No. 18 SMSU MEN'S basketball vs. wayne state Nov. 26, 2024

TONIGHT

• The Southwest Minnesota State University men’s basketball team (4-1), ranked No. 18 in last week’s NABC Top 25 poll, opens Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on tonight hosting Wayne State College (5-0).
• SMSU, ranked in the NABC Top 25 regular season poll for the first time since the 2016-17 season, was ranked just outside last week’s D2 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Top 25 poll, coming in tied for 26th.
• SMSU is coming off a 1-1 weekend at the Peacock Classic hosted by Upper Iowa University. The Mustangs opened play on Saturday earning a 68-56 victory over Northwest Missouri State before suffering a 79-78 overtime loss at Upper Iowa on Sunday.
• Following Tuesday night’s game, SMSU continues play at home on Saturday facing NAIA foe Briar Cliff University (Iowa) (4-4) with game time set for 2 p.m.

SMSU MOVES TO NO. 18 IN NABC TOP 25 POLL; RECEIVES VOTES FOR D2CSC TOP 25

• For the first time since the 2016-17 season, SMSU is ranked in the regular season NABC Top 25 poll (Nov. 19).
• It’s the 23rd time in program history SMSU has been ranked in the NABC Top 25 regular season poll.
• SMSU is just outside this week’s D2CSC Top 25 poll, ranking in a tie for 26th overall.

SERIES HISTORY VERSUS WAYNE STATE

• SMSU and WSC meet for the 82nd time with WSC leading 44-37 in a series that started in 1969-70.
• SMSU leads the series 25-16 in games played in Marshall and has won the last two games played inside the R/A Facility. The two teams last played in Marshall on Feb. 18, 2023, with SMSU winning 67-54.
• WSC has won five of the last seven games the last four seasons, including the lone meeting last season, 73-62 in Wayne. SMSU has won 19 of the last 27 games since Dec. 3, 2011.
• SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 21-10 all-time versus WSC.

SCOUTING WAYNE STATE

• The Wildcats are 5-0 overall and last played on Nov. 20 defeating Nebraska Kearney, 65-64, in Wayne, Neb.
• Sophomore guard JJ Ferrin is averaging 12.6 ppg with 11 3-pointers.
• Freshman forward Matt Noll is scoring 12.8 ppg and shooting 60 percent from the field.
• Senior center Cody McCullough leads the team with 6.4 rpg and is scoring 10.2 ppg.
• WSC is shooting 52 percent from the field, 42 percent from 3-point range, 59 percent from the free throw line and is plus-5.4 in rebound margin.
• WSC is averaging 78 points per game, while opponents average 59 points per game.
• Head coach Jeff Kaminsky is in his ninth season with a record of 119-112. Now in his 38th season overall as a head coach, his teams have a record of 571-479.

MUSTANGS BY THE NUMBERS

• SMSU has three players averaging double figures in scoring with sophomore Aeron Stevens scoring a team-high 21 ppg and is second in rebounding at 7.4 rpg.
• Junior Jakob Braaten has dished out a team-high 14 assists and is averaging 12.4 ppg and 7.0 rpg.
• Senior Dunwa Omot ranks third in scoring at 10 ppg while connecting on five 3-pointers.
• Junior Mason Lund leads the team with 7.8 rpg and is fifth with 8.2 ppg with a team-high seven 3-pointers.
• Sophomore Steven Kramer is fourth on the team in scoring at 9.2 ppg.
• SMSU is shooting 45 percent from the field, 32 percent from 3-point range, 78 percent from the free throw line and is plus-3.8 in rebound margin. The Mustangs are averaging 74 points per game, while opponents are averaging 68 ppg.

MUSTANG TIP-OFF TIDBITS

• SMSU is 2-0 versus Top 25 teams this season which includes defeating a No. 1 ranked team for a second consecutive season.
• In the latest Division II national statistics (Nov. 24), SMSU ranks third in fouls per game (11.6), 27th in blocks per game (4.6), 36th in free throw pct. (77.8) and 28th in turnovers per game (10.4).
• Jakob Braaten scored a career-high 20 points at Upper Iowa on Nov. 24.
• SMSU’s consecutive game streak of making at least one 3-point field goal came to an end at 752 games when the Mustangs finished 0 for 6 in an overtime loss at Upper Iowa on Sunday. Prior to Sunday, the last time SMSU failed to connect on a 3-pointer was on Dec. 11, 1998, versus MSU��Moorhead at the North Dakota State Classic.
• Aeron Stevens has made 41 free throws this season ranking 10th in Division II, while his 48 attempts ranks 19th. His 21 ppg ranks 38th in the country.