Braves seeded 23rd for NAIA men’s tourney

The Husson College men’s basketball team is hoping 13 proves to be a lucky number this year.

That’s the difference between the Braves’ seeding and their opponent’s in the NAIA Division II National Tournament as well as the day they play next.

The Braves, currently ranked 23rd nationally in the NAIA Div. II rankings, found out Wednesday they are the 23rd seed among 32 teams in the NAIA tournament and will take on 10th seed Oregon Institute of Technology in the first round on March 13.

The 23-5 Braves will meet the 26-7 Hustlin’ Owls at 5:30 p.m. at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo.

“I thought we’d be somewhere between 19th and 23rd. It’s a fair rating,” said Husson coach Warren Caruso. “I look at the tourney as having six or eight teams on the top who can win the tournament and then there’s a few on the bottom that are below that middle pack.”

This is Husson’s 13th overall trip to an NAIA national tournament and seventh appearance in the last 10 years. The Braves are looking to win their first tourney game since 1992 and second overall.

Caruso doesn’t know much about OIT’s personnel yet, but knows the Owls are traditionally a program that features height and size.

“They won their first 22 games and were No. 1 in the country through January, but they’re 4-6 in their last 10 games,” Caruso said. “In the past, they’ve usually had quality post players.”

The Owls played in the 1999 tournament title game and reached the final eight in 2001. Like Husson, they did not make the tourney field last year.

“We go out there with a great deal of confidence,” Caruso said. “There’s a really good feeling on this team right now and the guys all believe in themselves. I have a good feeling about this team.”

The Braves will leave Bangor at 3 a.m. Monday and fly out of Boston at 9 a.m.