Teams Inside the Pod

#1 Indiana Wesleyan

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29-2 Overall

Crossroads League Regular Season Champions

#1 Overall Seed

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Ranks Numberย 1ย in Division I in Total Assists (604)

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Ranks Numberย 1ย in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.549)

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Ranks Numberย 1ย in Division I in Total Steals (279)

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Ranks Numberย 1ย in Division I in Total Scoring Offense (3043)

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Ranks Numberย 2ย in Division I in Total Blocks (160)

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Ranks Numberย 3ย in Division I in Scoring Margin (22.806)

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Ranks Numberย 3ย in Division I in Scoring Offense per Game (98.161)

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Ranks Numberย 3ย in Division I in Total Total Rebound Offense (1237)

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Ranks Numberย 4ย in Division I in Assists per Game (19.484)

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Ranks Numberย 4ย in Division I in Free Throw Pct (0.793)

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Ranks Numberย 6ย in Division I in Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.549)

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Ranks Numberย 7ย in Division I in Blocks per Game (5.161)

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Ranks Numberย 16ย in Division I in Total 3-Pt FG Made (263)

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Ranks Numberย 17ย in Division I in Steals per Game (9.000)

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Ranks Numberย 18ย in Division I in Total Rebound Margin (7.968)

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Ranks Numberย 18ย in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Pct (0.387)

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Ranks Numberย 19ย in Division I in Total Rebound Defense (31.935)

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Ranks Numberย 28ย in Division I in Defensive Rebounds per Game (29.516)

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Ranks Numberย 35ย in Division I in Turnover Margin (2.548)

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Ranks Numberย 36ย in Division I in Total Rebounds per Game (39.903)

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#2 IU South Bend

6-0 Overall

CCAC Tournament Champions

#38 Overall Seed

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Ranks Numberย 4ย in Division I in Turnover
Margin (6.167)

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Ranks Numberย 8ย in Division I in Total
Rebound Defense (30.500)

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Ranks Numberย 11ย in Division I in Field Goal
Pct (0.505)

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Ranks Numberย 13ย in Division I in Scoring
Margin (13.833)

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Ranks Numberย 13ย in Division I in Scoring
Defense per Game (68.500)

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Ranks Numberย 17ย in Division I in
Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.351)

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Ranks Numberย 23ย in Division I in Free Throw
Pct (0.747)

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Ranks Numberย 25ย in Division I in Steals per
Game (8.500)

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Ranks Numberย 43ย in Division I in Scoring
Offense per Game (82.333)

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#3 Rio Grande

16-9 Overall

River States Tournament Runners-Up

#44 Overall Seed

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Ranks Numberย 7ย in Division I in Free Throw
Pct (0.782)

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Ranks Numberย 29ย in Division I in Total 3-Pt
FG Made (231)

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Ranks Numberย 41ย in Division I in Scoring
Defense per Game (71.040)

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Ranks Numberย 48ย in Division I in 3-Pt Fg
Made per Game (9.240)

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Top Players

#24 Kyle Mangas 6’4 Sr. – 29.74ppg, 7.4rpg, 5.1apg

4x Crossroads League Player of the Year

2019-20 NAIA DII National Player of the Year

2019-20 Bevo Francis Award Winner

Ranks Numberย 1ย in Division I in Points per Game (29.742)

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Ranks Numberย 1ย in Division I in Total Scoring (922)

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Ranks Numberย 3ย in Division I in Total Assists (157)

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Ranks Numberย 6ย in Division I in Total Steals (58)

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Ranks Numberย 14ย in Division I in Total 3-Pt FG Made (74)

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Ranks Numberย 16ย in Division I in Total Total Rebounds (229)

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Ranks Numberย 21ย in Division I in Assists per Game (5.065)

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Ranks Numberย 23ย in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.604)

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Ranks Numberย 41ย in Division I in Free Throw Pct (0.844)

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Ranks Numberย 45ย in Division I in Steals per Game (1.871)

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#42 Seth Maxwell 7′ Jr. – 17.1ppg, 7.7rpg,

2019-20 DII All-American

Ranks Numberย 2ย in Division I in Total Blocks (89)

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Ranks Numberย 4ย in Division I in Blocks per Game (2.871)

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Ranks Numberย 11ย in Division I in Total Total Rebounds (239)

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Ranks Numberย 12ย in Division I in Total Scoring (530)

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Ranks Numberย 16ย in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.617)

