HOUSTON – The Celts of the University of St. Thomas are headed to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association's postseason Division I Men's Basketball Tournament as the No. 2-seeded team, the organization announced Tuesday.

UST will continue its memorable 2019-20 season that saw the Celts win the regular-season Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship in their first season of transition to the conference and the NCAA's Division III.

The Celts are also in their first season of dual affiliation with the USCAA, a governing body of small-college athletics that has approximately 90 schools among its member institutions. Many USCAA member programs have dual affiliation in the NCAA's Division III, the NAIA, or the National Christian College Athletic Association.

St. Thomas (23-2) reached as high as No. 2 in the USCAA's Division I Men's Basketball poll this season, and are currently ranked No. 3 in the organization's latest poll. As the No. 2-seed in the tournament, the Celts will face the No. 7-seeded team, the Apprentice School, located in Newport News, Va.

The USCAA Men's Division I tournament begins Thursday, March 12, in Uniontown, Pa. The tournament will be hosted by Penn State–Fayette.

The Celts averaged 89.4 points per game during the regular season and have four players averaging in double-figures. Freddie Ricks III (Cypress, Texas / Cypress Springs) leads the Celts with a scoring average of 12.8 points per game, which he averaged while playing only 22.9 minutes per contest.

Kennard Robinson (Houston, Texas / Sam Houston MSTC) was named to the All-SCAC First Team while averaging 11.8 points and 5.4 assists per game. His 5.4 assists per contest rank sixth in the USCAA.

Apprentice (15-12) enters the USCAA tournament having won Eastern Metro Athletic Conference tournament championship. The EMAC is one of four conferences that has its sole affiliation with the USCAA.