HOUSTON, TX – The NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Committee has officially announced the 64-team field for the 2025 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship. The University of St. Thomas (26-1), fresh off winning both the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) regular-season and tournament titles, is set to make its fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament—this time, as the conference's automatic qualifier. For the second time in program history, the Celts will host the first and second rounds of the national tournament in Houston.
St. Thomas secured its fourth SCAC Tournament Championship in dominant fashion, becoming the first repeat champion since the Celts captured back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022. The program improved to a perfect 4-0 all-time in SCAC title games and moved to 9-2 overall in conference postseason play. The Celts' 92-point performance in the championship game marked a season-high, surpassing their previous best of 89 points set in the season opener against the College of Biblical Studies. The victory also extended St. Thomas' winning streak to 23 games—the second-longest streak in SCAC history, trailing only the 25-game run by Centre College during the 2007-08 season.
Leading the way throughout the tournament was Nicholas Buffalo, who was named SCAC Tournament MVP following his standout performances. Joining Buffalo on the All-Tournament Team were Corey Thompson and Nathan Kongolo, both of whom played pivotal roles in the Celts' championship run.
With a 26-1 overall record and momentum firmly on their side, the Celts now turn their focus to the national stage. Hosting the opening weekend provides St. Thomas with a valuable opportunity to compete in front of its home crowd as it looks to build on its postseason experience and make another deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
The full tournament bracket can be viewed here.
GAME SCHEDULE:
March 6th Game 1 @ 4:30PM Trinity (21-6) vs Whitworth (22-5)
March 6th Game 2 @ 7 PM UST (26-1) vs Belhaven (16-12)
March 7th- Rd 2 @ 7PM Winner of Game 1 vs Winner of Game 2
TICKETS & INFO:
Tickets will be sold at the Door ONLY !
Children under 2 are Free
Students $10
Adults $15
For more information and game details, follow www.ustcelts.com
