NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
(pdf version)

NCAA Regional Quarterfinals
Bryant vs. UMass Lowell, 12 pm
Easton, Mass.   / Audio at www.northeast10.org

BRYANT BACK IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT FOR THIRD-STRAIGHT YEAR
For the fifth time in school history, and for the third time in as many years, the Bryant men’s basketball team is headed back to the NCAA tournament. Bryant (21-9 this year and 20-8 last year entering the tourney) will enter this weekend’s NCAA Northeast Regional as the No.3 seed of the tournament and will take on sixth-seeded UMass Lowell in the opening round on Saturday. All regional tournament games will take place at Stonehill College’s Merkert Gym in Easton, Mass.  The Skyhawks are the No. 1 seed of the regional tournament.   The winner of the Bryant / UMass Lowell game will face the winner of the Saint Anselm / Bridgeport game in the regional semifinals on Sunday evening at 5:00 pm.  The regional final is set for Tuesday night at 7 pm.  Bryant's John Williams (Springfield, Mass.) was named the Northeast-10 Conference co-Player of the Year last week, sharing the honor with UMass Lowell senior Stacey Moragne.  Williams is currently ranked 37th nationally with a 20.3 ppg scoring average and is ranked No. 6 with an average of 3.7 three-pointers per game.  He has 111 this year. BRYANT LOWELL MEET FOR THIRD TIME THIS YEAR

This will be the third meeting of the season between Bryant and UMass Lowell.  Bryant won the first meeting, 82-66 back on Feb. 1 in Smithfield, RI and followed with a 63-61 come-from-behind win over the River Hawks in the Northeast-10 Conference quarterfinals on Monday, Feb. 27.  Sophomore Jon Ezeokoli (South Orange, NJ) had a career-high 24 points (including 6 three's) in the Bryant win.  Bryant and UMass Lowell met in the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship two years ago in Lowell.  Elad Inbar's baseline jumper with four seconds left lifted the River Hawks to the regional title, 63-62. 

BULLDOG NOTABLES ….

• Bryant set a school record with 25 wins last year, becoming the first Northeast-10 Conference team to reach the NCAA Championship game (Bryant fell to Virginia Union, 63-58).
• John Williams has 319 career three-pointers, breaking the school record of 295 held by Jason Bennett.  He has 111 three's this season.  He is closing in on his school record of 119 threes in a season set last year.
• The Bulldogs are 8-6 on the road this season, 12-3 at home, and 1-0 on neutral courts
• Bryant is SECOND in the Northeast-10 in scoring with 75.2 ppg
• Bryant LEADS the conference with a .387 three-point field percentage (285-736)
• Bryant has made the most three's this year among conference teams  with a school-record (285)
• The previous school record for three's in a year is 272 set by last year's squad
• Bryant is RANKED 8TH NATIONALLY with 9.5 three's a game  
• John Williams is ranked No. 12 nationally with a 44.6 three-point field goal %  
• Williams is also 6^th  nationally with a 3.7  three's per game average  
• Williams is ranked No. 14 nationally with a 87.5 free throw percentage  

Bryant enters the 2006 NCAA Division II tournament with the school's highest seed, No. 3 entering the NCAA tournament.   Bryant was ranked No. 4 in the previous two polls, and spent a brief week at No. 2 in the region (Feb. 22).  Bryant was ranked no. 6 in last year's final regional poll and captured its first regional championship with wins over each of the three regional conference champions (Adelphi, Bloomfield, Bentley).   

Bryant vs. NCAA Regional Tournament Field in 2005-06
Team (Conference) – Bryant results head to head
1. Stonehill (NE-10) – 51-63 L, 63-77 L, 56-67 L (NE-10)
2. Saint Anselm (NE-10) – 87-80 W
3. BRYANT (NE-10)
4. Bentley (NE-10) - 77-63 W, 88-78 W (2ot)
5. Adelphi (NYCAC) – 70-62 W
6. UMass Lowell (NE-10) – 82-66 W, 63-61 W (NE-10)
7. Bridgeport (NYCAC) – 78-76 W
8. Bloomfield (CACC) – 102-78 W

  GOOD AND THE BULLDOGS HONORED BY R.I. SPORTWRITERS

Words Unlimited, the statewide organization of sports writers, sportscasters, and publicists announced in early January that Max Good has been named the 2005 Male Coach of the Year and the 2004-05 men's basketball team's drive to the NCAA National Champion as the Story of the Year.  Good and the team were honored along with the other winners at the organization's 60th annual Sports Awards Banquet on Sunday, Feb. 19.  WILLIAMS NAMED NORTHEAST-10 CONFERENCE co-PLAYER OF YEAR;
SENIOR GUARD RANKED IN TOP-10 NATIONALLY IN THREE CATEGORIES
Senior guard John Williams has continued his strong shooting in leading the Bulldogs in scoring this season.  The Springfield, MA native was a first team all-conference selection last season and earned MVP honors of the NCAA Regional Championship. In addition, he was named all-region after setting a school record with 119 three's on the year.  Invited to the prestigious Portsmouth Basketball Camp in Virginia, Williams is currently 4th all-time at Bryant with 1,736 career points and FIRST with 319 career three's.  This season, he has been named NE-10 Player of the Week three times (Nov. 21, Jan. 30, Feb. 20) and to the NE-10 Honor Roll five times (Dec. 5, Jan. 9, Feb. 6, Feb. 13, Mar. 6).  He is currently ranked No. 12 nationally with a 44.6 percent three-point field goal percentage, No. 14 nationally with a 87.5 free throw percentage, and No. 6 nationally with a 3.7 three-point field goals per game average. Bryant's All-Time Career Scoring Leaders

            1. Tom Smile (1964-67)                       2,390

            2. Ernie DeWitt (1977-81)                   2,239

            3. Dave Sorafine (1973-76)                  1,854             4. John Williams (2002-06)                1,736

            5. Paul Berlo (1979-83)                       1,715

            6. Gregg Cooper (1982-86)                 1,651