1 thing to know about each DII Men's Elite Eight 2021 team
1 thing to know about each DII Men’s Elite Eight 2021 team
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The 2021 DII Men’s Elite Eight is scheduled to depart Evansville at 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 24. You can stream the quarterfinals or follow the games right here on NCAA.com.
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Before the Lincoln Memorial and Colorado School of Mines reveal the Elite Eight action, let’s take a look at one thing you need to know about each remaining team.
West Texas No.1 A&M – This is the third consecutive trip to the Elite Eight for the Buffs. They’re 1-2 on the previous two trips, losing to host South Indiana in a memorable 2019 opener. Put simply, it doesn’t look like an Elite Eight DII without the buffs. , and they once again delivered.
Player to watch: Qua Grant – His winger Joel Murray is the team’s leading scorer, but Grant just scored a career-high 40 points in the South Central final.
No. 2 Northwestern Missouri State – The reigning champions are back for the third time in four seasons. The two previous trips? The Bearcats walked away with a national championship. Trevor Hudgins, Diego Bernard and Ryan Hawkins totaled 25 points in the 2019 Championship game and return for another round. A quick reminder: Hudgins and Bernard were just simple freshmen in this game.
Player to watch: Trevor Hudgins – The MIAA two-time player of the year is averaging 20.1 points on 54.5% of shots from the field, 52.5% of 3 and 89.2% on the free throw line.
Flagman n ° 3 – Welcome to the Elite Eight. The Saints are 17-2 and have a 15-game winning streak. Why is it so impressive? Flagler hasn’t seen a winning season since the 2007-08 season, with many of those years ending in single-digit wins. The Saints came out toppling two DI teams in one week and have yet to give in.
Player to watch: Jaizec Lottie – Lottie has become a true DII superstar, averaging 24.7 points per game, while shooting a remarkable 41.7% out of 3. He set the program record with 10 3s in the championship game. from the southern region.
Lincoln Memorial # 4 – Head coach Josh Schertz is looking to end a sensational 13-year career with the one thing that has eluded him: a national championship. He will have a team that is in the top 5 in DII in several categories, including scoring offense (5th with 92.8), margin of victory (1st with 22.8), rebound margin (5th with 8 , 8), assists per game (1st with 22.6), placement percentage (2nd at 52.7) at 3 percentage points (5th at 41.2). Yes, this team is good.
Player to watch: Jordan Guest – We’ve talked at length about Devin Whitfield and Cam Henry, but Guest is coming in strong and is a true X-factor. He had a fantastic tournament in the South East region, posting a double-double in the win against Tusculum before scoring 37 points, a season high, against Emmanuel (GA).
Colorado School of Mines # 5 – This is the second trip in program history for the Orediggers, reaching Elite Eight in 2017. The Orediggers have the best scoring defense remaining, allowing just 60.5 points per game. In our preview, we discussed how this sets up an unmissable clash between the Mines best defense and the Lincoln Memorial marksmanship attack.
Player to watch: Ben boone – Like the Lincoln Memorial, Mines has an incredible duet with Brenden Sullivan and Kobi Betts that we’ve talked about often this season. But Boone, the Western Region tournament MVP, could be a sneaky factor, shooting 65% in the Region tournament and unleashing a defense that allowed just 104 points in his two wins. .
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No. 6 Truman – The Bulldogs are Elite for the first time this millennium, last reaching Elite Eight in 1999 (are we going terribly cliché and screaming a certain Prince song?). The bottom line: This team impressed from the opening point at this point. All five starters have posted a double-digit average for the season with Cade McKnight leading with 17.3 points per game.
Player to watch: Dylan Peeters – The big man came out very hot this season, posting six consecutive double-doubles. He had a quiet first game in the Midwest region tournament, but came on in Game 2. Peeters controls the paint for the Bulldogs, leading the team in rebounds and blocks, while finishing second in interceptions.
N ° 7 West Liberty – It took a lot of heat to put the Hilltoppers in my last Power 10 of the regular season, but like I always say, I’m looking at the present and how the overall record can be misleading. West Liberty once again led the country in offense with 102.0 points per game. And while they have four losses, three came in one week in an ever-odd year. West Liberty is on a 14-1 run against the Elite Eight, including beating No.15 Charleston (WV) and No.9 Hillsdale to reach Elite Eight.
Player to watch: Marlon Moore, Jr. – This team is full of scorers, but Moore, Jr. had an interesting regional. He opened and closed with a double-double but disappeared somewhat at fault in the second game. He’s a huge spark on the bench that can deliver attack and presence in the paint.
Daemen n ° 8 – The Wildcats are the second team to make their Elite Eight debut this season. Daemen closed out the season facing Eastern Region heavyweight St. Thomas Aquinas four times in 17 days, and his 71-70 thriller in the final put the Wildcats over the hump.
Player to watch: Andrew Sischo – The Wildcats have four players with a double-digit average score, but let’s face it. This team goes as Sischo goes. He scored a high of 25 points in the last win, including 17 in the second half. He doesn’t just play big, he shines when it matters most.
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