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#11 Dylan Allen 6’0 Sr. – 16.5ppg, 3.2rpg, 2.3apg

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Ranks Number 6 in Division I in Free Throw Pct (0.917)

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#3 Donyell Meredith II 6’4 Jr. – 15.7ppg, 4.2rpg, 3.5apg

Ranks Number 36 in Division I in Field Goal Pct (.576)

#11 Shiloh Blevins 6’5 So. – 17.2ppg, 6.7rpg, 1.6bpg

2020-21 River States Conf. Player of the Year

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Ranks Numberย 15ย in Division I in Total Blocks (37)

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Ranks Numberย 23ย in Division I in Blocks per Game (1.609)

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Ranks Numberย 47ย in Division I in Free Throw Pct (0.828)

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Points Per Game Leaders

1.ย ย ย ย ย  Kyle Mangus IWUย  29.74

2.ย ย ย ย ย  Miki Tadic Rio ย 17.38

3.ย ย ย ย ย  Shiloah Blevins Rioย  17.18ย 

4.ย ย ย ย ย  Seth Maxwell IWU ย 17.1

5.ย ย ย ย ย  Dylan Allen IUSBย  ย 16.5ย 

Rebounds Per Game Leaders

1.ย ย ย ย ย  Seth Maxwell IWUย  7.7

2.ย ย ย ย ย  Kyle Mangus IWUย  7.4

3.ย ย ย ย ย  Shiloah Blevins Rio ย 6.7

4.ย ย ย ย ย  Redeetris Richardson Rioย  5.86

5.ย ย ย ย ย  Norell Smith IUSBย  5.3

Assist Per Game Leaders

1.ย ย ย ย ย  Kyle Mangus IWUย  5.06

2.ย ย ย ย ย  Noah Smith IWU ย 4.8

3.ย ย ย ย ย  Donyell Meredith II IUSB 3.5

4.ย ย ย ย ย  Miki Tadic Rioย  3.48

5.ย ย ย ย ย  Caleb Wallis Rio ย 3.2ย 

Matchups

Still one of the best stories in the NAIA this crazy season. The Trojans were shut down in November, after playing just 2 games. They remained shut down and were unable to play in the CCAC Regular Season. The defending CCAC Tournament Champions were allowed to enter the CCAC Tournament as the 15-seed. The Trojans took advantage of it, winning 4 straight road games, including going to Olivet Nazarene and winning at the buzzer in the CCAC Title game. They enter the NAIA National Tournament at just 6-0.

vs.

Rio is limping into the NAIA National Tournament. They have won 6 of their last 7 contests, but are so banged up right now that they have had to play a few guys hurt or have been missing them completely. They still managed to make it to the River States Conference Title game though. We will see if this week off has helped them get back to full strength or not. Either way, what a great year for Rio and their 1st year Head Coach Ryan Arrowood.

Star power in Mangas and Maxwell with really good players built in around them. This IWU team may have lost by 28pts, at home, in the Crossroads League semifinals, but they have played the toughest schedule in the NAIA and are the favorites to win the National Title. We will see how they bounce back from the big loss to Saint Francis, but they are too well coached and too veteran of a group to think they could lose two games in a row at home, after winning 50 straight at home prior.

vs.

Winner of #2 IU South Bend vs #3 Rio Grande

The opening round matchup really comes down to the health of Rio and how hungry this IUSB team still is after one crazy conference tournament run. Playing in just 6 games will make it tougher for Rio to get a scout, but it’s probably as equally as tough on IUSB to get a great scout without knowing who is back healthy and ready to play for Rio. The game will ultimately come down to IUSB taking care of the basketball, and Rio’s ability to continue to force turnovers. 

IWU is a beast and no reason to think otherwise after that semifinal loss in the Crossroads League tournament. Not only have they had a week of adding some fuel to the fire to get motivated and refocused, but they also get to play their tournament game at home, in Luckey Arena. An arena where they had the Nations longest winning streak prior to that CL Semifinal game. The Wildcats have the best player in the country in Kyle Mangas and as good as he is, this IWU team is also deep and play really hard. They always seem to go on these bursts in the middle of the game where they maybe go on a 8-2 run, or 12-4 run. Most of the time they are already up 6-8 points and those runs blow the game open. Teams have been able to stick with them for a half, but they have proven that they are a second half team and make great 2nd half adjustments once they know what a team’s gameplan is.

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