NCMC men's basketball made a run to the Elite 8 of the NJCAA DII National Tournament, an impressive feat for an at-large selection who was seeded 13th in the event. In whole, NCMC went 2-2 in Danville, IL with one loss coming to eventual the eventual national champion, National Park College. The Pirates finished the year 27-8, with the win total matching the school record set in 2019-20.
In the first round, NCMC handily defeated United Tribes Technical College 93-72. Leading the way was Tyler King with 28 points on 11-20 shooting including 4 three point makes. Also in double figures were fellow starters Giovanni Mack (18 pts), Isaiah Reams (15 pts) and Jon Carroll (12 pts). Carroll was inserted in the starting lineup for injured sophomore Dampier Evans who had a facial fracture suffered in practice leading up to the tournament. He was unable to compete in any of NCMC's four games.
The second round saw the Pirates upset 4th seeded Macomb Community College 82-80. Reams netted 27 points and Carroll put in 22 for NCMC. King struggled a bit offensively, shooting 5-20, but still contributed 15 points. Despite shooting a lower percentage than Macomb, NCMC's ability on the offensive glass proved to be the difference. The Pirates capitalized on 11 offensive rebounds.
In the Elite 8 round, the Pirates faced off with 5th seed and eventual champion National Park College, a team with only a single loss on the year. NCMC fought valiantly in the game as they attempted a comeback in the second half but came up short. NCMC trailed by 10 points at the break. Carroll led all NCMC scorers with 21 points. Mack added 18 points and King was again in double figures with 12. Turnovers plagued the Pirates, committing 26 to National Park's 14.
In NCMC's elimination game, 6th seed Milwaukee Area Technical College beat the Pirates 92-85. This ended NCMC's tournament run. King posted his highest scoring output of the season with 40 points in the losing effort. Reams added 19 points in his final game in an NCMC uniform.
NCMC Head Coach Jeremy Esry had these remarks via social media following the tournament.
What a fun ride…
We ended the season 27-8 (tied for the most wins in school history).
Went 2-2 at the National Tournament with a loss in the Elite 8 to the eventual National Champs.
Had the youngest starting lineup at the National Tournament… hopefully we learned some things while gaining knowledge and motivation to get back next year!
THANK YOU to all the families and fans who made the drive to Danville or attended the watch parties back home. We certainly felt the love and support, not only at the tournament, but ALL YEAR LONG!
THANK YOU to our players for believing in our program and attacking everyday with a professional and workman-like approach! And THANK YOU to the families of our guys for trusting us with their sons and raising such great young men.
THANK YOU to our Administration and staff! Dr. K, Nate Gamet, Dr. Alley, Dr. Holder, Dr. Londre, our Board of Trustees and Faculty believe in the power of athletics and how it can positively impact students, campuses and communities!
A BIG TIME THANK YOU to our Basketball staff! Coach Demetrius Houston Jr. and Coach Arielle Houston are the most passionate, dedicated, caring and giving individuals we have ever had in our program. They want to win, but more importantly, they want to see our guys succeed in life! Demetrius is going to be a star in this profession for a long time! Athletic Trainer, Megan Faye, kept our guys healthy and fresh all year! I also cannot forget the busman Mark Robinson for getting to all our away games and back home safely!
Finally, the biggest THANK YOU, goes to the 3 people who do it all behind the scenes and let me live out a dream. My Mom, Mother in Law (Cindy Boyd) and wife, Whitney Esry. Their time and commitment to helping with Parker and Aiden while balancing work, meetings and their own busy lives is very much appreciated and never taken for granted!
It wouldn't happen without you guys!