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2016 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship Qualifiers

2016 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship Qualifiers

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By Scott Barker, Communications and Sports Information Intern

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – (Bracket Championship Schedule | Video Announcement) The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics has officially announced the teams and pairings for the 2016 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship. The 32-team event will get underway on March 9 with the Championship game on Tuesday, March 15.
This year’s field includes 23 automatic qualifiers, 8 at-large selections and one host berth (College of the Ozarks (Mo.)). Automatic berths were given to teams that either won their respective conference tournament title, regular-season championship, finished runner-up at the conference tournament or won the conference tournament consolation game. The at-large bids were determined by the final 2016 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll announced Wednesday. The Top 25 can be found HERE.
The NAIA Network – the association’s official video streaming home – will video-stream all 30 games live leading up to the final on ESPN3. The video platform, powered by Stretch Internet, allows users access to live video, statistics, and social interaction on a number of devices, including mobile. Single day passes can be purchased for $9.95, while an all-tournament package is available at $29.95. For more information and the pre-register, click here.

Qualifier Highlights
• College of the Ozarks (Mo.) makes its 20th all-time appearance, which leads all active NAIA schools. The Bobcats owns a 28-18 overall record at the championship and has recorded one championship.
• Eighteen teams from the 2015 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship are in the field again this year. 
• Two teams make its first championship appearance – Nebraska Wesleyan and Washington Adventist (Md.) 
• Defending national champion Cornerstone (Mich.) makes its 14th all-time appearance. The Golden Eagles have finished in the top 3 six times, including three national championships. 
• The Association of Independent of Institutions and Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference leads all leagues with four teams represented in the field each. Five conferences had three teams qualify. 
• College of the Ozarks holds the longest active appearances in the championships, as 2015 will mark the Bobcats’ 17th-consecutive appearance, dating back to 2000. Bellevue (Neb.) is second with 14-straight appearances. 
• Southwestern (Kan.) makes its third appearance, the first since 2006.
• Tabor (Kan.) enters the tournament riding a NAIA-best 17-game winning streak.
2016 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship Qualifiers
School Qualification Record^ Champs Record Appearances* Last Time Titles
Bellevue (Neb.) At-Large No. 8 20-11 21-16 17 2015 0
Bethel (Ind.) At-Large No. 2 23-9 29-9 13 2015 3
Briar Cliff (Iowa) Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament Champion 30-3 3-9 10 2015 0
Cal Maritime (Calif.) California Pacific Conference Tournament Champion 22-9 1-4 5 2015 0
Cincinnati Christian (Ohio) Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Champion 23-8 0-1 0 2014 0
College of the Ozarks (Mo.) Host Berth 20-8 28-18 20 2015 1
Cornerstone (Mich.) Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament Runner-up 26-6 32-10 14 2015 3
Dakota State (S.D.) North Star Athletic Association Tournament Champion 19-13 5-4 5 2015 2
Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) At-Large No. 5 22-10 6-7 8 2015 0
Davenport (Mich.) Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament Champion 29-4 10-6 7 2015 0
Indiana Tech At-Large No. 4 23-9 3-6 7 2012 0
Indiana Wesleyan Crossroads League Tournament runner-up 28-5 17-7 9 2015 1
IU East (Ind.) Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular-season Champion 19-13 0-3 4 2015 0
Keiser (Fla.) At-Large No. 1 28-4 10-8 9 2014 0
Mount Mercy (Iowa) Association of Independent Institutions Tournament Champion 25-7 2-3 4 2015 0
Nebraska Wesleyan Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament runner-up 22-7 0-0 1 N/A 0
Northwest Christian (Ore.) Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament Champion 27-6 0-1 2 2014 0
Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) At-Large No. 6 18-9 0-1 2 2015 0
Robert Morris (Ill.) Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Champion 24-9 7-3 4 2014 0
Saint Francis (Ind.) Crossroads League Tournament Champion 29-4 15-6 8 2015 1
Saint Xavier (Ill.) Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference North Division Champion 19-12 2-2 3 2014 0
Southern Oregon Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament No. 2 seed 24-8 6-5 6 2015 0
Southwestern (Kan.) Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament runner-up 26-7 0-2 3 2006 0
St. Francis (Ill.) Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference South Division Champion 28-3 0-1 2 2015 0
Tabor (Kan.) Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Champion 30-3 7-9 10 2015 0
Tennessee Wesleyan Appalachian Athletic Conference regular-season Champion 28-3 0-5 6 2013 0
Union (Ky.) Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament Champion 28-6 1-3 4 2015 0
Valley City State (N.D.) At-Large No. 7 21-10 0-1 2 2013 0
Warner (Fla.) The Sun Conference Tournament Champion 23-6 1-3 4 2012 0
Warner Pacific (Ore.) At-Large No. 3 23-9 5-9 10 2015 0
Washington Adventist (Md.) Association of Independent Institutions Tournament Third-Place 16-12 0-0 1 N/A 0
York (Neb.) Association of Independent Institutions Tournament runner-up 23-9 1-1 2 2013 0
 
