Men’s Basketball: NEAC Tournament Preview

On Friday, February 26 the University of Dallas men's basketball team will travel to Middletown, PA to take part in the North Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament. UD is ranked number four in the field of ten teams, and will face SUNY-Cobleskill in the opening round. The winners of the tournament will advance to the NCAA Division III tournament, a feat only once accomplished by the University of Dallas.

Thus far this season, the men's team has a 12-13 regular season record and has scored an average of 63.1 points per game. Leading the way for Dallas has been a tandem of seniors, guard Jim Norton (Louisville, KY/Holy Angels Academy) and forward Travis Ekmark (Yokosuka, Japan/Nile C. Kinnick H.S.). Norton leads the team in scoring, with an average of 16.5 points per game, as well as field goals made (143), three pointers made (49) and free throws made (78). Ekmark, on the other hand, has been a menace on the boards, averaging twice as many per game than anyone else on the team. He has hauled down 218 (52 offensive) for an 8.7 average to go along with 8 double-doubles. He also leads the team in blocks (20), assists (68) and is second in steals (42) and scoring average (10.4). Also in the starting five are seniors guard Jeff Pritchard (Oak Grove, LA/Frisco H.S.), guard Paul Street Novato, CA/Trinity Prep), and forward Peter Popovich (St. Louis, MO/Gateway Academy).