kansas City. They have to get through today first though and that should prove to be no easy task for either. The one thing we do know in this one though is that Tech is going to win!
1 Arizona Christian
8 Indiana Tech
9 Oregon Tech
16 Westcliff (Calif.)
| Game Time | Game Information |
| March 14 Game 1 – 2:30 p.m. PST | 8 Indiana Tech vs 9 Oregon Tech Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 14 Game 2 – 5 p.m. PST | 1 Arizona Christian vs 16 Westcliff (Calif.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 15 Game 3 – 5 p.m. MST | Winner of game 1 vs Winner of game 2 Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
Williamsburg, KY POD
Cumberlands vs Milligan
Top Players
Cumberlands | Anthony Johnson (Mid-South POY), Matthew Comer, Harry Morrice
Milligan | McCaskill Rivers, Handje Tamba (AAC DPOY)
Notes:
Cumberlands may be without the services of big man Harry Morrice in this one as he got hurt in the MSC Tournament vs FHU. No pun intended, but that is a big loss as Milligan is one of the biggest teams in the tournament! Anthony Johnson and Matthew Cromer still give Cumberlands a great 1-2 punch though! How they are able to figure out the 3-2 zone of Milligan will be key to win. Milligan is led by McCaskill Rivers and big man Handie Tamba. The Buffaloes love to use Tamba at the top of that 3-2 zone, which at 6’11, makes things difficult on opposing guards! Milligan is still going to have to find a way to control the pace in this one! Cumberlands boasts the NAIA’s 3rd highest scoring offense. Milligan doesn’t usually crack 80pts in a game. If Milligan is going to pull off the upset, they most likely are going to have to keep this game in the 70’s!
Mobile vs IU Northwest
Top Players
Mobile | Ezra McKenna, Trent Moye
IUN | Trace Williams (CCAC POY), Dannie Smith, Anthony Taylor
Notes:
Mobile, led by All-American Ezra McKenna, are a veteran group who all returned so that they can make one last drive towards Kansas City. This is a group where the core has been together for nearly all four years. Today, in order to win, they are going to have to slow down a potent IUN offense that is led by CCAC POY, Trace Williams. The team who can control the tempo and pace of play in this one should come out victorious.
4 Cumberlands (Ky.)
5 Mobile (Ala.)
12 IU Northwest (Ind.)
13 Milligan (Tenn.)
| Game Time | Game Information |
| March 14 Game 1 – 1 p.m. EST | 4 Cumberlands (Ky.) vs 13 Milligan (Tenn.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 14 Game 2 – 3 p.m. EST | 5 Mobile (Ala.) vs 12 IU Northwest (Ind.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 15 Game 3 – TBA | Winner of game 1 vs Winner of game 2 Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
Dalton, GA POD
Ave Maria vs Xavier
Top Players
Ave Maria | Nick Filchner, Michael Klekas, Jack Watkins
XULA | Lance Williams, Seveiuhn Turner
Notes:
This is the ultimate Game Flow game. Ave wants to play fast, push the tempo and shoot 3’s. XULA is a team who wants to slow the pace and win with their defense. This is the largest margin of PPG separation in the tourney with Ave averaging 94ppg (leads the NAIA) and XULA averaging 73.7ppg (2nd lowest ppg mark in the tourney)! This is obviously a game of who can control the pace of play. Ave has been able to really push the tempo against teams like Keiser, who like XULA, play at a more methodical pace. If XULA can defend the 3pt line and control the pace, they can get this upset! Easier said than done against the NAIA’s best offense!
Dalton State vs St. Mary-Woods
Top Players
Dalton St. | Matt Compas, Antonio Lewis, Qualen Pettus
St. Mary-Woods | Greg Jenkins, Shon Tupuola
Notes:
Two Top 10 NETEFF teams in the NAIA square off in what is actually a really fun matchup! St. Mary-Woods comes in with a chip on their shoulder as they have been a bit disrespected for most of the season! They have a great shot to prove themselves today against a very tough Dalton State squad. Greg Jenkins and Shon Tupuola have been great in helping SMWC return back to the NAIA tourney. The Pomeroy’s will have their hands full today with Matt Compas and Antonio Lewis! Those two, along with Pettus have helped lead Dalton State to a terrific season! This game should be a really fun one!
