Preview Of All 24 Teams In 2024 Tournament
The 77th rendition of the Men’s D1Basketball National Championship is just a day away. This year’s event, the 76th time in Hutchinson, gets underway tomorrow, Sunday, March 24. This is the latest regularly scheduled start ever. The tournament usually started on the Tuesday following the third Monday. And when the format changed in 2013 to include opening round games starting on Monday, it was the always the Monday before the third Tuesday.
The only other time opening day was later was in 2021, the Covid shortened year. That year it ran April 19-24.
Six games on Day 1, the first of which tips at 10:00 am between #16 seed Daytona State College (28-3) and 17th seed Allegany College of Maryland (26-7).
Daytona was ranked 8th in the final NJCAA Top 25 poll (March 4, 2024), and is one of the eight At-large bids in the field. Allegany got their ticket to the Big Dance as East District Champions. The winner gets a shot at #1 Barton CC in the next round.
Nine of the this year’s entries have won National Championships, seven have multiple Crowns. The other fifteen, will be looking for their first.
With four titles to their credit, Vincennes University (IN) and Moberly Area CC (MO) lead not only those in this tournament, but are tied with San Jacinta-Central (TX) with the most in the history of the Championship.
Hutchinson CC (KS), South Plains College (TX), Indian Hills CC (IA), and Northwest Florida State each have three. All of them will be looking to tie the leaders and become the fourth team to capture 4 Titles.
Indian Hills three Championships were accomplished in successive seasons. The only team to do that. Northwest Florida State has two titles as NWF, the other one was when they were Okaloosa-Walton CC. Salt Lake CC had two championships, rounding out the list, Connors State College and Jones College, each have one.
There are 9 teams who participated in last years event. Moberly Area CC, Northwest Florida State, Salt Lake CC, Trinidad State College, Trinity Valley CC, Chipola College, Indian Hills CC, Odessa College, and Vincennes University.
Thirteen of the teams have made it to the Championship game. Five of those didn’t win it. Of those 13, only Chipola, Allegany College of Maryland (twice each), Barton, and Cowley have runners-up trophies in their cases, but have yet to pocket the biggest trophy.
Here is a preview of all 24 team in this years tournament:
AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS:
Allegany College of Maryland (26-7) – East District – Cumberland, MD – The Trojans – No. 24 Seed – Region 20 – NR (not ranked) – Beat Harford 62-58 in OT in District Championship – 14th appearance in Hutch – Last trip in 2019 – National Runners-Up in 1996 & 2001 – Won 4 straight
Head Coach/Athletic Director: Tommie Reams (Allegany College of Maryland, BA & MS – Frostburg State, Coaching Specialist – Ball State) – 11th season at ACM (170-141)
Barton CC (32-1) – Plains District – Great Bend, KS – The Cougars – No. 1 Seed – Region 6 – Ranked #1 in all 3 polls – Beat #16 Hutchinson CC 74-57 in District Final – Fifth trip to Hutch – Last appearance 2018 – National Runner-up in 1999 – 23 game winning streak
Head Coach: Jeremy Coombs (Lebette College, Nicholls State, Kansas Wesleyan University) – 3rd season at Barton (73-24) – 17th overall (301-228) – 14 years at Neosho Co. CC
Chipola College (29-4) – South Atlantic District – Marianna, FL – The Indians – No. 6 Seed – Region 8 – Ranked #12 NP, #9 JHS, #13 Media – Beat #9 Northwest Florida State 50-48 in District Championship – 19th appearance at Hutch – 4th consecutive year – Semifinalist in 2021 & 2022 – Won 9 consecutive
Head Coach: Donnie Tyndall (BA-Morehead State; MS-LSU) 4th year at Chipola (111-20) – 5th year as Juco HC – 30-5 at St. Catherine College (1996-97) with an appearance at Hutch – 5 years coaching at Juco level, 5 times participant at Hutch – 27 years coaching overall
Connors State College (31-2) – South Central District – Warner, OK – The Cowboys – No. 19 Seed – Region 2 – RV in all 3 polls – Beat #18 Northeastern Oklahoma A&M 73-71 in District Final – 16th appearance at Hutch – Last participated in 2022 – 1990 National Champions – 13 Wins in a row
