Men's NCAA Tournament preview

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Mar 04, 2026
There's a tangle of NESCACs in the NCAA Tournament, including our defending champs. Who will emerge?
Photo by Pete Meshanic, d3photography.com
 

By Ryan Scott
D3hoops.com

It’s March already. The Division III men’s basketball NCAA Tournament is upon us. Sixty-four teams from across the country will assemble at 16 campus sites to begin a journey that is extra long this year. This season marks a combined NCAA championship year, with the NIT, Division II, and Division III championships games happening in Indianapolis on April 5 alongside the Division I final.

That means we play typical four-team pods the first weekend, but have eight one-off games the second weekend, sending eight teams to Fort Wayne, where they’ll play down to two — who get a Super Bowl-like two weeks of prep before we crown a champion.

This was the format we were supposed to undertake in 2020, when COVID shut down the tournament. Seven of the 16 teams who never finished that tournament are entering this one and once again looking forward to that once a decade experience. It might make things a little complicated for us watching, but the student athletes really love the star treatment and the chance to experience things at the very highest level.

Of course, as Division III basketball fans, we know everything is high level, including the sixty-two games that will take place before Indianapolis. So let’s get down to examining the brackets and figure out which team will capture the Walnut and Bronze. I got three of the Final Four teams correct last year, including both sides of the championship game. Sadly, I picked NYU over Trinity. I promise to do better this year.

Remijo Wani missed a month and a half with injury, and St. Joseph's Maine was 3-7 when he returned. Now the Monks are 20-8.
St. Joseph's, Maine athletics photo by Chris Theodores
 

Upper Left quadrant

No. 16 Keuka (15-13) at No. 1 Trinity, Conn. (25-2); No. 6 Babson (21-6) vs. No. 11 St. Joseph’s, Maine (20-8)

No. 13 Vassar (20-8) at No. 5 Hood (24-3); No. 4 Redlands (23-4) vs. No. 12 Susquehanna (16-12)

No. 14 Penn State-Harrisburg (18-10) at No. 3 Tufts (20-5); No. 7 Catholic (19-7) vs. No. 10 Western Connecticut (21-6)

No. 15 Lehman (21-8) at No. 2 Wesleyan (21-6); No. 8 NYU (17-8) vs. No. 9 Gettysburg (18-9)

Top Stories: Game No. 1 — can Trinity defend its national championship? It hasn’t been done since WashU in 2009, but almost all the Bantams are back and ready to give it a try. Keuka might not seem like a formidable first foe, but they won three games in the Empire 8 tournament as the 7-seed just to get here, so they’re no strangers to pulling upsets. If Trinity does get back to Fort Wayne, there may be a familiar foe on the other side of the bracket; they defeated both Wesleyan and NYU on the way to the title in 2025.

Best Matchups: Babson and St. Joe’s may well be a barn burner. Babson’s roster is very young and St. Joe’s got derailed by a swath of injuries mid-year. They’re both fully healthy and fully experienced, both likely better than their seeding and more than capable of making a run. Babson Thomas Ferdinando is a confident sharp-shooter and one of the best freshmen in the country. He’ll have to match-up against preseason All-American Remijo Wani, who’s topped 25 points in 11 games this season. Bonus: if Hood and Redlands both win Friday, we’re likely in for the highest scoring game of the tournament on Saturday. Who wins? Anybody’s guess!

Upset Alerts: Vassar’s Shea Fitzgerald is a tough scoring guard who leads a stout Brewer defense that could slow down the high-powered Hood offense. I also think those St. Joe’s Monks have as good a chance as any to take down the defending champs; they have the talent and athleticism to compete with anyone.

Player to Watch: There are so many, but Hood’s Jevon Yarbrough may not yet be a household name. He’s only averaging 25 points, six rebounds, and six assists per game, shooting 53% from the field, 40% from three, and 89% from the free throw line. He had 44 points in just 30 minutes in the MAC Commonwealth championship game and he gets to play at home this weekend.

What Will Happen: Babson is a tough draw for the Monks, but I think St. Joe’s can pull it out. I want to pick them over Trinity, too, but I can’t get that crazy yet. I think the discipline of the defending champs sees them through to Fort Wayne over Redlands, whose own tournament experience gets them by Hood in a barnburner (both teams in triple digits). Word on the street is that NESCAC Player of the Year Scott Gyimesi will not be able to go for Tufts, but I like their draw enough to send them through over Catholic, and then fall to Wesleyan (who squeaks past NYU) for the trip to Indiana.

