NO. 5/No. 1-seed LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (26-3)
vs. No. 8-seed TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE (17-8)
Saturday, March 12 – 5 p.m. CT
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
All-Time Series: TAMUC leads 3-2
 
NEED TO KNOW

• Parker Hicks was named to the D2CCA All-Region First Team and Lloyd Daniels to the Second Team, the association announced on Thursday
• Hicks was also named the South Central Player of the Year by D2CCA
• This is Lubbock Christian's second-straight season to host the NCAA South Central Regional, although last year they did so as the No. 2 seed
• Texas A&M-Commerce ranks second nationally in block shots per game with 5.9
• These two teams met once during the regular season, with the Chaps beating the Lions 63-59 at The Fieldhouse in Commerce, Texas

 
THIS IS MARCH
Lubbock Christian got a taste of the madness that is March college basketball in the Lone Star Conference tournament, their true "second season" begins on Saturday. That's right, it's win or go home time for the Chaps, as they begin play in the NCAA Tournament at the 2022 South Central Regional, which LCU is lucky enough to host for the second-straight season at the Rip Griffin Center. The Chaps enter the round of 64 as the No. 1 seed in the regional, playing as the top-ranked team for the first time in program history. The regional format is back to normal this year after changing last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning LCU will play a quarterfinal game, taking on Texas A&M-Commerce in the first round.
 
SOUTH CENTRAL CHAPS
This is the fourth time in the seven seasons they have been eligible that the Chaps have been earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament, and they have a 3-3 record in South Central Regional games in program history. LCU has played as the lower-seeded team in all but one of those games. Last year's semifinal game against Oklahoma Baptist, which they won 79-55, is the only game the Chaps have played as the higher-seeded team. LCU had upset wins in the first round of both the 2016 regional (8-seed vs. Midwestern State) and the 2019 regional (6-seed vs. Colorado School of Mines).
 
REGIONALLY RECOGNIZED
All-Region teams for the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association were announced on Thursday and two Lubbock Christian players were on the South Central list. Hicks was named the associations South Central Region Player of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Region First Team. Daniels was the other Chap honored, taking a spot on the All-Region Second Team. Sports information directors from throughout the South Central Region schools and conferences vote on the All-Region teams, and the association's All-America team will release later in the month.
 
LONE STARS
Six different members of the Lubbock Christian men's basketball team were honored with Lone Star Conference postseason awards, the league announced on Wednesday night. Parker Hicks was recognized as the LSC Player of the Year. He was also named to the All-Academic Team, the All-Defensive Team and the All-LSC First Team. Daniels joined him on the First Team, marking his third-straight season on the team. Muhammad was named to the All-LSC Third Team, Mackenzie was an All-LSC Honorable Mention pick, and Aaron Gonzales was named to the All-Freshman Team. Head coach Todd Duncan was also named the LSC Coach of the Year for the second-straight season.
 
THE DEFENSE DOESN'T REST
The Chaparrals enter the 2022 NCAA Tournament with one of the nation's best defenses. LCU holds its opponents to an average of 62.4 points per game, which is the fifth-best mark in D-II. Opponents shoot 39.3 percent from the field against them (seventh-best nationally), including 30.1 percent from behind the arc (19^th-best in D-II). Thirteen times this season, they have held opponents to fewer than 60 points, including their regular season win over Texas A&M-Commerce. The Chaps are undefeated in those 13 games. Muhammad leads the team in steals with 36 and Hicks has 26 blocks. Hicks also averages 7.93 defensive rebounds per game, which ranks No. 8 in Division II.
 
BULLSEYE
On the other end of the floor, Lubbock Christian does not usually face the same shooting woes that their opponents do. The Chaps rank No. 5 in the nation in overall field goal percentage (.515) and No. 7 in three-point field goal percentage (.400). Hicks and Lloyd Daniels rank first and second on the LSC field-goal percentage leaderboard at 55.4 and 53.2 percent, respectively, and Aamer Muhammad is fourth at 49.4 percent. LCU has shot better than 50 percent in 19 of their 29 games this season and is 17-2 in those contests. Their most recent game against Texas A&M-Kingsville marked the first time this year they have out-shot an opponent from the field and lost (25-1).
 
NATIONALLY KNOWN
The loss to the Javelinas dropped Lubbock Christian out of their No. 4 spot in both Division II top-25 polls. LCU fell to No. 5 in the D2SIDA poll, which is voted on by sports information directors. They drew 277 points in the poll. In the NABC poll, which is voted on by coaches, they fell to seventh with 288 points. LCU is not receiving first place votes in any polls at this time, but the Chaps were ranked No. 1 nationally for a two-month span earlier this season. The Chaps have beaten four opponents who were ranked at the time of playing this season.
 
SCOUTING THE LIONS

• It will have been 11 days since Texas A&M-Commerce was last on the floor for a game when they take the court against the Chaps, after they lost in the quarterfinals of the LSC Tournament to Texas A&M-Kingsville (46-49)
• The Lions have four different players averaging double-figures
• TAMUC was right-behind LCU in the conference in field-goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 41.9 percent shooting
• This is the Lions' first appearance in the NCAA tournament since the 2018-19 season and their third overall under head coach Jaret von Rosenburg
• Clashon Gaffney was named the LSC's Defensive Player of the Year last week, averaging a league-leading 2.92 blocks per game

 
THE SERIES WITH THE LIONS
Lubbock Christian and Texas A&M-Commerce have met five times on the hardwood, with the Lions leading the all-time series 3-2. TAMUC won the first three meetings, the first of which was all the way back in 1979. The Chaps have been winners in the last two, both of which were at The Fieldhouse in Commerce, Texas. This will be the first time Texas A&M-Commerce has ever visited the Rip Griffin Center.