NCAA Tournament Preview: Blue Streaks Set to Open Against Albertus Magnus

3/2/2023 5:05:00 PM | By: Deuce Zak, Staff Writer

Luka Eller and the Blue Streaks will face a tough Albertus Magnus team in the opening round.

OSWEGO, N.Y. -- The incredible journey for the 2022-23 John Carroll Men's Basketball team is set to continue in the NCAA Tournament.

The Blue Streaks have arrived in New York to open the postseason in the Oswego State pod.

The Blue Streaks' first matchup will be the Albertus Magnus College Falcons, the GNAC champions. The road to Fort Wayne is a long one for the Blue and Gold, and it doesn't start easy.

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The Falcons of Albertus Magnus are from New Haven, Connecticut, and boast a solid record of 19-9 on the season. The Falcons are in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, which features teams from all over the Northeast, from Maine to Rhode Island.

The Falcons are currently riding a 5-game winning streak, including a monster upset against St. Joseph of Connecticut, who were the only undefeated team in D-III entering the GNAC championship game. St. Joseph sported a #1 ranking recently.

Albertus Magnus played outstanding defense against the Blue Jays, and while they ended the game with 32 personal fouls, they forced 17 turnovers and came up with 10 steals and blocks. The Falcons showed how relentless they can be on the defensive side of the ball, and their tenacity will prove a tough matchup for the Blue Streaks.

The Falcons have three main players that the Blue Streaks will look to contain on Friday. First, senior big man Justice Washington, a 6'7" 270 pound big, averages a double-double with 10.9 points and 10.5 rebounds per game this season. He's been a consistent presence for the Falcons, grabbing as many as 20 boards in one game. His size and physicality will surely be integral to Albertus Magnus' success.

The second player to watch for the Falcons is Antonio Bonilla, a 6'2" junior transfer from an NAIA school, Truett McConnell University. Bonilla is the GNAC champion's best shooter, making exactly one-third of his 210 shot attempts from deep on the year. While his season scoring average is only a modest 11.4 points per game, Bonilla has had some incredible nights, scoring as many as 36 points and nailing 10 threes in the same game. His shooting will be a big factor to watch out for in the matchup with the Blue and Gold.

Finally, the third player to watch is the Falcon's star player Terry Dawkins, a 6'4" graduate student. Dawkins has carried the load for Magnus all season, averaging 17.3 points per game and 8 rebounds per game, whilst boasting a 55.6% field goal percentage on the season. All but six of Dawkins' shots were from inside the arc, but his scoring has been remarkable all season long.

The Blue Streaks have traveled 330 miles this week to start the road to Fort Wayne, the site of the NCAA Championship, and their road will be anything but easy. The Falcons are hungry, and the Blue Streaks have a great opportunity to make a statement in the round of 64.

The winner of this First Round matchup advances to play the winner of Oswego State vs. Marymount (VA) on Saturday at 5:45 pm.

NOTE: For folks heading to Oswego, NY, all tickets will be purchased in person, as there are no online sales. The box office in Laker Hall will open at 1 pm on Friday. Ticket prices are as follows: Children under 1 = Free / Children, Seniors, & Students = $10 / Adults = $15

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