Teams Inside the Pod
#1 Saint Francis (IN)
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24-8 Overall
Crossroads League Tournament Runners-Up
#14 Overall Seed
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Ranks Numberย 1ย in Division I in Total 3-Pt FG Made (340)
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Ranks Numberย 2ย in Division I in Total Assists (535)
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Ranks Numberย 3ย in Division I in Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.574)
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Ranks Numberย 3ย in Division I in Total Scoring Offense (2713)
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Ranks Numberย 5ย in Division I in Total Steals (244)
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Ranks Numberย 13ย in Division I in Total Total Rebound Offense (1128)
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Ranks Numberย 14ย in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Pct (0.389)
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Ranks Numberย 15ย in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Made per Game (10.625)
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Ranks Numberย 23ย in Division I in Assists per Game (16.719)
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Ranks Numberย 23ย in Division I in Total Blocks (91)
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Ranks Numberย 28ย in Division I in Scoring Margin (9.781)
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Ranks Numberย 29ย in Division I in Turnover Margin (2.656)
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Ranks Numberย 30ย in Division I in Scoring Offense per Game (84.781)
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Ranks Numberย 31ย in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.483)
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#2 Benedictine (KS)
20-6 Overall
Heart South Regular Season Champions
Heart Tournament Runners-Up
#27 Overall Seed
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Ranks Numberย 1ย in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Pct (0.431)
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Ranks Numberย 6ย in Division I in Total 3-Pt FG Made (283)
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Ranks Numberย 10ย in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Made per Game (10.885)
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Ranks Numberย 19ย in Division I in Free Throw Pct (0.751)
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Ranks Numberย 22ย in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.491)
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Ranks Numberย 24ย in Division I in Total Assists (396)
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Ranks Numberย 24ย in Division I in Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.286)
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Ranks Numberย 27ย in Division I in Total Blocks (87)
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Ranks Numberย 29ย in Division I in Scoring Margin (9.577)
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Ranks Numberย 31ย in Division I in Total Scoring Offense (2077)
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Ranks Numberย 32ย in Division I in Scoring Defense per Game (70.308)
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Ranks Numberย 45ย in Division I in Blocks per Game (3.346)
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Ranks Numberย 46ย in Division I in Field Goal Pct Defense (0.428)
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#3 Central Baptist
19-6 Overall
AMC Tournament Champions
#39 Overall Seed
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Ranks Numberย 2ย in Division I in Total Steals (255)
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Ranks Numberย 4ย in Division I in Steals per Game (10.200)
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Ranks Numberย 8ย in Division I in Scoring Margin (16.600)
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Ranks Numberย 10ย in Division I in Scoring Defense per Game (66.400)
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Ranks Numberย 12ย in Division I in Turnover Margin (3.880)
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Ranks Numberย 13ย in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Pct Defense (0.301)
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Ranks Numberย 16ย in Division I in Total Blocks (98)
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Ranks Numberย 21ย in Division I in Blocks per Game (3.920)
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Ranks Numberย 25ย in Division I in Field Goal Pct Defense (0.414)
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Ranks Numberย 26ย in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.488)
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Ranks Numberย 32ย in Division I in Total Scoring Offense (2075)
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Ranks Numberย 33ย in Division I in Total Assists (368)
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Ranks Numberย 33ย in Division I in Total Rebound Margin (5.800)
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Ranks Numberย 35ย in Division I in Total Rebound Defense (32.960)