Kye Robinson, No. 1 in your programs; No. 1 in Mary Washington's scoring column, by a lot.
Photo by Mike Atherton, d3photography.com
 

Lower Left quadrant

No. 15 Worcester State (15-12) at No. 1 Mary Washington (24-3); No. 7 WPI (21-5) vs. No. 9 Amherst (18-7)

No. 13 Hope (18-9) at No. 4 UW-La Crosse (22-6); No. 6 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (22-4) vs. No. 12 Aurora (23-5)

No. 16 Bethany Lutheran (16-11) at No. 3 Gustavus Adolphus (25-2); No. 5 UW-Stevens Point (19-7) vs. No. 11 Mary Hardin-Baylor (20-7)

No. 14 PSU-Behrend (20-7) at No. 2 Chicago (21-4); No. 8 UW-Platteville (18-9) vs. No. 10 Otterbein (22-5)

Top Stories: Chicago is led by two grad transfers, Nick Roper from Illinois Wesleyan and Shane Regan, who played in the Final Four with Wesleyan last season. Amherst is in the tournament for the first time since Naithsmith Hall of Fame coach Dave Hixon retired. If seeds hold, Marcus Kahn would be just the second coach to take a second school to the Final Four; his Cabrini team lost the final to Whitewater in 2012. Bosko Djurickovic coached both North Park and Carthage to the Final Four.

Best Matchups: CMS vs. Aurora is just really intriguing, balanced offenses who’ve flown a bit under the radar this year. The teams match up really well on paper, but nobody really knows what that will look like on the floor. The same might be said for UWSP and UMHB as well (not to mention the four letter acronyms).

Upset Alert: UW-La Crosse seems to have righted the ship after some late season struggles, but they may be vulnerable to a good team — and Hope certainly has pedigree. They’re also on a great run, with wins over Calvin and Trine in the MIAA tournament. This upset may depend on whether big man Park Hovey is healthy or not. This is also the quadrant, in my mind, with the most number of probably Fort Wayne teams in it. Lots of squads could emerge.

Players to Watch: Kye Robinson from Mary Washington is one of the smoothest players I’ve ever seen. He makes quickness and skill look very, very easy. Just a sophomore, he’s scoring 25 points per game, with seven rebounds, and four assists. On the opposite side of the spectrum, UWL’s Sam Grieger always stands out. He’s a flashy player, super fun to watch. He’s averaging 26 points per game and is one of the most clutch performers in all Division III.

What Will Happen: Amherst sneaks past WPI, but Mary Washington is just too good for the Mammoths. UMW also gets past CMS, who surprised La Crosse on their home floor. Home floor comes through for Gustavus, though, who stops the upset-bent Mary-Hardin Baylor. Shane Regan is too much for the Gusties; after dispatching Platteville, they take out Gustavus for a trip to Fort Wayne.

Oh yes, Ben Pearce is still at Emory, and has scored 1,924 points in his Eagles career.
Emory athletics photo by Colin Mackey
 

Upper Right quadrant

No. 16 MUW (17-10) at No. 1 Emory (22-3); No. 5 Roanoke (22-6) vs. No.  9 Rhodes (23-4)

No. 13 Maine-Farmington (22-5) at No. 4 Montclair State (25-2); No. 7 Bates (18-8) vs. No. 12 Yeshiva (20-8)

No. 14 Heidelberg (16-12) at No. 3 Illinois Wesleyan (23-4); No. 8 John Carroll (22-6) vs. No. 11 Grinnell (22-3)

No. 15 Neumann (19-9) at No. 2 Endicott (26-1); No. 6 Franklin & Marshall (22-5) vs. No. 10 Cortland (23-4)

Top Stories: Yes, the Mississippi University for Women has a men’s basketball team! The name change process for this now-coeducational institution has been through lawsuits and the state legislature with no result. And while “The W” is new to the tournament, head coach Dean Burrows was there before with Wesley. There’s also Marcus Montagnino, who tried to walk on at Xavier, starred on their club team, graduated in three years, and is now finishing his master’s at Endicott — paired with Elijah Kinney, they make a formidable inside presence at a school not always known for big men.

Best Matchups: Bates will be Yeshiva’s fourth NESCAC opponent this year (almost half the conference schedule!) and each team will be relying on a different strength. Bates has sharp-shooting guards like Brady Coyne (if healthy, after he suffered an apparent injury in the NESCAC semifinals) and Sean O’Leary, but their tournament run will depend on the play of emerging junior big man, Babacar Pouye. Yeshiva has size in Yoav Oselka and Dothan Bardichev, but they’ll rely on senior star Zevi Samet to succeed. A possible second round treat would be Illinois Wesleyan and Noah Cleveland (if healthy) against John Carroll’s Luke Chicone. You won’t find them guarding each other, but they’re two of the very best in Division III.

Upset Alert: I’ve liked Cortland all year long and I think they’ve got a favorable draw in the first weekend. They’ve got strength at every position, diversified scoring, and plenty of experience. It’s the kind of balance and stability that holds up well under the pressures of the NCAA Tournament. I can see them winning two games this weekend and maybe one more for Fort Wayne. 

Players to Watch: I’ve mentioned a ton of All-Americans in this pod so far, but the backcourt at Emory is one of the best we’ve ever seen. Both Ben Pearce and Jair Knight have started for four years in one of Division III’s most competitive conferences. Big guards with uncommon quickness, Pearce and Knight have scored a combined 3,700 points. Opponents cannot hope to stop them, just slow them down enough to get a few balls in the basket.

