SPEARFISH, S.D. – A pair of the nation's longest win streaks will be on the line on Wednesday night in the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Elite Eight as No. 10 (8 seed) Black Hills State puts their 13-game win streak on the line against No. 1 (1 seed) Nova Southeastern who has won 24 consecutive games for a spot in the Final Four. The Yellow Jackets seek their third Final Four appearance in the last five years and look to replicate a memorable 2022 Elite Eight match-up which saw these same teams go head-to-head and BHSU knock off the then undefeated Sharks. The contest will feature a pair of NABC All-Americans as Cam Lowe spearheads the Black Hills State attack against Dallas Graziani and NSU.
 
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Date/Time/Location: Wednesday, March 25 / 4 p.m. MT/6 p.m. ET / Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania / UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse
TV Broadcast: The Elite Eight and Final Four games in the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament will all be aired live on ESPN+.
KDSJ Radio: Black Hills State men's basketball continues to air live on KDSJ Radio with the voice of the Yellow Jackets, Steve Ammerman, giving the play-by-play for all the action.
 
#10 BLACK HILLS STATE STORYLINES

• Black Hills State improved to 30-4 (17-3 RMAC) on the season with their 13^th consecutive win in their last outing, a 76-62 victory over No. 15 Dallas Baptist to win the NCAA Division II South Central Regional on March 17. In the win the Yellow Jackets outscored the Patriots 36-15 over the final ten minutes of the match-up to improve to 9-0 all-time in South Central Region games and clinch their third regional title in the last five years.
• The Yellow Jackets have reached the 25-win mark for the third time in the last five seasons and reached the 30-win mark for just the second time in school history as they matched a school record 30 wins in the South Central Regional Championship on March 17 as they defeated No. 15 Dallas Baptist 76-62. The Green & Gold's only other 30-win season was in 2008-09 when BHSU advanced to the NAIA Final Four.
• The Yellow Jackets are among six returnees in the 2026 Elite Eight field as Gannon makes their seventh appearance, Nova Southeastern makes their sixth appearance, Black Hills State makes their third appearance, Cal State East Bay makes their third appearance, Daemen makes their second appearance, and Lander makes their second appearance. Michigan Tech and Oklahoma Baptist are each making their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
• The Yellow Jackets have advanced to the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament for the third time in program history in 2025-26, looking to replicate and build upon the success of 2021-22 and 2022-23 as they went to the Final Four in back-to-back years. The Green & Gold boast an 11-2 all-time record in the postseason tournament.
• Black Hills State captured their third RMAC regular season championship in program history, and second outright, posting a 17-3 record during the conference slate this year.
• BHSU and Colorado Mesa are the only two schools in the RMAC to win 13 or more conference games in each of the last five seasons.
• In the non-conference slate (including NCAA Tournament games), BHSU improved to 16-1 in their last 17 games against the Lone Star Conference (LSC) with victories over Sul Ross State (86-54), Texas A&M International (89-57), No. 14 Lubbock Christian (67-64), St. Mary's (78-60), and No. 15 Dallas Baptist (76-62) this season. Meanwhile, they improved to 6-6 against the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) over the course of the last two years, and 10-11 since 2018-19, as they earned wins over Augustana (75-71), Minot State (72-65), UMary (85-74), and Northern State (77-70). The lone loss outside of RMAC play this season came from the hands of NSIC foe (RV) MSU Moorhead (100-85) on the road.
• The win over Northern State on New Year's Day marked the end of an 11-game losing streak in the series, defeating the Wolves for the first time since 1978 and for the first time in Aberdeen since 1968.
• Black Hills State snapped a 5-game losing streak in the East/West Challenge when they defeated Augustana on November 22.
• The Yellow Jackets began their season with a pair of 32-point wins as they notched an 86-54 win over Sul Ross State and an 89-57 victory over Texas A&M International. With the victories the Yellow Jackets recorded back-to-back wins of 30 or more points for the first time since their 2022-23 Final Four run when they defeated MSU Denver by 32 points (89-57) on February 4, 2023, and UCCS by 31 points (100-69) on February 10, 2023.
