Region 18’s path lengthened

North Idaho College’s path to the NJCAA men’s basketball tournament has one more obstacle.

The NJCAA recently approved a two-year redistricting change that will require the Region 18 tournament champion to face a play-in game next season against the Region 1 champion to qualify for the national tournament. Region 18 and Region 1 (Arizona) previously had automatic berths.

“It’s definitely not a good thing, but we have to deal with it,” Cardinals coach Jared Phay said.

The Region 18 women’s champion will keep its automatic berth, in part because the Scenic West Athletic Conference’s success at recent national tournaments. Two years ago, College of Southern Idaho finished second, behind Region 1 powerhouse Central Arizona.

Region 18 is down to six basketball programs with Dixie State leaving to join NCAA Division II this fall. The loss of the Rebels, a perennial Top 20 men’s program, probably played a role in the redistricting change, but it wasn’t the biggest factor, NIC athletic director Al Williams said.

“Their rationale is that it gives more regions a chance to appear at nationals because some regions always have to play play-in games and there are only 16 berths,” Williams said.

College of Southern Idaho A.D. Jeff Duggan spoke on Region 18’s behalf at the men’s basketball meetings in Colorado Springs earlier this month.

“We did get a chance to voice our discontent, but we don’t get to vote,” Williams said. “We questioned why we would have different rules within the same conference for men’s and women’s basketball, but it didn’t sway the committee.”

Region 18 and Region 1 will have automatic berths in 2007, but the redistricting issue will come up for another vote, probably in the spring of 2008, Williams said.

A coin flip will determine which region plays host to next year’s play-in game.

• SWAC basketball teams will play doubleheaders home and away next season, giving each school 20 conference games, Williams said. The last few years NIC had played each SWAC foe three times.

Minus Dixie, there are some options for expansion, including three Nevada schools, but nothing appears imminent, Williams said.

Three new Cards

NIC has signed three players, including former Eastern Washington University guard Nick Livi.

Livi, a product of Eastlake High in Sammamish, Wash., played in five games for EWU before leaving the team in December for family reasons, coach Mike Burns said at the time.

NIC has also signed Maurice Tolliver, a 6-foot-6 wing from Mount Tahoma High in Tacoma, and Shawn Henderson, a 6-3 guard from Renton (Wash.) High. Tolliver, rated as the top prep wing in Washington by Northwesthoops.com, averaged 16 points last season. Henderson, ranked No. 2 among combo guards by Northwesthoops.com, averaged 19.2 points.

Phay said freshman forward Tommy Craddock won’t return next season for academic reasons.

Hedges to UNC-Greensboro

NIC’s Jeff Hedges has signed to wrestle for NCAA Division I North Carolina-Greensboro, Cardinals coach Pat Whitcomb said.

Hedges, who is from Havre, Mont., placed fifth at 125 pounds at the 2005 NJCAA tournament.