Last week’s NJCAA Men’s Basketball National Tournament was an incredible experience for all involved, but most importantly our student-athletes. This group of players, with a majority of them coming to Riverland last fall amidst the height of the pandemic, has faced nothing but adversity and uncertainty since the beginning. Last fall many questions surrounded not only “when” but “if” they would get a season. A majority of the teams across the country elected to not play at all during the 2020-2021 academic year at the NJCAA level due to COVID and the complications it created for an athletic environment. However, with tremendous support and backing from our administration, this group of guys got to play nineteen games during the spring semester alone last year. The team received no preseason and was limited in practice before beginning games, but managed to carry a fifteen-game win streak throughout the course of the spring semester. The 16-3 overall record as well as a MCAC Southern-Division Championship in 2020-2021 was the beginning of something special. Unfortunately during that time, the spring NJCAA Championships were canceled due to COVID across the nation so the Blue Devils did not get a playoff experience. This left the group hungry for more.

When it was announced this summer that the NJCAA was going to carry forward with a normal year we knew we had something special. Over the next coming months, the preparation for what is now the best season in Blue Devil history was tremendous. The time, effort, and energy put forth by all involved allowed for an incredible season. Riverland Men’s Basketball has had some phenomenal seasons in the past decade setting various records throughout the years, but this group has made it to the top. Posting a 31-2 overall record is the most wins in program history. The program has been ranked in the top ten in the country for the past three years. However, this team reached new heights on February 14th in the NJCAA National Poll when they were ranked number one in the country for the first time in Riverland history. The team went on to finish the regular season 26-1 winning the MCAC Southern-Division Championship for the third time in four seasons. Riverland went a perfect 14-0 in conference play for the first time ever which is an amazing feat considering four of the eight southern-division teams appeared in the NJCAA National Poll throughout the course of the year. Riverland went on to win the NJCAA Region XIII Championship at Anoka Ramsey for the first time ever in school history.

Once seeding came out the Blue Devils 29-1 received the overall number one seed heading into the NJCAA National Tournament held at Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois. Riverland received a bye so they did not play on night one of the tournament. In-game one of the national tournament Riverland faced the host college Rock Valley in what was a thriller until the end. The Blue Devils trailed by two points with under three minutes to play when a few unfortunate possessions cost them the game. Riverland bounced back on day two with a phenomenal win over #5 Onondaga (NY) who lost to the eventual Champions North Lake (TX) by two the previous day. Riverland and Onondaga battled through forty minutes of play and eventually took overtime to decide the game 97-95 in Riverland’s favor. On the final day of NJCAA Men’s Basketball at our level, Riverland got to play one more time against #3 Community College of Rhode Island in the consolation championship. This again was another battle of two top-five teams in the country. Riverland carried a six-point lead with a minute to play when CCRI battled back to within one point with just a few seconds to play. Riverland went on to win the game 77-75 closing out their historic season with a national fifth-place ranking.

Several Blue Devils received various awards of note –

Cleveland Bedgood – NJCAA National Tournament All-Tournament Team Selection/Region XIII All-Tournament Team/Region XIII Player of the Year/All-Region XIII/All-MCAC/All Southern-Division

Lajarrion Spinks – Region XIII All-Tournament Team/All-Region XIII/All-MCAC/All Southern-Division

Joe Burgos – Region XIII Tournament MVP/Region XIII All-Tournament Team

Malik Cooper – All-Southern Division

Derek Hahn – North Plains District Coach of the Year/Region XIII COY/MCAC Southern-Division COY


Derek Hahn
Athletic Director
Head Men's Basketball Coach
NJCAA Region XIII Champion 22'
NJCAA Region XIII Runner-Up 19'
MCAC Southern Division Champions 22'/21’/19'
Head Baseball Coach
MCAC Southern Division Champions 19'
Riverland Community College
Austin, MN 55912

свернуть