COMING UP: at NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship, First/Second Rounds (Fullerton, Calif.) – vs. Keiser, Friday, 5:30 p.m.; vs. Hope International/Georgia Gwinnett winner (with win), Saturday, 6 p.m.

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: All OIT men's basketball games at the NAIA National Tournament will be carried live on 92.5 KLAD-FM in the Klamath Basin and streamed online at MyBasin.com, with Mike Safford on the call – beginning 30-minutes prior to the scheduled tip off. All tournament games will have Live Video via the Urban Edge Network, while Live Stats will be available via OIT's SIDEARM Sports Portal. Tickets at Darling Pavilion in Fullerton are $20 for adults and $10 for students per day, available for purchase online through the HIU Ticket Portal.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – KEISER: The Owls open tournament play against a familiar foe, squaring off with Keiser of West Palm Beach, Fla., for the fourth time in the tournament. The Seahawks (24-5) were ranked No. 11 in the final NAIA Top-25 poll, finishing as the Sun Conference regular-season and tournament runners-up, with the team making their 15th NAIA Tournament appearance (lost to Southern Oregon in the third-round of the 2025 tournament). KU is the No. 2 rebounding team in the NAIA, averaging 10 more rebounds than their opponents, while the squad makes 50% of their field goals and averages 85 points a game. Sun Conference Player of the Year, forward Camerin James (17.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and Defensive Player of the Year Cameron Baldwin (7.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 79 blocks) anchor the paint, with all-league guards Nadir Myers (13.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg) and Jackson Slater (10.2 ppg, 5.1 apg) key the guard line.
 
NOT THE FIRST TIME: Tech 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. Two years ago, the teams met in Orange City, Iowa, in the first-round of the NAIA Tournament, with Tech claiming a 102-94 overtime win behind 23 points from Keegan Shivers, who forced overtime with a late triple.
 
IF THE OWLS WIN: A first-round win will send the Owls into a date with either host Hope International or first-year program, Georgia Gwinnett. A match-up with HIU (23-6) would mark the third meeting of the season between the teams, as in November, the Royals claimed an 85-79 win in Klamath and an 80-63 win in Fullerton. The California school ended the year ranked No. 8, behind a dynamic inside game, fueled by Great Southwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year Nick Hopkins (15.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg) and Freshman of the Year Aman Haynes (16.1 ppg, 6.3), along with wings Addy G'Bye (12.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg) and CJ Fisher (10.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg). GGC (25-6) has made a splash in their first year of competition, rolling through the Continental Athletic Conference – averaging 92 points and 10 made 3-pointers a game. CAC Player of the Year, forward Devontre Chaney (15.4 ppg, 9.3 rpg), is the key for the Grizzlies, with guard Jahiem Berry (13.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg) converting 106 3-pointers this season.
 
OWLS EARN AT-LARGE BID TO NATIONALS: Despite the loss in the CCC Tournament, OIT earned one of 29 at-large bids to the NAIA National Tournament, earning the No. 11 seed in the Cramer Quadrant. It is Tech's 25th NAIA Tournament appearance, their 32nd-straight playoff appearance and the 51st time the school has advanced to the postseason – combining for a 104-63 record. It is the Owls seventh trip to Nationals in a one-division NAIA (1974, 1979, 1987, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026). 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 41-20 tournament record, advancing beyond the first round in 20-of-24 appearances – including last year in Glendale, Ariz.
 
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 19-24.
 
AGAINST THE FIELD: The Owls have a 6-9 record this season against teams in the tournament – including conference foes College of Idaho, Eastern Oregon, LC State and Corban, along with Arizona Christian, The Master's and Simpson. In addition, OIT has previously played games against 11 other tourney teams – Bellevue, Bethel, Carroll, Grace, Indiana Wesleyan, Indiana Kokomo, Life, Montana Tech, Northwestern, Rocky Mountain and Southeastern.
 
20-WIN SEASONS: Tech sits one win away from clinching their 40th 20-win season in the 78-year history of the program.  Head coach Justin Parnell has posted 20-or-more wins in seven of his first nine seasons at the helm.
 
CONFERENCE TOURNEY RECAP: The Owls were upset in the quarterfinals of the CCC Tournament, falling 74-70 to College of Idaho, the second-straight first-round loss for Tech. Corban, the No. 7 seed, earned three road upset wins to claim the title – defeating Eastern Oregon, Bushnell and LC State in the final, to earn a bid.
 
