Peter Dindinger — NMMI Sports Press
When the New Mexico Military Institute men's basketball team is playing to its full potential it can compete with any team in the nation.
The Broncos will now get a chance to prove that when they travel to Wolfforth, Texas to compete in the NJCAA Region V tournament at Frenship High School on Thursday, March 3.
NMMI hasn't made the regional tournament in seven years. The 2015 squad finished 15-12 overall behind star players like Andre Berry, Aaron Bodie and Dane Williams.
This year's team secured fourth place in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference with a 9-7 mark and a 17-12 overall record.
NMMI takes on the top seed out of the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference, which is McLennan Community College.
McLennan sports a 25-4 overall record and is ranked No. 24 in the NJCAA Division I rankings. Tip-off is at 1 p.m. CST.
"Our team is just kind of a mystery," said NMMI head coach Sean Schooley. "I think we're good enough to compete and beat just about anybody, and then we have our moments where we struggle.
"If we really bear down and pack our defense I think we can be real competitive — I don't care who we're playing. We just have to get through those lulls everybody's seen us have all season."
The Broncos started off the 2021-2022 season by upsetting No. 4 Dodge City Community College by 10.
NMMI also went the distance with No. 8 Odessa College when it took the Wranglers into overtime on the road. Odessa ended up winning by three, which was its smallest margin of victory during conference play.
There's no doubt that the Broncos have been battle-tested after competing in six overtime games throughout the season.
One of NMMI's overtime wins was over Monroe College, which is 25-6 overall. The Broncos won 99-86 during a tournament in Levelland, Texas back on Nov. 20.
The Broncos were originally picked to finish eighth in the WJCAC during the preseason poll, but they proved the critics wrong.
Sophomore Latik Murphy has averaged a team-high 16.6 points per game in 26 games played. He matched a season-high 26 points during a 94-90 overtime win over Western Texas College back on Feb. 21.
The 26 points scored has been the most by a Bronco all season. Murphy also accomplished the feat during a 70-66 win over Midland College on Jan. 17.
Freshman forward Reggie Ward was the first Bronco to drop 26 points in a game when he did it back on Nov. 6 against Dodge City.
The Broncos will also expect a lot from sophomore guard/forward Chris Bready and freshman guard Isaiah Williams.
Bready and Williams have averaged a combined 25.4 points.
Sophomore and 6-10 center Nadjrick Peat ranks 15th in the nation with 61 blocks while sophomore forward Jonathan Salazar has also been a force in the paint averaging a team-high 8.3 rebounds a game.
As a team, NMMI ranks third in the nation in free throws made per game (18.9) while it also has averaged 81.4 points a game.
McLennan has been tough this season after it won its first nine games before losing to Navarro and Blinn College.
The Highlanders rode a 12-game winning streak since their last loss suffered on Jan. 17 to Temple College. McLennan dropped its regular-season finale to Grayson College, 99-90, to finish 12-2 in conference play.
Back in 2015, the Broncos had a quick exit in the quarterfinals, losing to Hill College.
The mindset seems a lot different this season.
"I think they really want to make some noise and try to make a good run into it," Schooley added. "This is a little bit of an older group. I don't think they're satisfied with just getting into the playoffs."
NJCAA Region V Men's Basketball Tournament
Who: NMMI vs. McLennan Community College
When: 1 p.m. CST Thursday, March 3
Where: Tiger Pit, Frenship High School, Wolfforth, Texas
Livestream link: https://tsrnsports.com/nmmi-vs-mclennan/
Bracket listed below. (All times are in CST)
