By Jeysla Gonzalez
3 16 2025
WASHINGTON – The first NCAA Tournament appearance in 11 years will begin quickly for American University men’s basketball, as the 16th-seeded Eagles will face 16th-seeded Mount St. Mary’s in the NCAA First Four in Dayton, Ohio, on Wednesday, March 19. Game time is set for 6:40 p.m. on truTV.
The Eagles are making their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2014 after winning their fourth Patriot League Championship on March 12 at home against Navy. AU ran through Lafayette, Colgate and Navy, all in Bender Arena, improving to 22-12 overall for the most wins in the program since a 22-9 record in 2010-11.
AU is under the direction of second-year head coach Duane Simpkins, who is 38-28 overall and has added three conference wins to the PL record in both of his seasons so far, taking over for a 7-11 team and going 10-8 a year ago before finishing 13-5 in 2024-25.
The Eagles shared the PL regular season title with Bucknell, earning at least a share of that title for the first time since 2009.
Graduate student Matt Rogers, a two-time All-Patriot League First Team selection and the 2025 Patriot League Tournament MVP, is coming off a 25-point performance in the title game against Navy. He led AU to a 74-52 win, and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by sophomore Greg Jones and graduate student Colin Smalls.
Mount Saint Mary’s comes into the tournament after capturing the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship as the sixth seed, defeating Marist, Merrimack, and then Iona 63-49 on Saturday night. Head coach Donny Lind led the Mountaineers to a 22-12 overall record, bringing the team to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in program history in his first season at the helm. Guards Dola Adebayo and Dallas Hobbs are the top scorers for the Mount, averaging 13.2 and 12.6 points per game. Senior forward Jedy Cordilla leads the team in rebounding, grabbing 7.3 boards per contest. The Mountaineers put up 70.4 points per game, shooting 44% from the field and 34% from three point range this season.
Mount Saint Mary’s last made the NCAA Tournament in 2021, falling to Texas Southern in the First Four. The Mountaineers have never made it further than the First Four or First Round in their seven trips to the tournament.
This will be the 71st meeting between the two teams, with the Eagles leading the series 38-32. They most recently defeated the nearby DMV-area program 68-65 on Nov. 22, 2023 in Bender Arena.
For the latest on American University Men’s Basketball, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_MBasketball), Facebook (/AU.MBasketball) and Instagram (@au_mbasketball).
COURTESY AMERICAN ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
