For the second time in three years, Longwood’s men’s basketball team clinched the Big South Championship, punching their ticket to the NCAA tournament.

So what now? Longwood will have to wait for Selection Sunday in order to find out who exactly they will play in the first round of the tournament. Pending any major upsets with the final Automatic Qualifiers still up for grabs, Longwood will likely enter the tournament as a high 16 seed. That likely leads to a tough first round matchup. As of right now, most brackets have Longwood facing off against #1 seed Houston. A tough outing to say the least.

But this is a team that is used to facing challenges head on. After a phenomenal out of conference record, the Lancers struggled early on against conference rivals, finishing just 6-10. They finally found their rhythm late in the season as they finished out regular season play winning five of their last seven to enter the Big South Tournament as the 5 seed.

The Lancers secret? The emergence of their “Big 3”. Conference Tournament MVP point guard Walyn Napper, the seven foot junior center Szymon Zapala, and graduate forward Michael Christmas. These three have fueled the entire roster to buy into Head Coach Griff Aldrich’s vision for Longwood Basketball.

Facing a number one seed in the tournament, this will be tested more than ever. The Lancers will likely lean on Napper who is playing at a MVP level, averaging over 14 points and 4 assists per game. The senior point guard has truly come into his own this season, playing the point to perfection. His ability to see the court, change speeds on demand, and create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates will be a decisive factor in the first round.

One thing is for certain. For the second time in three years, the Lancers are dancers again. As Napper said at his post Championship press availability “Longwood is here”.