Tournament organizers had Allen Community College in mind when setting up its first-round pairings for the upcoming NJCAA-Division II National Tournament, which gets underway Tuesday in Danville, Ill..
“We spend a lot of time talking about matchups,” said Chris Depew, chairman of the organizing committee that set up the pairings.
And while it’s difficult to rank teams from across the country that rarely play anyone from outside their region, the committee still labors to ensure a proper ranking, from teams 1-16, he added.
So in a 16-team tournament, the eighth- and ninth-seeded teams would presumably be the most evenly matched?
Exactly, Depew responded.
And guess who was placed in the 8-9 pairing?
That would be Allen’s Red Devils, seeded ninth, against the Lakeland (Ohio) Lakers, the eighth seed.
“We’re really looking forward to those two matchups,” Depew said, “That’s why wet set it up, to get those two matchups.”
Tipoff is at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Danville’s Mary Miller Gymnasium.
Allen is guaranteed at least two games in the double-elimination tournament.
Win or lose, the Red Devils will play again Wednesday against either the top seed, unbeaten and number-one ranked South Suburban (Ill.) College or 16th seed.
If Allen wins its opener, the Red Devils will play again at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the tournament quarterfinals. With a loss, ACC would drop into the consolation bracket and play at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
THE LAKERS (23-1) offer a diverse attack, spearheaded by their defense.
Lakeland averages 91 points a game, and limits its opponents to 36% shooting, anchored by Ohio Community College Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year Noah Berry, a 6-8 freshman.
Offensively, Lakeland has four players scoring in double figures, led by Chaze Harris, a 6-5 wing who averages nearly 16 points and 7 rebounds a contest. He earned first-team all-conference honors.
Three others to look out for are Jadon Lipsomb, a 6-5 point guard who averages 14.8 points and 3.0 assists; Kyle Jackson, a 6-4 wing/forward averaging 12.9 points and 6.5 rebounds; and Daltrey Long, a combo guard averaging 11.3 points a game.
ALLEN (27-5) has a diverse set ot weapons at its disposal as well, perhaps none more important than 6-1 guard Ed Wright II, who averages 19 points and 4 rebounds a game, and the Jayhawk Conference’s Most Valuable player for 2021-22.
