Teams Inside the Pod
#1 Shawnee State
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26-2 Overall
Mid-South Conference Regular Season Champions
Mid-South Conference Tournament Champions
ย #6 Overall Seed
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ย Ranks Numberย 1ย in Division I in Blocks per Game (5.750)
Ranks Numberย 1ย in Division I in Total Blocks (161)
Ranks Numberย 2ย in Division I in Defensive Rebounds per Game (32.679)
Ranks Numberย 2ย in Division I in Field Goal Pct Defense (0.372)
Ranks Numberย 2ย in Division I in Total Total Rebound Offense (1263)
Ranks Numberย 4ย in Division I in Total Rebounds per Game (45.107)
Ranks Numberย 6ย in Division I in Total Rebound Margin (11.250)
Ranks Numberย 6ย in Division I in Total Assists (466)
Ranks Numberย 8ย in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Pct Defense (0.290)
Ranks Numberย 9ย in Division I in Total Scoring Offense (2363)
Ranks Numberย 12ย in Division I in Scoring Margin (14.536)
Ranks Numberย 21ย in Division I in Total 3-Pt FG Made (254)
Ranks Numberย 24ย in Division I in Assists per Game (16.643)
Ranks Numberย 24ย in Division I in Offensive Rebounds per Game (12.429)
Ranks Numberย 24ย in Division I in Total Steals (195)
#2 Rochester
13-3 Overall
WHAC Regular Season Champions
WHAC Tournament Runners-Up
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ย #36 Overall Seed
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Ranks Numberย 9ย in Division I in Scoring
Defense per Game (65.563)
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Ranks Numberย 31ย in Division I in Total
Rebound Defense (32.625)
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Ranks Numberย 33ย in Division I in Turnover
Margin (2.563)
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Ranks Numberย 45ย in Division I in Assists
per Game (15.375)
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#3 WVU Tech
12-6 Overall
River States Athletic Conference Tournament Champions
ย #41 Overall Seed
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Ranks Numberย 22ย in Division I in Free Throw Pct (0.748)
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Ranks Numberย 27ย in Division I in Scoring Defense per Game (69.889)
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Ranks Numberย 29ย in Division I in Blocks per Game (3.778)
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Ranks Numberย 32ย in Division I in Total Rebound Defense (32.778)
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Ranks Numberย 40ย in Division I in Assists per Game (15.556)
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Ranks Numberย 42ย in Division I in Steals per Game (7.944)
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Ranks Numberย 50ย in Division I in Scoring Margin (6.778)
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Ranks Numberย 50ย in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.473)
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Top Players
#35 EJ Onu 6’11 Sr. – 17.4ppg, 7.8rpg
2020-21 MSC Player of the Year
– 2x All-American
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Ranks Numberย 1ย in Division I in Blocks per Game (4.107)
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Ranks Numberย 1ย in Division I in Total Blocks (115)
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Ranks Numberย 21ย in Division I in Total Scoring (488)
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Ranks Numberย 25ย in Division I in Total Total Rebounds (219)
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Ranks Numberย 26ย in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.599)
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Ranks Numberย 49ย in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Pct (0.453)
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#2 James Jones 6’4 Sr. – 19.3ppg, 5.8rpg, 4.96apg
Ranks Numberย 12ย in Division I in Total Assists (129)
Ranks Numberย 18ย in Division I in Total Scoring (501)
Ranks Numberย 29ย in Division I in Assists per Game (4.962)
Ranks Numberย 44ย in Division I in Points per Game (19.269)
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#21 Virgil Walker 6’7 Sr. – 16.88ppg, 9.0rpg
2020-21ย WHAC Newcomer of the Year
– 2019-20 All-American (Graceland)
Ranks Numberย 11ย in Division I in Defensive Rebounds per Game (8.000)
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Ranks Numberย 33ย in Division I in Total Rebounds per Game (9.000)
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#1 Andre Johnson 6’0 Sr. – 14.2ppg, 3.1rpg
2020-21 2nd Team All-WHAC
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No Top 50 Stats
#24 Tamon Scruggs 6’4 Sr. – 15.6ppg, 5.8rpg
2020-21 1st Team All-RSC
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Points Per Game Leaders
1.ย James Jones Shawneeย ย 19.3ย
2.ย ย ย ย ย EJ Onu Shawneeย ย 17.4ย
3.ย ย ย ย ย Virgil Walker Jr Rochesterย ย 16.88ย
4. Tamon Scruggs 15.58
5.ย ย ย ย ย Darrin Martin WVU Techย ย 14.28ย
Rebounds Per Game Leaders
1. Virgil Walker Jr Rochester 9.0
2. EJ Onu Shawnee 7.8
3. Donovan Carlisle 6.6
4. Amier Gilmore Shawnee 6.2
T5. James Jones Shawnee 5.8
T5. Tamon Scruggs WVU Tech 5.8
Assist Per Game Leaders
1. James Jones Shawnee 4.96
2. Darrin Martin WVU Tech 4.39
3. Andrew Kline Rochester 3.69
4. Jakiel Wells Shawnee 3.11
5. Cannon Campbell Rochester 3.0
Matchups
This Rochester team comes off of losing in the WHAC Tournament Title game and haven’t played a ton of games this season, but they have made the best out of the ones they have played. 2020-21 WHAC Newcomer of the Year and 2019-20 NAIA All-American Virgil Walker Jr. has been a beast for RC.ย He played at Graceland in 2019-20, but transferred closer to home and has been dominant this year nearly averaging a double-double. At 13-3 this RC team hasn’t lost a ton this season, so expect them to come in with some swagger.
vs.
This WVU Tech Team won the River States Athletic Conference Tournament and enter the National Tournament with a three game win streak. It may have been an unorthodox season for all of the River States Conference teams, but James Long has them playing tough basketball.
Winners of 22 straight games. That is more wins in a row this season then 21 teams in this field have played in total games played! This team is playing great basketball and they have their defense locked in headed into the NAIA National Tournament. This team is big, long and athletic. While EJ Onu is one of the top players in the country, it’s been the addition of James Jones that has taken the Bears to a new level of play this season!
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Winner of #2 Rochester and #3 WVU Tech
We still sit on our thought that this Shawnee team is as good as anyone in the country. They are playing as good as anyone in the country right now and don’t look like they are going to be slowed down any time soon.ย
This is no slight at either WVU Tech or Rochester, both should be proud of what they have accomplished this season. It’s also March, and upsets happen, so by no means are either of these teams going to show up and just hand Shawnee State the title. Heck one of Shawnee States last losses was to Rio Grande, a team that WVU Tech beat in the RSC Tournament Title game.
Shawnee State, rightfully so, will be the heavy favorite in this Pod. The duo of James Jones and EJ Onu have been crazy good and Jakiel Wells at PG has been the rock that has held this team together in the stretches the Bears haven’t played well. They play suffocating defense with shot blockers at the rim. It’s a tough puzzle to figure out and Rochester or WVU Tech will have their hands full in figuring out the winning formula!
