COMING UP: at NAIA National Championships (First/Second Round – Orange City, Iowa) – Friday vs. Keiser, 5:30 p.m. (PDT); Saturday (with win) vs. Northwestern or St. Mary-of-the-Woods winner, 4 p.m. (PDT)
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: All NAIA National Championship games will be broadcast live on 92.5 KLAD-FM with Mike Safford on the call - broadcasts will begin 30 minutes prior to tip-off with the Justin Parnell Coaches Show. The First/Second Round games will be streamed through Northwestern's HUDL Channel (PPV - $10.00); Live Stats will be available through the OIT SIDEARM Stats Portal, with in-game updates for each game provided on "X" by following @OITMBB. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and can be purchased at the Bultman Center box office on game day.
 
MULTIMEDIA: Photos from the 2023-24 season are posted online via the OIT Men's Basketball Flickr Page, while highlight clips – including all three CCC Tournament wins, are posted online via the new OIT Men's Basketball YouTube Channel.
 
TECH EARNS AUTOMATIC BID TO NATIONALS: OIT earned the Cascade Conference second automatic bid to the NAIA Championships with their 79-76 victory over College of Idaho in the Cascade Conference Tournament final – ending C of I's 6-year tournament reign and became the first road CCC team to win the tournament title since 2017. The Hustlin' Owls are one of 37 teams to earn an automatic bid to the 64-team tournament, earning a No. 4 seed in the Naismith Quadrant of the bracket.
 
HISTORY IN THE NAIA CHAMPIONSHIPS: It is the Hustlin' Owls 23rd trip to the NAIA Championships and the fifth trip to Nationals in a one-division NAIA (1974, 1979, 1987, 2022, 2024). OIT claimed three NAIA Division II national titles – 2004 and 2008 vs. Bellevue, 2012 vs. Keiser – while losing in the title game in 1998 (vs. Bethel) and 2019 (vs. Spring Arbor), advancing to the 2005 semifinals (vs. Walsh), adding two quarterfinal appearances (2000 vs. College of the Ozarks, 2001 vs. MidAmerica Nazarene). Overall, the Owls have a 39-18 tournament record, advancing beyond the first round in 18-of-22 appearances.
 
TOURNAMENT FORMAT: Unlike in the NAIA Division II days, where 32 teams were placed in four 8-team quadrants, the current NAIA Tournament models the NCAA tourney, as 64-teams are placed in four 16-team quadrants, with each quadrant broken into four 4-team first/second round sites. The winners of the 16 first/second round sites will advance to the final site in Kansas City, Mo., March 21-26
 
RETURNING TO THE SIOUXLAND: Tech looks for redemption in the Siouxland after their last trip was cut short due to COVID-19. After competing in the 2018 and 2019 NAIA Division II Tournaments in Sioux Falls, S.D. – the Owls were to meet Mayville State in the first-round of the 2020 tournament, but the event was shut down just hours prior to the game. It marks OIT's first-ever game in the Hawkeye State.
 
AGAINST THE FIELD: The Owls are 5-5 this season against the 64-team field – earning preseason wins against OUAZ, Jessup and Bethel, going 1-2 against both College of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State, while dropping a game to No. 1-overall seed, Grace. In all, OIT has faced 19 of the 63 other teams in the tournament at some point over the last 76 years – facing Antelope Valley, Bellevue, Carroll, Evangel, Hope International, Keiser, Lourdes, MidAmerica Nazarene, Montana Tech, Northwestern, Point Park and The Masters (along with the six teams they've met in 2023-24).
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – KEISER: No. 13-seed Keiser provides a formidable first-round opponent, as the Seahawks (18-10), from West Palm Beach, Fla., make their 13th tournament appearance – one of five teams from the deep Sun Conference to make the tournament field. KU averaged nearly 82 points per game – converting 43-percent of their field goals (34-percent from 3-point range), averaging six rebounds more than their opponents, while turning the ball over 13 times a game. Sun Conference Player of the Year, 6-foot-8 forward Vincent Miszkiewicz (16.9 ppg, 15.8 rpg) leads the NAIA in rebounds per game – coming to South Beach after stops two Division I programs (Incarnate Word, UW-Milwaukee), starting at both schools. Leading scorer, 5-foot-8 point-guard Bobo Sirmans (18.1 ppg, 7.0 apg, 2.6 spg), was the Sun Conference Freshman of the Year, with the Seahawks line-up featuring length at the wings with 6-foot-5 Justin Nichelson (14.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg), 6-foot-5 Tyler Poindexter (10.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 75 3FGM) and 6-foot-7 Brandon Farmer (9.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg). KU heads into the tournament on a 3-game losing streak, ending the year with losses to St. Thomas, Florida Memorial and Webber International – all NAIA Tournament teams.
 
