LONGVIEW – LeTourneau University men's basketball team rose to No. 5 in the NCAA Division III South Region rankings.
 
The YellowJackets are a bubble team for making the NCAA Tournament. A high regional ranking helps their chances of qualifying for the national tournament.
 
The YellowJackets (18-5, 11-3 American Southwest Conference) have two games remaining in the regular season. They host Louisiana College 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Belhaven 3 p.m. Saturday in the final two home games at Solheim Arena.
 
"It's nice to see us in the regional rankings again for the third time in four seasons," LeTourneau sixth-year coach Dan Miller said. "However, we know for us to get that goal of an NCAA Tournament berth, we have to keep winning one game at a time right through the ASC Tournament."
 
LETU made the NCAA Tournament in 2017-18, advancing to the second round.
 
CLOSING IT OUT
The YellowJackets host Louisiana College Thursday and Belhaven Saturday in the final home games this year … The Jackets are 10-11 in the series with Louisiana College, and have won five in a row, including an 89-66 victory this season … The Wildcats have dropped their last two … Kae'ron Baker is scoring 20.1 ppg and averaging 5.3 reb, while shooting 47.9 percent from 3-point range … Denzel Austin is averaging 12.7 ppg, shooting 41.1 percent from long distance and 84.4 percent from the free throw line … Jaylen Rhone is scoring 10 ppg and shooting 40 percent from 3-point range … LETU has won the last nine games against Belhaven, including a 95-73 win earlier this season … The Blazers are coming off an overtime win over Ozarks … Luke Couch is averaging 18.1 ppg, while shooting 41.1 percent from 3-point range … Brosnan Cooks is averaging 17.4 ppg, 4.7 apg, and shooting 48.1 percent from the field.
 
BUBBLE WATCH
LeTourneau is a team on the bubble to make the NCAA Division III Tournament … The YellowJackets are ranked fifth in the NCAA South Region rankings … The Jackets made the NCAA Tournament in 2017-18 … This year's March Madness field will be revealed Monday, March 2 at 11:30 a.m. on NCAA.com.  
 
TOPS IN TEXAS
In the last four years, LeTourneau's 81 wins are the most for any Division III school in Texas … The YellowJackets won a school-record 24 games in 2017-18.
 
WHERE WEST WAS WON
Sr. G Nate West is the school's winningest player, having been a part of four teams that have a combined record of 81-25 … He West was named a preseason Third Team All-American by D3hoops.com this year.
 
BEVO BRAVADO
Nate West was named to Small College Basketball's Bevo Francis Award Top 50 Watch List, which includes the top 100 players in NCAA Division II, Division III, NAIA, United States Collegiate Athletic Association and National Christian College Athletic Association … The list will be trimmed to 25 players on March 15 … A winner will be announced in early April.
 
TRIPLE THE FUN
Nate West leads the nation with three triple-doubles this season … He has five in his career, which are the most in ASC history … His last triple-double came at Belhaven on Jan. 23.
 
NEARING THE TOP
Nate West passed Bonnie White for second place on the school's all-time scoring list … West has 2,133 points in his four-year LETU career … Terry Zeitlow holds the school record with 2,373 points … West is one steal away from the school record … Brian Pace holds the record with 171 steals … West has 170 entering the week … West already holds school records for assists and three-point field goals.
 
NATE-ION WIDE
Nate West leads the nation in assists per game (7.7) and total assists entering the week with 178 … He ranks 10^th in scoring (24.8).
 
BLOCK PARTY
LeTourneau leads the ASC in blocks per game (5.1) … LETU Fr. F John Argue ranks second in the league at 1.5 per game.
 
MILLER TIME
Under sixth-year head coach Dan Miller, the YellowJackets have won the ASC East twice, while topping 20 wins in both seasons … He is the only coach in the program's history to take the Jackets to the NCAA Tournament … Miller was named ASC East Coach of the Year twice (2016-17 and 2017-18) and NABC South Region Coach of the Year in 2017-18.
 
MOORE OF THAT
Jr. G Justin Moore was named the ASC East's Player of the Week … He is coming off a career-high 32 points Saturday on 12 of 19 shooting … He is averaging 14.3 ppg, 5.5 reb and 1.9 stl … Moore was named to the Cannon Network's 50 players to watch, which includes players from NCAA Division I, II, III and NAIA.
 
NOTHING TO ARGUE ABOUT JOHN
Fr. F John Argue is averaging 12.7 ppg and 6.3 reb … He's scored in double figures in three of the last four games and 14 games total … He has two double-doubles this season, his last coming last week vs. Concordia Texas.
 
EYEBALLING EBERHARDT
Soph. G Andrew Eberhardt has scored in double figures in the last four games, and six of the past seven … He had a career-high 24 points vs. Concordia Texas last week, going a career-best 7 of 14 from the field.
 
RAINING 3s
LeTourneau buried 10 or more three-pointers in 12 games this season … The YellowJackets made a season-high 16 triples at Louisiana College (Jan. 25) … They had 13 triples in Saturday's win … The Jackets are shooting .335 from 3-point range.