The NCAA 2017 Division III Men's Basketball Championship is down to its Final Four teams, and either the Whitman Blues or the Babson (Mass.) Beavers will be the first team to punch its ticket into the national final Saturday at 3 p.m. PT.

The first meeting between the schools occurs Friday at 2 p.m. PT. The winner will play the victor in the second semifinal (5:30 p.m. PT) Friday between the unranked Augustana (Ill.) Vikings and the unranked Williams (Mass.) Ephs.

Where to Watch
The semifinal games will be streamed live through the NCAA Live site online. Saturday's championship game will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network. Check your local cable provider for the channel.

Who is Babson?
Making its ninth trip to the tournament, Babson is making its fourth straight appearance, and making a return trip to the Final Four for the second time in three years … The Beavers were once-beaten and No. 1 (D3hoops.com) in the country for most of the season, until falling to MIT in the NEWMAC postseason tournament final … Babson has reached the Final Four after wins over Husson (92-76), Skidmore (72-65), Tufts (87-80) and Keene State (102-79) -- all on its home court in Babson Park, Massachusetts … The Beavers are the only Final Four team to have not played a road or neutral-site game during the national tournament … Joey Flannery is leading all scorers participating in the national semifinals, posting a 23.4 points per game mark in the team's four NCAA contests … Babson finished off Keene State in the Sectional final behind 61.9 percent shooting from the floor, including a 76.5 percent mark on two-point field goal attempts … The Beavers rank fourth in scoring margin (+15.2) and eighth in field goal percentage defense (38.4) … Flannery was selected as the D3hoops.com Northeast Region player of the year and the NABC Northeast District player of the year … The NABC on Thursday released its D-III All-American teams with Flannery earning a spot on the first team.

Who is Whitman?
The 2017 tournament marks only the second time a Whitman men's team has played in the national tournament … Its first visit lasted all the way into the Sweet 16 before bowing out to the eventual national champion (St. Thomas) … Whitman as reached the Final Four following wins over Rhodes (111-98), Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (78-73), Hardin-Simmons (95-85) and Rochester (91-87) … Its 31 victories are the most all-time in a single season by a Northwest Conference (NWC) men's team, including all previous iterations (NAIA, etc.) of the conference … The 31-game win streak is the longest in NWC history … The Blues are the first team in NWC history to complete an undefeated regular season and win the conference tournament … Whitman is the first NWC men's team to advance to the NCAA D-III national semifinals … If the Blues win the national championship they will become the first team in D-III men's basketball history to complete a 33-0 season (SUNY-Potsdam, 32-0 in 1986) … Every player on Whitman's roster has at least one year of eligibility remaining … Junior Tim Howell has been voted the NWC player of the year, the NABC West district player of the year, the D3hoops.com West Region player of the year, and been voted to the first team of the NABC D-III All-American squad … Head coach Eric Bridgeland was voted the D3hoops West region coach of the year, the NABC West district coach of the year, and won the online poll for men's D-III coach of the year run by the HERO Sports Network … The Blues are third in the nation in turnover margin (+9.4), third in scoring margin (+16.8), sixth in points per game (91.8), fifth in turnovers forced per game (21.81), and fourth in steals per game (12.5) … Howell leads the team in scoring (20.4 PPG) and is averaging 21.5 PPG in the national tournament … Four other Blues are also averaging double figures in scoring during the tournament: Austin Butler (16.5 PPG), Joey Hewitt (14.2), Jack Stewart (13.5) and Jase Harrison (13.5) … Butler is 17th in the country in steals per game (2.55) and second in total steals (79).

Take Note
Babson is 18-0 this season when out-rebounding opponents … Whitman has converted 35.4 percent of its 3-pointers this season, but is shooting 27 percent from long range during the tournament … The Beavers are 10-1 away from home this season … Butler, a 6-foot-2 guard, ranked in the top five among his conference peers in offensive rebounds per game, assists per game, steals per game, blocks per game and field goal percentage.