NOT THE FIRST TIME: Tech has played Keiser two previous times with the school was known as Northwood University (became KU in 2015). Led by Hall of Fame coach Rollie Massimino (legendary Villanova coach), the Seahawks made their first NAIA appearance in 2007 – but OIT ended their season in the first-round by a 90-72 margin behind 27 points from Levell Hesia. The Florida school had their best year in 2012 – entering the tournament as the No. 2-ranked team in the NAIA, advancing to the title game, where the Hustlin' Owls outscored the Seahawks 45-27 in the second half to claim their third title, 63-46 – as Bobby Hunter paced OIT with 20 points.
 
AGAINST FLORIDA / SUN CONFERENCE: Outside of playing Keiser, the Owls have faced just two teams from Florida – losing to Southeastern University at the 2013 Raider Classic in Ashland, while defeating Warner University in the 2012 NAIA Championships.
 
WITH A WIN: The winner of the OIT-Keiser match-up will advance to a second-round match-up against host and No. 5-seed Northwestern College and No. 12-seed St. Mary-of-the-Woods. The host Red Raiders (23-7) were the regular-season co-champions of the Great Plains Athletic Conference, with the squad looking to snap a 4-game National Tournament losing streak. NWC is an efficient offensive club, averaging 82 points per game – making 51-percent of their field goals and 39-percent of their 3-point attempts – while holding teams to just 32-percent shooting from long range. Bruising post Alex Van Kalsbeck (20.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg) is a 3-time All-GPAC selection, with guard Dillon Carlson (13.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 77 3FGM) a 2-time All-GPAC pick and forward Craig Sterk (13.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg) earning all-league honors coming off the bench. Tech has played the 2-time NAIA champions (2001, 2003) in the tournament twice – earning a 67-63 first-round victory in the 1987 tournament in Kansas City and a 92-83 first-round victory in the 2006 tournament in Branson. The Pomeroys (25-6) are making their first-ever appearance in the tournament, having won the West Division title of the Rivers State Conference – thanks to an offense averaging 83 points per game. SIU-Edwardsville transfer Cobie Barnes (22.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg) is the key to the SMWC squad, earning RSC Player of the Year honors, with the trio of Chaz Birchfield (11.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg), Greg Jenkins (11.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and Shon Tupuola (9.1 ppg, 12.2 rpg, .682 FG%).
 
BLUE BLOODS: Two of the all-time NAIA teams are together in the Orange City pod – as OIT and Northwestern are among the NAIA's elite programs in the association's history. Tech is making their 23rd tournament appearance and boasts 39 wins in the tourney, with Northwestern making their 26th appearance with 31 wins – with the two squads combining for five national titles. The two teams are among just eight teams with 30-or-more tournament wins – joined by Georgetown, MidAmerica Nazarene, Oklahoma City, Cornerstone, College of Idaho and Bethel (Ind.).
 
UPSET IN CALDWELL: Heading into the title game of the CCC Championship, College of Idaho had won 61-of-64 home games – with OIT carrying a 5-game losing streak and a 6-game road losing streak to the Yotes. Each of the streaks were snapped, as the Owls limited the 2023 national champs to 44-percent shooting, while converting 56-percent of their field goals in a 79-76 victory – earning OIT their first CCC Tournament title since 2012. It was the Owls tenth District 2 or CCC Tournament crown (1974, 1979, 1987, 2000, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2024), with OIT improving to 5-6 all-time in Caldwell during the postseason.
 
