2026 NSIC Tournament

[Augieholic]

NSIC Tournament Opening Round Games

Men's First Round - February 25
#9 Wayne State at #8 Sioux Falls (winner plays SCSU)
#11 Minot State at #6 Minnesota-Duluth (winner plays CSP)
#12 Winona State at #5 Minnesota State-Mankato (winner plays SMSU)
#10 Minnesota State-Moorhead at #7 Northern State (winner plays Augie)

Women's First Round - February 25
#9 Sioux Falls at #8 St. Cloud State (winner plays Kato)
#12 Minnesota-Crookston at #5 Southwest Minnesota State (winner plays Mary)
#11 Minot State at #6 Winona State (winner plays UMD)
#10 Minnesota State-Moorhead at #7 Northern State (winner plays CSP)

[Purple Mav Man]

Home sweep for the men

USF over St Cloud, rest home wins for the women

Could be a couple of absolutely wild tournaments once they arrive at the Pentagon.

[Stanger86]

NSIC Tournament Opening Round Games

Men's First Round - February 25
#10 Minnesota State-Moorhead at #7 Northern State (winner plays Augie)

Women's First Round - February 25
#10 Minnesota State-Moorhead at #7 Northern State (winner plays CSP)

This made me chuckle a bit.

[Augieholic]

NSIC Tournament Opening Round Games

Men's First Round - February 25
#9 Wayne State at #8 Sioux Falls (winner plays SCSU)
#11 Minot State at #6 Minnesota-Duluth (winner plays CSP)
#12 Winona State at #5 Minnesota State-Mankato (winner plays SMSU)
#10 Minnesota State-Moorhead at #7 Northern State (winner plays Augie)

Wayne and USF just played an insane 119-114 OT banger last week and now they get to do it again. This will likely be the most enjoyable game of the night given the athletic ability on both sides. I would never bet against my guy Kaminsky when he isn't facing Augie.

Minot and UMD split during the regular season witch each team winning at home, Minot has won four of their last six while UMD has won four in a row since they lost to the Beavers. UMD is the most fraudulent divisional champion since divisional champions became a thing in the NSIC. Gimme the Beavers.

Winona and Kato also played last week where a Kato win secured a season series split. If Winona can grind the pace to a crawl they have a chance but I don't think they can score enough on the road to get it done, Mavs get it done.

Northern rocked Moorhead twice including a 14 point win in Aberdeen earlier this month. Both games had noticeable 3 point advantages for the Wolves. Math wins, Northern advances to play Augie in a Saturday night HOOTENANNY.

[NSICHoops]

UMD is the most fraudulent divisional champion since divisional champions became a thing in the NSIC. Gimme the Beavers.

The first part might be true, but UMD wins by 15+ tonight.

[Purple Mav Man]

Winona and Kato also played last week where a Kato win secured a season series split. If Winona can grind the pace to a crawl they have a chance but I don't think they can score enough on the road to get it done, Mavs get it done.

Math wins, Northern advances to play Augie in a Saturday night HOOTENANNY.

Apparently the students updating the website at MSU athletics agree with you 🤣 Already have the SMSU game on the schedule
https://msumavericks.com/sports/mens...tball/schedule

Also, bonus point for using Hootenanny

[laker]

Apparently the students updating the website at MSU athletics agree with you 🤣 Already have the SMSU game on the schedule
https://msumavericks.com/sports/mens...tball/schedule

Also, bonus point for using Hootenanny

I remember that show. I think it was on Saturday night on ABC. I think I was in grade school.

[Purple Mav Man]

I remember that show. I think it was on Saturday night on ABC. I think I was in grade school.

Well now I know you’re lying. There wasn’t TV when you were in grade school… pfft

[laker]

Well now I know you’re lying. There wasn’t TV when you were in grade school… pfft

LOL. There wasn't even grade school when I was in grade school!

[Mark Emmert's Burner]

I didn't watch the Dragons-Wolves games live last night, but I was pumped to see the Dragons take both in close ones! I look forward to watching those tonight to hear the NSU play-by-play guy's slow descent into madness.

[Augieholic]

Wayne and USF just played an insane 119-114 OT banger last week and now they get to do it again. This will likely be the most enjoyable game of the night given the athletic ability on both sides. I would never bet against my guy Kaminsky when he isn't facing Augie.

Minot and UMD split during the regular season witch each team winning at home, Minot has won four of their last six while UMD has won four in a row since they lost to the Beavers. UMD is the most fraudulent divisional champion since divisional champions became a thing in the NSIC. Gimme the Beavers.

Winona and Kato also played last week where a Kato win secured a season series split. If Winona can grind the pace to a crawl they have a chance but I don't think they can score enough on the road to get it done, Mavs get it done.

Northern rocked Moorhead twice including a 14 point win in Aberdeen earlier this month. Both games had noticeable 3 point advantages for the Wolves. Math wins, Northern advances to play Augie in a Saturday night HOOTENANNY.

1-3.

Tough scene.

USF was +24 points from the 3pt line and +8 points at the FT line vs Wayne. Brogan Madson attempted 9 FTs on 13 FGA. Lather rinse repeat.

