Teams Inside the Pod

#1 Morningside

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20-5 Overall

GPAC Regular Season Champions

#15 Overall Seed

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Ranks Numberย 4ย in Division I in Total Rebound Defense (29.600)

Ranks Numberย 5ย in Division I in Total Rebound Margin (11.600)

Ranks Numberย 17ย in Division I in Defensive Rebounds per Game (30.640)

Ranks Numberย 22ย in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.491)

Ranks Numberย 23ย in Division I in Total Rebounds per Game (41.200)

Ranks Numberย 24ย in Division I in Total Total Rebound Offense (1030)

Ranks Numberย 26ย in Division I in Scoring Margin (10.600)

Ranks Numberย 33ย in Division I in Scoring Defense per Game (70.400)

Ranks Numberย 38ย in Division I in Total Scoring Offense (2025)

Ranks Numberย 46ย in Division I in Total Assists (350)

Ranks Numberย 50ย in Division I in Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.125)

#2 Thomas More

16-9 Overall

Mid-South Tournament Runner-Up

3rd Place Mid-South Regular Season

#25 Overall Seed

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Ranks Numberย 5ย in Division I in Scoring
Defense per Game (63.840)

Ranks Numberย 9ย in Division I in Total
Rebound Defense (30.720)

Ranks Numberย 26ย in Division I in Free Throw
Pct (0.745)

Ranks Numberย 27ย in Division I in
Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.244)

Ranks Numberย 36ย in Division I in Total 3-Pt
FG Made (220)

Ranks Numberย 38ย in Division I in 3-Pt Fg
Pct (0.375)

Ranks Numberย 41ย in Division I in Scoring
Margin (8.000)

Ranks Numberย 42ย in Division I in 3-Pt Fg
Pct Defense (0.318)

Ranks Numberย 42ย in Division I in Field Goal
Pct (0.479)

#3 Union

13-4 Overall

AAC Tournament Champions

#45 Overall Seed

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Ranks Numberย 2ย in Division I in Scoring Defense per Game (62.294)

ย Ranks Numberย 2ย in Division I in Steals per Game (11.000)

ย Ranks Numberย 2ย in Division I in Turnover Margin (7.118)

ย Ranks Numberย 9ย in Division I in Field Goal Pct Defense (0.391)

ย Ranks Numberย 17ย in Division I in Scoring Margin (12.412)

ย Ranks Numberย 17ย in Division I in Blocks per Game (4.059)

Top Players

#32 Trey Brown 6’8 Sr. – 16.9ppg, 11.3rpg,1.04bpg

2020-21 1st Team All-GPAC

2019-2020 DII All-American

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Ranks Numberย 5ย in Division I in Total Total Rebounds (282)

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Ranks Numberย 7ย in Division I in Total Rebounds per Game (11.280)

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Ranks Numberย 13ย in Division I in Defensive Rebounds per Game (7.840)

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Ranks Numberย 13ย in Division I in Offensive Rebounds per Game (3.440)

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Ranks Numberย 17ย in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.615)

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#12 Zach Imig 6’4 Sr. – 12.2ppg, 7.3rpg, 4.96apg, 1.5spg

2020-21 1st Team All-GPAC

2019-2020 DII All-Americanย 

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Ranks Numberย 15ย in Division I in Total Assists (124)

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Ranks Numberย 30ย in Division I in Assists per Game (4.960)

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Ranks Numberย 45ย in Division I in Defensive Rebounds per Game (6.200)

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Ranks Numberย 49ย in Division I in Total Steals (39)

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#3 Reid Jolley 6’7 So.- 19.8ppg, 6.8rpg

– 2020-21 1st Team All-Mid-South

– 2019-20 Mid-South Freshman of the Year

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– Ranks Numberย 19ย in Division I in Total Scoring (496)

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– Ranks Numberย 37ย in Division I in Points per Game (19.840)

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#1 Ryan Batte 6’5 Jr.- 18ppg, 6.6rpg, 2.9apg

– 2020-21 1st Team All-Mid-South

– 2019-20 All-American

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Ranks Numberย 31ย in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.580)

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Ranks Numberย 35ย in Division I in Total Scoring (451)

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#11 Markell Turner 6’2 So. – 28.3ppg, 4.0rpg, 3.59apg

