Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs men's basketball team advances to NCAA Tournament

Mustangs earn first NCAA Tournament berth since 2012

Southwest Minnesota State earned the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament due to winning the NSIC Tournament Championship with a 79-65 victory over the University of Mary on March 8, 2023.

The Mustangs, who finished the regular season with a 21-9 record, received the No. 7 seed in the Midwest Region and will face No. 2 seed Texas A&M in the first round on March 17th in Des Moines, Iowa.

This is the Mustangs' first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2012 and their third overall. The Mustangs lost in the first round in 2008 and 2012.

The Mustangs are led by senior guard Matt Knutson, who was named the NSIC Player of the Year this season. Knutson is averaging 19.4 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game and has helped lead the Mustangs to a 21-9 record.

The Mustangs will be a long shot to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, but they have a good team and are capable of pulling off an upset or two.