^ As submitted by schools in DakStats
* National championship appearances, including 2016 event

First Round Schedule
Wednesday, March 9 | Keeter Gymnasium | Point Lookout, Mo. 
Game 1 (8:30 a.m. CST) – No. 3 Keiser (Fla.) (28-4) vs. No. 6 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) (18-9)
Game 2 (10:15 a.m. CST) – No. 4 Mount Mercy (Iowa) (25-7) vs. No. 5 Southern Oregon (24-8)
Game 3 (Noon CST) – No. 2 Cornerstone (Mich.) (26-6) vs. No. 7 Cincinnati Christian (23-8) 
Game 4 (1:45 CST) – No. 1 Saint Francis (Ind.) (29-4) vs. No. 8 Dakota State (S.D.) (19-13) 
Game 5 (4:00 p.m. CST) – No. 2 Union (Ky.) (28-6) vs. No. 7 Cal Maritime (Calif.) (22-9) 
Game 6 (5:45 p.m. CST) – No. 1 Davenport (Mich.) (29-4) vs. No. 8 Saint Xavier (Ill.) (19-12)
Game 7 (8:00 p.m. CST) – No. 3 Warner (Fla.) (23-6) vs. No. 6 College of the Ozarks (Mo.) (20-8)
Game 8 (9:45 p.m. CST) – No. 4 Warner Pacific (Ore.) (23-9) vs. No. 5 Nebraska Wesleyan (22-7)

Thursday, March 10 | Keeter Gymnasium | Point Lookout, Mo. 
Game 1 (8:30 a.m. CST) – No. 3 Tennessee Wesleyan (28-3) vs. No. 6 Valley City State (N.D.) (21-10)
Game 2 (10:15 a.m. CST) – No. 3 Northwest Christian (Ore.) (27-6) vs. No. 6 Southwestern (Kan.) (26-7)
Game 3 (Noon CST) – No. 2 Tabor (Kan.) (30-3) vs. No. 7 IU East (Ind.) (19-13)
Game 4 (1:45 CST) – No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan (28-5) vs. No. 7 Bellevue (Neb.) (20-11)
Game 5 (4:00 p.m. CST) – No. 4 Bethel (Ind.) (23-9) vs. No. 5 Robert Morris (Ill.) (24-9)
Game 6 (5:45 p.m. CST) – No. 1 Briar Cliff (Iowa) (30-3) vs. No. 8 Washington Adventist (16-12)
Game 7 (7:30 p.m. CST – No. 4 Indiana Tech (23-9) vs. No. 5 Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) (22-10)
Game 8 (9:15 p.m. CST) – No. 1 St. Francis (Ill.) (28-3) vs. No. 8 York (Neb.) (23-9)

For more information on the 2015 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship, click here.
 

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