Head Coach: Bill Muse, Sr. (BA-Mississippi, MA-South Alabama) – 31 seasons in charge at CSC (768-260) – 43 years coaching overall
Georgia Highlands College (19-14) – Southeast District – Rome, GA – The Chargers – No. 23 Seed – Region 17 – Not Ranked – Beat RV Albany Technical College 56-53 in District Championship – 4th time at Hutch – Last trip 2019 – 5 consecutive wins
Head Coach: JJ Merritt (BA-Shorter University, MA-Concordia University) – 5th season with GHC (103-47)
Indian Hills CC (27-5) – North Central District – Ottumwa, IA – The Warriors – No. 5 seed – Region 11 – Ranked #10 NP, #8 JHS, #6 Media – Beat Southeastern CC 78-68 in Region 11 final – Defeated North Dakota State College of Science 90-74 in District Championship – Trip #19 to Hutch – Third in a row – 11th time in 13 years – 3 time National Champions (1997, 1998, 1999) – Runner-up (2014) – Winners of 11 straight
Head Coach: Josh Sash (AA-Indian Hills CC, BA-William Penn University, MS-Drake University – 1st year at IHCC (27-5) – AC at Indian Hills (2015-2017)
Jones College (27-6) – Gulf District – Ellisville, MS – The Bobcats – No. 18 Seed – Region 23 – NR NP & Media, RV JHS – Beat Mississippi Gulf Coast CC 83-81 in District Final – 3rd appearance in Hutch – Last time attending 2017 – 2014 National Champion – On an 8 game winning streak
Head Coach: Newton Mealer (BA-Southern Miss) – 3rd season at Jones (61-25) – 21st year of coaching
Trinidad State College (25-7) – North Plains District – Trinidad, CO – The Trojans – No. 20 seed – Region 9 – Not Ranked – Beat Western Nebraska CC 81-56 in District final – 5th appearance at Hutch – Back to back to back trips as District Champs – have won 6 straight
Head Coach: Mike Folda (AA-Northeastern JC; BA-CSU-Pueblo; MA-East Central University OK) – 13th season (217-182)
Trinity Valley CC (26-7) – Mid-South District – Athens, TX – The Cardinals – No. 16 seed – Region 14 – Ranked #17 NP, #21 JHS, #16 Media poll – Beat #5 Lee College 87-72 in District Championship final – 11th time in Hutch – 2nd in a row – 3 or last 4 years – 8 in last 11 – Last trip 2023 – three consecutive wins
Head Coach: Marty Levinson (BA & MS-Nebraska Kearney, MS) – 1st season at TVCC (26-7), 94-52 in six seasons with Southern Arkansas University Tech (NJCAA D2),173-105 overall as HC
Triton College (31-2) – Midwest District – River Grove, IL – The Trojans – No. 7 Seed – Region 4 – Ranked #7 NP, #6 JHS, #9 Media – Beat Moberly Area CC 84-81 in District Final – 2nd trip to Hutch – Last time 2022 (Final Four) – Won D2 National Championship in 2018, then went to D1 in 2019 – Won four in a row
Head Coach: Brian Burns () – 1st year at Triton (31-2) –
Salt Lake CC (30-3) – West District – Taylorsville, UT – The Bruins – No. 3 seed – Region 18 – #3 (NJCAA, JHS, & Media polls) – Beat Eastern Arizona College 66-59 in District Championship – 12th appearance at Hutch – 5th in a row – Two time champs (2009 & 2016) – 2 time runners-up (08-22) – on a 13 game win streak
Head Coach: Kyle Taylor (BA-UCLA, MS-Northwest Missouri State) – 5th year (143-18)
South Plains College (31-2) – Southwest District – Levelland, TX – The Texans – No. 2 Seed – Region 5 – Ranked #2 in all 3 polls – Beat RV Clarendon College 100-98 in District Championship – 14th time to Hutch – Last trip 2022 – 3 National Championships (2008, 2012, 2018) – Runners-up in 2015 – Three victories in a row
Head Coach: Hayden Sowers (BA-Ole Miss, GD-William Carey University) – 2nd season with SPC (53-11) – AC for the Texans for one year (2021-22) and with Pearl River CC (MS) for 4 years prior
Vincennes University (30-3) – Central District – Vincennes, IN – The TrailBlazers (Blazers) – No. 4 Seed – Region 24 – Ranked #4 in all 3 polls – Beat Wabash Valley College 73-67 in District Final – 38th appearance in Hutch (most all-time for any program) – Last trip 2023 – Back to back trips -11 times in last 12 yrs – 4 National Championships (1965, 1970, 1972, 2019) – 1 time runner-up (1986) – 8 consecutive victories
Head Coach: Todd Franklin (BA-Western Kentucky; MA-Austin Peay) – 14th year at VU (389-81) – 27 years overall (719-178) – 2019 National Champion – Class of 2018 NJCAA BCA Hall of Fame Inductee
