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Wheaton College Men's Basketball Team selected to participate in NCAA Tournament
The Wheaton College men's basketball team has earned an at-large bid to the upcoming NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournament, in an announcement that was made by the NCAA on Monday morning. The Thunder will travel to Belton, Texas, on Thursday to participate in a First Round game. Wheaton (18-8) will face Mary-Hardin Baylor (22-6) in Thursday’s First Round game. The winner of the First Round game will travel to the University of Texas at Dallas (23-5) for a Second Round game on Saturday.

Thunder head coach Mike Schauer, said of today’s announcement, “It is fun to still be playing." He added, “It is a tremendous honor for us to be selected with an at-large bid. It speaks a lot about the young men on our team, considering how much was lost from last year that this team still fought its way to a NCAA Tournament berth.” Schauer noted, “I think this legitimizes the selection system. I believe that we deserved to get in, given the fact that we have played 11 games against regionally-ranked opponents.”

Wheaton enters the tournament with an 18-8 record this season. The Thunder finished second during the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin’s (CCIW) regular season schedule with a 10-4 record during the league’s regular season.

This is Wheaton’s 12th postseason appearance, and 11th in a NCAA Tournament (the 1955-56 team finished fourth in the NAIA Tournament). This season’s tournament appearance is the third consecutive postseason berth for the program.

Friday’s game will be the first meeting in men’s basketball between Wheaton and Mary-Hardin Baylor. Mary- Hardin Baylor tallied a record of 22-6 this year and earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament by winning the American Southwest Conference (ASC) Tournament.

Senior guard Ben Panner (Austin, Texas/Bowie) is a First Team All-Conference selection this year with an average of 17.0 points per game. Panner shot 44.8% (155-346) from the field this year and 42.6% (52-122) from three-point range. Panner’s 48% (36-75) effort from three-point range in conference games led the CCIW this season.

Sophomore forward Tim McCrary (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) had a breakout second season for the Thunder with an average of 18.5 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game. McCrary also led the Thunder with 4.8 assists per game and a team-high 1.2 blocked shots per game. He led the CCIW in rebounding this season, was second in the conference in assists and was third in both scoring and steals.

Junior guard Andrew Jahns (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) started every game for the Thunder this season, with an average of 9.7 points per game and two assists per game. Jahns has appeared in seven NCAA Tournament games in his career, averaging 8.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

Senior forward Jake Carwell (Villa Park, Ill./Timothy Christian) has played in every game for the Thunder this season. He has been a steady contributor averaging 6.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. He leads the Thunder, and the CCIW, with an average of two steals per game.

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