Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)

D-III at a glance

- Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjour­nal. com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantows­ki on Twitter.

■ Member schools: 450

■ Makeup: 80 percent private, 20 percent public

■ Average enrollment: 2,750

■ Scholarshi­ps: Not allowed based on athletic ability

■ Did you know: Division III is the largest of the NCAA’s divisions, with approximat­ely 40 percent of all NCAA athletes competing job and invested in a snow shovel and earmuffs. It was 9 below zero when the Auggies left the Twin Cities. There was enthusiast­ic talk during a 30-second timeout about checking out the South Point pool.

Of the 17 floor burn specialist­s on the Augsburg roster, 15 are from Minnesota, representi­ng towns such as Buffalo, Rogers, Inver Grove Heights, Burnsville, Savage, Sauk Rapids, Apple Valley, Fridley, Shakopee, Forest Lake and Chisago City. Some of these places sound like John Deere tractor and front loader towns. In reality, most are Minneapoli­s suburbs.

But the most famous Auggie of all hails from a little town in North Dakota called Mayville. Robert Luther Olson — better known as Lute — played for Augsburg and started his coaching career in the Minnesota outposts of Mahnomen and Two Harbors. Another former Auggie, Devean George, played 11 seasons in the NBA and earned three championsh­ip rings with the Lakers.

If you can play, they will find you. Provided it’s not snowing too hard.

After the Auggies were through setting screens, making free throws and playing help defense, Aaron Griess was asked how many times his players had dunked this season.

“I think we’ve had one,” he said on the South Point concourse.

What about floor burns from diving on loose basketball­s as if they were live grenades?

“I think we’re up to about 60.”

Down on the court, Ohio Wesleyan was playing its first-round game against Ramapo of New Jersey. It would only be a matter of time until there was a loose ball, and several Battling Bishops would dive on it.

0:02

■ The NBA’s G League AFC Bournemout­h at Brighton & Hove Albion Brisbane Internatio­nal Brisbane Internatio­nal Qatar Open — which was called the D-League before Gatorade jumped on board — was in the news for the wrong reason this week as two Memphis Hustle players were kicked off an American Airlines flight after being accused of stealing blankets given to them by passengers sitting in first class. The Hustle coach is former UNLV assistant (under Bill Bayno) Glynn Cyprien, who took to Twitter to complain about his guys being falsely accused by flight attendants.

■ A list of former UNLV players keeping dreams alive in the G League: Kevin Olekaibe, Canton Charge (Cavaliers); Christian Wood, Delaware 87ers (76ers); Roscoe Smith, Erie Bayhawks (Hawks); Anthony Bennett and Derrick Jones Jr., Northern Arizona Suns (Suns); Ike Nwamu, Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat); Stephen Zimmerman, South Bay Lakers (Lakers). There are no ex-Rebels on the Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers), still the coolest nickname in pro hoops. 1:25 p.m. 9 a.m. 1 p.m. 5 p.m.

12:30 p.m. ATTSN, KRLV (1340 AM, 98.9 FM)

6 a.m. 8 p.m. 10 a.m. 8:25 a.m. 4:25 a.m. Monday 5 p.m. 1 a.m. Monday KBAD-AM (920) 4:30 a.m. Monday

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