• BHSU has seen five or more players score in double figures in ten of their 34 games in 2025-26. A year ago, it occurred just five times in 30 games, and they have improved to 14-1 in such games since the beginning of 2024-25, most recently doing so against St. Mary's in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
• The win over CCU in December marked the second time in a two week span that the Yellow Jackets had three 20-point scorers in a single contest. Against the Cougars Cam Lowe scored a game-high 25 points, while Myles Johnson added a career-best 22, and Tristan Hurdle scored a season-best 20. Against South Dakota Mines in the RMAC opener the week prior, Jaeton Hackley scored a career-high 29 points, while Lowe added 23 points, and Wilie Patterson III added a season-high 20 points. The contest against SDM was the first time since a November 16, 2024, game against Augustana that multiple players scored 20 or more points in the same game and the first time since March 13, 2022, against West Texas A&M that three players scored 20 or more points in the same game.
• The Yellow Jackets have shot 50.0 percent or better from the field in 18 of their 34 games in 2025-26, improving to 17-1 this season and 27-2 since the start of 2024-25.
• In February, Black Hills State shot a season-low 33.9 percent (19-56) from the field against CSU Pueblo (their last loss before the start of the current 13-game win streak), however, they were able to bounce back and shoot a school record 66.7 percent (42-63) from the field against UCCS two days later on February 7. The shooting clip against the Mountain Lions marked the second time this year they have shot 60.0 percent or better from the field, which also occurred on December 2 as they defeated South Dakota Mines 104-76 for their only other 100-point outing.
• On February 7, the Yellow Jackets scored 112 points on the road against UCCS, which ranks as the third-most points scored in a single game in program history, behind a 132-point performance against Southern State on February 20, 1965, and a 123-point performance against Dakota State on February 10, 1996.
• The Black Hills State offense erupted for 66 second half points in their win at UCCS on February 7, out-scoring the Mountain Lions by 34 in the final 20 minutes of action. The game marked the fifth of six times this season that BHSU has out-scored an opponent by 20 or more points in the second half, most recently happening in the regular season finale against Colorado Mesa. The Yellow Jackets are averaging a +6.9 (44.3-37.4) scoring differential in the final frame of contests.
• Black Hills State has matched a school record of 19 made 3-pointers twice since January, first doing so in their win at Colorado Mesa on January 22 as they sank 50.0 percent of their 38 attempts, and then against Regis on February 14, as they knocked down 19 of 40 attempts. The 19 3-pointers matched the record of 19 made by the Yellow Jackets on March 1, 2022, against New Mexico Highlands in the RMAC Men's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals. The Yellow Jackets have shot better than 50.0 percent from deep on three occasions, which includes a season-best 58.3 percent from deep at UCCS on February 7 when they connected on 14-of-24 from deep. The Green & Gold have reached double figures from beyond the arc 16 times this year, improving to 16-0 in those match-ups and 28-5 in those games since the start of the 2024-25 season.
• Black Hills State went 13-of-13 from the charity stripe in the season opener against Sul Ross State, the most made free throws in a game without a miss in the DII era for the Yellow Jackets. Against New Mexico Highlands in February, the Yellow Jackets connected on a season-high 24 made free throws, marking the third of four occasions they have hit 20 or more this year. They most recently went 23-of-25 at the free throw line against Colorado Mesa in the RMAC Men's Basketball Tournament Championship.
• Black Hills State added their 15^th 20-assist game of the season against St. Mary's in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, dishing out assists on 20 of 31 made field goals. The Yellow Jackets are 15-0 when they dish out 20 or more assists in a game this year and 28-2 since the start of 2012-13. The 27 assists against UMary earlier this year tied a NCAA Division II era program record that was set during a March 1, 2022, victory over New Mexico Highlands.
• The Green & Gold made their presence known defensively in the paint during the postseason (RMAC Tournament and NCAA Tournament), recording five or more blocks in five of the six games and is averaging 6.0 blocked shots per game during that stretch. Highlighting the defensive performance was an NCAA DII era school record of 11 blocked shots as a team against the Mountain Lions in the quarterfinals, which saw both Jack Haggett and Joel Speckan send back three blocked shots apiece.
