7 things we learned at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic

Ten teams converged on Lakeland, Florida to officially christen the 2025-26 DII men's basketball season. Seven of those 10 teams were in the NABC top 25 preseason poll, while five found their way into krikya18.com's preseason Power 10 rankings. To say it was a loaded field is an understatement. 

DII MBB 101: Top returning guards |Bigs | Tourney FAQ | History

Per usual, some thrilling basketball was played. To expect every team to be in top form is a bit unfair, but there were plenty of early season questions answered in DII men's basketball's first two days of the season. 

7 takeaways from the SCB Hall of Fame Classic

1. Lubbock Christian looks ready to go

Lubbock Christian Athletics

The Chaps entered the season just outside of the preseason Power 10 conversation, listed as a team with several question marks. They left Lakeland answering quite a few of them, and yes, they look very good.

The Chaps scored at least 90 points in both games and won each decisively by an average of 32.5 points. Amondo Miller Jr. was the tournament MVP, scoring 56 points on 65.6 percent shooting while adding 17 rebounds in the two victories. Alex Anamekwe and Antonio Pusateri were named to the All-Tournament Team. Anamekwe posted a double-double in the Chaps second win and totaled 31 points and 21 rebounds in the two games. The Chaps entered the season down four of last year's starters, but it looks like they have the depth and talent to bounce back quickly.

2. Michigan Tech refuses to lose

Michigan Tech Athletics

There were only two overtime games at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic, and Michigan Tech won both. This team entered the season at No. 9 in the preseason Power 10, and after defeating No. 2 DBU and No. 5 Lenoir-Rhyne, the Huskies may be on the way up.

To no one's surprise, Marcus Tomashek was a scoring machine. After an All-American 2024-25 season in which he averaged 23.6 points per game, Tomashek dropped 26 against DBU and then 33 against Lenoir-Rhyne. He also added a double-double against DBU with 12 rebounds. This is a team that is going to grind it out; they allowed just 135 points in two games that included overtime. If Tomashek has the ball in his hands when it matters, they will win a lot of ball games. This is still my team to beat in the Midwest Region. 

3. Daemen takes care of business

The Wildcats entered the season at No. 4 in the preseason Power 10. They left the Classic with a pair of wins, one of which came against nationally ranked Lenoir-Rhyne. There is simply no team in the East Region right now that can compete with the Wildcats' firepower, and they showcased that this weekend. 

It was the depth of returning experience that had Daemen ranked so highly. Four of their top scorers were back and all four showcased their skills this weekend. Benjamin Bill was at his best, leading the team in scoring both nights with 19 and 17 respectively while shooting an impressive 72.7 percent over the weekend. He also added his first double-double of the year with 16 rebounds against Alaska Anchorage. Both wins saw Daemen have four players reach double digits in scoring. That's a balance that few in the East can duplicate.

4. Washburn looks like it is in midseason form

Washburn Athletics

The Ichabods entered the season at No. 3 in the Power 10 rankings, despite losing four starters from last year's national semifinals run. Fortunately, they returned one of their best starters, and he was out in full force this weekend. 

Jack Bachelor ripped off 25 points in the opening route of Augusta and scored 40 on the weekend while also leading the team in assists. However, it was Dillon Claussen who stole the show. Claussen was great as a freshman coming off the bench last year, but now as a starter, he left Lakeland with a pair of double doubles, averaging 22.5 points and 12.5 rebounds in his two games. Speaking of stealing the show, Jeremiah Jones, who transferred in from UMary, joined his fellow Ichabods on the All-Tournament Team after setting the tournament steals record with 15 while adding 13 points in each of his starts. The 'Bods are deep again and this team is going to be tough to beat.

5. The hosts split the weekend... barely

Florida Southern Athletics

Florida Southern, the tournament's host, opened last season's Classic with the stunning upset of then-No. 1 Minnesota State in front of a packed house. The Mocs treated the fans to the same excitement on opening night of 2025, upending Alaska Anchorage 88-76. 

The Mocs lost the next night, but by a mere two points to UVA Wise. That is an impressive start for a tournament team that was hardly recognizable from a season ago. The entire starting five from last year is gone, but back is Amare Miller, a key man off the bench last year. Miller averaged 16 points per game over the weekend, but also set the Classic single-game record for blocks with five in the loss, and also the tournament record with nine total. Five different Mocs averaged double figures over the weekend. This is a team that appears ready to reload on the fly and perhaps stick around and hang with the mighty Nova Southeastern Sharks in the SSC. 

6. 0-2 doesn't mean too much... for some

Lenoir-Rhyne and DBU both went to Florida in the top 5 of the preseason Power 10. Both teams are leaving 0-2, but it is important to remember that this is the first two games of the season. If you think either were over ranked, that may be an early overreaction.

Lenoir-Rhyne only allowed 141 points (70.5 per game) at the Classic. The Bears simply couldn't match the offense at the end, losing to both Daemen and then Michigan Tech in that overtime thriller. They leave the weekend 0-2, losing both games by a tight margin of seven total points. Center Conrad Luczynski was balling, recording a double double against Daemen and the rest of the Bears just need more time to gel.

DBU was a bit more of a conundrum. The Patriots have a ton of returning experience in Trevor Frank, Xavion Brown and Drew Calderon (who led all Patriots in scoring over the weekend), and transfer TJ Thomas seemed to fit right in, averaging 14.5 points while hitting 44.4 percent of his 3-point shots. They also faced off against two Power 10 teams in Washburn and Michigan Tech, the latter of which they took to the wire in overtime. Seems like DBU will go home to Dallas with a valuable lesson and come out firing in two weeks at the South Central Region crossover.

7. Stars shined bright in Lakeland

First, here is a quick look at the 2025 All-Tournament Team.

Both Augusta and Alaska Anchorage left the Classic without a win. UVA Wise split its time in Lakeland. Here's are a few players that stood out on each of those three teams.

• Augusta's freshman guard Charlie McBeath looks like one to watch. He scored 19 points in both games and wasn't afraid to let it fly from behind the arc, hitting five of 16 3s. He shot an impressive 51.7 percent overall on the weekend. 
• Both Yoro Diallo and Kam Roberts made the All-Tournament team for UVA Wise, but how about big, 7-foot Evan Ramsey? He was strong against Lubbock Christian, going for 13 points and eight rebounds, and followed it up with an 11-point night against the Mocs in the win. Roberts posted a monster 28-point, 10-rebound double double in the Cavs win while Diallo went for 24 and 12 in the victory.
• Akok Machar looks like he can be a nice player for the SeaWolves. The senior guard led his team in scoring, dropping 16 in the opener and 12 in the finale. He also left as the team's leading rebounder, averaging six per game.