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March 8, 2009
The IUP men's basketball team took another step in its turnaround season with its selection to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region tournament which gets under way Saturday at Gannon's Hammermill Center. IUP (21-7) is seeded seventh in the eight-team field and will face second-seeded Virginia Union (21-6) in the opening round. Tipoff time will be announced Monday. The Panthers did not drop from its No. 2 ranking in the Atlantic Region despite losing to Johnson C. Smith in the championship game of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament on February 28. In the IUP half of the bracket, third-seeded Kutztown (26-4) will take on No. 6 West Virginia State (24-5). In the other half of the bracket, top-seeded and Gannon (27-3) faces No. 8 Pitt Johnstown (22-7) and No. 4 seed Johnson C. Smith (23-7) plays fifth-seeded Alderson-Broaddus (26-5). The IUP-Virginia Union and Kutztown-West Virginia State winners will play in the first semifinal on Sunday, followed by the Gannon-Pitt-Johnstown and Johnson C. Smith-Alderson-Broaddus survivors. The championship game will take place Tuesday night, with the winner of the tournament advancing to the Elite Eight March 25, 26 and 28 in Springfield, Mass. The Crimson Hawks competed in what used to be the East Region but are now in the restructured Atlantic Region along with the WVIAC and CIAA, which replaced Conference Carolinas in IUP's region. IUP is 0-3 this season versus teams that are in the Atlantic Regional field, losing twice to Gannon and once to Alderson-Broaddus. The game versus Virginia Union will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools in men's basketball. The Panthers have a storied tradition in men's basketball, winning three national championships, most recently in 2005, and 18 CIAA titles. Virginia Union has put a host of players in the NBA, most notably former New York Knick and Chicago Bull star Charles Oakley. IUP is making its eighth appearance in the NCAA tournament and first since 2005. Just two years ago the Crimson Hawks won only six games in the beginning of a rebuilding project under head coach Joe Lombardi. IUP improved to 13-15 last year and returned to the PSAC playoffs before making another sizeable jump this season. IUP won region titles and qualified for the Elite Eight in 1994, 1995, 2000 and 2002 and advanced to the Final Four in 1995 and 2002. Overall, IUP has a record of 13-7 in the NCAA tournament, including 11-3 in regional play and 2-4 in the Elite Eight. In 1994, IUP defeated Edinboro and California to win its first East Region title before losing to Cal St. Bakersville in the national quarterfinals. IUP knocked off Gannon and California to repeat as region champions in 1995, downed Central Missouri State at the Elite Eight and lost to Cal Riverside in the Final Four. IUP lost to California in the 1996 regional final and did not return to the postseason until 2000 when wins over Fairmont State, Charleston and Pfeiffer gave the team its third region title. IUP lost in the Elite Eight to Kentucky Wesleyan that season. IUP hosted the region tournament for the second time in 2002, defeated Charleston and Salem International to win the championship and then beat Northwest Missouri State before losing to Metro State in the Final Four. IUP lost to Pfeiffer in the opening round of the 2004 region tournament and defeated Edinboro and lost to Mount Olive in the 2005 tournament. |
