Hutchinson, KS – The Indian Hills Men's Basketball squad is set to open play at the 2025 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Men's Basketball National Championship on Monday night. The Warriors tip-off against Vincennes University (IN) at 8:00 PM CT.
DETAILS: 2025 NJCAA DI Men's Basketball National Championship
#3 (3) Indian Hills vs. #6 (14) Vincennes
Hutchinson, KS | Hutchinson Sports Arena
WATCH LIVE: ESPN+
WHERE TO WATCH IN OTTUMWA: Godfrey's Ale House
LIVE AUDIO: GoHillsTV | 96.7 KIIC
TICKETS: Buy Online
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: 2025 NJCAA DI Men's Basketball Championship
BRACKET: 2025 NJCAA DI Men's Basketball National Tournament
LIVE STATS: Indian Hills vs. Vincennes
WARRIOR RALLY: Sunday, March 24 | 6:00 PM on GoHillsTV | Salt City Brewing Company
2025 HUTCH GUIDE: via Indian Hills Athletics
STARTING FIVE
- Indian Hills is set to make its 20th all-time appearance at the national tournament on Monday night as the Warriors earned the No. 3 overall seed.
- The Warriors head to the national tournament having cleaned up on the conference's postseason awards as Abdoulaye Fall was named the ICCAC Player of the Year, Cole Dewey was named the ICCAC Coach of the Year, and eight individuals were named to the NJCAA All-Region 11 Team.
- The duration of the tournament can be seen live only on ESPN+ with the championship game to air on ESPN U on Saturday afternoon. All Indian Hills contests can be heard live on GoHillsTV platforms along with a simulcast on KIIC 96.7 FM.
- Cole Dewey will be making his first appearance at the national tournament as a head coach for the Warriors, but previously made three trips to Hutchinson as an assistant at Indian Hills from 2016-18.
- Former Warrior Pete Mickeal, the 1998 Most Outstanding Player at the national tournament, was recently announced as a 2025 inductee into the NJCAA Foundation Hall of Fame.
- Read More: Mickeal Inducted into NJCAA Hall of Fame
HOW WE GOT HERE
The Warriors earned a first-round bye at the NJCAA National Tournament after securing both the NJCAA Region 11 and NJCAA North Central District Championship.
- Under first-year head coach Cole Dewey, the Warriors boast a 27-5 overall record on the year, including a 4-0 mark in the ICCAC.
- The Warriors head into Monday's matchup on a six-game winning streak and have won 16 of 17.
WARRIORS AT HUTCH
2025 marks the Warriors' 20th all-time trip to the Hutchinson Sports Arena, fourth in a row, and 12th berth in the last 14 years (including the COVID-19 cancelled season).
- The Warriors earned the No. 3 overall seed, the team's sixth top-five seed since the field expanded to a seeded-format in 2013.
- Indian Hills is 31-20 all-time in the national tournament while the team's 20 all-time appearances are tied for sixth-most in NJCAA history.
- The Warriors remain the only team in NJCAA history to win three consecutive national championships - 1997, 1998, and 1999.
- Indian Hills has earned back-to-back trips to the Final Four, the team's first consecutive semifinal appearances since 1997-99.
- The first all-time appearance at the national tournament for the Warriors came in 1993 where the program placed fourth overall.
SCOUTING THE TRAILBLAZERS
Led by NJCAA Hall of Fame head coach Todd Franklin, the Trailblazers are making their 39th all-time trip to the national tournament, the most in NJCAA history.
- The 14th seeded Trailblazers knocked off upset-minded and 19th seeded Three Rivers College (MO) 69-51 in the opening round Saturday night to advance.
- Vincennes enters Monday night with a 27-4 overall record. The Trailblazers won 20 games in a row before falling in the NJCAA Region 24 Tournament first round.
- The Trailblazers rank sixth in the nation with 21.0 assists per game and seventh nationally with a +13.9 rebounding margin/game.
- Lebron Thomas' 14.2 points and 5.8 assists per game lead the team.
- Vincennes is 5-0 against common opponents with the Warriors this year.
SERIES HISTORY
Two of the most storied junior college men's basketball programs, Indian Hills and Vincennes have combined for 49 trips to the national tournament and seven national championships.
- The two blue blood programs have met nine times in program history, with the Trailblazers holding a 5-4 advantage.
- Indian Hills took the most recent meeting, an 80-75 win at the Hellyer Center on December 8, 2023.
- Indian Hills and Vincennes squared off at the national tournament once before - a 109-94 victory for the Trailblazers in the third-place game of the 1993 national tournament, the Warriors' first-ever trip to Hutchinson.
- Five of the nine all-time meetings have been decided by single digits.
WHAT'S NEXT
A win for the Warriors would punch their ticket to the quarterfinal round for the third consecutive season. Indian Hills would play the winner of sixth-seeded Panola College (TX) and either No. 11 Frank Phillips College (TX) or No. 21 Wallace State Community College (AL) at 8:00 PM Wednesday night.
Fans can catch all of the action live via the NJCAA Network with a paid subscription. GoHillsTV, the official streaming platform of Indian Hills Community College, will provide a free audio-only broadcast throughout the duration of the tournament.
For more information regarding the national tournament, including schedule, brackets, tickets, hotels, and more, visit: NJCAA DI MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP HOME
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