My guy Deuce Benjamin going 1-16 from the field was not on my bingo card. Life isn't fair.

Winona couldn't score (40% FG, 29% 3pt) in Mankato. NAILED IT.

Moorhead dragged Northern into a rock fight and the Wolves had their worst 3pt shooting game (6-30) in a month. I can hear the NSIC segment on First Take now "it's HArd tO beAT a TeAm ThrEE timES iN oNe SeaSOn". Northern ruins the Hootenanny. Now we're left with a rematch of last year's Quarterfinal and a Hastreiter family divided.

It's time to 'Gon.

[NSU4LIFE]

1-3.

Tough scene.

USF was +24 points from the 3pt line and +8 points at the FT line vs Wayne. Brogan Madson attempted 9 FTs on 13 FGA. Lather rinse repeat.

My guy Deuce Benjamin going 1-16 from the field was not on my bingo card. Life isn't fair.

Winona couldn't score (40% FG, 29% 3pt) in Mankato. NAILED IT.

Moorhead dragged Northern into a rock fight and the Wolves had their worst 3pt shooting game (6-30) in a month. I can hear the NSIC segment on First Take now "it's HArd tO beAT a TeAm ThrEE timES iN oNe SeaSOn". Northern ruins the Hootenanny. Now we're left with a rematch of last year's Quarterfinal and a Hastreiter family divided.

It's time to 'Gon.

Go Augie, for one night only

[wscsuperfan]

Quarterfinal Matchups

Saturday, February 28

WOMEN
#1 Minnesota State-Mankato vs. #8 St. Cloud State (11:00 AM)
#2 Concordia-St. Paul vs. #10 Minnesota State-Moorhead (1:30 PM)

MEN
#1 St. Cloud State vs. #8 Sioux Falls (4:30 PM)
#2 Augustana vs. #10 Minnesota State-Moorhead (7:00 PM)

Sunday, March 1

WOMEN
#4 Mary vs. #5 Southwest Minnesota State (11:00 AM)
#3 Minnesota-Duluth vs. #6 Winona State (1:30 PM)

MEN
#4 Southwest Minnesota State vs. #5 Minnesota State-Mankato (4:30 PM)
#3 Concordia-St. Paul vs. #6 Minnesota-Duluth (7:00 PM)

[Mark Emmert's Burner]

Things I'll be watching for in each of the men's quarterfinal games...

Sat @ 4:30 - #8 Sioux Falls vs. #1 St. Cloud - It's strength on strength when the Coo have the ball, with USF's #1 scoring offense in the NSIC (85.9 PPG) against St. Cloud's #1 scoring defense (66.3 DPPG). Their first matchup in Dec. was Brogan Madson's coming out party, scoring 33 points with 15 FTAs to 14 FGAs. But the Huskies gave up the 3rd fewest FTA/G in the NSIC at just 16.5, and in Feb. they ran Sioux Falls out of the gym early and gave up just 4 FTAs to Madson. How often will Madson push the issue to reclaim his charity stripe magic? Also, keep an eye underneath the basket on every shot attempt, as these two teams led the NSIC in offensive rebounding rate all year (St. Cloud at 33.5%, Sioux Falls at 33.3%).

Sat @ 7:00 - #10 MSUM vs. #2 Augustana - It was a "Race to 100" game when these two played in mid-January, with both teams hitting 9+ 3s in the first half. The interesting dichotomy between these teams is how deep they play their benches. The Vikings regularly plays 7 guys for 9+ MPG, where the Dragons regularly play a dozen dudes. Augie's bench scoring accounts for 17% of their points (2nd fewest in the league), while MSUM's bench scoring makes up 40% (2nd most in the league). I've been on record in believing in Augie's top 7 over anyone else's in the conference, so I'll be very curious to see if Kemp shortens his bench at all (he kind of did Wednesday against Northern).

Sun @ 4:30 - #5 Mankato vs. #4 SMSU - I'm excited to see Arhman Lewis against Mekhi Shaw! The first Mavs-'Stangs matchup in Dec. was Lewis's "DNP-CD" game after a frustrating stretch of play, but since that game he rebounded in a big way. Against SMSU in Feb. Lewis played all 40 minutes and had 13 pts, 9 ast, & 7 reb. I assume he won't have a minute in which he's not guarded by either Shaw or Jakob Braaten, so how he responds to that in his familiar confines of the Pentagon should be interesting.

Sun @ 7:00 - #6 Duluth vs. #3 Concordia SP - This could come down to who controls the pace more. As always, Matt Fletcher has his guys running, with CSP placing 2nd in pace with 74.3 possessions per game while Duluth placed 12th with 68.6. CSP doesn't have excellent post defense (12th in opposing paint points at 35.4 per game), so the 'Dogs will want to Bull'y (I'm so sorry) down low. On the other side, Duluth defends the 3 at 35.8%, 13th in the NSIC, so I expect Kopetzki & Kompany (I'll leave) to be firing.

[Augieholic]

Is that Butch Raymond behind the SCSU bench? All the alums are on the bandwagon!