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Ranks Numberย 35ย in Division I in Total Total Rebound Offense (969)
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Ranks Numberย 37ย in Division I in Scoring Offense per Game (83.000)
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Top Players
#12 Antwaan Cushingberry 5’8 Sr. – 17.6ppg, 4.5rpg, 5.1apg
2020-21 1st Team All-Crossroads League
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Ranks Numberย 2ย in Division I in Total Assists (162)
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Ranks Numberย 7ย in Division I in Total Scoring (564)
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Ranks Numberย 10ย in Division I in Total Steals (53)
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Ranks Numberย 22ย in Division I in Assists per Game (5.063)
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Ranks Numberย 41ย in Division I in Total 3-Pt FG Made (62)
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#25 David Ejah 6’6 So. – 15.9ppg, 9.2rpg
2020-21 2nd Team All-Crossroads League
Ranks Numberย 3ย in Division I in Total Total Rebounds (294)
Ranks Numberย 16ย in Division I in Total Scoring (509)
Ranks Numberย 18ย in Division I in Defensive Rebounds per Game (7.531)
Ranks Numberย 21ย in Division I in Total Blocks (36)
Ranks Numberย 26ย in Division I in Total Rebounds per Game (9.188)
#10 Jaiden Bristol 6’0 Sr. – 12.5ppg, 5.8rpg, 5.4apg
2020-21 1st Team All-Heart
2019-20 All-American
Ranks Numberย 7ย in Division I in Total
Assists (139)
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Ranks Numberย 15ย in Division I in Assists
per Game (5.346)
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Ranks Numberย 47ย in Division I in Free Throw
Pct (0.828)
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#20 Matt Austin 5’10 Sr. – 14.96ppg, 2.3rpg, 2.8apg
2020-21 2nd Team All-Heart
Ranks Number 27 in Division I in 3-pt FG Made (66)
#1 Tedrick Wolfe 6’5 Sr. – 14.8ppg, 5.29rpg
2020-21 1st Team All-AMC
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Ranks Numberย 23ย in Division I in Total Steals (47)
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Ranks Numberย 32ย in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.579)
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Ranks Numberย 34ย in Division I in Steals per Game (1.958)
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Points Per Game Leaders
1.ย ย ย ย ย Antwaan Cushingberry USF ย 17.63
2.ย ย ย ย ย David Ejah USF ย 15.91
3.ย ย ย ย ย Matt Austin Ben ย 14.96
4.ย ย ย ย ย Tredick Wolfe CBC ย 14.79
5.ย ย ย ย ย Eric Krus Ben 14.6ย
Rebounds Per Game Leaders
1.ย ย ย ย ย David Ejah USF ย 9.19
2.ย ย ย ย ย Zach Hudson CBC ย 7.2
3.ย ย ย ย ย Jaiden Bristol Ben ย 5.81
4.ย ย ย ย ย Tredrick Wolfe CBC ย 5.29
5.ย ย ย ย ย Jordan Parker CBC ย 5.0ย
Assist Per Game Leaders
1.ย ย ย ย ย Jaiden Bristol Ben ย 5.35
2.ย ย ย ย ย Antwaan Cushingberry USF ย 5.06
3.ย ย ย ย ย Jalen Mull USF ย ย 4.5
4.ย ย ย ย ย TaJuan Johnson CBC ย 3.24
5.ย ย ย ย ย Matt Austin Ben ย 2.81ย
Matchups
The 3rd and final Heart of America team to talk about. Benedictine is finished the season inside the Top 25, yet this is still a team that tends to be overlooked by outsiders. We honed in on this squad a bit over the final two weeks of the season and overlooking them is a big mistake. They just get better and better each time out. You can throw out the Heart title game, because WPU is just good, especially at home. This BC team though is going to be a tough out in this Pod!
vs.
With Lyon College not getting left off the bubble, this CBC team is it for the American Midwest Conference. A conference who will be rooting for them to do well to help the national persona of the league. CBC is a tough, scrappy bunch who always play hard! This game with BC is a battle of contrasting styles a bit. The Mustangs will need to guard the 3pt line and try and guard the BC motion without giving up easy buckets. If they can do that they can win the game1
Saint Francis really got on a roll late in the season, winning 7 straight games before losing in the Crossroads League Championship game to Marian. That streak included a 28 drubbing of #1 Indiana Wesleyan in which the Cougars led for the duration! Cushingberry and Ejah have been great for USF and Jalen Mull has been pretty consistent for the Cougars. If they play like the did in the Crossroads League Tournament they will be tough to defeat.
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Winner of #2 Benedictine vs #3 Central Baptist
For many, the Crossroads League is one of best in the NAIA and people think USF will have an easy walk into the Sweet 16! We aren’t so sure that it’s that easy!ย
Benedictine has the experience, grit and toughness to win this Pod. They have several players leftover from their Elite 8 team from two seasons ago. Jaiden Bristol remains one of the best under-the-radar players in the country! He’s a smart, crafty player who can go for 30 if that’s what they need him to do, or he can go for 10 assists if that’s what he is called upon to do.ย
CBC is a hungry group who felt disrespected often this season by not being in the Top 25 like they felt they should be. This group has a bunch of built up motivation that they will be looking to use to pull off a couple of upsets!
While USF is still the favorite to win this Pod, it shouldn’t be the walk in the park that some are expecting!
