The Belmont Abbey men's basketball team has found a lot of reasons to celebrate success in recent years. The latest moment came Sunday when the Crusaders defeated UNC Pembroke 79-73 in the Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship Game at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, punching a ticket to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the third straight year.

It's just the latest accomplishment to add a strong winning tradition at The Abbey, something that third-year head coach Dan Ficke fully embraces. Dan's father, Bill, played under legendary head coach Al McGuire and is the latest man in charge of leading the Crusaders. He arrived at Belmont Abbey after spending four seasons as the assistant coach at The University of Denver, a Division I program.

"One of the things that I noticed when I took this job was the tradition within the basketball program," Ficke said. "I heard everything about the guys from the McGuire days from my father and how successful they were. You then look at the other coaches who have come through here from Gregg Marshall to Kevin Eastman and even look at what (current athletic director) Stephen Miss did. It has been phenomenal over the course of its history."

That history also includes Ficke's predecessor, Billy Taylor, who he also credits for finding ways to build on the tradition during his leadership of the Crusaders program.

"He laid the foundation and when we got here, we wanted to continue on that foundation with kids of high character, high basketball IQ, high basketball skill sets and kids that fit the Abbey and believe what The Abbey is all about," Ficke said. "The development here is second to none whether you're on and off the court. Doing those things and having an administration and a school that really supports basketball is half the battle."

Having that support from the administration is something that Bill Ficke attributes as a big reason for the growth that he's seen from his son.

"You have to work hard to be successful anywhere but at The Abbey, it pays off," he said. "You put the time in, you get the support from the school plus the foundation that they instill in you. "Just looking at Dan, I can see how he grew from the time he came to The Abbey until today. That's a tribute to Stephen Miss, Dr. Thierfelder and the entire athletic department because they've given him that guidance."

Under Dan Ficke's guidance, the Crusaders have made it to the conference championship game in all three seasons with the team winning the last two. Overall, Belmont Abbey has made it to the conference tournament title game each of the last five seasons. Starting his own legacy is something that Ficke says can't be done without acknowledging those that came before him.

"I think it's humbling in a lot of ways to feel like maybe you can start to have a career that could be mentioned with those guys that have been here," Ficke said. "I've got a long way to go to reach that level but hopefully that gives us confidence in what we're building here."

The Crusaders are set to face Augusta in the first round of the Southeast Regional at 5 p.m. Saturday. On paper, it's a matchup of the 1-8 seeds in the region. If you look closer, there's more unique circumstances about the matchup that meets the eye.

The Jaguars are coached by a familiar name from The Abbey in Dip Metress, who coached the Crusaders from 1996 through 2004. He also played and graduated from Belmont Abbey and said that the foundation that the school provided him has helped him become the best coach that he could be. Metress also coaches the Crusaders to the program's only NCAA tournament victory in 2002, a 76-59 victory over West Virginia Wesleyan. As he reflected on his time at The Abbey, Metress appreciated the unique environment that the College gave him.

"When I was 18 years old, Belmont Abbey basketball took a chance on some kid from Virginia. I played for four years and was fortunate," Metress said. "Between the ages of 18 and 37, I spent 12 of these years at Belmont. I have a lot of great memories of being a student and coach at Belmont Abbey."

Augusta University Athletic Director Clint Bryant is also a familiar name for Belmont Abbey, having played under head coach Bobby Hussey from 1973 through 1977. Bryant was inducted into the Belmont Abbey Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013 and was appreciative of the close-knit community that The Abbey provided. He added that there is a special meaning that this game adds given the ties that both him and Metress have to Belmont Abbey. Additionally, former Augusta golf coach Kevin McPherson and current tennis coach Michael McGrath are also Belmont Abbey alumni.

"It shows the caliber of coaches that have come through The Abbey and how important basketball is there," Bryant said. "I'm just so excited that The Abbey has done so well. It does make it extra special that it's the first game that we get to play."

As for the game itself, Ficke acknowledged that there is a little extra meaning taking on a team and a coach that has former ties to the program he's now in charge of, calling it a "story writer's dream". At the same time, he also sees an opportunity to help Belmont Abbey add to an already rich history.

"The success has been phenomenal," Ficke said. "But for me, it just a creates a desire to want more and to want to take the program to greater heights. Only one team has ever done what we hope to do, and I want to get the program where it's never been before and hopefully, we're on that path."