The NCAA Division III men’s basketball championship trophy is displayed at the Final Four banquet. If the Tommies win Friday, they will play the winner of Amherst vs. Benedictine for the championship Saturday. (Lauren Andrego/TommieMedia)
A statue of Andrew Lewis stands outside of the Salem Civic Center. The facility has held the D-III men’s basketball Final Four for 20 years. (Lauren Andrego/TommieMedia)
The Tommies suit up for media coverage. St. Thomas men’s basketball has been to the Final Four three out of the last six years. (Lauren Andrego/TommieMedia)
Guard Taylor Montero, center Ryan Saarela and guard Cortez Tillman pose for an NCAA photo shoot. The Tommies spent their first full day in Salem participating in community service, interviewing with media and practicing in the Salem Civic Center. (Lauren Andrego/TommieMedia)
The team takes a break before practice and watches March Madness in the media room. The Tommies defeated top-seeded Augustana (Ill.) to make it to the Final Four. (Lauren Andrego/TommieMedia)
Assistant coach Mike Keating leads the offensive practice. The Tommies had one of their final practices of the season Thursday in the Salem Civic Center, where they will play Christopher Newport Friday. (Lauren Andrego/TommieMedia)
Forward Nathan Daniels searches for the open pass. Daniels is one of eleven freshmen who play for the Tommies. (Lauren Andrego/TommieMedia)
Coach John Tauer calls a play for forward Will Dunn. Tauer was a part of the coaching staff when the Tommies last won the national championship in 2011. (Lauren Andrego/TommieMedia)
Forward G.T. Johnson is double-teamed against guard Grant Shaeffer and center Cullen Ogren. Johnson is one of four freshman on the Varsity squad. (Lauren Andrego/TommieMedia)
Guard Grant Shaeffer speaks on behalf of St. Thomas at the Final Four banquet at the Salem Civic Center. The banquet included speakers from each team, D3 Hoops, the City of Salem and the NCAA. (Lauren Andrego/TommieMedia)
The Tommies dress up for the Final Four banquet. The team will face fourth-ranked Christopher Newport Friday at the Salem Civic Center for the semifinals. (Lauren Andrego/TommieMedia)
SALEM, Virginia – The St. Thomas men’s basketball team is closing in on its second national title in program history and could secure it Saturday night.
No. 8-ranked St. Thomas will square off with No. 4-ranked Christopher Newport University Friday. If the Tommies are victorious, they’ll compete in the national championship game against either No. 15 Amherst College or No. 2 Benedictine University.
The closest opponent to Salem happens to be the Tommies’ first opponent. The Captains (30-1 overall) reside in Newport News, Virginia. Not only will Friday mark the first meeting between these two squads, but this is the first time Christopher Newport will appear in the Final Four in program history.
Throughout the tournament, the Captains’ average margin of victory is narrowly under 11, but their season almost came to a close when they snuck away with a 67-64 victory over New York University. Christopher Newport also defeated Lycoming College, Keene State and Wooster.
The Captains rely heavily on sophomore guards Marcus Carter and Aaron McFarland. Carter, a First-Team All-American and the Capital Athletic Conference Player of the Year, leads the team with 15.9 points per game. McFarland has only started one game this year but is second on the squad with 14 points per game.
The Captains recorded an 18-0 regular season conference record en route to securing the Capital Athletic Conference regular season title. They defeated St. Mary’s College of Maryland and Salisbury University to capture the postseason conference title.
If St. Thomas can move past Christopher Newport Friday night, it’ll have another tough test in the championship whether it’s Amherst or Benedictine.
This is Amherst’s third time competing in the Final Four in four seasons, which includes a national championship in 2013. The Lord Jeffs (26-5 overall) also won a title in 2007 and have appeared in the semi-finals seven times.
They reached this point, narrowly escaping the first and second rounds, winning by only one and two points over Husson University and SUNY Cortland, respectively. Amherst then took down Babson College and Tufts University.
The Lord Jeffs are powered by strong guard play that includes four out of five starters averaging double-figure points. Guard Connor Green leads the team with nearly 15 points per game, while forward Johnny McCarthy sits in second with 13 per game. Guards Jayde Dawson and Jeff Racy each average more than 11 points.
The highest ranked team remaining in the tournament, Benedictine, is the first team to reach the Final Four undefeated since 1999. Just like Christopher Newport, this is also the first time the Eagles reached the semifinals.
Benedictine had a more dominant showing in the tournament compared to Amherst and Christopher Newport. The Eagles (30-0 overall) are winning by an average margin of 18 points in the tournament, including a 97-84 victory over No. 10 Ohio Wesleyan University in the Sweet Sixteen and a 93-73 triumph over No. 13 Alma College.
Benedictine is the most well-rounded team in the Final Four with contributions coming from all facets of the floor and all five starters averaging double figures in points. Guard Michael Blaszczyk and forward Lucas Johnson each average over 14 points. Guard Tahron Harvey’s average is 13.5 points, while guard John Dodson and forward Adam Reynolds are each averaging more than 11 points.
Amherst and Benedictine square off in the first semifinal game at 4 p.m. CT Friday, while St. Thomas and Christopher Newport take the court at 6:30 p.m. CT. The championship game takes place at 5:00 p.m. CT Saturday.
Jesse Krull can be reached at krul7386@stthomas.edu.