MEN’S BASKETBALL

The Huntington University men’s basketball team will once again serve as a national tournament host in the hunt for the Red Banner.

The Foresters learned Thursday evening the lineup for the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship First & Second Rounds, presented by Ballogy, with Platt Arena serving as one of the tournament’s 16 host sites March 13-14.

Joining HU in the Huntington Bracket will be the No. 14 seed Bellevue (Neb.), No. 6 seed Graceland (Iowa), and No. 11 seed Lindsey Wilson (Ky.).

Two first-round games will be played Friday, with the winners advancing to Saturday’s second-round matchup. The champion of the Huntington bracket will advance to the NAIA National Championship final site in Kansas City, Missouri, scheduled for March 19-24.

For the Foresters, the opportunity marks their fifth consecutive appearance in the national tournament and their second straight year hosting the opening rounds.

Huntington enters the tournament as the No. 3 seed after receiving an at-large bid. First-year head coach Jared Jauch and his squad will open tournament play Friday at 6:00 p.m. against No. 14 seed Bellevue.

Huntington heads into the tournament with a 22-8 overall record, including a 12-6 mark in Crossroads League play, and boasts seven wins over Top 20 opponents this season.

This year’s appearance marks the 13th NAIA postseason berth in program history, highlighted by a national runner-up finish in 2006 under the late Steve Platt.

Bellevue enters the tournament with a 22-7 record, including a 17-5 mark in Frontier Conference play, and received an automatic bid as the regular season runner-up. The Bruins will be making their 23rd national tournament appearance, mostly recently in 2024.

The Crossroads League will send Grace (#1 seed), Indiana Wesleyan (#2 seed), Bethel (#6 seed) and Taylor (#13 seed) to the national tournament as well.

The 64-team field includes 35 automatic qualifiers and 29 at-large selections. Opening rounds will be played at 16 host sites nationwide, with each site winner advancing to the final site in Kansas City, Missouri, for a 16-team single-elimination tournament at Municipal Auditorium.