Valley's Men's Basketball Team Competes in National Semifinals March 21

Cougars Move Up After Beating a No. 2-Seeded Team in Quarterfinals

Kalamazoo Valley Community College's men's basketball team is making history on the national stage, winning two consecutive games during this week's national tournament. With their Thursday, March 20 quarterfinal win, the team advances to the semifinals on Friday, March 21.

The Cougars will take on No. 3 seed, Kirkwood Community College of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Friday, March 21 at 9 p.m. EDT (8 p.m. CDT) in a semifinal game at the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Men's Basketball Championship in Danville, Illinois.

The quarterfinals were held Thursday, March 20. Valley's men's basketball team prevailed over No. 2 seed, North Central Missouri College, 100-91. Valley is seeded seventh. The Cougars advanced to the quarterfinals after winning the first round of play against No. 10 seed, Bryant & Stratton College (Wisconsin), 79-64, on Tuesday, March 18 at the national tournament.

This is the first time that the Cougars have won a game at the national tournament since Kalamazoo Valley Community College's founding in 1966. The last time the team competed at the national tournament was in March 2011. That year, they lost in the first round of play, as well as in the consolation bracket game.

"This is the first time in program history that we have gone this far in the tournament. Hats off to Kalamazoo Valley men's basketball players on a history-making season," Athletic Director Russ Panico said. "They've worked hard for it."

The finals are Saturday, March 22. Visit njcaa.org/network to stream the games.

The Cougars' season has been one achievement after another. First, they won their conference, then were named state champs and next qualified to compete at the national tournament. Collectively, the team had a GPA of 3.23 for the Fall 2024 semester.

In addition, Valley Head Men's Basketball Coach Jim Horn was named Coach of the Year for the Western Conference of the Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) for 2024-2025. Sophomore guard Joey Liedel was chosen Western Conference Player of the Year and sophomore MaKyle Doss named Western Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Another point of pride this season was Liedel reaching the rare career college milestone of 1,000 points during a home game on Jan. 4.

Keep up with the team at athletics.kvcc.edu.