WATERBURY, Conn. -- Since the 2001-02 season, Post University Men's Basketball had never been to an NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament. Despite winning the 2002-03 and 2003-04 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournaments, the best the Eagles were able to muster up was a singular appearance in the ECAC Tournament during the 2003-04 season. While their hopes of winning a conference title for the first time in 20 years were sullied by the eventual 2023-24 champions in Jefferson University with a 70-58 loss in the CACC Semifinals on Saturday, the season was not over. 

In the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Selection Show, which aired at 11:00 PM last night, Post University earned one of five at-large bids for the East Region, marking the first time in program history in which they will participate in the NCAA Tournament with their sights set on the ultimate prize. 

The East Region will begin play on Saturday, March 16th at Saint Michael's College in the Ross Sports Center as the Purple Knights were awarded the one seed and named the host site for the eight-team bracket. Below are the qualifying teams and their seeding:

#1 St. Michael's College, #2 St. Thomas Aquinas College, #3 Southern New Hampshire University, #4 Daemen University, #5 Jefferson University, #6 Bloomfield College, #7 Post University, and #8 Southern Connecticut State University. 

As it shows on the bracket above as well, the Eagles are set for a rematch against St. Thomas Aquinas College who enter the tournament as the two seed in the East Region on Saturday with tip-off scheduled for 2:30 PM and a chance to face three-seeded Southern New Hampshire or sixth-seeded Bloomfield College on Sunday, March 17th which Post is a combined 1-2 against this season (Split against Bloomfield, lost to SNHU at home 82-76).

Against the entire field this season, Post faced five of the seven teams and went a combined 2-5 against them with the two wins coming against the Spartans and Bears while losing to the Penmen, Wildcats, and Rams (twice). The Eagles did not play against Saint Michael's or Southern Connecticut during the regular season. 

As for Saturday's matchup, this will mark the fourth meeting all-time between the Eagles and Spartans who met earlier this season at the STAC Classic hosted by St. Thomas Aquinas College back in November. At the time, the Spartans were ranked 20th nationally and held a 2-0 record against Post before a 41-point performance and game-winning basket in overtime by junior point guard Bol Akot lifted the Eagles to a 109-107 victory. 

Before that game, Post had lost their first two games to St. Thomas Aquinas during the 2022-23 season at home in overtime, 83-74, and back during the 2018-19 season, 77-70. At the time of writing this, the Spartans are currently ranked 15th in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Poll and ninth in the D2CSC National Poll while being winners of six straight. Post enters the game with a 4-2 record in their last six games, all of which have come in conference play.

As mentioned before, tip-off is scheduled for 2:30 PM at the Ross Sports Center on the campus of Saint Michael's College this Saturday, March 16th. LiveStat links are currently available on the Men's Basketball schedule and Post Composite Schedule while Live Stream links are still to be determined.