Hutchinson CC Sports Information
With only two teams left to be announced on Sunday's NJCAA Tournament selection show, the Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team started to get a bit nervous waiting for the Blue Dragons' name to be called.
Finally, a huge roar was heard in the Club 1928 Room at the Sports Arena during the team's watch as the Blue Dragons found out they will be the No. 11 seed as an at-large selection for the 2024 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, which begins on March 24 at the Sports Arena.
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The Blue Dragons' 2024 resume had a 27-6 overall record and a third-place finish in the Jayhawk Conference with a 20-4 mark. The Dragons were Region 6 Tournament runner-up, losing to the nation's top seed in Barton in Saturday's championship game.
Hutchinson will play USC-Salkehatchie in an opening-round game at 12:15 p.m. on Monday, March 25. The winner of that game will play No. 6-seed Chipola in the second round at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26.
The Blue Dragons will be making their 24th overall appearance in program history, their seventh straight as an at-large selection. Hutchinson, which won national championships in 1988, 1994 and 2017 – the 2017 title was won as an at-large selection – is 51-27 overall in NJCAA Tournament play.
Hutchinson returns to the tournament after missing the field last season. This is the second time in head coach Tommy DeSalme's first three seasons to earn a national championship berth.
Hutchinson and USC-Salkehatchie will be playing for the first time ever.
USC-Salkehatchie is making its third tournament appearance in that program's history.
Three Jayhawk Conference teams earned spots in the 2024 field. Barton is the No. 1 overall seed and Cowley earned the No. 10 overall seed.