NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The #8-seeded Norwich University men's basketball team (10-15, 5-7 GNAC) will travel to #1-seeded Saint Joseph's College of Maine (17-8, 12-0 GNAC) for a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament Quarterfinal game on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 7:00 p.m. in Standish, Maine, at the Harold Alfond Center.

The Cadets are looking to advance to the GNAC Semifinals for the first time since 2024, while the Monks have reached the GNAC Semifinals in the last three seasons, entering this year's field as the reigning GNAC Champions.  Norwich last hoisted the GNAC crown in the mid-2000s, claiming back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006 over Emerson College under the leadership of Head Coach Paul Booth.  After finishing as runner-up in 2024, the Monks claimed their second GNAC Championship in 2025 before falling to the University of the Redlands in the NCAA Div. III Tournament First Round.

BY THE NUMBERS:
Norwich:

• The Cadets enter the tournament fresh off a commanding 95-57 victory over Elms College in the regular season finale on Saturday, Feb. 21.  Four Cadets posted double-digits, spearheaded by 24 points from Joe Joe DuBrul (Shelburne, Vt.) and 23 points from Michel Ndayishimiye (Colchester, Vt.), who went a combined 15-30 from the floor with a 9-18 mark from beyond the arc and a perfect 8-8 showcase from the foul line.  Charles Nogard (Arlington, Mass.) and Jordan Ricketts (Stratford, Conn.) also provided efficient double-digit performances with 14 and 13 points, respectively, on a combined 8-13 tally on field goals.  Norwich was on fire offensively, maintaining a 44.1% clip with 19-made three-pointers.
• Norwich continues to be one of the premier defensive teams in both the GNAC and in Div. III basketball.  The Cadets have held teams to 70.0 points per game this year, the second-best mark in the conference, while also ranking second in field goal percentage defense, limiting teams to 41.4% from the floor.  This season, Norwich has held nine opponents to below 40.0% from the floor, earning six wins in those contests.  Four of those outings saw the Cadet defense at its best, withholding teams below 30.0%, including in their most recent game against Elms, where the Blazers were contained to a 26.9% mark.

Saint Joseph's:

• The Monks have won their last 14 contests, dating back to a victory over Ithaca College on Jan. 3.  After a narrow four-point win at Rivier on Feb. 11, Saint Joseph's ended the regular season on a tear, coasting past Colby-Sawyer College (101-50), Regis College (95-70), and the University of Saint Joseph (84-61).  In the victory over the Blue Jays, the Monks erupted for a 50-point opening half, spearheaded by a 30-point showcase from Remijo Wani, who finished 13-24 from the floor with four three-pointers.  Wani Donato posted a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double, while Tong Maiwen and John Paul Frazier each added 12 points to round out the double-digit performers.  Saint Joseph's shot a blistering 50.7% from the floor, while keeping the Blue Jays to just 31.5% on field goals and 8.3% from long range.
• Few teams are as dominant in the GNAC as the Monks, who rank in the top three in the GNAC in several categories, including points per game (2nd - 86.0), field goal percentage (3rd - 45.6%), three-point field goal percentage (2nd - 35.6%), offensive rebounds per game (1st - 15.5), total rebounds per game (1st - 43.3), rebound margin per game (1st - 9.8), and assists per game (1st - 19.3).  Offensively, Saint Joseph's has been electrifying, netting at least 90 points in nine games, eclipsing the 100-point mark in blowout victories over Old Westbury, Colby-Sawyer, and New England College.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Norwich:

• The Cadets have been led by a trio of double-digit scorers this season, with Michel Ndayishimiye, Joe Joe DuBrul, and Jordan Ricketts all averaging over 10 points a game.  Ndayishimiye narrowly paces the way with 15.8 points, netting double-digits in 16 games, including a pair with 30 points or more.  He logged a career-high 32 points at Mitchell on Feb. 7, just a few weeks after pouring 31 on Saint Joseph's in mid-January.  Ndayishimiye ranks 14th in the conference in points per game (15.6), 12th in rebounds per game (6.8), 14th in assists (61), and 23rd in steals (30).
• DuBrul trails with 15.3 points per game, posting double-figures in 18 contests, including in his last 11 straight tilts.  He sits atop the conference in three-point percentage at 42.6%, tied with Emmanuel's Noah Beaudet.  He posted a season-high 22 points in a blistering showcase against Colby-Sawyer on Feb. 3, raining eight three-pointers on a 50.0% clip from long range.  Ricketts rounds out the double-digit scorers in an impressive freshman campaign, posting 14 games with 10 or more points, including a season-high 22 points in the penultimate regular season clash at Emmanuel College.

