Teams Inside the Pod
#1 Saint Francis (IN)
24-8 Overall
Crossroads League Tournament Runners-Up
#14 Overall Seed
Ranks Number 1 in Division I in Total 3-Pt FG Made (340)
Ranks Number 2 in Division I in Total Assists (535)
Ranks Number 3 in Division I in Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.574)
Ranks Number 3 in Division I in Total Scoring Offense (2713)
Ranks Number 5 in Division I in Total Steals (244)
Ranks Number 13 in Division I in Total Total Rebound Offense (1128)
Ranks Number 14 in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Pct (0.389)
Ranks Number 15 in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Made per Game (10.625)
Ranks Number 23 in Division I in Assists per Game (16.719)
Ranks Number 23 in Division I in Total Blocks (91)
Ranks Number 28 in Division I in Scoring Margin (9.781)
Ranks Number 29 in Division I in Turnover Margin (2.656)
Ranks Number 30 in Division I in Scoring Offense per Game (84.781)
Ranks Number 31 in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.483)
#2 Benedictine (KS)
20-6 Overall
Heart South Regular Season Champions
Heart Tournament Runners-Up
#27 Overall Seed
Ranks Number 1 in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Pct (0.431)
Ranks Number 6 in Division I in Total 3-Pt FG Made (283)
Ranks Number 10 in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Made per Game (10.885)
Ranks Number 19 in Division I in Free Throw Pct (0.751)
Ranks Number 22 in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.491)
Ranks Number 24 in Division I in Total Assists (396)
Ranks Number 24 in Division I in Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.286)
Ranks Number 27 in Division I in Total Blocks (87)
Ranks Number 29 in Division I in Scoring Margin (9.577)
Ranks Number 31 in Division I in Total Scoring Offense (2077)
Ranks Number 32 in Division I in Scoring Defense per Game (70.308)
Ranks Number 45 in Division I in Blocks per Game (3.346)
Ranks Number 46 in Division I in Field Goal Pct Defense (0.428)
#3 Central Baptist
19-6 Overall
AMC Tournament Champions
#39 Overall Seed
Ranks Number 2 in Division I in Total Steals (255)
Ranks Number 4 in Division I in Steals per Game (10.200)
Ranks Number 8 in Division I in Scoring Margin (16.600)
Ranks Number 10 in Division I in Scoring Defense per Game (66.400)
Ranks Number 12 in Division I in Turnover Margin (3.880)
Ranks Number 13 in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Pct Defense (0.301)
Ranks Number 16 in Division I in Total Blocks (98)
Ranks Number 21 in Division I in Blocks per Game (3.920)
Ranks Number 25 in Division I in Field Goal Pct Defense (0.414)
Ranks Number 26 in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.488)
Ranks Number 32 in Division I in Total Scoring Offense (2075)
Ranks Number 33 in Division I in Total Assists (368)
Ranks Number 33 in Division I in Total Rebound Margin (5.800)
Ranks Number 35 in Division I in Total Rebound Defense (32.960)
Ranks Number 35 in Division I in Total Total Rebound Offense (969)
Ranks Number 37 in Division I in Scoring Offense per Game (83.000)
Top Players
#12 Antwaan Cushingberry 5'8 Sr. - 17.6ppg, 4.5rpg, 5.1apg
2020-21 1st Team All-Crossroads League
Ranks Number 2 in Division I in Total Assists (162)
Ranks Number 7 in Division I in Total Scoring (564)
Ranks Number 10 in Division I in Total Steals (53)
Ranks Number 22 in Division I in Assists per Game (5.063)
Ranks Number 41 in Division I in Total 3-Pt FG Made (62)
#25 David Ejah 6'6 So. - 15.9ppg, 9.2rpg
2020-21 2nd Team All-Crossroads League
Ranks Number 3 in Division I in Total Total Rebounds (294)
Ranks Number 16 in Division I in Total Scoring (509)
Ranks Number 18 in Division I in Defensive Rebounds per Game (7.531)
Ranks Number 21 in Division I in Total Blocks (36)
Ranks Number 26 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 Number 7 in Division I in Total
Assists (139)
Ranks Number 15 in Division I in Assists
per Game (5.346)
Ranks Number 47 in Division I in Free Throw
Pct (0.828)
#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
Ranks Number 23 in Division I in Total Steals (47)
Ranks Number 32 in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.579)
Ranks Number 34 in Division I in Steals per Game (1.958)
Points Per Game Leaders
1. Antwaan Cushingberry USF 17.63
2. David Ejah USF 15.91
3. Matt Austin Ben 14.96
4. Tredick Wolfe CBC 14.79
5. Eric Krus Ben 14.6
Rebounds Per Game Leaders
1. David Ejah USF 9.19
2. Zach Hudson CBC 7.2
3. Jaiden Bristol Ben 5.81
4. Tredrick Wolfe CBC 5.29
5. Jordan Parker CBC 5.0
Assist Per Game Leaders
1. Jaiden Bristol Ben 5.35
2. Antwaan Cushingberry USF 5.06
3. Jalen Mull USF 4.5
4. TaJuan Johnson CBC 3.24
5. Matt Austin Ben 2.81
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.
vs.
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!
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.
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!
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