3 Ave Maria (Fla.)
6 Dalton State (Ga.)
11 St. Mary-Woods (Ind.)
14 Xavier (La.)
| Game Time | Game Information |
| March 14 Game 1 – 4 p.m. EST | 6 Dalton State (Ga.) vs 11 St. Mary-Woods (Ind.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 14 Game 2 – 8 p.m. EST | 3 Ave Maria (Fla.) vs 14 Xavier (La.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 15 Game 3 – 7 p.m. EST | Winner of game 1 vs Winner of game 2 Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
Winona Lake, IN POD
Grace vs Carolina U
Top Players
Grace | Ian Scott (CL POY), Ian Raasch, Gage Sefton
Carolina U | Aundree Polk
Notes:
Grace is looking for another DEEP tourney run this season and it begins today with a Carolina U squad that won 4 straight wins to win the CAC Tourney. The Bruins have just 13 wins on the season, but 11 of those came in the 2nd semester once Aundree Polk joined the team. Polk is capable of going for 40 and may need to do so to keep Carolina in this game. Grace, despite all they lost last season, is in a familiar position as they won yet another CL Regular Season Title and a CL Tourney Title. They have been great inside the MOCC as well! The Lancers won’t be looking ahead, but they come into this game in great form, so it’s going to take a lot for an uset today!
Pikeville vs St. Francis (IL)
Top Players
Pikeville | Bradley Bunch (AAC POY), LA Walker, Keian Worrix
St. Francis (IL) | Aitor Anabitarte, Rahmel Davis, Merrick Small
Notes:
I love this matchup today! Two teams that seemingly feel like they haven’t gotten the proper respect this season. Both teams have played good basketball this season as they essentially were atop their league standings for the better part of the season. St. Francis plays at a slower pace, but Pikeville really doesn’t look to run a ton either, so expect this game to remain tight! Bradley Bunch is a tremendous player. St. Francis will need to have a good game plan to slow him down! They have a tough duo in Aitor Anabitarte and Rahmel Davis but if they don’t keep Bunch off of the glass they may find themselves on the wrong end of today’s result.
2 Grace (Ind.)
7 Pikeville (Ky.)
10 St. Francis (Ill.)
15 Carolina (N.C.)
| Game Time | Game Information |
| March 14 Game 1 – 5 p.m. EST | 2 Grace (Ind.) vs 15 Carolina (N.C.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 14 Game 2 – 7 p.m. EST | 7 Pikeville (Ky.) vs 10 St. Francis (Ill.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 15 Game 3 – 5 p.m. EST | Winner of game 1 vs Winner of game 2 Live Video | Live Stats/Box Scor |
Duer Quadrant
Favorite Matchups:
Cornerstone vs Spring Arbor
Keiser vs Faulkner
Potential Bracket Busters:
13-Seed Johnson (TN)
14-seed Dakota Wesleyan
Player Matchups to Watch:
Chaze Harris vs Mason Lockhart
Caedmon Bontrager vs Brendan Young
Bobo Sermans vs Jonathan Garcia
Henderson, TN POD
Freed-Hardeman vs IU Southeast
Top Players
FHU | Peyton Law, Geraldo Lane
IUSE | Lane Lauderbaugh
Notes:
The Lions of Freed-Hardeman will try to become the first team to repeat as National Champs since Oklahoma City did it in 2006-2007. That journey begins today against a IUSE squad that got hot in the RSC Tournament to make it to the title game and secure the auto-bid. Freed is one of the best defensive teams this season and have really stepped up their pressure in big games! We saw them use that last season on their way to the National Title. They hurt you with matchup issues with guys like Peyton Law and Geraldo Lane, but the Lions have weapons up and down the lineup. IUSE is going to have to handle the pressure, get to the rim and finish or knock down FT’s to get the upset today!