• Against Colorado School of Mines on February 12, the Green & Gold celebrated the 500^th Yellow Jacket men's basketball game inside of A2 Arena, a venue they have posted a record of 358-148 (70.8%) in since it opened in 1990-91. BHSU is 96-26 (78.7%) in the building since 2017-18. They closed their home slate on an 8-game home win streak, improving to 13-1 (92.9%) on their home court with the win over CMU in the RMAC Tournament Championship, and posting their most home wins in a season since 2010-11 (13-2) and their best home winning percentage since 2008-09 (93.8%).
• It marked the first time in the NCAA Division II era and the first time since 2002-03, the Yellow Jackets scored 90 or more points in four consecutive games, doing so earlier this year against South Dakota Mines (104-76), Chadron State (90-67), UCCS (97-92), and Colorado Christian (96-76) back in December. The 2002-03 team scored 90 or more points in five straight contests, including a November 30, 2002, loss to Sioux Falls (105-108, OT), a December 6, 2002, win over Minot State (97-71), a December 7, 2002, win over Dickinson State (99-77), a December 13, 2002, win over Valley City State (111-107, 2OT), and a December 14, 2002, win over Mayville State (95-74).
• The Yellow Jackets boast the 13^th-best scoring margin in the nation, averaging a +13.0 scoring differential. They have recorded 12 wins of 20 or more points and four wins of 30 or more points. 12 of their 34 games have been decided by single digits, holding a record of 10-2 in those games.
• The Yellow Jackets currently rank first in NCAA Division II in defensive rebounds per game (29.29), fourth in effective field goal percentage (57.6%), tenth in 3-point percentage (38.6%), 11^th in assist/turnover ratio (1.47) and assists per game (17.8), 13^th in scoring margin (+13.0), 15^th in field goal percentage (49.3%), 16^th in 3-pointers per game (10.1), 21^st in free throw percentage (76.5%), and 27^th in rebound margin (+5.7).
• The Yellow Jackets entered the 2025-26 season off an 18-12 (13-7 RMAC) record in 2024-25 where they finished in a tie for third in the league standings, their seventh consecutive top-4 finish in the conference. The Green & Gold clinched a top-4 finish this season for their eighth consecutive year doing so.
• Dating back to last season the Green & Gold are 38-7 in their last 45 games overall.
• The Yellow Jackets entered the 2025-26 season as the preseason favorites in the RMAC and were ranked the entirety of the season in the NABC Top-25. They ended the year ranked No. 10 in the 15^th and final regular season poll of the NABC Top-25 that was released on Tuesday, March 10. With all games occurring during the Ryan Thompson era, the Yellow Jackets are 64-14 all-time as a ranked team in the NABC Division II Coaches' Poll.
• Black Hills State was well represented on the 2025-26 All-RMAC squads, with head coach Ryan Thompson being named the RMAC Coach of the Year, Cam Lowe, being named the RMAC Player of the Year and First Team All-RMAC, Jaeton Hackley being named First Team All-RMAC, and Tristan Hurdle and Myles Johnson being named Honorable Mention All-RMAC. The Yellow Jackets returned three all-conference players from a year ago, as Lowe was named First Team All-RMAC and RMAC Freshman of the Year in 2024-25, while Hackley and Hurdle were named Honorable Mention All-RMAC last season. All three of those student-athletes were named to the 2025-26 Preseason All-RMAC team.
• The Yellow Jackets return seven players who started a game last season, and they return ten players in total from last season.
• The Green & Gold brings back a wealth of talent from the 2024-25 team as they return their leading scorer (Lowe) and four of their top-5 scorers, they return their leading rebounder (Lowe) and four of their top-5 rebounders, they return their leading assister (Hackley) and four of their top-5 assist leaders, they return their leader in steals (Hackley) and four of their top-5 steals leaders, and lastly they return four of their top-6 block leaders from last season.
• Along with their success on the hardwood, the Yellow Jacket student-athletes have seen their share of success in the classroom as well in 2025-26. Blake Volmer was named the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Elite Scholar Athlete and the RMAC Summit Award recipient for posting the highest cumulative GPA out of any individuals at the respective championship sites. Volmer also received recognition as CSC Academic All-District, First Team Academic All-RMAC, and RMAC Academic Honor Roll. Cam Lowe has received CSC Academic All-District, RMAC Academic Player of the Year, First Team Academic All-RMAC, and RMAC Academic Honor Roll. The other two student-athletes receiving CSC Academic All-District honors included Joel Speckman and Tristan Hurdle, and the pair also received a spot on the RMAC Academic Honor Roll along with Jack Haggett.
