Posted: Mar 08, 2011
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This Week
The No. 4 ranked Bellevue University men's basketball team opens up the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Wednesday, March 9 against Ashford (Iowa) University in the first round at 1:45 p.m in Point Lookout, Mo. at Keeter Gymnasium.
Live Stats and Video Information
All of Bellevue's tournament games will include free live stats. If you can’t make it to the National Championships, watch all the action live online through NeuLion. For a subscription fee, you can see all the exciting action here.
Scouting Bellevue
Bellevue, winners of 11 of its last 12 games finished the regular season ranked No. 4 in the NAIA Division II Coaches’ Poll released on Wednesday, March 2, and is 27-5 overall and finished in a tie for first place with Oklahoma Wesleyan University with a 12-2 mark in the MCAC. The Bruins are coming off of an 77-69 win against College of the Ozarks in the championship game of the MCAC Conference Tournament on Feb. 26 in Bellevue.
Eugene Bain, this year’s MCAC Newcomer of the Year, leads BU in scoring and rebounding, averaging 15.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. He also leads the team with 12 double-doubles and shoots 55.5 percent from the field. Also averaging in double figures is All-American and all-MCAC performer Avery Tyler (11.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 3.1 apg). Jelani Johnson averages 9.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg and led the MCAC with 119 assists. Johnson also has a team-high 47 steals. Ousseynou Diop was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and adds 8.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg and leads NAIA Division II with 121 blocked shots. Diop has also totaled five double-doubles this season. Jeremy Cruise leads the squad with 66 made 3-pointers.
BU scores 80.6 points per game and shoot 48 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three-point range. The Bruins hold opponents to 64.4 points per game on just 38.6 percent shooting. The Bruibns also have a 16.2 average scoring margin.
The Bruins return three letterwinners and two starters from last year’s 28-8 squad that captured the MCAC regular season and tournament titles, while advancing to the semifinals of the NAIA II National Tournament.
Meet Bruin Coaches
In his three seasons at the helm of the Bellevue University men’s basketball program, Shane Paben has guided the Bruins to three-consecutive trips to the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship, including a semifinal finish in 2010 and a quarterfinal appearance in 2009.
Paben guided the 2010-11 Bruins their second-straight MCAC Tournament and regular season titles and to a No. 4 final national ranking. He has a career mark of 79-22 (.782) at BU. He is assisted by Bob Ludwig, Jason Isaacson and Micah Stancil.
Bain, Tyler Highlight All-MCAC Team
Seniors Avery Tyler and Eugene Bain were named to the 2010-11 all-Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference team as the select 10-member squad was announced today. In addition, Bain was named the MCAC Newcomer of the Year and Ousseynou Diop was named the MCAC Defensive Player of the Year. Diop, junior Jelani Johnson and senior Jeremy Cruise earned honorable mention accolades.
2010-11 All-MCAC Team:
Eugene Bain, Bellevue University
Don Gavin, Central Christian College
Jared Howerton, College of the Ozarks
Chris Jones, Central Christian College
Sadiel Rojas, Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Murray Shaw, Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Cory Standerfer, York College
Avery Tyler, Bellevue University
Michael Wiebe, College of the Ozarks
Derrick Williams, Peru State College
Honorable Mention:
Jelani Johnson, Bellevue University
Jeremy Cruise, Bellevue University
Ousseynou Diop, Bellevue University
Randall Conley, Central Christian College
Marcellous Hill, Haskell Indian Nations University
Trey Osborne, Haskell Indian Nations University
Josh Gamblin, Southwestern Christian University
Reimond Prince, Southwestern Christian University
Dominique Rambo, Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Desmond Strickland, York College
Weston Wiebe, College of the Ozarks
Player of the Year: Sadiel Rojas, Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Freshman of the Year: Dominique Rambo, Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Newcomer of the Year: Eugene Bain, Bellevue University
Defensive Player of the Year: Ousseynou Diop, Bellevue University
Coach of the Year: Donnie Bostwick, Oklahoma Wesleyan University
National Rankings
Bellevue finished the regular season ranked No. 4 in the NAIA Men’s Basketball Division II Coaches’ Poll, released on Wednesday, March 2. Two other MCAC teams are also ranked in the poll, Oklahoma Wesleyan University is No. 7 while College of the Ozarks is No. 19.
