The 2016 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball national championship was held in March at Keeter Gymnasium in Point Lookout, Missouri. The 25th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured thirty-two teams playing in a single-elimination format. The championship game was won by the Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats of Marion, Indiana over the Saint Francis Cougars of Fort Wayne, Indiana by a score of 69 to 66.
Championship game Indiana Wesleyan won their second national championship in three years. This was the fourth meeting of the year between the Crossroads League rivals. Saint Francis won two regular season contests in addition to edging Indiana Wesleyan in the league's year-end tournament. In the NAIA championship, Saint Francis fell behind early, with the first half deficit reaching 13 points. With the lead still six points at half-time, Indiana Wesleyan held off the Cougars to win against the then-#1-team in the nation.
Tourney awards and honors
Team award Dr. James Naismith/Emil Liston Team Sportsmanship Award: Dakota Wesleyan (SD)
Individual awards Most Outstanding Player: Jonny Marlin, Indiana Wesleyan Championship Hustle Award: Vasha Davis, IU East (IN) NABC/NAIA Division II Coach of the Year: Greg Tonagel, Indiana Wesleyan Rawlings-NAIA Division II National Coach of the Year: Chad LaCross, Saint Francis (IN)
2016 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball All-Championship Team Name School Jonny Marlin Indiana Wesleyan Bob Peters Indiana Wesleyan Lane Mahurin Indiana Wesleyan Kegan Comer Saint Francis (IN) Bryce Lienhoop Saint Francis (IN) Austin Fox Saint Francis (IN) Lucas Huffman IU East (IN) Kevin Rich Davenport (MI) Dominez Burnett Davenport (MI) Trae Bergh Dakota Wesleyan (SD) Kyle Steigenga Cornerstone (MI)
Statistical leaders (minimum 4 games) Category Player School TallyMost points Austin Fox St. Francis (Ind) 83Most points Kegan Comer St. Francis (Ind) 83Most points per game Dominez Burnett Davenport 20.25Leading rebounder Austin Fox St. Francis (Ind) 51Leading rebounder per game Austin Fox St. Francis (Ind) 10.2Most assists Johnny Marlin Indiana Wesleyan 21Assists per game Johnny Marlin Indiana Wesleyan 4.2Assist/Turnover ratio Johnny Marlin Indiana Wesleyan 3.5Three-pointers made Evan Henry St. Francis (Ind) 15Best overall field goal percentage Austin Fox St. Francis (Ind) 54.8 (34-62)Best 3-point field goal percentage Kegan Comer St. Francis (Ind) 55.8% (10-17)Best free throw percentage Domonique Williams IU East 86.7% (13-15)Most steals Bob Peters Indiana Wesleyan 10Most steals per game Bob Peters Indiana Wesleyan 2.0Most shots blocked Bryce Lienhoop St. Francis (Ind) 10Most shots blocked per game Bryce Lienhoop St. Francis (Ind) 2.0
Bracket
* denotes game decided in overtime
Epilogue
NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball All-America Teams The 2016 All-America team, headed by Davenport's Dominez Burnett for the second straight year, included many standouts from the tournament.
1st Team Name School Hometown Dominez Burnett* Davenport (MI) Flint, Michigan Austin Fox Saint Francis (IN) Muncie, Indiana Trey Bardsley Nebraska Wesleyan Beatrice, Nebraska Kyle Steigenga Cornerstone (MI) Holland, Michigan Trae Bergh Dakota Wesleyan (SD) Crooks, South Dakota Lane Mahurin Indiana Wesleyan Rockville, Indiana Clay Yeo Bethel (IN) Bourbon, Indiana Johnny Marlin Indiana Wesleyan Greenwood, Indiana Ilya Ilyayev Saint Francis (IL) Los Angeles, California Warren Hall Warner (FL) Tampa, Florida - denotes NAIA/NABC Player of the Year
2nd Team Name School Hometown Javonte Byrd Northwest Christian (OR) San Diego, California Cameron Coleman York (NB) Allen, Texas Tyler Rogers Alice Lloyd (KY) Lexington, Kentucky Leland Robinson Tennessee Wesleyan Jackson, Tennessee Kyle Kilgore Dakota State (SD) Adrian, Minnesota Lance Carter Tabor (KS) Troy, Ohio Stanley Whittaker Keiser (FL) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Joel Spear Southern Oregon Adelaide, Australia Aaron Larson Olivet Nazarene Tolono, Illinois Miles Robinson Indiana Tech Grand Rapids, Michigan
3rd Team Name School Hometown Ryan Atkins West Virginia Tech Miami, Florida Lucas Huffman IU East (IN) Indianapolis, Indiana Ethan Murray College of the Ozarks (MO) Neosho, Missouri Brequan Tucker Jamestown (ND) Joliet, Illinois J.D. Tucker Union (KY) Charleston, South Carolina Bryce Lienhoop Saint Francis (IN) Columbus, Indiana Alex Houston Mount Mercy (IA) Chicago, Illinois Larry Motuzis Saint Xavier (IL) Darien, Illinois Jesse Jones Midland (NB) Houston, Texas Taylor Young Warner Pacific (OR) Hawthorne, California
Honorable Mention Name School Hometown Dominique Bolden Goshen (IN) Chicago, Illinois Brian Bridgeforth Washington Adventist (MD) Washington, D.C. Jake Bullock Aquinas (MI) Lansing, Michigan Cameron Clark Southwestern (KS) Lewisville, Texas Brandon Cole Bryan College (TN) Crossville, Tennessee Eddie Delegal Warner (FL) Brunswick, Georgia Roman Delgado California State Maritime Santa Clarita, California Jayden Ferguson Valley City State (ND) Williston, North Dakota Chandler Folkerts Concordia (NB) Milford, Nebraska Bryan Forbes Briar Cliff (IA) Lone Tree, Iowa Kelvin Goodwin Point Park (PA) Wheeling Park, West Virginia Terrelle Green Robert Morris (IL) Chicago, Illinois Grant Greenberg Saint Mary (KS) Leavenworth, Kansas Clayton Herrald Briar Cliff (IA) Williams, Iowa Lawrence Jackson Northwestern Ohio Rocky Mount, North Carolina D.D. Joiner Rio Grande (OH) Columbus, Ohio Earl Jones Warner Pacific (OR) Henderson, Nevada Zach Kirschbaum Trinity International (IL) Las Vegas, Nevada Ben Lanning Cornerstone (MI) Grandville, Michigan Tate Martin Dakota Wesleyan (SD) Mitchell, South Dakota Deion McClenton Keiser (FL) Columbus, Georgia Austin Morris Brescia (KY) Evansville, Indiana Joey Nebeker College of Idaho Melba, Idaho Cameron Paschke College of the Ozarks (MO) Fayetteville, Arkansas Nick Riley Union (KY) Hopkinsville, Kentucky Kyle Stidom Taylor (IN) Indianapolis, Indiana Franky Teran Antelope Valley (CA) Tucson, Arizona Brandon Vanderhegghen Grace (IN) Mishawaka, Indiana Michael Walker St. Thomas (FL) Rancho Cucamonga, California Chris Waller Southwestern (KS) Houston, Texas Dominique Walls Indiana Tech Chicago, Illinois
See also 2016 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament 2016 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament 2016 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament 2016 NAIA Division II women's basketball tournament
References