San Antonio, TEXAS – The road to Indianapolis begins this Friday, Mar. 6, for the Trinity men's basketball team (21-6), as they take on the Pirates of Whitworth University (22-5) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The first and second rounds will be hosted in Houston by the University of St. Thomas (26-1), an old SCAC foe who finished the season ranked No. 3 after winning their last 23 outings in dominant fashion. They'll face Belhaven University (16-12) in the first round, the winner of which will await the victor of Tigers vs. Pirates.
Despite a slim loss to Rhodes College in the SAA Championship game, the Tigers' regular-season performance was strong enough to earn them a bid to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 26 overall seed. Of the 64 teams going dancing, 43 were selected as conference champions, while the other 21 were selected based on the NCAA Power Index (NPI) ranking.
Preview - The Madness of March
On the Whitworth Pirates: The Pirates are making their fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament in five years, having consistently dominated the NWC. This won't be their first playoff matchup against Trinity in recent memory, as the Tigers earned a 77-52 rout in the first round of the 2022 tournament. They have beaten Trinity seven times in the two teams' nine total matchups.
The Pirates are carrying some momentum heading into this weekend, having won eight of their last nine. The No. 41 overall seed in the tournament, they earned an AQ bid after defeating Willamette University in the NWC Championship. Whitworth is a strong offensive team, shooting 47% on the season, but they've struggled from deep as of late, hitting 35% or less of their threes in all but two of their last 10 games. They're an exceptionally strong team on the glass, having lost the rebounding battle only three times all year, and holding an average rebounding margin of +8.1.
Whitworth is led by First Team All-NWC senior wing Stephen Behil, who averages 17.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals on a 47% field goal percentage and 37% shooting from three. His career-high, 30-point performance against Willamette helped lift the Pirates to the conference chip. Senior forward Caden Bateman, who earned Second Team All-NWC honors, is another one of five Pirates averaging double figures with 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game on 56% shooting. NWC Defensive Player of the Year senior guard Ben Nyquist ranks third nationally in steals per game, just below Fenn in second.
St. Thomas (26-1) vs. Belhaven University (16-12)
On the St. Thomas Celts: The Celts have never missed the NCAA Tournament since gaining eligibility in the 2022-23 season, when they completed their transition from the NAIA. Last year's 72-74 second-round loss to Hardin-Simmons University was the first time St. Thomas had ever made it past the first round. They have met the Tigers 15 times as former conference opponents and won 13 times, including a 66-53 victory earlier this season.
St. Thomas has been nothing short of dominant this season. After dropping a defensive slugfest to No. 5 Washington University (St. Louis) in Nov., falling 53-54 in the game's final seconds, the Celts have won their last 23. They earned their AQ bid to the tournament after a 92-74 blowout of Concordia University in the SCAC Championship. They're a powerful team on the offensive end, with an average margin of victory of 14.3 points on 48% shooting from the field and 33% from three, and an average rebounding margin of +5.4. Not much gets through them on defense, either, as they force an average of 16.2 turnovers, while giving the ball up just 10.7 times per game.
The Celts are led in scoring by junior guard Corey Thompson, whose 15.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.2 steals per game on 46% shooting from the field and 35% from three earned him First Team All-SCAC honors. SCAC Defensive Player of the Year, senior guard Angel Johnson, was also named to the First Team All-SCAC after averaging 9.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.7 steals per game on 44% shooting.
On the Belhaven Blazers: This will be the Blazers' first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. They have never faced Trinity or St. Thomas, and hold a 0-2 record against Whitworth, their last matchup a 76-90 loss earlier this season.
Belhaven has largely been a team of swinging momentum this year. Holding a 9-7 record after 16 games, they had already gone on runs of six straight losses and six straight wins. To close out the season, they won their final six games, culminating in a 92-73 defeat of LaGrange College in the CCS Championship. A below-average to middle-of-the-road shooting team for most of the year, their most recent winning streak has come as the Blazers have found their stride from the field, shooting 50% overall and 38% from three over that stretch. They give up an average of 15.8 turnovers per game, but that's made up for on the defensive end, where they force 19.0 turnovers per game.
The Blazers are led by junior guard CJ Minton, who earned First Team All-CCS honors for his 16.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game on 43% shooting from the field and from three. Junior guard Dan Robinson joined him on the First Team All-CCS, averaging 14.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.1 steals on 40% shooting.
