The State University of New York at New Paltz pulled off maybe the biggest upset in Division III basketball last weekend, knocking off No. 5 nationally ranked and two-time reigning SUNYAC Champion SUNY Oswego to claim its first ever SUNYAC title. The win not only secured the program its first coveted conference championship but extended its season for its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

However, the road to a national title won't be easy with the Hawks landing in arguably the toughest opening pod of the 2024 national tournament. Its first task, take down another top-five team, this time in the hosting No. 2 John Carroll Blue Streaks.

An outsider looking in, with no prior tournament history to fall back on, SUNY New Paltz will begin its quest Friday evening over in University Heights, Ohio, over 400 miles from home, in a first-round bracket that includes three top 20 ranked teams: host John Carroll, No. 10 Calvin and No. 17 Elmhurst College. The Calvin-Elmhurst game will open the tournament at 5:50 p.m. in JCU's DeCarlo Varsity Center before the Hawks and Blue Streaks tip-off at 8:29 p.m. eastern-standard time.

Here's a look at each of the tournament teams:

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John Carroll University (University Heights, Ohio) "Blue Streaks"

Currently ranked second in the latest D3hoops national poll, the Blue Streaks have a season record of 25-2 and an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) record of 17-1. JCU won the OAC regular season title and captured the OAC championship in an exciting 88-86 OT victory over 13th ranked University of Mt. Union last Saturday. JCU will be playing in its 17th NCAA DIII tournament, its second in a row.
SUNY New Paltz and JCU have played two common opponents in 2024 — SUNY Geneseo and SUNY Oneonta. The Blue Streaks defeated Geneseo 76-66 and Oneonta 106-75 at the Michael A Frielich Classic hosted by the Red Dragons to open their 2023-24 campaign. The Hawks downed Geneseo twice, 73-69 at Geneseo and 84-61 at home. SUNY New Paltz fell twice against Oneonta in the regular season, 51-55 and 77-85 OT, but triumphed over the Red Dragons when it mattered most, in the SUNYAC tournament semifinal 80-59, to send the Hawks to the championship game.  John Carroll, under the direction of OAC Coach of the Year Pete Moran (7 years, 117-56), has out-scored their opponents by nearly 14 per game, averaging 85.9 points per game, while giving up 72 a contest. The Blue Streaks have out-rebounded their opposition, averaging 39 boards per game to their oppositions 34. They are averaging 13.3 assists per game and have 254 steals on the year. They have scored 20.7 points per game off of opponent's turnovers. The first 20 minutes of the game are key for the Blue Streaks; they have out-scored opponents 1,094 to 829. As an aside, JCU averaged 1,183 fans per game at the DeCarlo Varsity Center.

JCU is led by D3hoops.com preseason All-American and OAC Player of the Year, 5"11 point guard Luke Chicone (Mentor, OH/Youngstown State). Chicone has started all 27 games for the
Blue Streaks, averaging 18.4 points per game, shooting .467, has dished out 138 assists and has 60 steals.

He has led the Blue Streaks in scoring in 13 games with a season-highs of 31 against Oneonta and 30 against Wooster. Joining him is All-OAC and leading scorer Luke Frazier (Jr./Mentor, OH/Ohio University). The 6'6" guard averages 19.1 points per game. He is 39-for-99 from beyond the arc, hitting the trey at a .394 clip. He is averaging 6.3 rebounds per game, with 41 steals and 34 blocks.