Saint Joseph's:

• Remijo Wani has been the catalyst for the Monks' success this season, tallying double-figures in all 19 appearances this season.  The leading scorer in the GNAC with 23.0 points, the junior forward has scored at least 20 points 12 times this year, including a 42-point showcase in a victory over Rivier, finishing 17-24 from the floor.  He posted 36 points against reigning national champions New York University in the second game of the season, on Nov. 9, 2025.
• Three other Monks average double-digits, including Wani Donato (15.7), John Paul Frazier (15.7), and Davis Mann (14.0).  Donato has logged double-figures in all but three appearances, with a season-best 24 points and 13 rebounds against Southern Maine at the end of November.  Frazier is a force from beyond the arc with a 40.5% clip, and recorded a pair of games this season with seven-made three-pointers against Old Westbury and Stevens.  Mann has had an impressive freshman season, posting double-figures in 20 of 24 games including a career-high 25 points against WPI in mid-November.

LAST TIME OUT:

• The Cadets and Monks met in mid-January, in a thrilling 89-84 overtime victory for Saint Joseph's within the confines of Andrews Hall on Jan. 17, 2026.  After the Monks appeared to be en route to victory with an 11-point cushion with four minutes remaining, the Cadets stormed back, eventually forcing overtime with a buzzer-beating layup from Michel Ndayishimiye at 82-all.  Norwich struck first in the extra session, but the Monks proved victorious by scoring the final seven points in overtime.
• Three Cadets and four Monks notched double-digits, with Ndayishimiye finishing with 31 points on a 12-23 mark from the floor and 7-10 clip on three-pointers.  Joe Joe DuBrul and Jordan Ricketts both had standout performances, each drilling three triples to rack up 21 and 20 points, respectively.  Remijo Wani paced the Monks with six-made three-pointers to post 26 points, while Davis Mann added 16 points.  Wani Donato and Tong Maiwen both recorded double-doubles, with Donato tallying 13 points and 12 boards while Maiwen finished with 13 points and 10 caroms.

HISTORY ON THE HARDWOOD:

• The Monks aim to continue their stay atop the GNAC for a second-straight season, after finishing the 2024-25 campaign with a 24-5 overall record and 14-1 mark in conference play en route to securing their second- league championship.  After starting this year with a 3-8 record, Saint Joseph's has been red-hot, claiming 14-straight victories, with 12 coming in conference play alongside non-conference victories over Ithaca and Bates.  Only four of the Monks' conference victories have come by single-digits, including against Norwich (89-84), Albertus Magnus (99-96), Lasell (72-67), and Rivier (94-90).  The last loss came on Jan. 2, 2026, in a 96-89 defeat at Stevens.
• The Cadets qualified for last season's GNAC Quarterfinals, falling to Albertus Magnus and closing the year with a 17-9 overall mark and 8-6 conference record.  Norwich has been victorious in four of its last seven outings, securing critical wins over Regis (62-55), Colby-Sawyer (98-52), New England College (83-69), and Elms (95-57) to lock in a playoff spot.  Their performances against Colby-Sawyer and Elms yielded season-high outputs in points, as the Cadets have claimed wins in seven of their nine games where they have scored 80 or more points.  The two losses, against MCLA and Saint Joseph's, have come in overtime.
• Norwich and Saint Joseph's last met in the conference tournament 15 years ago, on Feb. 24, 2011, in the GNAC Semifinals, in a 72-56 win for the Monks.  Jaren Jeffcoat led the Cadets with 14 points, while Quincy Williams, Antonio Davis, and Pim Smulders each added eight points.  Three Monks netted double-digits, as Chris Petzy tallied 21 points while Zach O'Brien and Julio Vazquez added 16 and 11 points, respectively.
• The Cadets are on the hunt for their first win over Saint Joseph's since Jan. 11, 2023, when Norwich captured an 80-72 victory in Andrews Hall.  Since then, the Monks have seized four-straight victories.

GNAC TOURNAMENT BRACKET (Hosted by higher seeds):

• Wednesday, Feb. 25 - QUARTERFINALS
  • #8 Norwich at #1 Saint Joseph's (Maine) - 7:00 p.m.
  • #7 Dean at #2 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) - 7:00 p.m.
  • #6 Regis at #3 Albertus Magnus - 7:00 p.m.
  • #5 Emmanuel at #4 Lasell - 7:00 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 27 - SEMIFINALS
  • #1/8 Winner vs. #4/5 Winner – TBD
  • #2/7 Winner vs. #3/6 Winner – TBD
• Sunday, Mar. 1 - CHAMPIONSHIP
  • Semifinal Winners - TBD

Wednesday's winner moves into the GNAC Semifinals on Friday, Feb. 27, to play the winner of fourth-seeded Lasell University and fifth-seeded Emmanuel College.  The tournament, originally scheduled for Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday, was rescheduled to Wednesday/Friday/Sunday due to the recent snowstorm.