Four RMAC Teams Set to Compete in 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball South Central Regional Tournament
CANYON, Texas – The 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball South Central Regional Tournament will begin on Saturday, March 11, in Canyon, Texas, on the campus of West Texas A&M. Opening-round matchups are slated to begin at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. MT. The South Central Region is made up of two conferences, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and the Lone Star Conference.
Of the eight teams competing in the regional tournament, the RMAC is represented by four institutions. Fort Lewis captured the tournament’s No. 2 seed, followed by third-seeded Colorado School of Mines, fifth-seeded Colorado Mesa and sixth-seeded Black Hills State. In addition to their spots in the South Central Regional Tournament, the Skyhawks, Orediggers, Mavericks and Yellow Jackets are all ranked among the nation’s top 25 in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) poll. Fort Lewis holds the No. 7 spot, while Mines and Colorado Mesa claim the No. 14 and No. 20 spots, respectively. Black Hills State ranks No. 21 in the nation heading into the NCAA postseason.
Fort Lewis earns the tournament’s No. 2 seed after claiming the RMAC Men’s Basketball Tournament title and a share of the league’s regular-season championship. Bob Pietrack led his team to a 19-3 conference record and a 28-3 overall record ahead of the NCAA postseason. Akuel Kot leads the Skyhawks with 24.4 points per game and a 51-percent shooting average. Brenden Boatwright and JaQuaylon Mays bolster the Fort Lewis defense with 5.6 rebounds per game each. The Skyhawks will face No. 7 Lubbock Christian on Saturday, March 11, at 1:30 p.m.
Colorado School of Mines claims its spot in the NCAA South Central Tournament as the No. 3 seed after finishing 18-4 in conference play this season and claiming a runner-up finish at the RMAC Men’s Basketball Tournament. Brendan Sullivan and Adam Thistlwood have combined for a 51.7-percent field-goal average throughout the 202-23 campaign. The Orediggers will face a familiar opponent in RMAC foe Black Hills State in the tournament’s opening round. Tipoff between the Orediggers and Yellow Jackets is set for Saturday at 11 a.m.
The Mavericks hold the tournament’s No. 5 seed with a 25-5 overall record and will square off against fourth-seeded Angelo State. The Mavericks will take on the Rams for only the second time in program history, with their lone other meeting resulting in a 70-67 win for Colorado Mesa (Nov. 28, 2014). Colorado Mesa will look for their second win against ASU and to advance in the South Central Regional beginning Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
The Yellow Jackets round out the South Central Regional Tournament as the No. 6 seed and will take on Mines in the opening round of play. Black Hills State will make its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance after closing last season with a semifinal berth. Joel Scott, the two-time RMAC Player of the Year, leads the squad to a 25-5 overall record and an appearance in the RMAC Tournament semifinals last week. Scott currently ranks eighth nationally in field goal percentage (61.8%) and 11th with 13 double-doubles on the season. The Yellow Jackets and Orediggers have met twice this season with Black Hills State winning both contests.
Each of the 2023 NCAA South Central Regional Men’s Basketball Tournament rounds will be streamed live on the
LSC Digital Network.