• Last season's RMAC Freshman of the Year is now the RMAC Player of the Year in 2026 as Lowe secured the third RMAC Player of the Year accolade in program history, joining Joel Scott who earned the honor in 2021-22 and 2022-23. During his sophomore campaign, the Bevo Francis Award Top-25 Watch List member, First Team All-South Central Region member, and NABC Division II All-American has averaged 17.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.0 steal per game. He enters Wednesday's game with 28 double digit scoring performances this season, and 15 20-point performances. In January he scored a career-high 31 points on 12-of-15 shooting from the field and 7-of-10 shooting from 3-point range against Colorado Mesa. He has connected on three or more 3-pointers 16 times this year. Nationally in NCAA Division II this season he currently ranks 20^th in total 3-pointers made (91) and is 28^th in 3-point percentage (40.8%). He connected on his 100^th career 3-pointer against Regis and has since brought his career 3-point shooting up to 155-of-385 (40.3%). With 91 made 3-pointers this season, he is currently third all-time in school history in single season 3-pointers made and is just six away from tying the record of 97 set by Travis Traphagen set in 1997-98. In the Yellow Jackets match-up with New Mexico Highlands in January he grabbed a season-best 11 rebounds, marking his first of two double-doubles of the year as he added 12 points. The match-up with NMHU was one of 22 games thus far with six or more boards. He has also dished out at least three assists in 20 games this season. In the RMAC Men's Basketball Tournament Championship, he became the second player this season for the Green & Gold to hit 1,000 career points, joining Tristan Hurdle, as he now sits at 1,061 points in his Black Hills State career after scoring 15 against the Mavericks. He currently ranks sixth in single season history in points (590) and is ninth in school history in single season points per game (17.4).
• After earning Honorable Mention All-RMAC a year ago, Jaeton Hackley receives First Team All-RMAC accolades for the first time in his career in 2026. He has scored in double figures 22 times during the season, including four occasions where he reached the 20-point mark. In the RMAC opener at South Dakota Mines, as he poured in a career-best 29 points on 11-of-12 shooting from the field, 4-of-4 from beyond the arc, and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe, while also dishing out five assists and grabbing three boards. His most recent 20-point game against UCCS in the RMAC Men's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals, saw him score all 21 of his points in the second half and bring the Yellow Jackets back from a 15-point halftime deficit. He is currently averaging 12.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.0 steal per game this year. He recorded his second career double-double and first of the season with a 16-point and 10-assist outing against UCCS in December, while also adding five rebounds. He has dished out four or more assists in 23 games this year thus far, including tying his career-high of ten in the win over the Mountain Lions. He has collected multiple steals in nine games, including matching a career-best of four against St. Mary's in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In 18 games, he has secured four or more rebounds, including matching a career-high of ten against Colorado Mesa in the regular season finale. This year he currently ranks third in the RMAC and 20^th nationally in assist/turnover ratio (2.61) and is fifth in the league in assists per game (4.4). He entered the 2025-26 season in the top-10 of both the BHSU career assists and steals per game lists, and against Colorado School of Mines he dished out his 250^th career assist. He dished out his 300^th career assist against St. Mary's, and he now sits at 304 in his Yellow Jacket career, moving into sixth all-time in career assists in school history. He is just the third player in program history to record both 300 assists and 100 career steals.
• Myles Johnson, the December 1 RMAC Defensive Player of the Week, receives his first career RMAC accolade as he was named Honorable Mention All-RMAC following the regular season. He has reached double figures in 21 games this season, averaging 11.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Against Colorado Christian in the last RMAC contest prior to the winter break, he scored a career-high 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field, 2-of-2 shooting from beyond the arc, and 2-of-2 shooting at the charity stripe. Thus far in 2025-26 he is shooting 152-of-276 (55.1%) from the field. Additionally, among the top defenders in the league, ranking fourth with 46 steals on the year, he has collected multiple steals in 15 games, including in five of the last eight games. He matched a career-high of five steals against MSU Moorhead in November. Against Westminster, he set a career-high of nine rebounds, one of 14 games he has snagged five or more boards this year. He missed all of 2024-25 due to injury but averaged 4.7 points and 1.9 rebounds in 2023-24.
