Grand Valley has select company in Elite 8

Wed, Mar 26, 2008    to del.icio.us

Coach Ric Wesley and the unbeaten Grand Valley State University men's basketball team are used to winning.

So is the Lakers' Elite Eight opponent in the NCAA Division II Tournament. Winona State (Minn.) University finished as Division II national champions in 2006 and as national runner-up in 2007.

The Warriors, who are 35-1 on the season, are ranked third in the Division II coaches poll this season. They have won 95 of their last 100 games.

Co-No. 1 GVSU, which is 36-0, plays Winona State at 6 tonight in Springfield, Mass. — the home of the Basketball Hall of Fame. The winner advances to Thursday's semifinal to face either No. 1 Bentley (Mass.) College or No. 17 University of North Alabama.

The first meeting between Grand Valley State and Winona State headlines today's four Elite Eight games.

It is the first time the top four ranked teams in the final coaches poll have reached the Elite Eight. The four-day tournament also features five No. 1 seeds from regional play, including GVSU.

This is GVSU's second consecutive trip to the Elite Eight. The Lakers lost last year to eventual Division II national champion Barton (N.C.) College. Barton defeated Winona State 77-75 in last year's championship game after Anthony Atkinson scored 10 points in the final 45 seconds, including a layup at the buzzer that made ESPN's highlights. The Warriors had won 57 games in a row. Winona State's lone loss this season came Nov. 24 in an 83-82 overtime decision at home to University of St. Thomas (Minn.). The Warriors have won 29 games in a row.

Two 17-point scorers lead Winona State — 6-foot-8 senior forward John Smith and 6-5 senior guard Jonte Flowers.

Basketball Times and Daktronics voted Smith an All-American and Division II player of the Year. GVSU center and Muskegon High School graduate Callistus Eziukwu made both All-America teams.

Eziukwu has led the Lakers to 36 straight wins this season, which ties the Division II all-time record for consecutive victories.