By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
The city of St. Joseph hosts perhaps the premiere regular season college basketball event in all of Division II this weekend.
The Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic returns to the Civic Arena downtown with four games on Saturday and four games Sunday. There are eight total teams in the field - five of whom are ranked in the NABC Coaches' preseason top 25.
"As good as any field as you're going to find in any tournament across the country other than the Elite Eight at the end of the year," said Brett Esely, the executive director of the St. Joseph Sports Commission. "When you look at the fact that we have five nationally ranked teams coming to town, and when you look at the fact that the teams who aren't ranked are pretty darn good teams as well."
The first game Saturday starts at 1, featuring #21 Seattle Pacific against #20 Alabama-Huntsville. That'll be followed by Rockhurst taking on #8 St. Thomas Aquinas at 3:15, and then a NCAA regional rematch between top-ranked Northwest Missouri State and #15 Northern State at 5:30.
The Missouri Western men will be the nightcap Saturday, taking on Embry-Riddle at 7:45. The Griffons, who are receiving votes in the preseason top 25, are also the night game Sunday, taking on St. Thomas Aquinas at 7:45.
"It's super humbling," said Missouri Western second-year head coach Will Martin. "I think it's great for our community. I think this is a basketball town. So, to be able to host this event, I think it's a big deal and I hope we get a lot of people out."
Sunday's slate starts with Northern State and Rockhurst at 1, Alabama-Huntsville and Embry-Riddle at 3:15 and then Northwest and Seattle Pacific at 5:30.
The event gets started Friday night with the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Induction at 5:30 p.m. at the Missouri Theater. The 2020 class consists of nine legendary players, two legendary coaches and a legendary contributor, who are listed toward the bottom of the story.
"It is high level basketball," Esely said. "There's a Hall of Fame event that surrounds that on Friday evening at the Missouri Theater. It's free and open to the public."
For coach Martin and the Griffons, this event provides a great test to begin the 2021-22 slate. They'll see a top 10 opponent in just the second game before they get ready to play Minnesota State and Henderson State in the Central Region Challenge in Kansas City the following weekend.
"I just think it prepares you," Martin said of a challenging non-conference schedule. "The MIAA is just such a tough conference. Last year was tough with COVID, having to jump right into the MIAA season. So, I think it prepares the guys for what's to come, especially this tough non-con schedule."
After a 2020-21 season that saw little to no crowds, significantly reduced travel and no non-conference schedule, Esely, the St. Joseph Sports Commission and Missouri Western officials are happy to see the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic and Induction Ceremony return to the city for a third time since it all began in 2016.
The first two were in Evansville, Indiana. It's been in St. Joe since 2018.
"What a way to kick off the college basketball season," Esely said of the event. "Civic Arena is definitely a good place to be. The game start at 1:00 on Saturday afternoon."
Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic game schedule
Saturday, November 6
1 p.m. – #21 Seattle Pacific vs. #20 Alabama-Huntsville
3:15 p.m. – Rockhurst vs. #8 St. Thomas Aquinas
5:30 p.m. - #1 Northwest Missouri State vs. #15 Northern State
7:45 p.m. - Missouri Western vs. Embry-Riddle
Sunday, November 7
1 p.m. – #15 Northern State vs. Rockhurst
3:15 p.m. – #20 Alabama-Huntsville vs. Embry-Riddle
5:30 p.m. - #1 Northwest Missouri State vs. #21 Seattle Pacific
7:45 p.m. - Missouri Western vs. #8 St. Thomas Aquinas
2020 Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Inductees (Ceremony 5:30 Friday at Missouri Theater)
Players
Eric Brand, Bethel (IN)
Corey Crowder, Kentucky Wesleyan
Kenny Davis, Georgetown College
Andre Foreman, Salisbury
Stan Gouard, Southern Indiana
Andy Panko, Lebanon Valley
Archie Talley, Salem College (WV)
Dallas Thornton, Kentucky Wesleyan
Larry Wilson, Nicholls State
Coaches
Roger Kaiser, West Georgia and Life
Mike Lightfoot, Bethel (IN)
Contributor
A.O. Duer
You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.