NJCAA National Tournament Predictions

photo NW FL CC
photo NW FL CC
Posted: Mar 15, 2023

 

 By: Nic Nielsen/JUCOWeekly Contributor

 

Let me begin by saying that I am much more confident in picking the at-large selections and seeding the tournament than I am in picking games.

But, time to get out my crystal ball and give you my predictions without further ado.

Round of 24

  • South Georgia State
  • Chipola
  • Dodge City
  • Trinidad State
  • Vincennes
  • Butler
  • Southeastern
  • Ranger

Round of 16

For me, this is where the fun begins. Eight teams have received a bye and have yet to step foot on the Sports Arena Floor.

 When evaluating the top eight seeds, expects a few upsets early. Then expect the remaining top seeds to dominate later in the week.

  • John A. Logan over South Georgia State
  • Chipola over Midland (Upset #1)
  • Moberly over Dodge City
  • Trinidad State over Salt Lake (Upset #2)
  • Vincennes over the College of Southern Idaho (Upset #3)
  • NW Florida over Butler
  • Southeastern over Odessa (Upset #4)
  • Indian Hills over Ranger

Nic Note: CSI has not played since March 2nd. How about taking almost three weeks off and potentially playing a physical Vincennes team coached by Hall of Famer Todd Franklin? Vincennes is a much tougher matchup for CSI than teams realize.

Round of 8

  • John A. Logan over Chipola
  • Moberly over Trinidad State
  • NW FL over Vincennes
  • Southeastern over Indian Hills

Nic Note: Secretly, the one matchup I would love to watch is Southeastern vs. Indian Hills at the national tournament. The Blackhawks and the Warriors are the greatest rivalry in college athletics (sorry, Duke & North Carolina fans). A game between SCC & IHCC is an excellent opportunity for a Pizza Ranch corporate sponsorship.  

 

Cinderella: I believe Trinidad State will be this year's Cinderella team.  

 

Cinderella 2.0: If given a mulligan, watch out for Ranger. The number 6 seed is treacherous. When Indian Hills takes the court for the first time, there will only be nine teams remaining.

 

Final Four

  • John A. Logan over Moberly
  • NW FL over Southeastern

Nic Note: Maybe Southeastern is a team of destiny? They won at North Dakota State College of Science on a miracle missed free throw. If you have yet to see it, find the game on YouTube.

Championship Game

  • NW FL over John A. Logan

Closing thoughts: The overall length, athleticism, and skill of NW FL will be the difference in the tournament.

 

Good luck to all twenty-four teams. Enjoy your stay, and may you make many beautiful memories.