This weekend
- The Southwest Minnesota State University men’s basketball team, which is receiving votes in the NABC preseason Top 25, opens the 2024-25 regular season with a pair of home games this Friday and Saturday.
- SMSU opens play on Friday facing No. 16 ranked Fort Hays State University (Kan.) before closing the weekend on Saturday versus the University of Nebraska Kearney. Both schools are members of the Mid-American Athletic Association (MIAA).
- The two games are part of four that will be played inside the R/A Facility this weekend. On Friday at 5 p.m., Nebraska Kearney will take on Concordia-St. Paul, while on Saturday at 4 p.m. Fort Hays State will battle Concordia-St. Paul.
- This season marks the 58th for SMSU men’s basketball compiling a record of 732-842.
- SMSU has won two NSIC regular season championships (2001 & 2009), two NSIC South Division championships (2017 & 2018), two NSIC tournament championships (2012, 2017), two NCAA region championships (2001 & 2009) and has appeared in six NCAA tournaments (2001, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2024).
- SMSU has recorded 27 winning seasons in program history with 20 coming in the last 27 years.
Series history vs Fort hays state
- SMSU and Fort Hays State meet for the seventh time with the series tied at 3-3.
- Friday will be the fifth time SMSU has opened a season versus FHSU.
- The teams last played on Nov. 10, 2018, in Marshall with SMSU earning a 96-85 victory.
- The series is tied 1-1 in games played in Marshall.
- SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 2-3 all-time versus FHSU.
Series History vs nebraska-kearney
- SMSU and Nebraska Kearney meet for the third time with UNK leading 2-0.
- UNK earned victories in Kearney, Neb., during the 1975-76 and 1984-85 seasons.
- SMSU is 17-12 all-time versus current members of the MIAA.
2023-24 win total ranks tied for seventh in team history
- SMSU’s 19 victories last season tied for the seventh highest win total in the program’s 54-year history.
- The program has reached 20 or more victories six times with the last coming during the 2017-18 season.
About SMSU in 2024-25
- SMSU returns seven letter winners and three starters from last season’s 19-13 team that advanced to the NCAA tournament for the sixth time in team history and first since 2018. SMSU tied for fifth in the NSIC with a record of 14-8. SMSU’s season came to an end with a loss to Northwest Missouri State in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Mankato, Minn.
- SMSU’s lone senior, guard Dunwa Omot, was named a ‘Player to Watch’ in the NSIC this season. Omot played in 29 games last season (he missed three games with an injury) with 26 starts, averaging 11 points per game and leading SMSU with 55 3-pointers. He scored double figures in 19 games, including three 20-point games. He shot 46 percent (110 of 242) from the field, while adding 55 assists and 31 steals.
- The Mustangs return four players that started 12 or more game last season. Joining Omot as a returning double-digit scorer from a year ago is sophomore forward Aeron Stevens, who ranked second on the team with both scoring (11.8) and rebounding (4.9). Stevens shot 46 percent (117 of 252) from the field and set program freshman records last season for free throws made (127) and free throws attempted (174). He scored a career-high 27 points on 11 of 16 shooting with five 3-pointers in a home victory over Winona State.
- Junior guard Mason Lund started all 32 games last season averaging 7.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 47 percent (88 of 187) from the field.
- Also returning is junior guard Jakob Braaten, who played in 30 games with 12 starts a season ago, ranking second on the team with 78 assists, while averaging 5.9 ppg and 4.5 rpg .
- Sophomore guard Mekhi Shaw came off the bench in all 32 games last season and ranked second on the team with 37 steals. He shot 47 percent (63 of 135) from the field while scoring 4.9 ppg and dishing out 44 assists.
- Junior forward Caleb Schlaak and sophomore forward Matt Thompson are returning letter winners that combined to play in 12 games last season.