Cornerstone vs Spring Arbor
Top Players
Cornerstone | Luke Rowlinson, Blake Stewart
Spring Arbor | Gabe Newhof, Travis Grayson, Kevyn Robertson
Notes:
Fun little matchup between two Michigan teams! This game has great coaching and great players! I am looking forward to seeing the game plans and in-game adjustments from Kim Elders and Ryan Cottingham! For Cornerstone, Tanner Wiegerink went down in the first few minutes of the WHAC Championship game. The Golden Eagles were able to overcome that, but they need him in the lineup to help guard Gabe Newhof! The Cougars will also have their hands full defensively with Luke Rowlinson. Expect this one to come down to the last few possesions!
1 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.)
8 Cornerstone (Mich.)
9 Spring Arbor (Mich.)
16 IU Southeast (Ind.)
| Game Time | Game Information |
| March 14 Game 1 – 3 p.m. CST | 1 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) vs 16 IU Southeast (Ind.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 14 Game 2 – 1 p.m. CST | 8 Cornerstone (Mich.) vs 9 Spring Arbor (Mich.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 15 Game 3 – TBA | Winner of game 1 vs Winner of game 2 Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
Marion, IN POD
Life vs Johnson (TN)
Top Players
Life | Chaze Harris (SSAC POY), Cortez Johnson, Tyreke Johnson
Johnson | Mason Lockhart (AAC Newcomer of the Year), Torris Woods
Notes:
One of our favorite matchups of the day! Life comes in RED HOT, winning the SSAC Tournament. They boast National POY candidate, Chaze Harris who is super tough to stop as he fills the stat sheet and can hurt you in a lot of different ways. Johnson, though, is finally healthy and have been really tough since Torris Woods returned to the lineup! Both teams like to push the tempo, so should be a really fun game to watch! If Johnson can’t slow down Chaze Harris though, it could be a long day!
Indiana Wesleyan vs Madonna
Top Players
IWU | Caedmon Bontrager, Griffin Kliewer, Luke Brown
Madonna | Brendan Young, Isaac Anderson
Notes
On December 31st, IWU beat Madonna 113-75 inside the Indiana Pacers arena. At that time, Madonna was a long shot to make the NAIA Tourney. The Crusaders went on to win 12 of their final 15 games though and ended up with an at-large selection. IWU comes in hot as well though and are 13-1 at home this season. A big part of IWU’s late run, outside of playing almost all home games down the stretch, was the return of Luke Brown! Bontrager and Kliewer have been great, but Brown adds another scoring punch and makes it tougher for teams to double down on Bontrager. The Wildcats, especially playing inside of Luckey Arena, have a shot to make it to Kansas City, but today they will have to make sure that Brendan Young and Isaac Anderson don’t get loose! This game will be much closer than their previous meeting!
4 Life (Ga.)
5 Indiana Wesleyan
12 Madonna (Mich.)
13 Johnson (Tenn.)
| Game Time | Game Information |
| March 14 Game 1 – 3 p.m. EST | 5 Indiana Wesleyan vs 12 Madonna (Mich.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 14 Game 2 – 1 p.m. EST | 4 Life (Ga.) vs 13 Johnson (Tenn.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 15 Game 3 – TBA | Winner of game 1 vs Winner of game 2 Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
Santa Clarita, CA POD
The Master’s vs Dakota Wesleyan
Top Players
The Master’s | Kaleb Lowery (GSAC POY), Kendall Moore, Quincy Phillps
Dakota Wesleyan | Tampa Scott IV, Samuel Aslesen
Notes
The Master’s are coming off of a devasting home, buzzer-beater loss in the GSAC Title game. At the end of the day, this is a really good team who has one of the favorites for NPOY in Kaleb Lowery. DWU HC, Kevin Williamson came over from Saint Katherines (CA) when it shut down last year. He is no stranger to The Master’s and will certainly have them well scouted. Tampa Scott, who came with him from USK, can really score it! They are very capable of pulling off this upset!
