Wheaton, North Central get tourney assignments
The Wheaton College men’s basketball team will travel to River Falls, Wis., this weekend to participate in an NCAA Division III Tournament regional hosted by Wisconsin-River Falls.
Wheaton (21-6) will face Gustavus Adolphus College (20-7) in one of two first-found games. Friday’s other first-round game will feature UW-River Falls versus Edgewood College. The victors from Friday’s two games will play each other in a second-round game at 7 p.m. Saturday for the right to advance to the sectional round of the NCAA Tournament next weekend.
“I am thrilled that we got in,” Thunder coach Mike Schauer said. “It’s funny how different my feelings are this year as a opposed to 2010 when we got in. That year I was just thrilled that we got in. I didn’t care where they sent us. This year I think we have a team that can win games in the tournament. So the excitement is still there, but there is a much greater sense of opportunity.”
Wheaton enters the tournament with a 21-6 record this season. The Thunder earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after finishing second during the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin’s regular-season schedule with an 11-3 record in conference play.
This is Wheaton’s 13th postseason appearance, and 12th in a NCAA Tournament (the 1955-56 team finished fourth in the NAIA Tournament). This season’s tournament appearance is the fourth postseason berth for the program in the past five years. Schauer is in his third season at the helm of his alma mater and is making his second NCAA Tournament appearance as its head coach.
Friday’s game will be the sixth meeting in men’s basketball between Wheaton and Gustavus Adolphus. The Gusties tallied a record of 20-7 this year and earned at-large into the NCAA Tournament.
North Central (20-7) will travel to St. Louis to open against Rose-Hulman (20-8) on Friday. The winner plays Saturday against either host Washington University or Buena Vista.
North Central is making its first NCAA appearance since 2006, sixth overall.
Illinois Wesleyan also earned an at-large berth from the CCIW.