PREVIEW: CCC MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS, PRESENTED BY U.S. BANK
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The 2019-20 Cascade Collegiate Conference Men’s Basketball Championship, presented by U.S. Bank, is set to begin today at four different host sites.
The top-four seeds (based upon finish in the regular-season standings) host the quarterfinal round matchups at 7 p.m. local time, with the highest remaining seeds hosting the lowest remaining seeds in each of the subsequent rounds.
College of Idaho – the regular-season winner – received one of the Cascade Conference's two automatic qualifying bids to the NAIA Men's Division II National Championship, March 11-17, in Sioux Falls, S.D. The CCC tournament champion will receive the other automatic bid. If the tournament champion is also the regular-season champion the second AQ shall go to the team that is seeded second in the CCC tournament.
A preview of each dual can be seen below. All games will be streamed on the CCC Portal and will have live stats, which can be found on the
Tournament Central page.
#8 Corban University (13-17) at #1 College of Idaho (27-3)
After a historic season where it became the first team to go a perfect 20-0 in conference action, College of Idaho picked up the No. 1 seed in the championship tournament. The Coyotes also secured the automatic bid to the NAIA tournament. Defensively, C of I is the best team in the conference, holding opponents to 66.20 points per game – which also ranks third in the NAIA Division II. The Yotes sit ranked first in the NAIA in field goal percentage defense, keeping teams to a 39.7 percent.
Corban University took the last spot after defeating Multnomah University on the sempert –
Page 7 of the Basketball Guidelines – tiebreaker. The Warriors have won three of their last four games, dropping the regular-season finale to College of Idaho 69-54. Corban boasts the fifth-best scoring offense in the CCC, averaging 83.9 points per game. The Warriors also hold opponents to 79.03 points per game, which also sits fifth in the Cascade. Senior guard AJ Hodges averages 1.60 steals per game.
#7 Warner Pacific University (14-15) at #2 Southern Oregon University (22-6)
Southern Oregon University grabbed the second seed after posting a 16-4 CCC mark. The Raiders enjoyed two of their top offensive performances of the year against WPU but had to labor for both wins. In CCC games, sophomore guard Teron Bradford finished first in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.4-to-1) and senior guard Aaron Borich was second in assists per game (5.2). Earlier this week, senior forward Jordan Hunt was named the CCC Red Lion Hotels Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after posting a career-high 24 points.
Warner Pacific University grabbed the seventh seed after finishing the regular season with a 9-11 mark in the CCC. The Knights have won the conference tournament three times and haven’t missed the postseason since 2004 and are looking to shake off a two-game losing streak. WPU is posting 11.2 makes per game from three-point range, which is the sixth-most in the NAIA Division II. Junior guard Kadeem Strickland leads the Knights at 15 points per game on a 38-percent mark from three-point range.
#6 Northwest Christian University (14-16) at #3 Oregon Tech (24-6)
Oregon Tech picked up the third seed with a 14-6 CCC record. The Hustlin’ Owls are coasting a five-game winning streak heading into the postseason, coming off a 103-89 victory over Multnomah University at home to end the regular season. Senior guard Mitchell Fink leads the Owls with 19.4 points per game to help OIT boast the second- best scoring offense in the Cascade. Oregon Tech averages 90.31 points per game as a team. The Owls also hold opponents to 72.69 ppg – which ranks third in the CCC.
Northwest Christian University and WPU both finished the conference season with a 9-11 record, but the Beacons snagged the No. 6 seed after splitting the CCC series with OIT. The Beacons are looking to start fresh in the postseason and break a four-game losing streak. NCU ranks fourth in the CCC averaging 85.53 points per game. The Beacons are a blocking machine and have posted 158 total blocks (second in NAIA DII), averaging 5.27 per game (third NAIA DI).
#5 Eastern Oregon (16-13) at #4 Northwest (Wash.) (18-11)
Northwest University picked up the fourth seed after finishing the CCC season with a 13-7 mark. The Eagles boast the fourth-best scoring defense in the conference, holding opponents to 74.66 points per game. NU is a solid rebounding team, boasting an average 8.241 rebounding margin, which ranks 10th in the NAIA Division II. Senior wing Hussayn Ford leads five Eagles averaging double figures with a 17.6 points per game average. He also leads the conference in rebounding, averaging 12.14 boards per game.
Eastern Oregon University grabbed the fifth seed after finishing the regular season with a 10-10 conference record. The Mountaineers have won five of their last six games and boast the third-best scoring offense in the conference with an 89.97 points per game average. Junior guard Max McCullough leads EOU with 20.1 points per game – which is tied for second-best in the conference – while senior center Jarek Schetzle averages 18.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per game – which is second in the CCC.