Montana Tech vs Southern Oregon
Top Players
Montana Tech | Hayden Diekhans (FC POY/DPOY), Keeley Bake, Ifeanyi Okeke
SOU | Bryce Dyer, Elijah Jackson
Notes
Southern Oregon really had a good 2nd semester, which led them to getting one of the final at-large selections. Dyer and Jackson have been great and the addition of Etan Collins at the break really helped as well. Montana Tech was a Top 10 team for the better part of the year. They faced some tough injuries late in season and stumbled as a result. This is a VERY good team who is now healthy! Hayden Diekhans has been really good in big games this season. Look for him to have a big one again today!
3 The Master’s (Calif.)
6 Montana Tech
11 Southern Oregon
14 Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.)
| Game Time | Game Information |
| March 14 Game 1 – 5 p.m. PST | 6 Montana Tech vs 11 Southern Oregon Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 14 Game 2 – 7:30 p.m. PST | 3 The Master’s (Calif.) vs 14 Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 15 Game 3 – 6 p.m. PST | Winner of game 1 vs Winner of game 2 Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
West Palm Beach, FL POD
William Woods vs Dillard
Top Players
William Woods | Francis Okwuosah, Henry Shannon III, Kevin Taylor, D’Mari Wiltz
Dillard | Bentravin Phillips, Justin Warren, Tory Cargo
Notes
William Woods owns the longest win streak in the NAIA with 23 wins. Coach Ashton has the Owls playing great defense. Dillard comes in after winning the HBCUAC Tourney! They are tough and will play like they aren’t the underdog. WWU, even as a 2-seed, traveled a long ways down to Florida for this one. We will see if the travel affects them at all. Ultimately, WWU hasn’t made a lot of mistakes this season. They are tough, physical and fun to watch. Dillard plays a little slower, but they are very similar to a CBC team who WWU played 3x this season!
Keiser vs Faulkner
Top Players
Keiser | Vincent Miszkiewicz, Bobo Sirmans, Tyreon Payne
Faulkner | Jonathan Garcia, KJ Rogers
Notes
Keiser has been one of the better defensive teams in the NAIA this season and the Bobo/Vincent duo is one of the better ones in the country as well. Today they will look to shut down Jonathan Garcia, KJ Rogers and Faulkner! Faulkner will have to keep Miszkiewicz off the glass as he is one of the best rebounders in the NAIA. Bobo and Tyreon Payne have really scored the ball well this season. Keiser has turned the ball over a bit in their losses, so look for Faulkner to try to apply some pressure to lead to some easy points!
2 William Woods (Mo.)
7 Keiser (Fla.)
10 Faulkner (Ala.)
15 Dillard (La.)
| Game Time | Game Information |
| March 14 Game 1 – 5 p.m. EST | 7 Keiser (Fla.) vs 10 Faulkner (Ala.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 14 Game 2 – 7 p.m. EST | 2 William Woods (Mo.) vs 15 Dillard (La.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 15 Game 3 – 5 p.m. EST | Winner of game 1 vs Winner of game 2 Live Video | Live Stats/Box Sc |
Liston Quadrant
Favorite Matchups:
Morningside vs Hope International
OKWU vs MACU
Potential Bracket Busters:
12-seed Hope International
11-seed Bethel (KS)
Player Matchups to Watch:
CJ Hall vs Milique Smith
Derrick Talton Jr. vs Josiah Fulcher
Alexandria, LA POD
LSU Alexandria vs Stillman
Top Players
LSUA | Kashie Natt (RRAC POY), EJ McQuillan, Jakemin Abney, Jordan Decuir
Stillman | Calvin Finch (HBCU Newcomer of the Year)
Notes
John Teasley and Stillman are no stranger to the NAIA Tourney! The Tigers play some really tough defense and will need to really lock down again today if they want to pull off this upset! Kashie Natt and company aren’t coming into the tournament in their best form of the season, but this is the type of team who will be super locked in headed into today’s game and as we have said all year long, if they can make it to KCMO, they are a team built like the teams who generally have success inside of Muni. They have to get there first though and today’s matchup is no cake walk!
