Northwest headed for 3rd NCAA Elite Eight
CODY THORN/DAILY FORUM
Northwest Missouri State University’s D’Vante Mosby gets the ball to go over Southwest Minnesota State’s Mitch Weg during the Bearcats’ 55-52 win over the Mustangs on Tuesday. Mosby finished with eight points and seven rebounds as the Bearcats advanced to the Elite Eight.
The Northwest Missouri State bench already had a pair of guys with ties to the NCAA Elite Eight.
Head basketball coach Ben McCollum spent time as the graduate assistant in the 2001-2002 season when Northwest reached that level for the first time under longtime coach Steve Tappmeyer.
A couple seasons later, current assistant coach Austin Meyer played a key role as a player on the 2003-2004 team that punched a ticket to the national quarterfinals.
Now the whole bench will have that experience.
Following the 55-52 win against No. 18-ranked Southwest Minnesota State, this year’s team has secured yet another banner for Bearcat Arena by winning the Central Regional finals.
The next time Northwest takes the court it will be on Wednesday, March 22 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The opponent isn’t known yet, but McCollum said he would start finding information about the seven other teams advancing.
“Me, I’m sure I will probably check it out tonight, I’m just like that,” he said. “When should I? Hopefully in a couple of days. Our guys need a refresher and a need a break mentally. They deserve it. We will be in shape and ready to go. I don’t know when we play.”
The field of eight that will convene at the Sanford Pentagon next week has seven members in it and by Wednesday night, all eight will be in after Saint Rose plays No. 15-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas in the NCAA East Regional finals that was postponed on Tuesday due to snow.
On Monday night, Chico State upset No. 19-ranked UC-San Diego to become the first in.
No. 2-ranked Bellarmine, No. 11 Colorado Mines, No. 15 Lincoln Memorial, No. 3 Fairmont State and unranked Rollins also punched tickets to Sioux Falls.
The NCAA will reseed the tournament and Northwest, ranked No. 1 in the nation, should get the No. 1 seed and a showdown with the No. 8 team – based on postseason seeds with Rollins, a seven-seed that beat No. 21-ranked Alabama-Huntsville or Chico State, a six seed that defeated three nationally-ranked team on the way to the NCAA West Regional title.
“This time of the year, I don’t think it really matters,” McCollum. “If there is a regional champion, you are pretty darn good … really good. We will face probably face the best team all year whoever it may be and they will probably face the best team they have faced too.”
