No. 1 Metro State

Nickname: Roadrunners

Colors: Blue and red

Location: Denver

Enrollment: 23,789

Record: 27-2 (20-2 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference)

Coach: Derrick Clark (third season)

Key players: Jonathan Morse (14.7 points per game, 8.7 rebounds per game), Brandon Jefferson (15.2 ppg, 2.1 assists per game)

Notes: RMAC regular-season and Shootout champions ... Morse is RMAC Player of the Year ... tops in scoring defense in the RMAC (62.1 ppg)

No. 2 St. Mary’s

Nickname: Rattlers

Colors: Blue and yellow

Location: San Antonio

Enrollment: 2,508

Record: 21-7 (9-5 Heartland Conference)

Coach: Jim Zeleznak (eighth season)

Key Players: Kevin Kotzur (18 ppg, 10.1 rpg), Christian Bower (6.6 ppg, 4.4 apg)

Notes: Heartland Conference tournament champions ... Second in league in scoring defense (65.1 ppg) ... Kotzur named South Central Region Player of the Year

No. 3 Fort Lewis

Nickname: Skyhawks

Colors: Blue and gold

Location: Durango

Enrollment: 3,856

Record: 21-7 (16-6 RMAC)

Coach: Bob Hofman (13th season, 17th total)

Key Players: Alex Herrera (15.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 79 blocks), Marcus Ayala (13.9 ppg, 67 assists)

Notes: Herrera, an Ignacio High School alumnus, led league in blocks and was RMAC Defensive Player of the Year ... Only team in field to beat Metro State this season ... Matt Mazarei fourth in nation with 2.81 assist-to-turnover ratio

No. 4 Midwestern State

Nickname: Mustangs

Colors: Maroon and gold

Location: Wichita Falls, Texas

Enrollment: 5,464

Record: 21-8 (14-4 Lone Star Conference)

Coach: Nelson Haggerty (second season)

Key Players: Corbin Thomas (13.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg), Kevin Grayer (11.9 ppg, 1.2 assist-to-turnover ratio)

Notes: Fifth NCAA Tournament bid in a row ... Thomas first-team All-LSC ... Grayer a second-team selection

No. 5 Newman

Nickname: Jets

Colors: Blue and red

Location: Wichita, Kan.

Enrollment: 2,193

Record: 20-7 (9-5 HC)

Coach: Mark Potter (15th season)

Key Players: Shamar Acuay (14.6 ppg, .526 3-point percentage), Darrell Traylor (11.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg)

Notes: First-ever NCAA Tournament appearance ... Heartland’s top scoring offense (76.7 ppg) ... Tops in league in scoring margin (8.6 ppg)

No. 6 Adams State

Nickname: Grizzlies

Colors: Green, black and white

Location: Alamosa

Enrollment: 3,724

Record: 20-8 (16-6 RMAC)

Coach: Louis Wilson (third season)

Key Players: Kaimyn Pruitt (15.3 ppg, 10.2 rpg), John Jackson (14.9 ppg, 59 assists)

Notes: Pruitt and Jackson first-team All-RMAC selections ... Went 2-1 against first-round opponent FLC this season ... Pruitt led RMAC in rebounds per game

No. 7 Cameron

Nickname: Aggies

Colors: Black and gold

Location: Lawton, Okla.

Enrollment: 6,000

Record: 18-8 (13-5 LSC)

Coach: Nate Gamet (first season)

Key Players: Craig Foster (16.2 ppg, 5.7 apg), Tim Johnson (9.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg)

Notes: Foster named LSC Player of Year and first-team All-South Central Region ... First NCAA Tournament berth ... Gamet recently had interim tag removed and became permanent head coach

No. 8 Tarleton State

Nickname: Texans

Colors: Purple, black and white

Location: Stephenville, Texas

Enrollment: 11,693

Record: 20-9 (10-8 LSC)

Coach: Lonn Reisman (25th season)

Key Players: Chuck Guy (14.9 ppg, 4.6 apg), De’Andre Upchurch (10.4 ppg)

Notes: LSC tournament champions ... Reisman was assistant at Southeast Oklahoma State during Dennis Rodman’s tenure there ... Guy a first-team All-LSC selection

Durango Herald