2024 Basketball Championship Preview

By: Dominic Boring

The National Tournament heads back to Richmond for another year of great basketball on the way. This tournament preview will give you an insight on all the upcoming first round matchups in all divisions. 

Women’s D1

In this year’s condensed Women’s Division 1 field the 1st seeded Lyon Scots and 2nd seeded Bryant & Stratton Buffalo Bobcats will both have first round byes. Making our first matchup the 3 seeded Bengals of Maine Fort Kent led by Hannah Jones will look to make some noise after missing out on last year’s tournament. They will face the 6th seeded Salem Tigers where Elena Pericic and company are looking to flip the script on last season where they lost in the championship game. 

Our other first round matchup features the 4th seeded Carlow Celtics who are led by high scoring duo Emily Hillgartner and Sydney Carr, who look to improve on last season's first round exit. The Celtics will be facing the 5th seeded Bobcats of Bryant & Stratton - Syracuse who missed out on the 2023 National Tournament.This team features the Nation’s leading scorer in Daja White, alongside the Nation’s leading rebounder Eunice Sillong.

Mens D1

The Men’s Division 1 tournament features 8 highly skilled teams this year, as we crown a new champion. The 1st seeded Apprentice Builders and 2nd seeded Bryant & Stratton Buffalo Bobcats both have first round byes in the tournament. Our first matchup features the 3rd seeded Lyon Scots in their first tournament appearance versus the 8th seeded Maine Fort Kent. The Scots are led by Israel Palmer, who places the team's offense while Malik Madision holds down the middle of the defense with 4 blocks per game; they will face off against Aiden Grady who leads the Bengals in points and rebounds as his team looks to make some noise after not making the tournament last season. 

Our 4 versus 7 matchup features Bryant & Stratton Albany and Manor College. Syracuse, after missing out on last year’s tournament, are led by Devon Smith-Johnson, who averaged a double-double this season, as the Bobcats face off against the Bluejays. Manoris led by the high scoring duo of Manny Roach and Namir Simmons who each put up over 18 a game and are looking to make their mark after missing the tournament last season. 

The final matchup features the 5 seeded Southeastern Illinois Falcons versus the 6th seeded Bryant & Stratton Syracuse Bobcats. The Falcons are led by top 5 scoring duo Amari Wales and Jadyn McHugh who will pace the offense in their first ever tournament appearance as they go up against double-double machine Moses Hughes for the Bobcats who are seeking revenge after their first round exit last season. 

Women’s D2

This year’s field Women’s Division 2 teams is one where the top 4 seeds have all won a National Championship in the past 10 years. Will they come out on top again? The 1st seeded Johnson & Wales - Charlotte Wildcats and the 2nd seeded Penn State Beaver Lions will have first rounds byes. With our first matchup being the 3rd seeded Central Maine Mustangs who look to avenge their early exit last season behind the lead of double-double machine Ella Lavinge. They will face off against Miami Hamilton, led by Shayla Heath who leads her team in points and rebounds, as they look to improve on their final four finish last season. 

Our next slate is the 4th seeded UC Clermont Cougars, who are led by the high scoring Tyra Murphy who pours in over 21 ppg, as they look to defend their national title from last season. They will face off against the Moose of Maine Augusta whose well balanced offense is led by Alisyn Alley, who looks to lead them past the team that knocked them out of the tournament last season. 

Our 7 versus 10 matchup features the 7th seeded Christendom Crusaders, led by the nation's two leading scorers in Catherine Thomas and Mary Pennefather who are seeking revenge from their first round exit last season as they face off against 10th seeded Penn State Shenango. The Lions will be led by Shar’Da Williamson who paces them on offense and defense alongside Hailee Aguinaga who holds down the paint with 2.5 blocks per game. 

And our final first round matchup is between the 8th seeded Southern Maine Seawolves and the 9th seed Sound of Five Towns College. Maddy York leads the Seawolves well balanced offense while Aija Andrews holds down the defense with a nation leading 4.7 blocks per game; while the Sound are led by the double-double duo Talaya Guirantes and Jordan Tobin. Both teams in this matchup missed out on the 2023 tournament and will look to make a run this year. 

Mens D2 

This year's field features 3 champions in the past 10 years (PSU Wilkes Barre, NHTI and Southern Maine CC). The 1st seeded UC Clermont Cougars and 2nd seeded NHTI Lynx will have first round byes. Our first matchup features 3rd seeded Penn State York who look to make some noise in this year’s tournament, after not making it in 2023. York will be led by Deriq Brown as they go up against top 5 scorer in the nation, Ryan Marchal, and the 6th seeded Miami Hamilton Harriers who are looking to avenge their loss in last year’s championship game.

The next matchup features 4th seeded Kent State Tuscarawas who are led by the high scoring, brotherly duo of Kameron and Kyle Shockley, who look to push them farther than their final four finish just a season ago. They will face off against the four headed monster of 5th seeded Penn State Greater Allegheny, an offense that features 4 players that score over 14 ppg, led by Bryce Phillips with 19.4 a game as they look to improve on their first round exit from last season. 

In our 7 versus 10 matchup we look at the 7th seeded Seawolves of Southern Maine CC whose balanced offensive attack is led by Luke Briggs  and Thomas Martinotti; they faceoff against the defending national champions in 10th seeded Penn State Wilkes Barre. With five players averaging double digit points, the defending champions will be led by Jedidiah Ashton who leads the team in points while Jalen Willis causes havoc on the defensive side with his 2.7 steals per game. Will we see our first repeat champions since 2017-2018?

And our final matchup of the field is 8th seeded Penn State Mont Alto versus the 9th seeded Villa Maria Vikings. Mont Alto looks to avenge their early exit in last year’s tournament behind star freshman Vernon Talla who leads the team in points, rebounds and steals per game. To do so they will have to go through the well balanced Vikings who feature 5 players averaging double digit points led by Juston Johnson with 19.5, as Johnson and company also look to improve on their early exit from the 2023 tournament.