Teams Inside the Pod
#1 Indiana Wesleyan
29-2 Overall
Crossroads League Regular Season Champions
#1 Overall Seed
Ranks Number 1 in Division I in Total Assists (604)
Ranks Number 1 in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.549)
Ranks Number 1 in Division I in Total Steals (279)
Ranks Number 1 in Division I in Total Scoring Offense (3043)
Ranks Number 2 in Division I in Total Blocks (160)
Ranks Number 3 in Division I in Scoring Margin (22.806)
Ranks Number 3 in Division I in Scoring Offense per Game (98.161)
Ranks Number 3 in Division I in Total Total Rebound Offense (1237)
Ranks Number 4 in Division I in Assists per Game (19.484)
Ranks Number 4 in Division I in Free Throw Pct (0.793)
Ranks Number 6 in Division I in Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.549)
Ranks Number 7 in Division I in Blocks per Game (5.161)
Ranks Number 16 in Division I in Total 3-Pt FG Made (263)
Ranks Number 17 in Division I in Steals per Game (9.000)
Ranks Number 18 in Division I in Total Rebound Margin (7.968)
Ranks Number 18 in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Pct (0.387)
Ranks Number 19 in Division I in Total Rebound Defense (31.935)
Ranks Number 28 in Division I in Defensive Rebounds per Game (29.516)
Ranks Number 35 in Division I in Turnover Margin (2.548)
Ranks Number 36 in Division I in Total Rebounds per Game (39.903)
#2 IU South Bend
6-0 Overall
CCAC Tournament Champions
#38 Overall Seed
Ranks Number 4 in Division I in Turnover
Margin (6.167)
Ranks Number 8 in Division I in Total
Rebound Defense (30.500)
Ranks Number 11 in Division I in Field Goal
Pct (0.505)
Ranks Number 13 in Division I in Scoring
Margin (13.833)
Ranks Number 13 in Division I in Scoring
Defense per Game (68.500)
Ranks Number 17 in Division I in
Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.351)
Ranks Number 23 in Division I in Free Throw
Pct (0.747)
Ranks Number 25 in Division I in Steals per
Game (8.500)
Ranks Number 43 in Division I in Scoring
Offense per Game (82.333)
#3 Rio Grande
16-9 Overall
River States Tournament Runners-Up
#44 Overall Seed
Ranks Number 7 in Division I in Free Throw
Pct (0.782)
Ranks Number 29 in Division I in Total 3-Pt
FG Made (231)
Ranks Number 41 in Division I in Scoring
Defense per Game (71.040)
Ranks Number 48 in Division I in 3-Pt Fg
Made per Game (9.240)
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 Number 1 in Division I in Points per Game (29.742)
Ranks Number 1 in Division I in Total Scoring (922)
Ranks Number 3 in Division I in Total Assists (157)
Ranks Number 6 in Division I in Total Steals (58)
Ranks Number 14 in Division I in Total 3-Pt FG Made (74)
Ranks Number 16 in Division I in Total Total Rebounds (229)
Ranks Number 21 in Division I in Assists per Game (5.065)
Ranks Number 23 in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.604)
Ranks Number 41 in Division I in Free Throw Pct (0.844)
Ranks Number 45 in Division I in Steals per Game (1.871)
#42 Seth Maxwell 7' Jr. - 17.1ppg, 7.7rpg,
2019-20 DII All-American
Ranks Number 2 in Division I in Total Blocks (89)
Ranks Number 4 in Division I in Blocks per Game (2.871)
Ranks Number 11 in Division I in Total Total Rebounds (239)
Ranks Number 12 in Division I in Total Scoring (530)
Ranks Number 16 in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.617)
#11 Dylan Allen 6'0 Sr. - 16.5ppg, 3.2rpg, 2.3apg
Ranks Number 6 in Division I in Free Throw Pct (0.917)
#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
Ranks Number 15 in Division I in Total Blocks (37)
Ranks Number 23 in Division I in Blocks per Game (1.609)
Ranks Number 47 in Division I in Free Throw Pct (0.828)
Points Per Game Leaders
1. Kyle Mangus IWU 29.74
2. Miki Tadic Rio 17.38
3. Shiloah Blevins Rio 17.18
4. Seth Maxwell IWU 17.1
5. Dylan Allen IUSB 16.5
Rebounds Per Game Leaders
1. Seth Maxwell IWU 7.7
2. Kyle Mangus IWU 7.4
3. Shiloah Blevins Rio 6.7
4. Redeetris Richardson Rio 5.86
5. Norell Smith IUSB 5.3
Assist Per Game Leaders
1. Kyle Mangus IWU 5.06
2. Noah Smith IWU 4.8
3. Donyell Meredith II IUSB 3.5
4. Miki Tadic Rio 3.48
5. Caleb Wallis Rio 3.2
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.
