John Carroll vs. Albertus Magnus
What: First-round NCAA Division III men’s basketball tournament game
When: 3:15 p.m., March 3
Where: Max Ziel Gymnasium, Oswego State (N.Y.)
Records: JCU 22-4, Albertus Magnus 19-9
What’s next: Winner plays either host Oswego State or Marymount (Va.) in a second-round game at 5:45 p.m. March 4.
For the record: It’s a long layoff — eight days — between games for JCU since bowing out of the OAC tournament after a loss to Marietta in the semifinals. Coach Pete Moran’s team has been a slow starter of late so it will be interesting how the Blue Streaks respond in the game’s first 10 minutes. … This is JCU’s first NCAA tournament appearance since 2018, Moran’s first season as head coach. The Blue Streaks — making their 16th appearance in program history — advanced to the Sweet Sixteen that season. … JCU averages 82.2 points per game, and has three players scoring in double figures — Lake Catholic’s Luke Frazier (16.4), Mentor’s Luke Chicone (15.3) and Chase Toppin (10.6). Chicone leads the team in assists (127) and Toppin leads in steals (43). … Magnus won the GNAC Tournament with a huge victory over previously No. 1-ranked St. Joseph (Conn.) in the championship game. … Terry Dawkins is the team’s leading scorer (17.3 points). … Magnus began the season 0-5, but is 19-4 since with two of the losses against St. Joseph when it was the No. 1 team in the nation.
Case Western Reserve vs. Arcadia
What: First-round NCAA Division III men’s basketball tournament game
When: 3:50 p.m., March 3
Where: Case’s Veale Center
Records: Case 21-3, Arcadia 15-11
What’s next: Winner plays either Wisconsin-Whitewater or Wabash in a second-round game at 6:20 p.m. March 4.
For the record: Save for a stretch in which it lost three of four from Jan. 13 to Jan. 22, Case has played exceptionally well. It began the season 11-0, then finished 9-0. … The Spartans earned an automatic bid as the regular-season champion of the University Athletic Association. Some argue it’s the toughest conference in America in D-III. Five of the eight teams in the UAA earned NCAA bids — Case, Washington (Mo.), Emory, New York U. and Rochester. … Case has two elite scorers in Mitch Prendergast (17.2 points) and Cole Frilling (16.0). … Arcadia earned its NCAA bid as champion of the MAC Freedom Conference. It struggled early in the season with a 4-8 mark before the new year but has been playing well of late. … Leading scorers are Jalen Watkins (18.7), Nas Johnson (13.9) and Justin Money (13.8).