Emmanuel, No. 8 UNC Pembroke Prepare for NCAA Division II Southeast Regional
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AUGUSTA, Ga. – The 2023 NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Southeast Regional tips off on Saturday, March 11 at Christenberry Fieldhouse on the campus of Augusta and eighth-seeded Emmanuel and second-seeded UNC Pembroke will each take to the court looking to extend their seasons.
The Braves will take the court first at 2:30 p.m. against seventh-seeded North Georgia (20-7) while the Lions will face top seed and regional host Augusta (26-5) at 5 p.m.
UNC Pembroke, who is ranked No. 8 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches poll, received an at-large bid into the field and is 26-3 this season. The Braves are making their ninth trip to the tournament and will face a familiar foe in the Nighthawks whom they hold a 14-10 all-time record against. The Braves are 9-1 in the last 10 meetings, but the two teams have not played since a home-and-home series in 2020. This will be the first neutral site contest in the series.
The Braves are second in NCAA Division II in rebounding margin at plus-10 per contest. UNCP averages 39.2 rebounds per contest to 28.2 for their opponents and outscores the opposition 78.5-66.9 on the season. The offense features five players averaging at least nine points per contest and three in double figures led by Bradlee Haskell at 13.3 per contest. Elijah Cobb and Nygell Verdier are tied for the team lead in rebounding at 6.3 per contest.
North Georgia is making the program's first-ever postseason appearance as an at-large team. The Nighthawks have a 6.5 points scoring margin (77-70.5) and a slim 3.3 edge on the boards (35.7-32.4). The offense runs through Frank Champion who averages 20.7 points and 10 rebounds per game while AJ White (14.3) and Giancarlo Bastianoni (11) also average double figure points.
Emmanuel received the automatic bid to the tournament by way of their Atlantic Casualty Conference Carolinas Men’s Basketball Tournament title and entered the field of 64 with a record of 23-7 on the season and a 16-game win streak. This is the third national tournament appearance for the Lions (2019, 2021). The Lions are led by Conference Carolinas Player of the Year, KJ Jones II, and Freshman of the Year, Tavarus Webb. Jones leads NCAA Division II in scoring at 26.4 points per contest. He also averages 7.1 rebounds and nearly four assists per game. Webb averages 14.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and has a team-high 37 blocks this season. As a team, Emmanuel averages 79.3 points per contest while allowing 70.7 per game. They have had seven games decided by three points or less this season and are 5-2 in those games.
Augusta, the Peach Belt regular season and tournament champions, is making its 15th appearance in the tournament. The Jaguars are 26-5 on the season and average 80.4 points per game while holding opponents to 71 points per contest. The 10th-ranked team in NCAA Division II is led by Tyshaun Crawford who averages 21.4 points per contest. He also leads the team on the glass with 8.1 rebounds per game. Miguel Arnold also averages double-figures with 16.9 points per contest.
This will be the sixth meeting between the two programs and Augusta holds a 4-1 record in the series. Emmanuel’s lone victory came in 2019, 74-71, in Augusta. The Jags won in Franklin Springs, Georgia back on Dec. 31, a 91-77 victory.
Twenty-three conferences have been awarded automatic qualification. The remaining 41 teams were selected at large by the committee.
Seven of the eight regional tournaments, consisting of eight teams each, will be conducted March 11, 12 and 14 while one regional tournament also consisting of eight teams will be conducted March 10, 11 and 13. The eight regional champions will advance to the quarterfinals in conjunction with the 2023 NCAA Division II Men’s Elite Eight. The quarterfinal, semifinal and championship games will be conducted at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana, March 21, 23 and 25.
Information, including tickets, live stats, video and team information, for the Southeast Regional hosted by Augusta at Christenberry Fieldhouse is available here.