March Madness is quickly approaching, which means teams will be selected, and some teams will be inevitably left out. However, we will see a historic first-time-ever tournament appearance for one college.
High Point University, located in High Point, NC, has punched its ticket to the March Madness tournament for the first time. After going 29-5 this season, the Panthers are a projected 13th seed entering the tournament.
The High Point Panthers Punch Their Ticket to the NCAA Tournament
Coming off the strong play of Justin Bodo Bodo and Kezza Giffa, the Panthers have made it to the prestigious NCAA March Madness tournament for the first time in school history. This comes after High Point finished their 15-point comeback and defeated the Winthrop Eagles to win the Big South. Thus punching their ticket to the big dance.
High Point was down 48-33 with 15 minutes remaining in the game. However, thanks to strong play from Bobby Pettiford, Giffa, and Abdoulaye Thiam, the Panthers would defeat Winthrop, 81-69, to win the Big South Championship.
Time to break out the dancing shoes! 🕺@HPUMBB punches their ticket to the NCAA tournament and claims the 2025 Big South Championship! #BigSouthMBB pic.twitter.com/m0nTMf9Bxs
— Big South Conference (@BigSouthSports) March 9, 2025
Pettiford and Thiam came off the bench to score a big 17 points and 12 points, respectively. Trae Benham hauled in 10 rebounds, which led the team while scoring eight points. Benham flirted with a double-double from off the Panthers bench.
This was certainly far from the starters’ best game, but thankfully the bench put together some very strong play to push the Panthers over the limit and help to get them to the big dance for the first time in school history.
It remains to be seen how the bracket will shape up, but with the Panthers projected to be the 13th, we could expect to see them be the underdog in whatever game they play in. However, there’s certainly something to be said about “Cinderella” stories in the month of March, and the Panthers are prime to take that position.
From the elite coaching of Alan Huss to the players who are providing big minutes, such as Giffa, Pettiford, Thiam, or Bodo Bodo, a lot has gone right for High Point this season. The Panthers are a dangerous team on offense and have the size to back it up.
KEEP READING: 2025 March Madness Bracket Predictions 2.0: Who’s In, Who’s Out, and the Biggest Surprises
Huss is a former Creighton assistant coach, and he is currently in his second year of coaching at High Point. With the depth this team possesses, and the ability for any player to step up at any given time, this team could certainly make a run to the Sweet 16.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!
