Story Links
HICKORY, N.C. – For the second consecutive season the Lenoir-Rhyne men’s basketball team looks to be NCAA Tournament bound as they are under consideration in the first NCAA Regional Rankings. This opening set of rankings is done alphabetically, with the first numerical rankings set to come out next Wednesday.
Lenoir-Rhyne is looking to qualify for the ninth NCAA Tournament in program history and second in a row. Last season’s team made history by winning the program’s first NCAA Regional Championship and advancing to the Elite Eight in Evansville, Indiana. Conrad Luczynski was dominant in the regional and won tournament MVP.
Second year head coach Brent Owen and his squad sport a 21-6 (15-4 SAC) record. Last night the Bears defeated Coker 107-72 to give coach Owen the 50th win of his Lenoir-Rhyne coaching career. Owen reached the 50 win mark in just 62 games, the second fastest coach in program history to do so. Billy Wells reached the half century mark in 60 games from 1957-1959.
The Bears rank top-10 in 11 different categories this season, including scoring margin (15.8), scoring offense (91.1), free throws made per game (20.3), rebounding margin (8.6), and effective field goal percentage (0.581). A balanced offense, Akili Evans, Conrad Luczynski, Blessin Kimble, Tyler Burraston, and Junior Hodnett all average double figures. Luczynski is fourth in the country with 72 blocks while Burraston is sixth with 84 made threes.
Lenoir-Rhyne has three more games before the SAC Tournament. They face Tusculum this Saturday for senior day before traveling to nationally ranked Anderson and a hot Carson-Newman squad next week.
NCAA Regional Rankings (Alphabetical)
Anderson
Carson-Newman
Catawba
Columbus State
Lander
Lenoir-Rhne
Lincoln Memorial
North Georgia
USC Beaufort
UVA Wise