IUP Athletics makes a compelling argument that the Crimson Hawks had a pretty good shot at winning the national title this year before the season was halted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The evidence that backs up the claim that IUP was “arguably the best team in Division II and a contender for the national title” is convincing enough.
The Crimson Hawks finished in the top-10 in four Division II categories, had two more top-20 rankings, and two more in the top-30.
On defense, IUP ranked third in field goal percentage allowed, fourth in 3-point percentage allowed, and ninth in points allowed. IUP ranked 19th in Division II in steals per game with 8.7 and 23rd in blocks per game with 4.2.
On offense, the Crimson Hawks shot 49.6 percent from the field, good for 16th in Division II while their 84.4 points per game stood at 28th. Those figures were both the highest in the 14 years under head coach Joe Lombardi.
The Crimson Hawks won PSAC West regular season and PSAC tournament titles, finishing the year with a 28-2 overall record.
IUP took the Atlantic Region’s No. 1 seed into the NCAA Division II Championships before their cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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