- SMSU added four-year transfer sophomore guard Steven Kramer, who played 31 games with five starts last season for the University of South Dakota. He averaged 2.7 ppg and 2.4 rpg, while shooting 40 percent (30 of 76) from the field, including 8 of 23 from 3-point range. He scored a season-high 11 points with five assists in a career-high 29 minutes versus Montana and closed the season dishing out 50 assists and recording 10 steals.
- The roster also includes four redshirt freshmen players in guards Nathan Fenske and Buay Koak, along with forward Calvin Buss and center Ethan Koltz.
- True freshmen include guards Landon Pokorski and Isaiah Schafer and forward Micah Schlaak.
mustang defense one of the best in team history
- For the second straight season in 2023-24, SMSU closed the NSIC campaign (22 games) ranking first in scoring defense (68.0), while ranking first in field goal pct. defense (39.7).
- SMSU closed the regular season limiting four of its final five opponents to less than 40 percent shooting, including three to 33 percent or less.
- SMSU opponents shot 41.1 percent shooting last season ranking as the second lowest in team history. The 2022-23 team set the school record at 39.9 percent.
scouting fort hays state
- The Tigers, ranked No. 16 in the NABA preseason Top 25, finished the 2023-24 season 23-8 overall, placed second in the MIAA and advanced to the NCAA tournament before losing to Minnesota Duluth (59-58) in the first round.
- FHSU was the media pick to win the MIAA and was picked second in the preseason coaches’ poll.
- The Tigers return four players who started games during the 2023-24 season, including All-MIAA first team and D2CCA All-Central Region second team selection Kaleb Hammeke. He enters the season with 1,559 points, 441 assists, and 432 rebounds. He ranks fifth in career scoring and fourth in career assists at FHSU. Hammeke averaged a team-best 13.6 ppg and 4.1 apg in 2023-24.
- In 2023-24, FHSU shot 43 percent from the field, 30 percent from 3-point range, 75 percent from the free throw line and was plus-2.2 in rebound margin.
- FHSU averaged 66 points per game, while opponents averaged 58 points per game.
- Head coach Mark Johnson is in his 24th season with a record of 451-220. He is the program’s all-time leader in victories and has led the Tigers to eight NCAA tournament appearance.
Scouting nebraska-kearney
- The Lopers finished the 2023-24 season 5-22 overall, including 2-20 in the MIAA.
- UNK was picked to finish 12th in the MIAA preseason coaches’ poll and 13th in the media poll.
- The Lopers return two players from last season’s team.
- Tim Connelly averaged 2.5 ppg in 19 games with one start.
- In 2023-24, UNK shot 44 percent from the field, 32 percent from 3-point range, 70 percent from the free throw line and was minus-3.6 in rebound margin.
- UNK averaged 70 points per game, while opponents averaged 84 points per game.
- Head coach Marty Levinson is in his first season. He was the head coach at Trinity Valley Community College in 2023-24 and served as head coach at Southern Arkansas University Tech from 2017-23.
Scouting Concordia-St. Paul
- The Golden Bears finished the 2023-24 season 10-18 overall, including 5-17 in the NSIC.
- CSP was picked to finish eighth in the NSIC preseason coaches’ poll
- The Golden Bears return 15 letter winners from last season’s team.
- Antwan Kimmons returns to the lineup after injuries forced him to miss all but eight games last season. The 2022-23 NSIC Newcomer of the Year averaged 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game on 50 percent shooting from the floor in his limited action a season ago.
- The longest tenured player on the roster, Marcus Skeete returns for his fifth season. Last season, Skeete averaged 15.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while leading the team in assists (77) and steals (23).
GAME LINKS
FRIDAY GAMES
5 P.M. - CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL VS NEBRASKA-KEARNEY
7 P.M. - SMSU VS FORT HAYS STATE
SATURDAY GAMES
4 P.M. - CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL VS FORT HAYS STATE
6 P.M. - SMSU VS NEBRASKA-KEARNEY