Nelson vs Middle Georgia State
Top Players
Nelson | CJ Hall, Micah Clark, JJ Boling
MGA | Milique Smith, Nick Cham
Notes
Neither team averages more than 80ppg, but both teams have some explosive offensive weapons. Nelson’s CJ Hall being the leader of the pack in this game. Clark though helped open up this Nelson offense when he joined the lineup! Coach Delton Deal is no stranger to tournament wins and will look to get Nelson back to Kansas City! Don’t count out this MGA team though. This is a team who not only put together some nice wins, but even their losses, for the most part, were games that went down to the wire. I think they are a dangerous group who can make some noise in this POD!
1 LSU Alexandria (La.)
8 Nelson (Texas)
9 Middle Georgia State
16 Stillman (Ala.)
| Game Time | Game Information |
| March 14 Game 1 – 5:30 p.m. CST | 8 Nelson (Texas) vs 9 Middle Georgia State Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 14 Game 2 – 7:30 p.m. CST | 1 LSU Alexandria (La.) vs 16 Stillman (Ala.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 15 Game 3 – 6 p.m. CST | Winner of game 1 vs Winner of game 2 Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
Mishawaka, IN POD
Bethel (IN) vs Peru State
Top Players
Bethel (IN) | Trent Edwards, Alonas Peciulis, Preston Phillips
Peru State | Carlos Hines, Devin Tomlinson
Notes
Bethel, outside of their injuries, has been one of the best teams in the NAIA this season. They are a tough team who plays really well together. They go up against a Peru State team who has good talent! Carlos Hines and Devin Tomlinson have really led the charge for the Bobcats this season. They will need to both have big games again today to get this upset! Devin Tomlinson won a National Title with Freed last year and won’t be looking to go down early this year! Trent Edwards, Alonas Peciulis and Preston Phillips have been a well-oiled machine this year when healthy and Bethel, at home, has been really tough!
Morningside vs Hope International
Top Players
Morningside | Joey Skoff, Brendan Buckley, Aidan Vanderloo
HIU | Grant Sii, Nick Hopkins
Notes
Love this matchup! One of two GPAC vs GSAC showdowns today! Morningside plays fast and averages 14ppg more than HIU. This game will be a battle of who can control the pace of play! Joey Skoff has been a magician for M’Side. Brendan Buckley and Aidan Vanderloo help to carry the load as well! This is a group that is a bit undersized inside, but have big wings who can score it! HIU is led by Grant Sii and Nick Hopkins. While this is a team that wants to slow it down, Sii and Hopkins are guys that Morningside are going to have to stop in the half court! This is one of our favorite games on the entire slate today and should be MUST watch!
4 Bethel (Ind.)
5 Morningside (Iowa)
12 Hope International (Calif.)
13 Peru State (Neb.)
| Game Time | Game Information |
| March 14 Game 1 – 4:30 p.m. EST | 4 Bethel (Ind.) vs 13 Peru State (Neb.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 14 Game 2 – 7 p.m. EST | 5 Morningside (Iowa) vs 12 Hope International (Calif.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 15 Game 3 – TBA | Winner of game 1 vs Winner of game 2 Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
Baldwin City, KS POD
Baker vs Texas Wesleyan
Top Players
Baker | Noah Rigatuso, Quentin Harvey, Ahmed Mahgoub, Ty Henry
Texas Wesleyan | Montez Young Jr., Trey Sinegal
Notes
Baker is one of the best defensive teams in the country as they are Top 15 in nearly every metric. The Collins Center has been really nice to them, but Texas Wesleyan has some good talent and really good wins on the year! Baker will be no stranger to Trey Sinegal as the guard played in the Heart of America for Central Methodist last season. For Texas Wesleyan, they are one of the worst 3pt shooting teams in the tournament. They are going to have to rely on getting to the paint and finishing around the rim. Montez Young comes off the bench for TWU, but he is electric and brings a lot of energy to the lineup when he gets in! If the Baker student section is there and in full force, the Collins Center will be LOUD and will make it tough for TWU!