• For the second consecutive year Tristan Hurdle was named Honorable Mention All-RMAC, as he remains one of the top sharpshooters from distance in all of NCAA Division II, ranking ninth among active players with 259 career 3-pointers. After leading DII by knocking down 47.6 percent of his shots from beyond the arc in 2024-25, through 33 games in his second season in Spearfish he is currently shooting at a 46.4 percent clip from 3-point range as he is 77-of-166 on the year. He scored a season-high 26 points at home against Regis in February, knocking down 8-of-11 3-pointers to match a career-high and tie for the second-most 3-pointers made in program history. He received RMAC Offensive Player of the Week honors the next week as he concluded the weekend 13-of-18 from deep after going 5-of-7 from beyond the arc against Colorado School of Mines as well. He has scored in double figures on 18 occasions this year. On 14 occasions this year he has hit three or more 3-pointers. On the road at MSU Denver he knocked down his 100^th career 3-pointer as a Yellow Jacket, having now connected on 147-of-313 (47.0%) from deep in his second season with the Yellow Jackets. Also, during the 2025-26 season, he reached 200 career 3-pointers across his stops at CSU Pueblo, Fort Lewis, and Black Hills State, as he sank his first triple of the day against UCCS on December 11, and he hit career 3-pointer 250 with his fourth and final 3-pointer against Fort Lewis on March 6 in the RMAC Men's Basketball Tournament Semifinals. From beyond the arc in his five collegiate seasons, he is 259-of-613 (42.3%). During the 2025-26 season, the Preseason All-RMAC selection is currently averaging 9.8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. He currently ranks fourth in the RMAC in total 3-pointers made (77) and is seventh in 3-pointers per game (2.33). In Black Hills State history he is currently the school record holder for career 3-point percentage, shooting at a 47.0 percent clip on 147-of-313 shooting from beyond the arc, and his 147 career 3-pointers rank seventh in program history.
• Newcomer Willie Patterson III averaged 9.5 points while adding 6.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. He recorded his second double-double of the season against South Dakota Mines, as he scored a season-best 20 points and matched a season-high of 11 rebounds while shooting the ball 8-of-12 from the floor, 2-of-3 from 3-point range, and 2-of-4 from the free throw line. Against UMary he dished out a season-best four assists, one of three games this year that he has recorded multiple assists in a game.
• Jack Haggett ended the 2025 calendar year with one of his best outings of his career, scoring a career-high 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 shooting from the charity stripe against Dickinson State, while also adding five rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. Against the Blue Hawks he took over in the second half, going 7-of-9 from the field for 15 of his 19 points in less than 13 minutes of action in the final frame, securing his fifth double digit scoring performance of the year at the time. His 13^th double digit scoring performance came in the Sweet 16 match-up with No. 15 Dallas Baptist as he scored 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 shooting from the free throw line, while he added eight rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. He has made his presence known in the post with a strong sophomore campaign, averaging 9.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game this season. At Western Colorado, he grabbed a career-best nine rebounds and has secured five or more boards in 25 games this year. Against Chadron State in December, he recorded a career-best four steals as he poured in a then season-best 16 points. In back-to-back outings he dished out a career-best seven assists against UMary and then recorded another six against South Dakota Mines in the RMAC opener. He has recorded three or more assists in 15 games and has posted a career-high three blocked shots three times in 2025-26. He has currently recorded two or more blocked shots in six of the last eight games entering Wednesday night. In the RMAC he currently ranks sixth in blocks per game (1.12) and total blocks (37).