COOPER NAMED PLAYER OF THE YEAR: An amazing regular-season for Jackson Cooper was capped with the Cascade Conference's highest honor, as the junior was named CCC Player of the Year. He becomes the sixth OIT player to earn the award (LaMont Swinson – 2001, Justin Parnell – 2010, Joseph Foster – 2011, Bobby Hunter – 2012, Mitchell Fink – 2018-20) and first in six seasons. Cooper heads into the national tournament averaging 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists a game, while converting 57% of his field goals – all in the Top-3 of the CCC. Against C of I in the CCC Tournament, Cooper became OIT's 40th player to reach 1,000 career points and the 17th player with 1,000 points and 500 rebounds, while currently ranking in the single-season Top-50 in assists, free throws made, free throw attempts and field goals made.
 
REBER EARNS ALL-CCC: The Owls had a second selection to the All-CCC team, as Dakota Reber parlayed an outstanding senior season into a postseason honor. The forward had the best season of his collegiate career, averaging 17 points and seven rebounds per game, while leading the league in CCC-only games in field goal percentage, making 62.1% of his shot attempts. Reber finished the season with a team-best 13 games with 20-or-more points and seven double-doubles, including 15 points and 14 rebounds vs. C of I in the CCC Tournament.
 
UNDERCLASSMEN KEY: For Tech to make a postseason run, they will need production from their underclassmen – guards Jared Sucher and Owen Nathan, along with forward Gylan Payne. Sucher has four 20-or-more point games this season, including 20 vs. C of I in the CCC Tournament – with the sophomore making 5-of-8 3-pointers during the Owls trip to Fullerton over Thanksgiving Break. Nathan and Payne have been key defensively – as the two freshmen have combined for 73 steals and 42 blocked shots – and will be key to stop the high-caliber offenses in the tourney.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: There are tell-tale signs for the Owls over the last 15 games – as Tech has converted 51% or better of their field goal attempts in their eight wins, while failing to make 46% of their shots in their seven losses. On the season, OIT is 14-0 when scoring 80-or-more points, but just 2-7 when scoring under 70 points.
 
AROUND THE CCC: Four additional CCC teams earned spots in the NAIA Tournament, as LC State is the No. 7 seed in Billings, Mont., facing The Master's; C of I is the No. 12 seed in Orange City, Iowa, meeting William Penn; Eastern Oregon is the No. 12 seed in Langston, Okla., meeting LSU Alexandria; with Corban the No. 15 seed, meeting Arizona Christian in Glendale.
 
RECORD HOME STREAK EXTENDED: 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 61 seasons Tech has played on what is now known as Danny Miles Court, the Owls hold an 809-186 overall record in the building – including an 122-26 mark under current head coach Justin Parnell. Including this year, OIT has recorded a winning record in 58-of-60 seasons (going 5-7 in 1965-66 and 1-8 in 1970-71), including four undefeated seasons (1986-87, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11). The Owls finished 11-4 at home this season, extending the longest home season win streak in NAIA history to 55-straight seasons with an above .500 record at home.
 
RECORD BOOK: Five Hustlin' Owls have cracked the Top-75 in the OIT career record book, as Jackson Cooper ranks No. 28 in free throw attempts (296), No. 29 in rebounds (507), No. 34 in assists (246), field goals made (400) and free throws made (205), No. 40 in points scored (1,005), ranking No. 47 in blocks (25) and field goal attempts (730). Dakota Reber is No. 32 in blocks (35), No. 64 in 3-pointers made (59) and No. 67 in 3-point attempts (162), Gylan Payne is No. 40 in blocks (28), Grant Tull is No. 71 in 3-pointers made (49) and 3-point attempts (127), with Jared Sucher No. 71 in 3-pointers made (49) and No. 73 in 3-point attempts (122).
 
TOPS AT THE GATE: OIT led the NAIA in attendance average for a second-straight year, averaging 1,351 fans over the 14 home dates this season – ranking ahead of College of Idaho (1,235), Carroll (1,067), Midland (830) and Montana Tech (690) – and ahead of all Oregon small college teams.
 
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 extending their string of games with a made 3-pointer to 1,070. 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 six occasions. Duke (1,295) and UNLV (1,291) hold the current 3-point streak record, just ahead of CCC rivals Corban (1,257) and College of Idaho (1,231), along with East Tennessee State (1,223.
 
UP NEXT: If the Hustlin' Owls win two games in Fullerton, they will advance to the Final Site of the tournament in Kansas City, set for March 19-24. Third-round games will be played either March 19 or March 20 – against Indiana Wesleyan, Shawnee State, Dalton State or St. Francis.