Njcaa

[tornado]

The NJCAA junior college national tournament will feature at least two Bradley recruits...
Neosho County's Freddie McSwain
Gillette College's Kavell Bigby-Williams

Midland College and former recruit Daeshon Francis has been knocked out of contention and is no longer playing.

Ranger College finished their season officially 28-5 but they really only lost one game - this afternoon in their Regionals to Odessa...but were saddled with four forfeits...
but they had a truly remarkable run under new head coach (and ex U of I asst & UK head coach) Billy Gillispie

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/college-sports/collegesports/2016/03/05/resurrection-billy-gillispie-ranger-story-get-even-better-win-todays-njcaa-region-v-title-game?hootPostID=39bdb7cf447f0d3417ae905af0f4dfbc

Games begin March 14 with the Championship determined March 19 - the brackets & seeding should be determined within the next few days (3:30pm Monday, Mar. 7)

http://www.njcaabbtrny.org/home1024/homepage.htm

[tornado]

The official seeding for the NJCAA Tourney has a few surprises...

one mild one is that Freddie McSwain's Neosho County (29-5 against a very tough schedule) is seeded #9 and they play the lowest seeded #24 team Harcum (28-4) (at 1pm Eastern on Monday 3/14)

The real stunner is that Kavell-Bigby-Williams' Gillette College (32-1) is seeded #8! Their first game is against the #9 seed/#24 seed winner!
They are 32-1, BLEW thru all opponents easily in advancing past their Regionals, and they were somewhat UNDER-rated at #5 ranking nationally in all of DI NJCAA
For them to now be seeded 8th would imply at least 3 teams snuck up in the rankings while Gillette was blowing out stiff Regional opponents. Hard to believe.

Even worse for Bradley fans - now because Neosho & Gillette are the #8 & #9 seeds, they will meet in the 2nd round if Neosho advances...
but Gillette has a 1st round bye so they potentially play Neosho in their opening game! (on Tuesday 3/15 at 5:30pm Eastern)

http://njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/2015-16/div1/national_championship/index

games will be streamed

http://www.njcaatv.com/landing/index

[tornado]

Here's the full bracket with teams and game times

http://static.psbin.com/k/p/qv7rvhb6u2gd4w/2015-16_DI_MBB_Champ_-_Bracket_-Original-.pdf

what this odd & surprising seeding does - it forces Gillette who is one of the best & hottest teams in the nation, who had been one of the Top 5 ranked teams most of the year...
to drop to the 8th seed which requires playing the OVERALL #1 seed in the 2nd game of the tourney!

[tornado]

Good news!! Both of Bradley's top juco targets were honored by being placed on FIRST TEAM ALL REGION!

Kavell Bigby-Williams is 1st Team All Region IX - LINK
Freddie McSwain is 1st Team All Region VI - LINK


Bad news....they play at the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas - right where they'll be seen by lots of coaches

[tornado]

First game is over in Hutchinson, KS at the NJCAA Nationals...

#16 seeded North Dakota State College of Science beat #17 seeded Harcum 102-86




Freddie McSwain & Neosho County vs. Harford is up next ..

http://www.njcaatv.com/landing/index

edit - the score - Harford 31 - Neosho 27 at half
Neosho's big men severely hampered by fouls...
should be an interesting 2nd half.
McSwain 6 pts/3 rebs and leading scorer R. Granberry played just 3 minutes due to fouls

Freddie McSwain sure sounds like a 6-6 version of Chris Roberts!!!

https://twitter.com/Kylemccaskey/status/709435422149967872

and if you wanna see more of his dunks-

http://www.scout.com/college/bradley/forums/3560-sports-talks/14631199-freddie-mcswain-dunks/ms/181789838

[tornado]

Neosho on a run and now lead 37-32 ...
man is Freddie athletic - they run some set plays just to get him back door dunks and I think BU fans would love this..
still on streaming...

http://www.njcaatv.com/landing/index

[tornado]

Neosho starting to blow them out now that their starters are back on the floor - which is good if starters can get rest -
since Neosho will have to play each day to get to the Championship
60-46 in the final 5 minutes

[tornado]

Final score
Neosho advances 69-57 & play Gillette (Kavell Bigby-Williams) tomorrow 5pm

[tornado]

another Freddie McSwain highlight
hope we can see this in Peoria

https://twitter.com/GoNeosho/status/709446615384268800

[PeoriaLou]

Final score
Neosho advances 69-57 & play Gillette (Kavell Bigby-Williams) tomorrow 5pm

Man, I'd like to see both these guys at BU next season!

[tornado]

here's the box score, Freddie McSwain got 8 pts & 8 rebs in just 20 min
only one of Neosho's starters played more than 1/2 the game so they were well rested...
Neosho's bench got 40 of the 69 points

http://www.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/2015-16/div1/boxscores/20160314_1w3c.xml

Southwest Tennessee also won & advanced, 77-73, and the new BU recruit just mentioned the past day or so..
David Burrell had 11 pts & 5 rebs

http://njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/2015-16/div1/boxscores/20160314_vezk.xml

Here's a little mini-highlight of David Burrell

https://twitter.com/GASObrackets/status/709510892157702144

[tornado]

In the late game last night Moberly Area CC upset higher ranked Indian Hills (former Wichita State Shocker Rian Holland, former San Diego State Kevin Zabo, & IU Hoosier Emmitt Holt)

[tornado]

1st game today..
NE Oklahoma State A&M 68 - Vincennes 64
Billy Gillispie's team up next

[tornado]

Billy Gillispie's Ranger college wins & advances..
the Tournament is now down to 16 teams remaining - single elimination...
The next game of substantial interest to Bradley fans is the 4:30pm game
Neosho County CC vs. Gillete

[RoyalShock]

My son is playing in the "house" pep band there today and texted me to say he saw some coaches from Bradley in attendance.