BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh (18-16, 11-7 PL), the 2026 Patriot League Men’s Basketball Champion, received a No. 16 seed in the South Region of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship when the bracket was unveiled Sunday. The Mountain Hawks will meet No. 16 Prairie View A&M (18-17, 9-9 SWAC) during the First Four in Dayton, Ohio on Wednesday.
The Mountain Hawks and Panthers meet for the first time in series history when the two programs tip off on Wednesday, March 18, at University of Dayton’s UD Arena. The matchup on TruTV is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET with Jordan Kent handling play-by-play duties, Brian Anderson providing analysis and Jenny Dell reporting from the sideline.
The winner of Wednesday’s Lehigh vs. Prairie View A&M First Four matchup will travel to Tampa, Fla., to take on No. 1 Florida at Benchmark International Arena. Coverage of the first-round matchup is scheduled for 9:25 p.m. ET on TNT with Tom McCarthy, Candace Parker, Dan Bonner and AJ Ross on the call.
Head coach Brett Reed, in his 19th season at the helm of the Lehigh program, guided the Mountain Hawks to their fourth Patriot League crown, the third under his direction. Lehigh returns to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012, when it upset No. 2 Duke in the first round behind 30 points from C.J. McCollum.
The Mountain Hawks have won their last six games, coming off a 74-60 victory over No. 4 Boston University in the 2026 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Men’s Basketball Championship Game. Junior guard Nasir Whitlock earned Tournament MVP after averaging 23.0 points per game in Lehigh’s three tournament wins. Whitlock tied for the NCAA Division I lead with eight 30-point performances and ranked 18th in scoring (21.0 ppg, 3.4 apg). So. F/C Hank Alvey (15.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg) and Jr. G Joshua Ingram (10.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.3 apg) joined Whitlock on the All-Tournament Team.
ABOUT PRAIRIE VIEW A&M
No. 8 Prairie View A&M defeated No. 3 Southern, 74-55, as SWAC Tournament MVP Dontae Harris (Sr., G) finished with 15 points, five assists and four steals. Lance Williams (Gr., G), an All-Tournament selection, scored a team-high 18 points and dished out five assists. The Panthers upset top-seeded Bethune-Cookman in the SWAC quarterfinals, 71-67, with Horne scoring a game-high 30 points before downing No. 5 Alabama A&M, 74-55, in the semifinals behind 25 points from Horne.
The Panthers have won their last seven games entering the NCAA Tournament. Horne averaged 20.2 points during the regular season, leading four Prairie View A&M players in double figures. Wells (13.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg), Williams (10.1 ppg, 3.3 apg) and Gr. G Tai’Reon Joseph (18.2 ppg) have paced the Panthers’ offense.
PATRIOT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT TEAMS BY SEED
The 2025-26 Lehigh Mountain Hawks are the 11th Patriot League squad since 1991 to make the Tournament as a No. 16 seed. Holy Cross was the last Patriot League team to win an NCAA Tournament game as a 16-seed, when they defeated Southern in the First Four, 59-55, in 2016.
Year – Round - Game
1993-94 - First Round- No. 1 Missouri 76, No. 16 Navy 53
1994-95 - First Round- No. 1 Kansas 82, No. 16 Colgate 68
1995-96 - First Round - No. 1 Connecticut 68, No. 16 Colgate 59
1997-98 - First Round- No. 1 North Carolina 88, No. 16 Navy 52
2001-02 - First Round - No. 1 Kansas 70, No. 16 Holy Cross 59
2003-04 - Opening Round- No. 16b Florida A&M 72, No. 16a Lehigh 57
2009-10 - First Round- No. 1 Kansas 90, No. 16 Lehigh 74
2014-15 - First Round - No. 1 Villanova 93, No. 16 Lafayette 52
2015-16 - First Four - No. 16 Holy Cross 59, No. 16 Southern 55
2015-16 - First Round - No. 1 Oregon 91, No. 16 Holy Cross 52
2024-25 – First Four – No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s 83, No. 16 American 72
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.