Starting 26 of 27 games played, Frazier was the top scorer in 10 games, with a season-high of 34 against Muskingum and with three 26-point games as well. Another All-OAC pick is junior guard Chase Toppin (Cleveland Heights, OH); at 6'1" he is averaging 10.5 points per game, starting in all 25 games. He averages 3.1. rebounds per game, with 64 assists and 43 steals. Senior 6'7" power forward Luka Eller (Mentor, OH/Miami (OH) University) has played in 27 games, starting in 16 and averages 5.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game with 18 blocks. Junior forward 6'7" Henry Raynor (Lakewood, OH/Hillsdale College) is averaging 9.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game with 21 blocks. Will Yontek (Jr./Independence, OH/Marietta College) a 6'7" forward, started 11 of 25 games, scoring 8.4 points with 5.1 rebounds a contest. Super-sub David Gentry (Jr./Hudson, OH), a 6'6" forward/center, saw action in all 27 games, averaging 5.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

Also making significant contributions off the bench for JCU has been 5'10" graduate guard Jerry Higgins III (Cleveland, OH), 6'3" senior guard Connor O'Toole (Avon, OH), 5'10" junior point guard Omar Abuhamdeh (North Royalton, OH), and two freshmen, 6'3" guard/forward Brandon Ross (East Cleveland, OH) and 6'4" guard Aiden Fitzgerald (Kirkland, OH),
 

Calvin College (Grand Rapids, MI) "Knights"

The Knights of Calvin College, currently ranked at No. 10 in the latest D3hoops Top 25 poll, earned an at-large bid to this year's tournament after having lost to Hope College 83-68 in last weekend's Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) championship game. With a record of 22-4 overall and a 12-2 MIAA mark, Calvin is no stranger to NCAA play, as 2024 marks the 23rd time the Knights have gone to the Big Dance.

Under fifth year coach Bill Sall (89-33), Calvin has averaged 75.3 points per game while allowing opponents 63.6 points against, a plus-11.9 points per game advantage. As a team, they have shot .468 from the floor and .325 behind the arc. Calvin has averaged 39.8 rebounds per game and have scored an average of 12.0 points off of foes turnovers; they average 15.3 assists, 6.2 steals and 4.0 blocks per game.
Leading the Knights is MIAA MVP, 6'10" sophomore center Jalen Overway (Holland, MI).
Overway leads the Knights in scoring with 19.8 points per game, with a .563 field goal percentage. His 10.4 rebounds per game is tops for Calvin and he has also dished out 53 assists. Also a MIAA First Team pick is 6'4" senior forward Uchenne Egekeze (Huntley, IL), He averages 11.7 points per game on .525 shooting. He leads Calvin in blocks with 37 and in steals with 46 and is second with 60 assists. A 6'6" sophomore forward, Owen Varnado (Muskegum, MI) earned Second Team MIAA honors while leading Calvin from 3-point range, hitting on 389 of his shots. He averaged 9.7 points and 4.5 rebound per game with 46 assists. Marcus Bult (Wheaton, IL), a 6'6" forward averaged 8.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game with 56 assists. Luka Ressler (Caledonia, MI) a 6'3" sophomore guard, scored 7.1 points and totaled 3.0 rebounds per game and leads the Knights with 71 assists.

Also contributing off the bench are junior guards Matt Ambrose (6'2"/Kildeer, IL) and Daane Harvey (6'3"/Ada, MI), sophomore guard Trip Riemersma (6'3"/Holland, MI) and sophomore forward Trevin Winkle (6'5"/McBain, MI). Two freshmen have also seen much actin off the bench: guard Jordan Scott (6'3"/Plymouth, MI) and forward Brady Ewing (6'7"/Petoskey, MI).
 

Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, IL) "Bluejays"

Ranked at No. 17 in the latest D3hoops Top 25, the Bluejays of Elmhurst College are playing in their eighth NCAA DIII tournament, having won the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) championship last Saturday, 68-65 over Illinois Wesleyan University. Coached by John Baines (11th year/186-100), Elmhurst finished the season with a 22-5 record and a 12-4 mark in the CCIW. As a team they average 78 points per game, while limiting opponents to 67.9 points against, a plus-10.1-point ratio. The Bluejays shot .459 from the field and .350 from behind the arc. They averaged 38.6 rebounds, 13.8 assists, 6.0 steals and 4.2 blocks per game. They scored an average of 12.4 points off of opponent turnovers.

