Rise to the Occasion: Teamwork

Left to right: Will Nelson, Dalton Payton, LT Davis, Justin Harley, Jordan Dembley, Jeremy Deemer

As each game progressed, one unexpected win after the next, Graceland’s secret sauce would slowly be exposed to the world. On paper, there were more talented and experienced teams in the tournament. But Coach Doty and his staff preached repeatedly that despite the odds being against them, by staying disciplined and playing together, they would do great things. And that they did.

-Scott Thompson, Honorary Coach

On and Off the Court: A Class Act

Pat Draves with Jordan Dembley and LT Davis

“I had a first row seat for the entire men’s basketball season, and what a season it was. The student-athletes and coaches on this team taught us what is possible with hard work, determination, trust, attention to detail and teamwork. Witnessing their behavior on and off the court was a gift. Their kindness and humility, while being intensely competitive and committed to the excellence needed for a national championship, are models for our everyday work.”

President Draves, Graceland University

Coach Doty remarked, “Our bench from top to bottom was committed to helping each other. This is the toughest national tournament to win in all of college basketball, as we had to win five games in six days to win it all. Thanks to my staff for staying up until 3 a.m. preparing scouting reports, thanks to my administration, and thanks to our students and fans, who single-handedly changed the culture of our program from the stands.”

Meet the Team

#1 Justin Harley

Class: Junior
Position: PF
Height: 6’6″
Hometown: Central Islip, NY
Major: Business Administration

 #2 LT Davis

Class: Senior
Position: PG
Height: 5’11”
Hometown: Rockford, IL
Major: Corrective Exercise and Performance Enhancement

#3 Jordan Dembley

Class: Senior
Position: PG
Height: 6’2″
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Major: Sport Management

 #4 Nick Coleman

Class: Freshman
Position: G
Height: 6’1″
Hometown: Kansas City, MO
Major: Sport Management

 #5 Waseem Limbada

Class: Sophomore
Position: SG
Height: 6’3″
Hometown: Plano, TX
Major: Accounting and Business Administration

#11 Michael Homza

Class: Sophomore
Position: PG
Height: 6’0″
Hometown: Brighton Heights, PA
Major: Criminal Justice

 #12 Dalton Payton

Class: Senior
Position: SG
Height: 6’7″
Hometown: Byron, IL
Major: Business Administration

 #23 Will Nelson

Class: Junior
Position: SF
Height: 6’3″
Hometown: Kansas City, MO
Major: Business Administration

 #24 Jeremy Deemer

Class: Senior
Position: C
Height: 6’8″
Hometown: Kansas City, MO
Major: Economics and Business Administration

 #25 Garrett Schwighauser

Class: Sophomore
Position: SF
Height: 6’4″
Hometown: Rockton, IL
Major: Business Administration

#33 Orlando Gonzalez

Class: Freshman
Position: PF
Height: 6’6″
Hometown: St. Cloud, FL
Major: Undeclared

#34 Alec Pena

Class: Junior
Position: C
Height: 6’7″
Hometown: Rockton, IL
Major: Business Administration

 #50 Brady McMains

Class: Sophomore
Position: C
Height: 6’6″
Hometown: Pleasantville, IA
Major: Business Administration

RS Mo Jackson

Class: Senior
Position: PG
Height: 5’10”
Hometown: Belvidere, IL
Major: Sport Management

Coaching Staff

Award Recipients

Coach Doty and players were recognized for their outstanding performance — after a season of working together to overcome adversity and achieve victory.

National Tournament Honors

Left to right: Will Nelson, LT Davis, Jeremy Deemer

LT Davis, Jeremy Deemer and Will Nelson each made the 2018 NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship All-Tournament Team. Davis was also named the Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player.

---

Nelson, a junior small forward, averaged 19.20 ppg in the tournament. The Kansas City, MO native averaged a career-high 30 points in the title game of the tournament. Nelson totaled 44 rebounds in the tournament to average 8.8 rpg.

---

Davis, a five-foot-11-inch guard from Rockford, IL, averaged 23.6 ppg. Known for his ability to hit the three, Davis shot 42.9 percent from beyond the arc.

---

Deemer, a senior center from Lamoni, IA, shot 61.4 percent (27-of-44) in the tournament. He averaged 13.8 ppg and recorded a double-double in all five games of the tournament.

All-Americans

Players were selected by the NAIA Men’s Basketball Coaches Association All-America Committee. Graceland University’s LT Davis and Jeremy Deemer earned NAIA All-American recognition.

Davis was named to second team, while Deemer was honorable mention for the second time in his career. Since moving to NAIA Division I, Graceland now has a total of four men’s basketball players to receive the honor.

Scholar-Athlete

Jeremy Deemer was one of 63 NAIA Division I men’s basketball student-athletes to be named a Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete for the 2017-18 season.

In order to be nominated, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved a junior academic status to qualify for this honor.

Coach of the Year