What Will Happen: I have Emory cleaning up their pod. Rhodes is a great sleeper pick, but the Roanoke matchup is not favorable. I have Montclair in a closer than expected first round win and then taking out Yeshiva in another battle. Then it’s difficult. Emory is an overwhelming force, enough to overcome the errors they’re sometimes prone to make. Montclair is smooth and doesn’t make many mistakes. I think the Eagles squeak it out over the Red Hawks. On the other side, I’d love to see IWU-Grinnell, but I don’t think Chicone lets JCU lose that one. If Noah Cleveland’s hand is well enough for him just to take up space and knock rebounds around, they escape the pod. I also think they’re too strong for Cortland, who upsets host Endicott on Saturday.

Jabril Robinson, right, has played 107 games in his Randolph-Macon career, and has started 106 of them.
Randolph-Macon athletics photo
 

Bottom Right Quadrant

No. 16 Belhaven (16-12) at No. 1 St. Thomas (26-1); No. 7 Trinity, Texas (21-6) vs. No. 10 Whitworth (22-5)

No. 13 Transylvania (20-8) at No. 4 WashU (18-7); No. 6 UW-Whitewater (20-7) vs. No. 11 Loras (20-8)

No. 14 Stevens (18-9) at No. 3 Christopher Newport (21-5); No. 5 Mount Union (23-3) vs. No. 12 Washington & Jefferson (22-6)

No. 15 N.C. Wesleyan (21-6) at No. 2 Randolph-Macon (25-3); No. 8 TCNJ (21-6) vs. No. 9 Johns Hopkins (20-7) 

Top Story: A Texas team hasn’t made it out of the second weekend since 2013, the last time there was a combined championship and eight spots available. It was UMHB then, can it be St. Thomas now. One layup short of a perfect season, the Celts are poised to have three home games before Fort Wayne. Will that edge be enough to see them through?

Best Matchups: Whitworth and Trinity are really intriguing. Perennial powers both down a bit this year, they retain experience and pedigree, but are largely unknown. No one would be surprised to see a second weekend run, but they have to get past each other first! With NPI, the committee doesn’t have as much leeway to influence pairings for pure narrative value, but a second round rematch of the 2023 national title game, where CNU downed Mount Union at the buzzer would be pure enjoyment all around!

Upset Alert: TCNJ has been flying under the radar all year, in the shadow of 25-2 Montclair State in the NJAC. Those two losses, though, are both at the hands of TCNJ, within ten days of each other. The scrappy Lions are actually really deep, led by seniors Nick Koch on the perimeter and constant triple-double threat Matthew Solomon down low. Nobody matches up well with Randolph-Macon, but if TCNJ can get by Hopkins, they’ve got as good a shot as anyone. Trinity and W&J are both teams who like to trap and press and speed up ball handlers - the perfect recipe for surprise wins in March — don’t sleep on either one!

Players to Watch: Corey Thompson of St. Thomas and Jabril Robinson of Randolph-Macon are both under-the-radar guards, but they produce and lead like no other. When adversity arises, as it tends to do in March, these guys come through. You may not always see them in the highlight reel, but you definitely have them front and center on the scouting report.

What Will Happen: I’m contractually obligated to pick a splashy upset early in the tournament. I promise I’m not intentionally picking Randolph-Macon every year, but I’m going with TCNJ — in fact, I’m picking the Lions through to Fort Wayne, because they’re going to get a home game the second weekend. Yes, Washington & Jefferson is going to surprise the hosts, CNU, after an upset of Mt. Union the night before. On the other side, I think Trinity gets hot from three and emerges from the Texas pod, only to get blown away by WashU, who sneaks past Whitewater.

Fort Wayne

Lots of tension in Fort Wayne with eight teams and fans taking up space around town. Court time is at a premium and the pressure is very high. For the second year in a row, we have Trinity vs. Wesleyan at Allen County War Memorial Stadium and I think the outcome is the same. Bantams to the Final Four once again.

The narrative says they meet Shane Regan once again, albeit in a different uniform — and Chicago’s size advantage over Mary Washington is formidable. I believe Regan is the kind of player who puts a team on his back, but then again, so is Kye Robinson. I’m going with the top seed and maybe a shocker. Mary Washington falls to Trinity, though — just too much depth and experience.

Emory and Illinois Wesleyan is a titanic battle and perhaps the game of the tournament. I’m not sure the Titans can pull it off without Noah Cleveland at 100% and it’s hard to imagine he will be, even with two more weeks of recovery. Emory has had a lot of late game struggles in big moments over the years, but Pearce and Knight get it done.

They’ll face WashU, who ends the Cinderella run of TCNJ. The Bears were in Fort Wayne last year and just have too much size to throw at Matthew Solomon. Yogi Oliff won UAA Defensive Player of the Year for a reason. We’ll see another UAA matchup in the Final Four. The Bears are on a nine game winning streak at this point, with victories over six tournament teams in that span. They played Emory tough twice in the regular season and have looked even better since. Improbably, even to me, I’m going with WashU to the championship game.

Indianapolis

With two weeks to prepare, Pat Juckem makes it interesting, finding new and inventive ways to attack the vaunted Trinity defense — in the end, though, it just isn’t enough. After a brutal second half, where it becomes difficult for either team to score, the Bantams make just a few more plays and finish off the back to back, fittingly, against the last school to do it.

Trinity 68, WashU 63.