2020-21 AACย  Player of the Year

Ranks Numberย 2ย in Division I in Points per Game (28.318)

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Ranks Numberย 2ย in Division I in Total 3-Pt FG Made (91)

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Ranks Numberย 3ย in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Made per Game (4.136)

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Ranks Numberย 3ย in Division I in Total Scoring (623)

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Ranks Numberย 45ย in Division I in Free Throw Pct (0.831)

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Points Per Game Leaders

1.ย ย ย ย ย  Markelle Turner Unionย ย 28.32ย 

2.ย ย ย ย ย  Reid Jolly Thomas Moreย ย 19.84ย 

3.ย ย ย ย ย  Ryan Batte Thomas Moreย ย 18.04ย 

4.ย ย ย ย ย  Trey Brown Morningsideย ย 16.83ย 

5.ย ย ย ย ย  Kelvin Jackson Unionย  ย 14.64ย 

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Rebounds Per Game Leaders

1.      Trey Brown  Morningside  11.1 

       2.      Zach Iming  Morningside  7.29 

        3.      Andre Silva  Union  6.85 

        4.      Reid Jolly  Thomas More  6.8 

5.      Ryan Batte  Thomas More   6.6 

Assist Per Game Leaders

1.      Zach Iming Morningside  5.04

2.      Markelle Turner Union  3.59 

    3.  Logan Swackhammer Thomas More   3.08 

4.      Ryan Batte  Tomas More  2.92 

5.      Trey Brown Morningside   2.25 

Matchups

Reid Jolley and Ryan Batte have been great the past couple years for Thomas More. They didn’t get to play in the NAIA National Tournament last season with it being cancelled. As long as they win this game they will get two games at home for a chance to go to the Sweet 16 in Kansas City. This team is smart and has good chemistry. They run their offense and make you pay for one little mistake. They are just 7-5 at home though, so this isn’t a slam dunk for them to win the Pod.

vs.

Union is going to come into this Pod really loose. It was looking like a rebuild year for the Bulldogs during the crazy regular season. They entered the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament as the 7-seed and it looked as though their streak of 7 straight AAC Tournament Titles was going to come to an end. However, the Bulldogs had other plans and rallied to win their EIGTH straight AAC Tournament Title, giving them a berth into the NAIA National Tournament. Markell Turner is one of the best scorers in the country and the sophomore is going to be fun to watch over the next couple of years! They get a tough draw here as they have to face Thomas More on the Saints home floor.

Hall of Fame Head Coach Jim Sykes will retire after this season to become the full time Athletic Director at Morningside. Trey Brown and Zach Imig have been playing and winning together since their high school days. Brown has been a double-double machine this year playing against a league full of good big men. They get a bit of a tough draw here though as, even as the 1-seed in this Pod, they may have to face Thomas More on their home court.

vs.

Winner of #2 Thomas More and #3 Union

This Pod will come down to whether or not the Saints can protect their home floor or not. They have seen good scorers and players this season playing in the Mid-South, so you expect them to have a good game plan ready to go for Markell Turner and the Union Bulldogs. If Union can carry the momentum off of the AAC Tournament run, them they can hang with Thomas More and make it interesting. Neither team has seen a big like Trey Brown this season. While the Mid-South does have EJ Onu, but Ej is a different player than Brown is. This Pod will come down to two main keys:

1. Can anyone beat Thomas More on their home floor.ย 

2. What do teams do to take away Trey Brown on the inside for Morningside.ย 

This isn’t to discredit a fun Union team. They have an uphill fight in this one, but they may have a little March Magic left in their veins! Markell Turner is electric and is the best scorer in this Pod. The Bulldogs are well coached and will be ready for the fight. They have won 6 straight coming into the tourney and really are playing their best basketball.

Thomas More plays such a methodical game offensively. They space the floor, will play five out and beat you with spacing, cutting and shooting. They execute well and take advantage of mismatches. If they can win the 1st game against Union, they will look to pull Trey Brown away from the paint and Batte could get him in foul trouble by driving on him from the mid-post. When they control the tempo and get stops they are tough to beat.

Brown and Imig are legit! The Mustangs have been a bit inconsistent behind those two though. If they are going to get out of this 2 game losing streak they are going to have to have some guys step up! You got to think they will also be pumped up to try and go as deep as they can in the National Tournament for Coach Sykes in his last season!

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