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Vincennes University

Top-Seeded Trailblazers Open Postseason Monday

Top-Seeded Trailblazers Open Postseason Monday
March 8, 2026

VINCENNES, Ind. — The No. 10 Vincennes University Men's Basketball team will begin postseason play this week as the No. 1 seed in the NJCAA Region 24 Tournament, opening against No. 8 Lake Land College on March 9 at 2 p.m. ET at neutral-site tournament host Rend Lake College in Ina, Illinois. Lake Land advanced into the quarterfinal matchup after defeating Olney Central 91–90 in a tightly-contested play-in game on March 7 at Lake Land.

The Trailblazers enter the postseason with a 28–2 overall record, having captured the Region 24 Regular-Season Championship and the tournament's top seed for the third consecutive year.  Head Coach Todd Franklin, now in his 16th season leading the program, said the opportunity to compete for another region/district title remains the program's primary focus. "Postseason time is always exciting," Franklin said. "We've had a great year at 28–2. Around here that can almost get taken for granted because of the success we've had, but this group had to go out and earn it. They played a challenging schedule and put themselves in a strong position heading into the postseason."

VU enters the tournament playing strong basketball down the stretch, winning three consecutive games and seven of their last eight to close the regular season. Franklin believes the team has begun to find the rhythm necessary for postseason success. "I like where we are right now," Franklin said. "We've made some adjustments during the year and had some guys step forward. I thought our performance at Wabash and stretches of the Southwestern Illinois game showed the kind of basketball we need to play if we want to make a deep run."

The Trailblazers have relied on a balanced attack throughout the season, led by redshirt freshman guard Drae Vasser, who averages 17.3 points and 6.1 assists per game, while sophomore guard Dayton Williams contributes 16.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest. Sophomore guard Jalen Calloway adds 13.7 points per game, while freshman forward Lorenzo Malagnini provides an interior presence with 8.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per outing.

Monday's matchup will mark the third meeting of the season between VU and Lake Land. The Trailblazers earned a hard-fought 93–84 overtime victory on the road in Mattoon on January 14 before controlling the second meeting with a 90–66 win in Vincennes on February 18. Despite those results, Franklin expects a challenging opening-round matchup. "Lake Land is talented and athletic," Franklin said. "When they're playing well, they can compete with anyone in this league. We were fortunate to win the first game there in overtime, and they showed again in the play-in game how dangerous they can be."

Franklin also noted the unique challenges that often come with the first round of tournament play. "The first game of the tournament can be tricky," Franklin said. "You get on the bus, travel a couple hours, and play an early game with not much atmosphere yet. We've been through that enough to understand it, so hopefully we come out ready."

Should VU advance, the Trailblazers would face the winner of No. 4 Southwestern Illinois College and No. 5 Lincoln Trail College in the Region 24 semifinals on March 11 at 6 p.m. ET. The winner of the Region 24 Tournament automatically qualifies for the NJCAA National Tournament, to be held March 21-28 in Hutchinson, Kansas.

While the ultimate goal remains the NJCAA National Tournament, Franklin emphasized that the immediate focus is capturing the Region 24 tournament title. "We've put ourselves in a great position," Franklin said. "Now it's about matching the intensity everyone else will bring. This week gives us the opportunity to win a championship and improve our position heading into the national tournament."

To view the full Region 24 Men's Basketball Tournament bracket, click here.

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As always, fans can keep up with the Vincennes University Men's Basketball squad all year long through a number of ways: