ST LOUIS - Grady Thompson and the University of Dubuque basketball team are putting on their dancing shoes.

The Spartans (21-6) drew an invitation to the Div. 3 National Tournament and will be playing Illinois College (23-4) at 4:30 p.m. Friday at the Washington University Fieldhouse in St. Louis.

Thompson is a freshman from Princeton and has played in all games for the Spartans, averaging 7.7 points and 4.1 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game. He was a 2022-23 AP First Team All-State selection at Princeton, breaking the 63-year-old school scoring record.

The Spartans earned their way into the NCAA Tournament by virtue of an at-large bid with a 20-5 regular season (9-0 in non-conference games) that featured regionally ranked wins over Loras, Nebraska Wesleyan, and St. Norbert.

The Spartans made it to the semifinals of the American Rivers Conference Tournament by beating the No. 5 seed Central 77-73 and then fell to the No. 1 seed Nebraska Wesleyan 73-67.

It is the eighth time in program history, the University of Dubuque will play in the NCAA Division III Men’s National Basketball Tournament.