INDIANAPOLIS – Back-to-back Great Midwest Athletic Conference tournament champion Walsh is headed to the NCAA Championship Midwest Regional for the second year in a row following Sunday night’s selection show.
The Cavaliers (25-6 overall) are slotted as the No. 8 seed in the bracket with the conference’s automatic qualifying bid in the field of 64.
Walsh will face the region host UIndy from the Great Lakes Valley Conference on Saturday, March 14, at 5 p.m. ET inside Nicoson Hall.
The Cavaliers, coached by Jeff Young, are dancing for the second time representing the Great Midwest since joining the league as a full member in the 2017-18 season. The winner between No. 1 UIndy and No. 8 Walsh would face either No. 4 Michigan Tech from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) or No. 5 Bellarmine (GLVC) in the second round of the regional.
The other half of the bracket features No. 2 Truman State (GLVC) vs. Ferris State (GLIAC) and No. 3 UMSL (GLVC) vs. No. 6 Southern Indiana (GLVC). Michigan Tech received the GLIAC’s AQ and Truman State the GLVC’s AQ, respectively, as tournament winners.
Walsh is winners of five straight and capped off another perfect run through the Great Midwest Championship tournament bracket, ending with a win on Saturday afternoon vs. Kentucky Wesleyan in Findlay’s Croy Gymnasium.
Senior guard Mark Mokros was deadly with his three-point arsenal and earned the final selection of conference player of the week honors.
The Cavaliers beat No. 6 seed Ohio Dominican in the quarterfinals on Tuesday before taking care of business vs. conference final four host and No. 2 seed Findlay on Friday evening. Saturday’s win over No. 8 seed KWC officially locked in a national tournament appearance for Walsh.
Walsh was represented by four different players on the all-conference team including junior guard Darryl Straughter on the first team. Redshirt freshman Christian Montague was tagged as a second-team all-conference pick and sophomore JT Shumate was also on the second team.
Junior forward Caleb Canter, whose length and athleticism was on display during the championship run, was locked into the league’s all-defensive team as voted by the coaches.
Six of the regional tournaments, consisting of eight teams each will be conducted March 14, 15 and 17 at six regional sites. The Atlantic regional, consisting of eight teams split at two sites, will be conducted March 13, 14 and 17. The West regional will be conducted March 13, 14 and 16. The eight regional champions will advance to the quarterfinals in conjunction with the 2020 NCAA Division II Men’s Elite Eight. Quarterfinal and semifinal games will be conducted at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana March 26 & 28. The championship game will held at State Farm Arena on Sunday, April 5 in Atlanta, Georgia in conjunction with the Division I Men’s Final Four.