• Another transfer making a large impact in the rotation this year is Jackson Seale, the RMAC Tournament MVP, who arrived from Eastern Washington and is averaging 7.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.9 blocked shots per game. He is shooting the ball 44.4 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from 3-point range in 2025-26. In the RMAC Tournament he averaged 11.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting the ball 59.1 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from beyond the arc. He capped the conference tournament off by scoring a career-best 18 points against Colorado Mesa as he shot the ball 7-of-9 from the field and 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. The four 3-pointers matched a career-best he set against Chadron State in January, while he also grabbed a career-best seven rebounds against the Eagles. He matched his career rebounding best of seven boards the very next outing against South Dakota Mines as well. He has scored in double figures nine times this season. On 15 occasions this season he has stepped outside and made multiple shots from distance in a game. Against Minot State he dished out a career-best seven assists while sending back a career-best four blocked shots. He has dished out four or more assists in five games this season and has recorded multiple blocked shots nine times, including having multiple blocked shots in four of the last six games. He currently ranks eighth in the RMAC with 32 total blocked shots this season. Additionally, in 20 games this year he has secured four or more rebounds.
• BJ Woodruff, who entered a starting role for the Yellow Jackets midway through the season, has scored in double figures eight times this season. He has scored a career-high 15 points twice this year, first against South Dakota Mines on January 31 as he went 5-of-7 from the field, 2-of-2 from 3-point range, and 3-of-4 from the free throw line, while against UCCS on February 7 he scored 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field, 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe. In the UCCS contest he dished out a season-high five assists. In five games this year he has recorded four or more assists in a game. On the boards, he secured a season-high of eight against Adams State and has grabbed four or more in nine games. He has connected on multiple shots from beyond the arc 11 times, including a season-high of four 3-pointers on four occasions, most recently against New Mexico Highlands in February. The sophomore guard enters the match-up averaging 6.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
• Also, in the rotation in the post, Joel Speckman scored a season-high 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field and 1-of-2 shooting from the charity stripe for the Yellow Jackets at UCCS in February. The 15-point performance was one of four double digit scoring games this year for the junior. His most recent double digit scoring performance was the match-up with St. Mary's in the second round of the NCAA Tournament as he went 4-of-5 from the field and 2-of-3 from the free throw line for a 10-point, 5-rebound, and 2-assist performance. Against New Mexico Highlands in February, he secured a season-best ten rebounds, marking one of 12 games this year with four or more boards. Against MSU Denver, he matched a season-high of four assists. In the RMAC Tournament quarterfinal against UCCS, he posted a season-best three blocked shots, chipping in on the defensive end as the team recorded a DII era record of 11 blocks in the match-up. During the team's current 13-game win streak he is averaging 6.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.7 blocks, and 0.4 steals per game while shooting the ball 31-of-53 (58.5%) from the field and 23-of-32 (71.9%) from the charity stripe. On the season he averages 4.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. He is shooting the ball 52-of-86 (60.5%) from the field in 2025-26.
• Blake Volmer, the NCAA Elite Scholar Athlete and RMAC Summit Award recipient, has appeared in all 34 games this year and received just his third career start and second of the season against Regis in January. The junior guard has posted his first two career double digit scoring games in the 2025-26 season, first pouring in ten points on 3-of-3 shooting from the field, 2-of-2 shooting from distance, and 2-of-2 shooting from the charity stripe against Texas A&M International during the first weekend of the season. Then in December against UCCS he scored a career-high 13 points on 4-of-4 shooting from 3-point range and 1-of-2 shooting from the charity stripe. He has provided efficient shooting from the bench, knocking down 47.9 percent (34-71) of his shots from the field and 47.7 percent (21-44) of his shots from beyond the arc. On four occasions this season he has made multiple 3-pointers, most recently in the final weekend of the regular season when he went 2-of-3 from deep against Westminster. In seven games this year he has secured four or more rebounds, including a career-best nine rebounds against South Dakota Mines on January 31. He averages 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
• Ryan Thompson, in his eighth season as the head coach at Black Hills State, has guided the Yellow Jackets to a record of 169-70 during his career. The win at Northern State on New Year's Day secured his 150^th career victory, making him just the second coach in program history to reach 150 in their Yellow Jacket career, joining all-time win's leader Mike Olson (179). His 2025-26 Yellow Jacket squad captured their third RMAC Regular Season title (second outright) and their second RMAC Tournament title. The 30-win season is the first of his tenure, and the third season of 25 wins or more, joining the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. 