Block Party
Ousseynou Diop has blocked 121 shots this season which ranks first in NAIA Division II and is also first with 3.8 blocks per game. He has had at least one block in the last 31 games. Diop tied a career-high with eight blocks at Peru State on Feb. 8. He’s also had eight blocks this season versus Oklahoma Wesleyan (Jan. 28) and against Harris-Stowe (Nov. 12).
In his first two seasons, he has led the conference in blocks. For his career, Diop has swatted 223 shots.
Johnson Finishes First in the MCAC in Assists
Jelani Johnson has recorded 119 assists (3.7 apg) this season which ranked first in the MCAC. Johnson, a junior from Omaha, Neb., has tallied at least one assist in 31 of 32 games this year, including 13 games with five or more assists.
Doubling Up
The frontcourt duo of Eugene Bain and Ousseynou Diop have accounted for all 17 of the Bruins’ double-doubles this season. Bain has registered 12, including a 12-point and 11-rebound performance in the championship game of the MCAC Tournament against College of the Ozarks on Feb. 26.
Diop recorded his fifth double-double of the at College of the Ozarks on Feb. 19. Diop notched 10 points and 12 rebounds. He also had double-doubles at Midland University (Nov. 11), versus Harris-Stowe (Nov. 12) and at Peru State College (Feb. 8) and York College (Feb. 11).
Last Game Recap
BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Senior Avery Tyler scored 17 points to lead the sixth-ranked Bellevue University men's basketball team to a 77-69 victory over College of the Ozarks in the championship game of the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Saturday at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. The Bruins (27-5) claimed their second-straight MCAC Tournament title with the victory and earned the league's automatic berth into the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship.
Tyler drilled three 3-pointers and added four rebounds on the night. Senior Eugene Bain recorded his team-leading 12th double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Jelani Johnson finished with 12 points, six assists and three steals. Jeremy Cruise was the fourth Bruin in double figures, with 11 points, including three 3-pointers.
Program Success
Bellevue has reached the NAIA Division II National Tournament in 12 of the last 14 years, including nine straight trips. In that span, the Bruins have compiled 10 conference championships, three final four appearances and two runner-up finishes. The Bruins are 17-11 all-time in the NAIA National Tournament.
NAIA II Runners Up (2)
2003-04, 2007-08
NAIA II Final 4 Appearances (3)
2003-04, 2007-08, 2009-10
NAIA II Quarterfinal Appearances (5)
2003-04, 2004-05, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
NAIA II Final 16 Appearances (5)
2004-05, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
NAIA II National Tournament Appearances (12)
1997-98, 1998-99, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11
Conference Championships (10)
1997-98, 1998-99, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2009-10, 2010-11
Preseason Rankings
Bellevue opened the 2010-11 season ranked No. 3 in the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Preseason Poll announced Oct. 25.
Two other MCAC schools were ranked in the preseason poll including Oklahoma Wesleyan who was ranked No. 10 and College of the Ozarks at No. 15.
The Bruins were also tabbed as the favorite to win the MCAC Men’s Basketball Championship in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
Last Season Recap
Bellevue finished the 2009-10 season with a 28-8 overall record and captured the MCAC regular season and tournament titles, while advancing to the semifinals of the NAIA Division II National Tournament.
Avery Tyler, Ron King and Antoine Dade were named to the all-MCAC team. In addition, Shane Paben was named the MCAC Coach of the Year. Tyler and Dade were also named co-Newcomers of the Year. The Bruins finished the year ranked No. 6 in the final NAIA II Coaches’ Poll.
