5 impact freshman heading into 2018. Pitts scored 23 points in the championship game, leading the Bearcats to victory. Every day you can see him getting more confident and we are extremely confident in him. Northwest Missouri State University welcomed its new faculty and staff members Wednesday as employees gathered for opening meetings to begin the 2018-19 academic year. 1 in DII basketball. While Bellarmine improved to 7-0, there was a shakeup in this week's Power 10 basketball rankings. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions. Favorite part about being a Bearcat: It think my favorite thing is the culture. What songs/artists are in your headphones pre-game? His Bearcats have two losses over the past two seasons and are coming off a 23-game winning streak. The Bearcats won 70-56. And it’s seemingly only getting better. Everyone here is like a family. 1 once again in 2018. Let's step off the hardwood and find out what really makes Justin Pitts one of DII basketball's brightest stars. Then you throw in Joey Witthus. Northwest Missouri State closed out its pre-holiday slate with a rematch from last year’s semifinals, a showdown with then undefeated and No. Justin James Pitts (born October 26, 1994) is an American basketball player for HLA Alicante of the Spanish LEB Plata. Favorite basketball or sports movie: I liked Coach Carter. He also gained national recognition, earning All-America honors from several agencies[6] and was named the National Player of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and Basketball Times magazine, as well as the Bevo Francis Award for top small college player. Game Details Date 11/03/18 Time 8:00 PM Attendance 1197 Notes 2018-19 Men's Basketball. Played So, I listen to the same playlist and same music before each game. #oabaab pic.twitter.com/6Zxhbkx7Oc. Printer Friendly. [12] He left the team in the preseason, then signing with HLA Alicante of the Spanish LEB Plata. [2][3] As a sophomore, Pitts continued to improve. He played college basketball for the Northwest Missouri State University. Life’s been good for Pitts in Maryville, Missouri. He made an immediate impact in his freshman season, averaging 17.2 points per game and earning Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Freshman of the Year and first-team all-conference honors. “He came and fit right in. Pitts chose to remain in Blue Springs, moving in with family friends as his family relocated. Northern St. vs Northwest Mo. Justin Pitts is the reigning DII basketball player of the year. [7][8] On the season, Northwest Missouri State compiled a 35–1 record and claimed the school’s first national championship in the 2017 NCAA Division II Tournament. 3 in new AP Top 25, 6 teams that could be college basketball's next 1st-time champion, Where the DI college volleyball season stands. He averaged 20.9 points and led the Bearcats to MIAA regular-season and tournament championships. He’s also the active leading point scorer in any division in all of college basketball with 2,193 point besting names of DI bombers like Jordan Howard and Trevon Bluiett. © 2020 NCAA | Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Athlete you model your game after: I don’t really try to be like anyone but I guess doing things like Steph Curry would be the closest. He scored 23 points in capturing the program's first national championship on the hardwood. “Having Joey makes it a lot easier for everyone out there,” Pitts said. Follow him on Twitter at @UofDWayne. “It was great experience for the guys on the team who didn’t see a lot of minutes last year in our bigger games at the end. One more heroic walk into the sunset from Sioux Falls, S.D. The Bearcats are now 12-1, No. He played college basketball for the Northwest Missouri State University. Northwest set the MIAA record for most consecutive home-court wins at 49 games from Jan. 14, 2015, to Feb. 17, 2018. [9] He scored his 2,000th career point on November 18, 2017, becoming the first player in school history to achieve the feat. Men's Basketball vs Central Missouri. And when I put on my socks and shoes, I have to start from the right foot to the left foot, in that order. Attendance 887 Site Maryville, Mo. Pitts currently leads the Bearcats in points, assists and steals. Here's a look at the final rankings of 2019. Men's Basketball at Rogers State. He averaged 21.7 points on the way to repeating as a first-team All-MIAA pick, earning conference Player of the Year honors and leading the team to an MIAA Tournament championship.[4]. In his senior season, Pitts became the Bearcats all-time leader in points and assists. Home Games are in bold * denotes a Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association contest ... NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS 800 University Drive | Maryville, MO 64468 Tickets 660.562.1212 | www.bearcatsports.com The previous mark of 47 had been set by Central Missouri from Nov. 20, 1982 to … “We had a lot of new guys that didn’t get to play very much last year so it’s exciting to see what they bring to help us now that they are getting minutes,” Pitts told NCAA.com. Head coach Ben McCollum put his team right to the test, not letting them rest on any rewards of a championship season. The new employees, who are those hired at Northwest since January, are introduced below. Pregame meal or snack you must have: I always have some type of candy on me before a game. Northwest Missouri State extended its winning streak to 17 games with a game-winning buzzer-beater from star guard Trevor Hudgins to take down Missouri Southern for the second time in a week. A 5’10” point guard, Pitts was named the NCAA Division II National Player of the Year for the 2016–17 season. [11], Pitts signed his first professional contract with the PS Karlsruhe Lions of the German ProA. His work has appeared on Bleacher Report, MLB.com, AJC.com, SB Nation and FoxSports.com and in publications like The Advocate and Lindy's Sports. Despite dropping their last game to Missouri Southern -- the only team that has beat them over the past two seasons incidentally -- the Bearcats still sit at 4-1 in the gauntlet that is the MIAA. Reigning DII Player of the Year Justin Pitts has the Bearcats at 12-1 and No. No real reason, I just thought it was a really good movie. Enter your information to receive emails about offers, promotions from NCAA.com and our partners. Pitts is doing his thing once again with Northwest Missouri State. The Northwest Missouri State Bearcats men's basketball team represents Northwest … 1 once again in 2018. . He's the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association leading scorer at 22.7 points per game, while dishing out 5.2 assists per night. [10] He was injured in March 2018 before the Bearcats Central Regional Tournament and missed the remainder of the season. (Bearcat Arena) Referees Patrick Boeh, John Hendricks, Roger Schmitz VIEW Match History vs Northwest Missouri State It’s really tough though to do what he does. Match History vs Northwest Missouri State, Video Platform Powered by CBS Sports Digital, GOOD LAYUP by SMITH,TERRANCE(in the paint), GOOD LAYUP by RIGMAIDEN,NI'SEAN(in the paint), GOOD LAYUP by RIGMAIDEN,NI'SEAN(fastbreak)(in the paint), GOOD JUMPER by BERNARD,DIEGO(in the paint), GOOD LAYUP by HUDGINS,TREVOR(in the paint), GOOD JUMPER by BURTON,JONELL(in the paint), GOOD DUNK by SMITH,TERRANCE(in the paint), GOOD LAYUP by RHODES,XAVIER(in the paint), GOOD LAYUP by BERNARD,DIEGO(fastbreak)(in the paint), GOOD JUMPER by SMITH,TERRANCE(in the paint), GOOD JUMPER by HUDGINS,TREVOR(in the paint), GOOD LAYUP by BERNARD,DIEGO(in the paint), GOOD LAYUP by BURTON,JONELL(in the paint).