Tops for Elmhurst is graduate student and CCIW MVP Jonathan Zapinski (Southlake, TX). The 6'6'' forward/center averaged 10.7 points per game, led the team in rebounding with 8.0 boards a contest, assists with 84 and blocks with 65, and added 14 steals on the year. Senior guard and First-Team CCIW selection John Ittounas (6'3"/Vernon Hills, IL) led the team in scoring with 17.5 points per game and shot .408 from behind the 3-point arc. He also had 4.6 rebounds per game with 61 assists and 19 steals. Second Team CCIW selection and senior guard Ocean Johnson (Schiller Park, IL) averaged 15.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg with 39 assists and a team high 32 steals. 6'3" senior guard Tagen Pearson (Westchester, IL) averaged 11.7 ppg, with 3.4 rpg, 36 assists and 27 steals. Graduate student and guard Quinn Pemberton (6'1"/Lake forest,IL) hit for 8.9 ppg, with 3.6 rpg, 57 assists and 24 steals.

Also seeing plenty of court time in 2024 are graduate student and forward Kyran Mitchell
(6'3"/Reading, PA), senior guard Kole Hornbuckle (6'6"/Fishers, IN), junior guard Matt Woloch (6'1"/Arlingtonn Heights, IL) and sophomore forward Dominic Trelenberg (6'5"/Westchester, IL) and forward/center Jaiden Malichi (6'7"/Clayton, IN).
 

SUNY New Paltz (New Paltz, NY) "Hawks"

Appearing in their first ever NCAA DIII Tournament, the Hawks of SUNY New Paltz certainly have a challenge on their hands as they enter postseason play in the John Carroll bracket.

Although opening against the No. 2 team in the nation in host John Carroll, the Hawks proved last Saturday they are up for the challenge. They downed the now ninth ranked SUNY Oswego Lakers and will have to continue the trend against a nationally ranked pod.

Sixth year coach Keith Kenney (76-79) has put together a gritty, never-say-die group of players that set a record 20-7 overall mark and a 12-6 SUNYAC record, earning them the second seed in the conference tournament. In their semifinal matchup against Oneonta, a team that had contributed to two of the Hawks' losses in the regular season, SUNY New Paltz blew out the Red Dragons 80-59 to march into the championship game against heavily favored Oswego. After two regular season close calls against the Lakers, the Hawks got over the hump and handed the hosts an 85-80 defeat on their home court, only their second loss of the season. And now on to the Big Dance.

The Hawks relied on a total effort throughout the season, with individuals stepping up when needed. First Team All-SUNYAC junior guard A.J. Knight (6'1"/Lakeview, NY) topped the Hawks with a 13.0 points per game and led the team in 3-point shooting with a .394 mark. He averaged 3.2 rebounds per game to go along with 70 assists and 40 steals.
 
Three-time All SUNYAC selection graduate student Rylan Blondo (6'0"/Brooklyn, NY) averaged 12.4 points per game, while leading SUNY New Paltz in rebounding with 6.6 per contests, and steals with 50 on the year, while adding 71 assists. Graduate student and forward Kobe Bogart (6'5"/Owego, NY) came up big in the championship game against Oswego, with 29 points and seven rebounds to earn Tournament MVP honors. Bogart averaged 11.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game with 30 assists and 24 steals. Senior guard Sean St. Lucia (6'2"/Niskayuna, NY) led the team in assists with 90, while averaging 8.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game with 31 steals. Junior guard Alex Krupinski (6'2"/Middletown, NY) hit for a career-best 8.5 points per game on the year. Also contributing significantly throughout the season were senior forward Tyreik Frazier (6'6"/Westbury, NY) who added 6.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game with a team high 35 blocks. Junior guard/forward Dakoda Smith (6'3"/Shinnecock Nation) contributed 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game with 31 assists, 29 steals and 23 blocks.

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