NCAA DI men's tournament features NJCAA alumni
Charlotte, NC - The highly anticipated 2022 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament kicked off on March 15 and 16 with the first four play-in games. The first round of the tournament takes flight March 17-18 as 68 teams play for a shot at advancing to the final four. The NJCAA is highlighting notable alumni that continued their success at the four-year level, including 51 student-athletes and 36 coaches across 37 teams.
2022 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament Schedule and Bracket
Indian Hills (IA) boasts the most alumni that earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament including Tyrese Nickelson of first four Texas A&M-Corpus Christian (2019-21), Levar Williams of No. 12 seed (West Region) New Mexico State (2019-21), Drake Jeffries of first four Wyoming (2019-20), and Samba Kane of No. 10 seed (East District) San Francisco (2019-20). The Warriors possess 17 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship tournament appearances, including seven-consecutive (2014-20), and the most recent in 2022 seeded at No. 7. The tournament was unable to transpire in 2020 due to COVID-19, however, the Warriors received the No. 2 seed and in 2019, the No. 12 seed.
A teammate of Jeffries on the Wyoming roster, Deng Dut is a former Southern Idaho standout (2019-21). The Pokes finished the season with a 25-9 record following a loss in the First Four and made their 16th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Following the Australia native's career with the Golden Eagles, the point guard was named a 2020-21 NJCAA First Team All-American. Dut, who earned Scenic West Athletic Conference Player of the Week several times, also earned NJCAA Region 18 First Team honors, Region 18 Player of the Year, and Region 18 Tournament MVP.
Kirkwood (IA) has representation in the NCAA Tournament with two former student-athletes that are both on the No. 13 seed (Midwest Region) South Dakota State roster. Former and current teammates Luke Appel (2018-20) and Douglas Wilson (2017-19) captured the 2019 NJCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship title, the program's third. Appel was a 2020 NJCAA Division II Second Team-All American, the 2020 ICCAC Co-Player of the Year, and helped his squad win the ICCAC regular-season title. Wilson was named the 2019 NJCAA Division II Men's Basketball Player of the Year after earning NJCAA First-Team All-American status, ICCAC Player of the Year honors, and First Team All-Region. For the Jackrabbits, Appel was named Sixth Man of the Year and Wilson is the leading scorer (16.5 PPG), Summit Tournament MVP, First-Team All-Summit, and named to the All-Defensive Team. 2022 marks the team's sixth NCAA Tournament appearance.
On the coaching side, Chris Beard is No. 6 seed (East Region) Texas' head coach, a position he's held since April 2021. Beard was the head coach at Seminole State College (OK) for one season in 2000-01, guiding the team to a 25-6 mark and a No. 14 national ranking in the final NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball poll. He also spent one year as head coach at Fort Scott Community College (KS.) in 1999-2000, leading the squad to a 19-12 record and an NJCAA Division I Regional appearance. 2022 marks the 36th overall appearance by the Longhorns in the NCAA Tournament. Texas is just one of eight schools nationally to appear in at least 20 of the last 23 NCAA tourneys.
No. 4 seed (South District) Illinois has three former NJCAA coaches on its coaching staff including head coach Brad Underwood and assistant coaches Geoff Alexander and Tim Anderson. Underwood spent time as head coach at NJCAA's Daytona State (FL) from 2004-06 and Dodge City (KS) from 1990-93, in addition to an assistant coach stint, also with the Conquistadors, in 1989. Underwood was a basketball student-athlete in 1984 at Independence (KS). Alexander served three years as an assistant for Underwood at Daytona State from 2004-06 and played two seasons of basketball at Southeastern (IA), while Anderson received his first coaching opportunity as an assistant at Malcolm X (IL). In 2021, the Fighting Illini made it to the NCAA Tourney Round of 32.
Mark Adams, head coach at Texas Tech, the No. 3 seed (West District), is a former head coach at Clarendon (TX) from 1981-82 and Howard (MD) from 2004-13. A Texas Tech graduate, Adams led the Hawks to a 2010 NJCAA National Championship and was named the NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Coach of the Year. The team was led by current Phoenix Suns (AZ) forward and 2010 NJCAA Player of the Year Jae Crowder. The Raiders are set for the program's fourth straight and 19th overall NCAA Tournament appearance. Adams was named the Associated Press Big 12 Coach of the Year and named to the Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year Late Season Watch List.
The 75th annual 2022 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Tournament is being held March 14-19 in the historic Hutchinson Sports Arena in Hutchinson, KS with 24 teams competing for the title. For more, visit: 2022 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Home
The 2022 NJCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship tournament is being held March 15-19 at the Mary Miller Center in Danville, IL with 16 teams in contest. For more, visit: 2022 NJCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship Home
