2006 NJCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship Preview

Note: Media coverage of the NJCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship is coordinated by the SUNY Delhi Office of College Advancement. To request credentials for the tournament or to make arrangements for radio and television coverage, please contact Kim MacLeod at (607) 746-4520.

DELHI , NY . The 2006 NJCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship field is now set. The tournament, which matches eight teams in a blind draw, will be held in the Floyd L. Maines Arena, Clark Field House, on the SUNY Delhi campus March 16-18. The field includes four teams making their first appearance at the championship, three teams with at least one previous appearance, and one previous national champion.

Finger Lakes Community College, N.Y. makes its first appearance in the national championship with a 25-8 record. The Lakers advanced to the nationals after defeating Herkimer County Community College in the Region III championship, their fourth consecutive berth in the regionals under Coach Richard Jones. The Lakers come into the national tournament on a 10-game winning streak. Finger Lakes allowed the fewest points in the conference for the second consecutive year.

Coach Jones says his players are outsized at most positions, but it doesn't affect their fast break-style game. Sophomore center Juan Paulino is currently the rebound leader in the nation, averaging 21 rebounds and 18 points per game. With 17 more points, he will become the Lakers' all-time leading scorer. Freshman guard Ryan Henry is ranked13 th in nation in scoring (third in his region), averaging 19.5 points per game.

The fourth ranked team in the nation, William Rainey Harper College , Ill., enters the championship with a 26-6 record. The Hawks earned their berth in the national tournament with an 83-80 victory over Joliet Junior College in the Region IV championship. The Hawks last appearance at the national tournament was in 1999 when they placed third in the final round. Ed Molitor, Jr., who is coaching in his first year at Harper, said his team is "very defense oriented. It's the foundation of our program." The Hawks are ranked eighth in the nation on team defense, giving up just 66 points per game.

The Hawks are led by sophomore guard Matt Monaghan who averages 17.5 points per game. "He's our eyes and ears on the court," said Coach Molitor. "He finds ways to make plays and score." Sophomore guard Dane Cruz averages 16.5 points per game and freshman center Brandon Jung averages 12 points and 8 rebounds per game.

North Lake College, Texas is making its second appearance in the national tournament. The Blazers earned their berth in the nationals with a 19-14 record, upsetting third-seeded Richland College 78-69 in the Region V championship. According to Coach Tim McGraw, the team is led by sophomore talent, enabling North Lake to win their last six games. "We like to think of ourselves as the Princeton of junior colleges," said Coach McGraw. "We pass and cut to get our looks."

Leading the team in scoring is guard Preston McCarter who averages 18.2 points per game, while fellow guard Lorenzo Anthony puts the clamps down on the defensive end. Guard Erik Villereal contributes 3.8 in assists per game, and forward Chris Agwumaro provides the inside presence with 17.2 points and 6 rebounds per contest.

With a record of 22-9, Rochester Community & Technical College, Minn. is making its first appearance in the Division III national championship. The Yellowjackets advanced to the nationals after defeating second-seeded Minneapolis Community & Technical College 88-85 in the Region XIII championship. Coach Brian LaPlante is in his ninth year at Rochester and says the Yellowjackets are a defensive-minded team that likes to generate offense off of transition.

The Yellowjackets only give up 67 points per game. Top players to watch for are sophomore forward Joey Kollar averaging 18 points per game, freshman guard Cory Lott averaging 13 points per game, and sophomore forward Corey Ryan averaging 11 points per game.

Making their first appearance in the national championship is Suffolk County Community College-Grant Campus, N.Y. with a record of 20-9. The Long Horns defeated 10 th seeded Nassau Community College 73-68 in the Region XV championship. Coach Tim Cluess, who is making his college basketball debut, says the Long Horns are a well-balanced team that is guard-oriented. With only one second-year player, the Long Horns like to press on defense and get out and run on offense.

Seven of the Long Horns are closely matched in scoring, averaging within four points of each other. Freshman guards Alvin Vivan and Chuka Lioegbu are each averaging 13 points per game. Freshman guard Desean Gist and sophomore guard Ryan Freely are each averaging 12 points per game.

Gloucester County College, N.J. enters the national championship with a 24-7 record. The Roadrunners won the national title in 1994 with a perfect 30-0 record, and since then made appearances in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2004. Upsetting sixth-seeded Bergen County Community College 76-73 in overtime in the Region XIX championship, Gloucester earned a berth in this year's tournament.

In his fifth season as Gloucester 's head coach, Ricky Jackson says the team plays a slow tempo game. Players to watch for are sophomore guard Michael McDonald averaging 13 points per game, as well as sophomore guard Tavis Gale and sophomore forward Larry Morris, both averaging 10.5 points per game.

Montgomery College-Rockville, Md. (15-15) makes its sixth trip to the national tournament, and Coach Steve Hobson's eighth. The Knights made their last appearance in 2001. The Knights defeated Community College of Allegheny County 69-65 in the Region XX championship to earn this year's berth in the national championship.

Coach Hobson looks to play an up-tempo, pressing style of game with five of his players averaging in double digits. Leading the team in scoring is sophomore forward David Jones who averages 17 points per game.

Gateway Community College, Conn. is making a first-ever appearance with an 18-9 record and is the first team out of Connecticut . According to Coach John Stewart, the Lions have been close to reaching the tournament before. "We've been knocking on the door for a long time." Gateway earned a berth in this year's national tournament with a 79-68 victory over Springfield Technical Community College in the Region XXI championship. The team ranks 13 th in the nation in offense, and likes to run on offense and play a man-to-man game on defense.

All-conference and all-region, sophomore forward Matt Dickens is the Lions' go-to player and leads the team in scoring, averaging 18 points per game. He also leads in rebounds and assists, averaging 10 rebounds and 5 assists per game. Dickens is ranked ninth in the nation in steals, averaging 6 per game. Freshman forward/guard Tocari Davis averages 17 points per game. Sophomore forward Edvinas Inkrata is the team's best defensive player and three-point shooter. He averages 11 points per game.

For tournament updates, visit the SUNY Delhi site at www.delhi.edu and the NJCAA website at www.njcaa.org .

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