Road to Hartman guide: KCAC men's basketball tournament resumes for all eight qualifiers
Road to Hartman guide: KCAC men's basketball tournament resumes for all eight qualifiers
Here's the best win, worst loss, and record overview for each squad in the conference's annual postseason playoff.
With regular-season KCAC play finishing up for men’s basketball last Saturday, the top eight teams are all looking to make a run through the conference’s annual postseason tournament in hopes of a trip to Hartman Arena in Wichita on Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. — better known as “Championship Monday.”
The bracket was finalized and published following the conclusion of Saturday’s contests:
The format of the playoff has returned to eight teams after a brief shift to an expanded field due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The higher-seeded team will host each round’s games until the final. All first-round contests will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Second-round games will tip-off at 2 p.m. the following Saturday.
Tickets can only be purchased at kcacsports.com/tickets. Here’s a look at each team’s resume heading into the midweek quarterfinal action:
No. 1 Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles
The eighth-ranked team in the NAIA, Oklahoma Wesleyan, locked up the top spot and the KCAC regular season title as well as an NAIA postseason qualifier prior to Saturday’s action. The defending tournament champions finished 20-2 in conference play and 25-3 overall this season. The Eagles’ largest win of the campaign came on Feb. 4 against Avila, 95-38. Their two losses in conference play came from Bethany in Lindsborg on Jan. 23, 66-61, and at home against Bethel, 72-61.
Oklahoma Wesleyan will take on Ottawa in the quarterfinals. With a win, it’ll advance to face either No. 4 Southwestern or No. 5 Bethany.
No. 2 Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes
Kansas Wesleyan would finish its season as the 12th-ranked team in the NAIA poll, clinching the second seed in the KCAC tournament. The Coyotes capped their season at 19-3 in conference play and 25-3 overall. One of their biggest wins of the season came in an 83-77 victory over Southwestern — which was ranked fourth in the NAIA at the time — on Jan. 11. Their standout loss of the campaign was on Dec. 3 against Oklahoma Wesleyan, when the Coyotes were blown out at home, 75-44.
Kansas Wesleyan squares off with Sterling on Wednesday. With a win, it’ll take on either No. 3 Bethel or No. 6 York.
No. 3 Bethel Threshers
Bethel ended its regular season after six consecutive games in the win column, bringing them to the third seed in the tournament. The Threshers finished 16-6 in the KCAC and 18-9 overall. The first of their two notable wins took place on Jan. 26 in Bartlesville, Okla. where they took down the eventual regular season champions, Oklahoma Wesleyan, 72-61. The other was a victory over Southwestern last Wednesday that would eventually lift Bethel to the third seed, 79-71. One of the Threshers’ most questionable losses is the 91-80 defeat to Ottawa on Jan. 28 — just days after toppling Oklahoma Wesleyan.
Bethel will take on York for its first-round matchup. With a victory, it’ll move on to play either No. 2 Kansas Wesleyan or No. 7 Sterling.
No. 4 Southwestern Moundbuilders
Southwestern would end its regular season a spot lower than hoped after Bethel surpassed them for the third seed. The Moundbuilders go into the KCAC tournament as the 20th-ranked team in the NAIA with a conference record of 16-6 and an overall record of 22-6. One of their most heartbreaking losses of the season came on Jan. 18 against Oklahoma Wesleyan, where they fell short by just two points. Southwestern defeated Bethel, 90-79, in the two teams’ first meeting on Jan. 4 and scored 102 points in a victory over McPherson on Feb. 8.
The Moundbuilders face Bethany in the quarterfinals. With a win, they’ll square off with either No. 1 Oklahoma Wesleyan or No. 8 Ottawa.
No. 5 Bethany Swedes
The Swedes enter the KCAC tournament as the fifth seed after capturing a 14-8 conference record and an 18-10 overall record. One of their most notable wins would be against the top seed in the tournament, Oklahoma Wesleyan, on Jan. 23 in Lindsborg — a 66-61 shocker. One of the Swedes’ most questionable losses came on Jan. 14 against Friends when they lost 87-84 against the worst team in the KCAC.
Bethany will travel to Winfield for a showdown with Southwestern on Wednesday. With a win, it’ll face either No. 1 Oklahoma Wesleyan or No. 8 Ottawa.
No. 6 York Panthers
York finished its regular season with an even 11-11 conference record and a 13-15 overall record, setting them up as the sixth seed in the tournament. The Panthers’ most questionable loss of the season came on Dec. 7 when they took on McPherson and lost the battle in overtime, 94-90. York’s best wins include a shootout over Ottawa, 108-105, on Feb. 6 and a rematch victory over McPherson, 86-82, on Feb. 4.
The Panthers are on the road to face Bethel in the opening round. With a win, they’ll be paired with either No. 2 Kansas Wesleyan or No. 7 Sterling.
No. 7 Sterling Warriors
After a 2-29 season a year ago, the Warriors from Sterling College have found themselves as the seventh seed after engineering one of the best turnarounds in Kansas sports. Sterling finished KCAC play with a 10-12 record and a 14-14 overall record. One of its most notable wins would come on Dec. 7 against Bethel, winning 75-67. On Feb. 4, the Warriors fell narrowly in the rematch, 76-75.
Sterling will play Kansas Wesleyan in its first-round playoff game. With a victory, it’ll play either No. 3 Bethel or No. 6 York.
No. 8 Ottawa Braves
Ottawa occupies the eighth and final spot in the KCAC tournament after posting a 9-13 record in conference and a 12-16 overall record. One of the Braves’ most notable wins came on Jan. 28 against the Bethel, winning 91-80 in North Newton. One of their most questionable losses was on Jan. 23 against McPherson, when they lost in overtime, 106-98, after beating the Bulldogs in overtime two months prior.
Ottawa will take the daunting trip south in hopes of knocking off top-seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan in the first round. With a victory, it’ll face either No. 4 Southwestern or No. 5 Bethany.