Sophomore center Calvin Kapral and the WashU Bears will host the NCAA Regionals this weekend in St. Louis. (Photo: Primo Greenway)

Steven Millbrook
Staff Writer

CLAYTON, MO — The Washington University men’s basketball team will host NCAA Division III Tournament regional games at the WashU Field House this weekend.

The Bears (18-7) earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament on Monday, which marks the 28th time in program history that WashU had earned a spot in the national championship tournament.

This weekend, WashU will host first and second round games, with the winner advancing to the Sweet 16, which will be played next weekend. The Bears re 37-21 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and will look to capture the program’s third national championship. WashU won back-to-back national titles in 2008 and 2009.

The other teams playing in the regional this weekend will be Dubuque, Illinois College, and Wisconsin Lutheran. Dubuque and Illinois College will play in the event’s opener on Friday at 4:20 p.m. That game will be followed by WashU versus Wisconsin Luthern at 6:50 p.m.

Saturday’s regional championship game will also tip off at 6:50 p.m.

Team info (provided by WashU sports information):
WashU (18-7, 8-6 UAA)

  • WashU finished third in the UAA this season behind CWRU and NYU.
  • Junior Hayden Doyle, an All-UAA First Team selection, leads the Bears with 15.4 points and 5.0 rebounds and 32.4 minutes per game.
  • Doyle is seven points away from eclipsing the 1,000-point plateau.
  • Sophomore Calvin Kapral, an All-UAA Honorable Mention, is averaging 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game with 10 blocks.
  • Sophomore Yogi Oliff earned an All-UAA Second Team nod. He is averaging 6.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. His 8.6 rebounding average in UAA contests ranks second in the conference. Oliff also leads the team with 97 assists and 35 steals.
  • Junior Kyle Beedon is also averaging double-digits with 10.2 points per game.
  • 12 Bears are averaging more than 10 minutes per game.
  • Complete stats can be found here.

Scouting Dubuque (21-6, 11-5 A-R-C)

  • Earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after falling to Nebraska Wesleyan in the American Rivers Conference semifinal game.
  • Four earned all A-R-C all-conference honors: Jaylin McCants (first team), Sam Kilburg (first team), Brock Simon (second team), Dylan Anderson (honorable mention).
  • Jaylin McCants leads the team with 18.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as well as 26 blocks and 48 steals to go with 56 assists.
  • Sam Kilburg averages 13.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.
  • Brock Simon is also average double figures with 10.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
  • Grady Thompson leads the longball for the Spartans, going 28-for-65 (.431).
  • The Bears and Dubuque have not faced any common opponents this season.
  • Dubuque’s complete stats can be found here

Scouting Illinois College (23-4, 13-3 MWC)

  • Secured an automatic qualifier bid to the NCAA Tournament with the second-consecutive Midwest Conference title.
  • The Blueboys erased a 15-point halftime deficit and outscored Grinnell 65-26 in the second half en route to the win.
  • Jake Mazrimas was named the MWC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year and picked up a first team all-conference nod.
  • Buzz Ritzel earned All-MWC First Team honors.
  • Nestor Daboin picked up All-MWC Second Team honors.
  • Ritzel leads the Blueboys with 17.9 points per game as well as 6.1 rebounds per game.
  • Mazrimas has 17.3 points and a team-leading 9.4 rebounds per game. He also has the top 3-point percentage, going 67-for-172 (.390).
  • Josh Harris is averaging 13.2 points per game and leads the team with 71 assist and 36 steals.
  • Daboin has a team-leading 52 blocks to go with 8.2 rebounds per game.
  • WashU and IC have three common opponents: Webster, Wabash and Millikin.
    • WashU def. Webster 88-59
    • IC def. Webster 64-48
    • WashU def. Wabash 72-64
    • IC def. Wabash 68-58
    • WashU def. Millikin 63-47
    • IC def. Millikin 81-77 (OT)
  • Illinois College’s complete stats can be found here.

Scouting Wisconsin Lutheran (24-4, 16-2 NACC)

  • Secured an automatic qualifier bid to the NCAA Tournament with 78-62 win over St. Norbert in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference title game.
  • Second NCAA Tournament in program history.
  • Ryan Broeckel became the 24th player in program history to reach 1,000 points on Feb. 3.
  • Senior Grayson Goetz became the 25th player in program history to reach the 1,000 point-plateau on Feb. 7.
  • Broeckel leads the team with 17.6 points and 8.7 rebounds per game as well as 53 steals and 49 blocks.
  • Jacob Stoltz is averaging 16.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game and has 100 assists on the season.
  • Goetz is at 14.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game and leads the team with 135 assists.
  • Jacob Hefle is also average double-figures with 10.5 per game. Hefle leads the team in 3-point percentage, going 73-for-170 (.429).
  • The Bears and WLC do not have a common opponent this season.