NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Elite Eight Preview

Written by Bob Bonett

The Pioneers’ run to the Men’s Basketball Division II Elite Eight this year has been nothing short of – well – perfect. Post has cruised through their schedule to date, racking up 30 consecutive wins to enter the National Quarterfinals as the second-ranked team in the nation. Yet, while ECC Coach of the Year Tim Cluess, ECC Player of the Year Jonathan Schmidt, and East Regional Tournament MVP Nick Carter have seen their fair share of solid competition – Bentley, Bridgeport, and Adelphi just being a few – the Long Island-based school has yet to run into a force of Findlay’s caliber. The Midwestern school, based in Findlay, Ohio, managed to improve on their 28-5 2007-08 season that saw a trip to the Sweet 16, posting the only other undefeated regular season in the nation this year at 33-0 – a record that garnered the Oilers the No. 1 ranking in the nation. This evening’s 8:30 p.m. game in Springfield, Mass., has all the makings of an epic thriller. It will just be the second meeting between undefeated teams in the Elite Eight in Division II history, and will only be the third time that the top two teams in the nation square off after the Sweet 16. So, without further ado, here’s a look at the game Wednesday evening between the Oilers and Pioneers: The Studs: Since the postseason began for Post, coach Cluess’ crew has transformed from a team led by Schmidt to a balanced scoring force. Granted, Carter, Kevin Spann, Kenny Burkes, Roberto Macklin and the rest of the squad all contributed during the season. However, up until now, opposing coaches had to game plan against Schmidt. That is no longer the case. While Schmidt is the conference's Player of the Year, averaging more than 19 points per game, it's the hustle play of players such as Macklin and Spann, and the hot hands of Carter and Burkes that have the Pioneers this deep in the postseason. As coach Cluess was adamant about while on the phone on his way up to Springfield, Findlay does certainly distribute the ball, with five players averaging double-figures. However, over in Ohio, it is all about Josh Bostic. A senior forward, Bostic earned National Player of the Year honors, averaging 18.1 points, 6.1 boards and more than two steals per game -- and he shoots 40 percent from downtown. But, his late-season performance is the most impressive. Bostic scored 37 points in Findlay’s Sweet 16 overtime victory, and averaged an absurd 27.3 points per game during the Midwest Regional. The Styles: For Post, everybody knows what to expect: a fast-paced brand of basketball, with triple-digits not out of the question. Post scored over 100 points five times this season, and averaged 86.3 points this season, outscoring opponents by an average of almost 24 points. Findlay, according to Cluess, will bring a style that the Pioneers have not seen yet this year. The Pioneers head coach said the Oilers don't remind him of any of the competition Post played this year. However, Cluess again stressed that Findlay will distribute the ball and not rely solely on Bostic to carry the team. Thus, while the numbers may cause some to compare Bostic and the Oilers to Teairez Stennis and Bridgeport, Bostic’s supporting cast is far deeper. In addition, Findlay is the best defensive team the Pioneers will have seen this year. Along with a scoring average of close to 80 points, the Oilers surrender just 59.2 points per game, and hold their opponents to under 42 percent from the field. The Sweet 16: Post’s win in the East Regional was unquestionably their most impressive of the season. Down 37-24 at the half, and then 42-34 after Bentley jumped out to a 5-0 run in the second half, the Pioneers began an incredible comeback with 19:26 on the clock. Led primarily by the hot hands of Carter (21 points) and Burkes (23 points), the Pioneers finished the game on an uncanny 58-34 streak to advance to the Elite Eight by a final of 82-76. As impressive as the Pioneers’ win was in the Sweet 16, the Oilers’ was dramatic. Taking on the nation’s 18th-ranked team, Bellarmine, Findlay got all they could handle, battling into overtime before winning, 89-86. The game featured 10 lead changes and 11 ties before Findlay finally managed to attain the victory. As mentioned above, Bostic dropped 37 points in the win, and garnered Regional MVP for his efforts. He was aided by Tyler Evans, who scored 14 points and hit four of his five 3-point attempts (Bostic also went 4-6 from deep). Nathan Hyde, a sophomore guard, was third on the team in scoring with 11 points. Some FYIs: As opposed to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tourney, the D-II Tourney is not set up seeding-specific following the Regionals. Thus, the top two teams in the nation will square off prior to the National Finals. Pioneers’ coach Cluess said, “It might make more sense to take on the top-ranked team in the finals, but this is how the tournament is set up.” Only three undefeated teams in history have won the national championship: Evansville in 1965, Cal State-Bakersfield in 1993, and Fort Hays State in 1996. Findlay and C.W. Post have never played each other in the history of the two programs. The Pioneers arrived in Springfield on Monday by bus, and received just under an hour to practice on Tuesday. Findlay has actually lost one game this year. However, it was an exhibition, and was against a team currently in the D-1 Sweet 16: Xavier. The Oilers actually managed to fall by only three to the Musketeers, 79-76, but trailed throughout most of the game before the Atlantic 10 team inserted a handful of players off their bench. Hot New Update Daily Home