Wallace State CC (25-8) – South District – Hanceville, AL – The Lions – No. 21 Seed – Region 22 – Not Ranked – Beat Bishop State CC 85-81 for District Title – 4th appearance in Hutch – Last time in 2014 – Winners of 5 in a row
Head Coach: Allen Sharpe 256-352-8365
Walters State CC (28-2) – Appalachian District – Morristown, TN – The Senators – No. 17 Seed – Region 7 – Ranked #21 NP, #22 JHS, #19 Media – Beat Roane State CC 83-79 in District Final – 9th appearance in Hutch – 2017 Last trip – Won four straight
Head Coach: Jerry Nichols (BA-Arkansas State, MA-Union College) – 1st year at WSCC (28-2) – 10th year as Juco HC (228-61) including Motlow State & Southwest Tennessee CC
USC-Salkehatchie (20-13) – Atlantic District – Walterboro, SC – The Indians – No. 22 Seed – Region 10 – Not Ranked – Beat #23 Caldwell CC & TI 69-59 in District Final – Third time qualifying (2013 & 2020) – Victors in 6 straight
Head Coach: Matt Lynch (Ba-Edinboro, Ma-Miami, Ohio) – 1st year as HC (20-13) – hired in January 2023 to restart the program after a 2022-23 opt out
AT-LARGE SELECTIONS:
Cowley College (27-5) – Plains District – Arkansas City, KS – The Tigers – No. 9 Seed – Region 6 – Ranked #11 NP, #13 JHS, #12 Media, Lost to # 16 Hutchinson CC 89-83 in District Semifinals – 7th time qualifier for Hutch – Last appearance 2021 – 2 time runners-up (1953 & 2021)
Head Coach: Donnie Jackson (Ba-Sterling College, GD-Fort Hays State) – 3rd year with Cowley (59-36) – 11 years overall (242-105) 8 years at Northern Oklahoma – Tonkawa
Daytona State College (28-3) – South Atlantic District – Daytona Beach, FL – The Falcons – No. 16 Seed – Region 8 – Ranked #8 NP, #7 JHS, #10 Media – Lost to Tallahassee CC 113-112 in OT in District Quarterfinals – Third appearance at Hutch – Last trip in 1999
Head Coach: Joey Cantens (Ba-Eckerd College, Ma-Florida State) – 3rd year at Daytona State (66-26)
Hutchinson CC (27-6) – Plains District – Hutchinson, KS – The BlueDragons (Dragons) – No. 11 Seed – Region 6 – Ranked #16 NP, #18 JHS, #15 Media – Lost to #1 Barton CC 74-57 in District Championship – Making 24th appearance – Last trip in 2022 – Three time Champions (1988, 1994, & 2017) – Two time Runners-up (1949 & 2016)
Head Coach: Tommy DeSalme (Ba & Ma-Southeastern Oklahoma State) – 3rd season at Hutch (73-27) – 17th overall in Juco (Independence & Cowley) 357-162 – 23rd overall as HC (469-233)
Lee College (28-4) –
Moberly Area CC (25-8) – Midwest District – Moberly, MO – The Greyhounds – No. 14 Seed – Region 16 – Ranked NP/#19 JHS/20 Media/22 – Lost to Triton 84-81 in District final – 32nd appearance in National Tournament (2nd behind Vincennes) – 3rd year in row, 5 of last 6 years, 6 of 9 – 4 time Champs (1954, 1955, 1966, 1967) – 3 time runners-up – First team from Region 16 to receive At-Large entry
Head Coach: Patrick Smith (Bluefield College, VA) 39th year overall (864-427) – 10th all time career wins (#3 for active coaches) – 15th season at Moberly 2001-04 & 2012-24 (344-113) – Class of 2019 NJCAA BCA Hall of Fame Inductee
Northwest Florida State (28-5) – South Atlantic District – Niceville, FL – The Raiders – No 8 Seed – Region 8 – Ranked #9 NP, #11 JHS, #5 MP – Lost to #3 Chipola 50-48 in District final – 14th showing in Hutch, 11 in last 15 seasons – 3rd in a row – 3 national championships (1995, 2015, 2022), 1995 as Okaloosa-Walton CC – 3 times runners-up (2012, 2013, and 2023)
Head Coach: Steven DeMeo (BA-State University of New York at Buffalo) – 8th season at NW (2013-19 & 2022-current) 224-39 and 13th overall as HC (319-109)
Odessa College (24-8) – Southwest District – Odessa, TX – The Wranglers – No. 13 Seed – Region 5 – Ranked #15 NP & JHS, #18 Media – Lost to Champion #2 South Plains College 63-53 in District Semifinal – 12th appearance in Hutch – 4th time in a row – 8 of past 9 years
Head Coach: Kris Baumann (BA-University of Idaho: MA-Columbia Southern) – 6th year at OC (143-44) – 17th season overall (423-190)
Panola College (26-6) – Mid-South District – Carthage, TX – The Ponies – No. 15 Seed – Region 14 – Ranked #14 in all 3 polls – Lost to Champion #17 Trinity Valley CC 72-70 in District Semifinals – Two time Hutch qualifier – Last time 2017
Head Coach: Joe Kuligoski (Ba-Eastern Illinois) – 1st year HC (26-6) – was AC at Panola one season before promotion to HC
