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KIRKSVILLE, Mo.—The Truman State Men's Basketball team won the Midwest Regional this past week by defeating Ashland 82-63 and then winning a nail biter over Michigan Tech 65-62. Truman will play in the Elite Eight for the first time since the 1999 run to the National Semifinal. Cade McKnight was named Regional MVP while Turner Scott was also named to the All-Regional team. First up for the Bulldogs is Flagler University, which tips off at 8:45 pm Wednesday night in Evansville.

Here are the complete Elite Eight seedings:

1. West Texas A&M (Truman 0-1 vs WTAMU all time)

2. NW Missouri State (Truman 94-104 vs NWMSU all time)

3. Flagler

4. Lincoln Memorial

5. Colorado School of Mines

6. Truman

7. West Liberty

8. Daemen

Cade McKnight has now moved to 24th all-time in career points for the Bulldogs with 1,094--passing Nick Certa's 1,083 for that mark. He finished the regular season 7th in the conference with 17.4 points per game, which led the Bulldogs. He recorded two double-doubles, and was named GLVC Player of the Year as well as GLVC First Team. He was one of just three unanimous selections to the First Team.

Dylan Peeters was near the top of the leaderboard in the GLVC in rebounds per game, and currently is averaging 9.3 boards a contest this season. He entered the tournament with nine double-doubles, which is tied for 7th in the nation. He's second on the team with 12.4 points per game and was named second team All-GLVC.

Turner Scott is averaging a career high 12 points per game, and passed 1,000 career points in the GLVC Tournament game against UIndy. He is now at 1,035 career points--passing Steve Liford to move into 30th on the all time list. He finished first in the GLVC in assists per game by a wide margin and is now averaging six assists per game. With 39 three pointers, he is third on the team--behind Masen Miller and Elijah Hazekamp. Scott led the team with 27 steals, and was named first team All-GLVC. 

Miller has been the top marksman for the Bulldogs all season, leading the team with 61 three pointers. He shot 9-14 from downtown during the two games at the Midwest Regional, including 6-8 against Ashland. He was named GLVC Freshman of the Year and named to the GLVC All-Defensive team. For the year he averaged 11.4 points per game.

Hazekamp has three double doubles on the season (18 points, 15 boards vs UIndy; 13 points 18 boards at Illinois Springfield; 10 points and 15 rebounds vs Michigan Tech), showing offensive ability as well as crashing the boards. He is second on the team with 7.6 rebounds per game and fifth at 11.1 points per game.

Off the bench, Hunter Strait is averaging 7.6 points per game, reaching 11 against Ashland in the Regional Semifinal. Alex McQuinn was fourth on the team with 3.1 rebounds per game. Mark Rogers averages 5.6 minutes per game and 1.4 points and 0.8 rebounds per game. Sam Nissen hit five three pointers, averaging 1.4 points per game and 0.8 rebounds per game. Owen Coburn reached double figures twice in 15 appearances this season--11 vs Missouri S&T and 10 against Rockhurst.

As a team, Truman averages 77.9 points per game and allows 67.8.

Scouting Reports

West Texas A&M enters as the top seed after going 17-2 this season and finished #5 in the NABC poll. The Buffs defeated #16 Dallas Baptist and #10 Lubbock Christian in the regional to make the Elite Eight for the third straight time. Joel Murray leads the team with 23.5 points per game while Qua Grant leads with 8.3 rebounds per game while averaging 22.5. Grant dropped 40 on the LCU in the Regional Final, and along with Murray was named to the First Team Lone Star Conference. 

NW Missouri State won National Titles in 2017 and 2019, and return another very strong squad led by Ryan Hawkins and Trevor Hudgins. Hudgins was named Player of the Year in the MIAA and to the First Team, and Hawkins was named First Team and All-Defensive team. Diego Bernard was Second Team All-Conference and Defensive Player of the Year. Hawkins averaged 22 points per game and Hudgins 20.1. Hawkins led the team with 8.5 rebounds per game. The Bearcats finished 25-2, losing only to Washburn by two points in overtime and by one in the MIAA Championship Game on a last second heave by the Ichabods.

Flagler has won 15 straight games, going 17-2 overall on the season. They defeated West Georgia and Alabama-Huntsville to advance to the Elite Eight. Jaizec Lottie, senior from Aurora, Colo., leads the team with 24.7 points per game and is second with 6.4 rebounds per game. Jalen Barr averages 7.9 rebounds per game to lead the Saints. Lottie was the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year and First Team, Barr was Defensive Player of the Year and Third Team, Chris Metzger was Second Team and Derrick Ellis was Third Team.

Lincoln Memorial is 18-3 this season, and reached the Elite Eight by beating Tusculum 80-66 and Emmanuel 103-67. The Railsplitters are led by Devin Whitfield and Cameron Henry, Whitfield was named to the first team by averaging 19 points per game and Henry was named to the Second Team. With 129 three pointers made, Whitfield was fifth in the nation. He scored 20+ in ten straight games earlier this season and needs only 97 points to reach 2,000 for his career (split between LMU and Trevecca Nazarene). Henry was also named Defensive Player of the Year in the South Atlantic Conference. Averaging 92.8 points per game, LMU ranked fifth in the country.

Colorado School of Mines went 18-2 this season, falling twice to Colorado Mesa by six, 64-58, and one 75-74. Brendan Sullivan, Kobi Betts and Michael Glen all average in double figures with 18, 12.3, and 10.3 points per game, respectively. Glen leads the team with 6.1 rebounds per game and Sullivan leads with 44 assists. Sullivan was named Player of the Year in the RMAC and Betts joined him on the First Team. Glen was named to the Second Team and Ben Boone and Austin Means were named Honorable Mentions. The Orediggers have the best scoring defense left in the tournament and were third best in the nation--allowing 60.5 points per game.

West Liberty of the Mountain East won the Atlantic Regional, including a commanding 78-61 win over #9 Hillsdale in the Regional Final. The Hilltoppers went 18-4 this season, and had two starters that averaged over 20 points per game: Dalton Bolon and Pat Robinson--21.6 and 20.4, respectively. Bolon also led the team with eight rebounds per game and with 54 assists. Averaging 102 points per game, WLU boasts the top scoring offense in the nation. Bolon won MEC Player of the Year for the second straight year. Robinson and Will Yoakum were also named to the First Team.

Daemen made it to the Elite Eight by defeating Bloomfield and then upsetting top seed St. Thomas Aquinas in the East Regional. Daemen downed St. Thomas Aquinas after losing to them in the conference championship game just nine days before upsetting them to win the Region. Andrew Sischo leads the team with 26.7 points per game, which is fourth best in the entire country. He also ranked third individually with 12.8 rebounds per game. As a team they average 81.8 points per game and give up 74.4.