Concordia (NE) vs Bethel (KS)
Top Players
CUNE | Tristan Smith (GPAC POY/DPOY), Noah Schutte, Bradley Bennett
Bethel (KS) | Carmelo Yakubu, Harper Jonas, Eli Wiseman
Keys To Victory
CUNE, led by GPAC POY, Tristan Smith got off to a slow start to the season before rallying and really looking like a legit contender by the end of the season. The Bulldogs, like most teams in the GPAC, will push the tempo and try to keep Bethel running. They will mostly play thru the “BIG 3” but if the shooters get hot on the outside they will be tough to beat! Bethel’s Carmelo Yakubu is a tough matchup and it will be interesting to see how CUNE decides to matchup with him. Harper Jonas is a sniper on the outside as well and Eli Wiseman has added some big games for the Threshers as well. Coach Artez does such a great job and they will be ready to go in this one! The team who makes the most 3’s probably wins this one today!
3 Baker (Kan.)
6 Concordia (Neb.)
11 Bethel (Kan.)
14 Texas Wesleyan
| Game Time | Game Information |
| March 14 Game 1 – 5 p.m. CST | 6 Concordia (Neb.) vs 11 Bethel (Kan.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 14 Game 2 – 7 p.m. CST | 3 Baker (Kan.) vs 14 Texas Wesleyan Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 15 Game 3 – 6 p.m. CST | Winner of game 1 vs Winner of game 2 Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
Sioux Center, IA POD
Dordt vs Dickinson State
Top Players
Dordt | Lucas Lorenzen, Luke Rankin, Bryce Coppock, Ben Fairclough
Dickinson State | Kose Egbule (NSAA POY), John Evans
Notes
Dordt is so great at home and this is a group that has also played and won a lot of games together! About the only thing left for them is to make a deep run in the tourney. This matchup today with Dickinson State has one of the highest point differentials with Dordt averaging 15ppg more at 90.5ppg. Luke Rankin is the engine that drives one of the best and most efficient offenses in the country. Lucas Lorenzen has been one of the best players in the country. If they can speed up Dickinson State they will put a lot of pressure on the Blue Hawks. DSU hasn’t been to a tournament in over 20yrs. They feature the NSAA POY in Kose Egbule. They really need to control this pace to give themselves a shot to win today!
Oklahoma Wesleyan vs Mid-America Christian
Top Players
OKWU | Derrick Talton Jr. (KCAC Co-POY/DPOY), Jaden Lietzke (All-American)
MACU | Josiah Fulcher (SAC Newcomer of the Year), Terrence Gaines (SAC DPOY)
Notes
OKWU really gets after it defensively and since the return of Jaden Lietzke to the lineup, they have been really tough on both ends of the floor. Derrick Talton Jr. was the KCAC Co-POY and is one of the best two-way players in the NAIA. He is small, but scrappy and will put a lot of pressure on the MACU guards. For MACU, the ball usually goes thru Josiah Fulcher, especially late. They too are tough defensively and Coach Gamblin is a great coach who knows how to win! This should be a great game between two Oklahoma schools who have something to prove!
2 Dordt (Iowa)
7 Oklahoma Wesleyan
10 Mid-America Christian (Okla.)
15 Dickinson State (N.D.)
| Game Time | Game Information |
| March 14 Game 1 – 3:30 p.m. CST | 2 Dordt (Iowa) vs 15 Dickinson State (N.D.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 14 Game 2 – 1:30 p.m. CST | 7 Oklahoma Welseyan vs 10 Mid-America Christian (Okla.) Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
| March 15 Game 3 – TBA | Winner of game 1 vs Winner of game 2 Live Video | Live Stats/Box Score |