#1 NOVA SOUTHEASTERN STORYLINES

• Defending national champions Nova Southeastern enters the Elite Eight at 30-1 (19-1 SSC) following a 79-63 victory over Alabama Huntsville in the Sweet 16, which saw them run their win streaks 24 this season and their home win streak to 105 games in Rick Case Arena since February 2020. Their 24-game win streak is the second longest country only behind Cal State East Bay, the No. 2 seed in the Elite Eight, and their 105-game home win streak is the longest in college basketball since Kentucky's 129-game win streak from January 1943 to January 1955.
• The Sharks' lone loss of the season came December 13 on the road to No. 17 Palm Beach Atlantic, 88-83.
• The Sharks went 5-0 in non-conference play early in the season with a season-opening win over then No. 6 Alabama Huntsville. They have added top-25 wins over No. 21 Assumption (125-68), No. 4 Palm Beach Atlantic (103-82), and No. 11 Palm Beach Atlantic (92-85).
• NSU has gone 6-0 in postseason play, which included a win in the conference championship game over #11 Palm Beach Atlantic (92-85). They had an upset-riddled path to the Elite Eight by facing three lower seeds, including No. 8 seed Morehouse (94-60), No. 5 seed Montevallo (98-85) and No. 7 seed Alabama Huntsville (79-63).
• NSU has one of the most prolific offenses in the country. They have scored 90 or more points in 26 of their 31 games and have scored 100 in 15 of those contests. Their largest scoring game of the year was a 130-point performance against Fort Lauderdale. They then added a 125-point scoring performance against No. 21 Assumption.
• They are averaging 75.1 shots a game, 100.2 points per game, and are shooting 49.0 percent from the field. They boast the nation's second-best scoring margin of +23.4.
• NSU is the only team in the country to have two different players averaging 20 or more points per game and have six different players averaging 9.5 or more.
• Nova Southeastern has only made it to the elite 8 five times in program history and are 3-2 in elite eight play. They have won three consecutive elite eight games and have turned two of them into championships in 2023 and 2025. In NCAA Tournament play, they are 26-3.
• Nova Southeastern is ranked top-5 in the country in nine different stats. They are ranked first in assist/turnover ratio (2.06), first in scoring offense (100.2), first in turnover margin (10.0), first in turnovers per game (9.1), second in assists per game (18.8), second in rebounds per game (42.68), second in scoring margin (+23.4), third in winning percentage (96.8), fourth in turnovers forced per game (19.13), fifth in offensive rebounds per game (23.4), and fifth in steals per game (11.9).
• The first of two players averaging more than 20 points per game is Ross Reeves. The graduate student from Chaminade University and Orem, Utah, is averaging a team high 23.1 points per game and is shooting the ball at a clip of 50.7 percent, making 269-of-531 shots. He earned First Team All-SSC this year for his performance and was named First Team All-South Region. He was named SSC Player of the Week twice and was named SSC Defensive Player of the Week twice, all in the first five weeks of the season. He was also named SSC Tournament MVP and South Region All-Tournament Team. Reeves is ranked second in the country in field goals (269), fourth in field goal attempts (531), seventh in points (715), and eighth in points per game (23.1). He scored 20 points 21 times and had a 30-point game four times including a season-high of 36 in the season opener against No. 6 Alabama Huntsville.
• Dallas Graziani has been among the top players in all of DII men's basketball this year. The senior from Pembroke Pines, Florida, was named the SSC Player of the Year, SSC Defensive Player of the Year, South Region Player of the Year, and NABC All-American. To go along with those accolades, Graziani was also a two-time SSC Player of the Week (January 5 and March 2, 2026), SSC All-Tournament Team, and South Region Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Graziani averaged 20.4 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, 6.3 assists per game, and 2.4 steals per game with each of the latter two stats leading the conference. Graziani went 228-of-504 (45.2%) from the field and 52-of-153 (34.0%) from 3-point range while shooting 77.5 percent from the free throw line. Graziani leads the country in assist/turnover ratio (3.56), is third in assists (196), fifth in assists per game (6.3), seventh in field goal attempts (504), 14th in field goals (228), 15th in steals (74), 18th in points (632), 20th in steals per game (2.39), and 27th in points per game (20.4). He does everything for this Nova Southeastern team. During postseason play, he's averaged 23.3 points per game, 3.6 assists per game and 3.0 steals per game. He has reached double figures in 30 out of 31 games, 20 points 19 times including each of the last five games, and 30 points four times including a season high of 35 points against Rollins. He has had two double-doubles this year with 17 points and 11 assists against Florida Tech and 11 points and 12 assists against Rollins. In the South Regional Championship he scored 30 points with a season-high five steals while going 10-of-18 from the floor, 3-of-6 from three, and 7-of-9 from the charity stripe.
