Men's Basketball 3/9/2022 9:30:00 AM Chris Brannick

Central Returns To National Tournament

UCO Returns to DII Men's Basketball Championship For First Time Since 2011

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Central Oklahoma makes its long-awaited return to the NCAA Division II men's basketball championship this week. The Bronchos drew the No. 5 seed in the Central Region and will play No. 4 seed Upper Iowa Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Sanford Pentagon.

This weekend will mark the 18th time in school history the Bronchos have reached the national tournament. UCO made five appearances in the NAIA tourney and will make its 13th in the DII championship. Central Oklahoma is 18-17 all time at nationals.

Saturday will mark just the second time Central Oklahoma and Upper Iowa have met on the hardwood. The Bronchos suffered an 83-70 setback in Warrensburg, Missouri on Nov. 17, 2019.

Central Oklahoma heads into the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship as the highest scoring team from the MIAA. UCO is the third-highest scoring team in the Central Regional.

The Bronchos average 82.1 points per game this season and UCO has a plus-11.8 scoring margin. Central is one of the most efficient teams in the country too. The Bronchos shoot 49.4 percent from the floor, make 37.1 percent of its 3-point attempts, and 79.7 percent of their free-throw attempts. UCO averages 8.4 made 3-pointers per game and 17.2 made free-throws per game.

Central Oklahoma ranked second this season in the MIAA in field-goal percentage, third in 3-point field-goal percentage, second in free-throw percentage in first in total free-throws made. UCO also led the MIAA in rebounding this season.

Isaiah Wade leads Central Oklahoma into the postseason. The senior forward averages a team-high 18.7 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game. He is also shooting a team best 57.6 percent from the floor. Wade, who was named to Small College Basketball's Bevo Francis Award Top 50 Watchlist last month, earned MIAA Player of the Week twice this season and was a First Team All-MIAA selection.

Camryn Givens became Central Oklahoma's 43rd member of the 1,000-point club last week in the MIAA semifinals and the junior forward heads into the national tournament with exactly that many points. Since arriving on campus in 2019, Givens has scored 1,000 points.

He averages 13.3 this season, along with 5.3 rebounds per game, and is a 52.5 percent shooter. Givens scored 40 points against Washburn, another squad at the Central Regional. That mark is a single-game high for Central this season.

Jaden Wells is Central Oklahoma's third-leading scorer at 14.4 points per game and he is among the best shooters in the country. Wells does most of his work from behind the 3-point line. He's 86-for-203 this season and that 42.4 percent mark is the best in the MIAA and the best of any player in the Central Regional. He ranks 26th nationally in 3-point field-goal percentage.

Wells is also 79-for-83 from the free-throw line this season and that 95.2 percent mark ranks No. 1 in the entire country by nearly three percentage points.

Central Oklahoma point guard Callen Haydon is second on the team in scoring at 15.2 points per game and he leads the team in assists at 6.1 per contest. Haydon's 177 assists, the fourth-most in UCO single season history, are the high mark in the MIAA this season as well as of any participant in the Central Regional.

Haydon also averages 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. He is a 46.8 percent shooter overall, makes 37.5 percent of his 3-point attempts and 91.9 percent of his free-throws (113-for-123).

Preston Aymond is averaging 7.3 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game. Davon Richardson adds 5.9 points per game and 3.3 rebounds per game. Jalyn Turner (3.6) and Carson Calavan (2.6) also add to the mix.

If Central wins Saturday, the Bronchos advance to the Second Round and will face the winner of top-seeded host Augustana and No. 8 seed and longtime Broncho rival, Southwestern Oklahoma State. That matchup would be Sunday at 7:30 p.m. The Sweet 16 round is scheduled for Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The Elite Eight is scheduled for March 22-26 in Evansville, Indiana.

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Players Mentioned

#13 Carson Calavan: G; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#33 Camryn Givens: F; 6' 6"; Junior

#10 Jalyn Turner: F; 6' 6"; Sophomore

#2 Isaiah Wade: F; 6' 7"; Senior

#24 Jaden Wells: G; 6' 1"; Freshman

#14 Callen Haydon: G; 5' 11"; Junior

#23 Preston Aymond: F; 6' 7"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#13 Carson Calavan
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: G

#33 Camryn Givens
: 6' 6"; Junior
: F

#10 Jalyn Turner
: 6' 6"; Sophomore
: F

#2 Isaiah Wade
: 6' 7"; Senior
: F

#24 Jaden Wells
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: G

#14 Callen Haydon
: 5' 11"; Junior
: G

#23 Preston Aymond
: 6' 7"; Freshman
: F