WINS AGAINST THE TOP-5: Last Tuesday's win at No. 3-ranked College of Idaho was the Owls 13th win in the last 20 seasons over a NAIA Top-5 team. Tech has wins against three No. 1-ranked teams (Indiana Wesleyan in 2019, MidAmerica Nazarene in 2008, Jamestown in 2004), three wins over No. 2-ranked teams (C of I in 2015, Keiser in 2012, Bellevue in 2004), five No. 3-ranked teams (C of I in 2024 and 2019, Davenport in 2012, Bellevue in 2008, St. Ambrose in 2004), topping No. 4 C of I in 2018 and No. 5 C of I in 2019.
 
BEST STARTS: OIT heads into the NAIA Tournament with a 26-5 record, guaranteeing the Owls will record their 15th season with six losses or less. Tech has ended a season with six total losses seven times, ending a year with five losses five times (including a 33-5 mark in 1987 and 30-5 records in 2010 and 2011), with the school record of four total losses occurring in 2012 (34-4), 1975 (25-4) and in 1958 (20-4).
 
20-WIN SEASONS: 2023-24 marks the 38th time in 76 years of men's basketball that OIT has recorded 20-or-more wins in a season and the sixth time in Justin Parnell's eight years as head coach. With the March 2 win over LC State, the Owls have now recorded 24 seasons with at least 25-wins and 10 seasons with 30-or-more wins, including a record-setting 34-4 mark in 2011-12. The 26 wins this season are the most by a Tech team since the Owls finished 2018-19 at 28-8.
 
ROAD WARRIORS: The wins at LC State and C of I helped OIT set a new school record for road wins in a season, as the Owls improved to 14-2 away from home this season. The current team surpassed the 1986-87 Tech team which recorded a 12-4 mark, while no other team in program history has won more than 10 road games in a season.
 
ON A ROLL / TIGHT GAMES: Tech heads into the NAIA Tournament winners of 12-of-13 games – dating back to the final weekend of January. The Owls have had success in close games this season, posting a 7-1 record in games decided by five points or less and a 13-1 mark in games decided by 10 points or less. A year ago, OIT struggled in similar games – going 4-10 in games decided by 10 points or less and 2-6 two-possession games.
 
OIT ENDS REGULAR SEASON RANKED 17TH: Tech closed the regular-season ranked No. 17 in the final NAIA Top-25 Coaches Poll, released last Wednesday. It is the fifth-straight poll that the Hustlin' Owls found themselves in the Top-25 – joined by fellow 2023-24 opponents Grace (No. 1), College of Idaho (No. 3), Lewis-Clark State (RV) and OUAZ (RV). Two teams in the Orange City pod are also in the poll – as Northwestern ended the year ranked No. 13, with St. Mary-of-the-Woods receiving votes.
 
MAKING BASKETS: The top shooting team in the Cascade Conference lived up to their billing in the CCC Tournament – combining to make 56-percent of their field goals in the road wins over LC State and C of I. OIT became just the second team this season to make over 50-percent of their field goals vs. C of I – adding 9-of-21 3-point baskets against the top zone defense in the NAIA. For the year, the Owls rank No. 6 in the NAIA in field goal percentage (.516) – making 50-percent or more of their field goals in 19-of-31 games.
 
OSBORN HAS HUGE CHIPPER: Leading the way against C of I was Kam Osborn, scoring a game-high 24 points – including a pair of key 3-pointers early in the contest to help Tech build a 12-point first half lead. The fifth-year player earned his first All-CCC award – having led Tech in scoring average (14.9), while converting a career-best 41-percent of 3-point chances – recording six 20-point games and 25 double-digit scoring outings.
 
SHIVERS PROVIDES THE DAGGER: The Owls turned to Keegan Shivers in crunch time at C of I – hitting a midrange jumper to give the lead at 72-71 and adding the game-clincher, a 25-foot 3-pointer with 11 seconds left to extend the margin to 79-73. The junior had 18 points and nine rebounds in the title game – becoming the 16th OIT player to surpass 600 rebounds in a career and moving within seven points of the 1,200-point mark. Shivers was honored by the coaches as an All-CCC selection for the fourth time – earning honorable mention honors in 2021 and 2022, earning first-team awards in 2023 and 2024.
 
