EDINBORO, Pa. – The Edinboro University wheelchair basketball team is set to compete in the 2017 NIWBT National Championship, hosted by Wisconsin-Whitewater. The three-day event will run from Thursday, March 9, to Saturday, March 11. The sixth-seeded Fighting Scots tipoff the event on Thursday, March 9, at 10 a.m. against third-seeded Illinois.
 
Head coach Jim Glatch's squad earned the sixth seed after finishing the regular season with a 13-12 record. The Fighting Scots ended the season winners of four of their last six games. Edinboro took home seventh place in last year's national championships as the host team.
 
Glatch explained what it will take for Edinboro to improve on last year's performance: "I think the guys that played in last year's tournament learned a lot. It made them hungry for this season … they have looked back at last year and said what can we do better each game?" Glatch continued "this team has a level of energy and a belief in themselves and each other. I think that's the thing that this year's team has that last year's team didn't have."
 
A total of nine men's teams and four women's teams will take part in the championships at the Williams Center. Wisconsin-Whitewater's men's team enter the tournament as the second seed and are looking for their fourth straight title and sixth in the last seven years. Texas Arlington claimed the top seed in the men's division.
 
On the women's side, Texas Arlington are again the team to beat, earning the number one seed. Defending champion Alabama is the second seed.
 
The Fighting Scots are led by a pair of double figure scorers in Kevin Atherley and Mike Adams. Atherley averages a double-double, posting a team-high 12.4 ppg. and 11.8 rpg., while Adams averages 12.3 ppg.
 
Glatch expected the duo to have a big weekend. "I expect a big weekend out of Mike. Last weekend he had a big weekend here and the year before he had a great weekend. This is Mike Adams' time." Glatch expounded on his expectations for Atherley saying "Kevin set our single-game scoring record this year with 35 points, so he's capable of doing that … if Kevin comes out with that mentality, there's probably only one or two players in the country that can stop him and we probably won't see those players."
 
Chayse Wolf contributes 9.2 ppg., while Ayuba Alli leads the squad with 132 assists.
 
Glatch explained the importance of having Alli man the point. "Ayuba Alli is the person who stirs it all. He's our point guard, he's got a 5-to-1 ratio in assists to turnovers. His scoring is maybe not as high as some as think it should be, but there's a reason for that. He understands when he has to pull the trigger and when he's supposed to make the pass..."

Will Speed provides solid minutes doing the "dirty work" as Glatch explains. "Will Speed, our fifth starter, like Ayuba does all the dirty work. If Kevin's getting in the paint it's because of Will Speed" Glatch continued "his job is to make sure he plays solid defense on his man so that Kevin gets as close to the basket as possible."
 
All contests will be streamed live courtesy of Wisconsin-Whitewater here