• Jaxon Nap is another top player for the Sharks. He was named All-SSC Second Team for his performance this year. Nap, who is a senior from Newcastle, Washington, has also won SSC Player of the Week one time (November 24, 2025), and SSC Defensive Player of the Week twice (January 5 and March 16, 26). He has averaged 13.8 points per game, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. He leads the SSC in free throw attempts (164), is ranked third in rebounds (262), third in defensive rebounds per game (6.13), fourth in rebounds per game (8.5), and sixth in offensive rebounds per game (2.32). Nap has reached double figures in 27 of 31 games, reached 15 points 13 times, and reached 20 points three times including a season-high of 28 against Tampa. He has seven double-doubles this year, including a 23-point, 19-rebound game against Florida Southern where he was three assists away from a triple-double. In the South Region semifinal he added another double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds against Montevallo.
• Ryan Davis is the fourth of six Sharks that are averaging over 9.5 points per game. He was named to the SSC All-Defensive Team and the senior guard from Palm City, Florida, is averaging 9.9 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game in 20 starts and 23 games played. He missed almost a month from January 17th to February 11th before coming back and hitting double digits in five of his next eight games. He has reached double-digits in ten of his 23 games this year. After putting up 38 points in the final two rounds of the SSC Tournament including a season-high of 20 against Palm Beach Atlantic, Davis only combined for 13 points in the three rounds of the South Regional, scoring only three points in two of the three games.
• Bennett Kayser a freshman from Minford, Ohio, played in 25 games this year and averaged 9.8 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game, and 1.3 steals per game. He has reached double-digits ten times as well with a career-high of 28 points against Saint Leo in January. He averaged 6.7 points per game in the SSC Tournament, scoring 14 aginst Barry, and then another 15 points in the South Regional tournament opener against Morehouse.
• Eli Allen. a junior from Monroe County, West Virgina, rounds out the key group of players for the Sharks, averaging 9.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.8 steals. He has started 25 of 30 games and is currently fourth in the conference in steals with 54 and fifth in steals per game with 1.8. Allen has caught fire late this year, scoring in double figures in 12 of the last 20 games, including a season-high of 19 against Florida Tech and Montevallo. He has two double-doubles this year with ten points and 12 rebounds against Tampa and ten points and ten rebounds against Florida Southern.
• Jim Crutchfield is in his eighth season as the head coach at Nova Southeastern and 21^st season overall. Crutchfield spent his first 13 years as the head coach at West Liberty (W.V.) where he went 359-61 overall, with his only double digit loss season occurring in his first season with the Hilltoppers. Coming over to Nova Southeastern, who had never won a regular season conference title or reached the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament, has led them to a pair of national titles in the last three years. He'll be making his NCAA DII leading 11^th Elite Eight appearance as a head coach. He was named NABC Coach of the Year in 2022-23 and was named SSC Coach of the Year in 2024-25 and 2025-26. He has a 234-26 record at NSU and has a 593-87 record overall, which is good for an 87.2 winning percentage 

SERIES HISTORY

• Black Hills State and Nova Southeastern will meet on the hardwood for just the second time all-time, with the only prior meeting occurring in the 2022 Elite Eight as the Yellow Jackets hold the series lead 1-0.
• In a battle of the No. 1 and No. 8 seeds, the Yellow Jackets were able to upset the undefeated Sharks 77-67 to advance to the program's first Final Four. 
• In that matchup, Joel Scott had a 25-point, 13-rebound double-double, Sindou Cisse had 11 points, and Adam Moussa had 11 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double of his own. Sekou Sylla had 17 points for the Sharks, while Nick Smith had 16 and RJ Sunahara had 14.