GUERRA NAMED TO THE ALL-LEAGUE TEAM: A phenomenal season by point-guard Jamison Guerra was rewarded with the first All-CCC honor of his career. The junior had six assists in the title game vs. C of I, pushing his season total to 211 – tops in the NAIA (ranking No. 2 in assists per game) – adding 20 double-digit scoring games and six games with 10-or-more assists. Guerra heads into the NAIA Tournament needing 23 points to join OIT's 1,000-point club.
 
COOPER CONTINUES BIG POSTSEASON: The Owls got a huge boost of the bench from forward Jackson Cooper, as the freshman was instrumental in the club winning the CCC Tournament title. Cooper scored 11 points in the win at C of I and finished the 3-game stretch in the league tourney averaging over 14 points per game – connecting on 14-of-19 field goals and 15-of-16 free throw attempts. The first-year player is making over 60-percent of his shot attempts since the start of February, improving his season average to .545 percent.
 
ATTENDANCE NUMBERS: Two Cascade Conference teams finished atop the NAIA attendance rankings, as College of Idaho (1,409) claimed the top spot, ahead of the Hustlin' Owls (1,275) – both well ahead of Carroll (1,077) and Concordia-Nebraska (1,033). OIT's attendance average would rank No. 6 in the NCAA Division III, No. 14 in the Division II and No. 282 out of 361 Division I teams.
 
SUCCESS IN DANNY'S HOUSE: Since OIT moved to their current campus in 1964, the Hustlin' Owls have had a decisive home floor advantage inside the Athletic Center – winning over 81-percent of their home games. Over the last 60 seasons Tech has played on what is now known as Danny Miles Court, the Owls hold a 786-179 overall record in the building – including an 99-19 mark under current head coach Justin Parnell. OIT has recorded a winning record in 57-of-59 seasons (going 5-7 in 1965-66 and 1-8 in 1970-71), including undefeated records four times (1986-87, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11). The Owls ended the season 12-3 at home, their 53rd-straight winning season on their home floor.
 
OVER 1,000-STRAIGHT GAMES WITH A 3-POINTER: The 3-point shot has been key to the Hustlin' Owls success over the years, with Tech hitting a milestone by extending their string of games with a made 3-pointer to 1,012. OIT last failed to make a 3-pointer on Dec. 4, 1992, at Humboldt State, going 0-for-7 from outside the arch. During the current streak, the Owls made one 3-pointer in a game on five occasions. UNLV holds the current 3-point streak record (1,220), just ahead of CCC rival Corban (1,209), Duke (1,180) and College of Idaho (1,153).
 
CAREER RECORD BOOK: Seven members of the Hustlin' Owls are among the Top-75 in the OIT Men's Basketball Career Record Book. Keegan Shivers leads the group, ranking No. 5 in 3-pointers made (219), No. 8 in 3-point attempts (527), No. 15 in rebounds (606), No. 22 in field goal attempts (937), No. 23 in points scored (1,193), No. 30 in field goals made (408), No. 35 in assists (234), No. 45 in steals (75), No. 57 in free throws made (158) and No. 64 in free throw attempts (199). Jamison Guerra is No. 8 in assists (464), No. 24 in free throws made (223), No. 29 in free throw attempts (284), No. 30 in steals (94), No. 39 in points scored (977), No. 40 in 3-point attempts (248), No. 48 in field goal attempts (712), No. 49 in field goals made (342), ranking No. 58 in 3-pointers made (70); Kam Osborn is No. 38 in 3-point attempts (250), No. 40 in 3-pointers made (93), No. 63 in assists (158), No. 64 in points scored (824), No. 65 in free throws made (144), No. 69 in free throw attempts (195), No. 70 in field goal attempts (604) and No. 73 in field goals made (275); Jay Elmore is No. 33 in 3-pointers made (100) and No. 44 in 3-point attempts (238); Erik Fraser is No. 43 in 3-point attempts (242) and No. 46 in 3-pointers made (85); Kody Bauman is No. 30 in blocked shots (36), with Blake Jensen No. 36 in blocked shots (29), No. 59 in free throw attempts (208), No. 68 in free throws made (140) and No. 73 in rebounds (339).