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This Week: The Southwest Minnesota State men's basketball team (3-0, 0-0 NSIC) returns to regular season action on Tuesday, Nov. 18 with a non-conference road game at the University of North Dakota (1-0) in Grand Forks, N.D. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
Internet Radio, Video & Stats: All SMSU men's basketball games during the 2008-09 season can be seen and heard on the Internet. A video Webcast is available free of charge at www.northernsun.tv while the radio broadcast is available at www.SMSUmustangs.com. Fans can also follow the game on the Internet with live in-game statistics for all home games at www.SMSUmustangs.com and clicking on the “live stats” link on the right side of the men's basketball page.
Radio Broadcasts: SMSU men's basketball will once again be heard all season long on KARL 105.1 FM, Marshall. Sports director Aaron Ziemer will handle the play-by-play for a sixth straight season.
About the Opponent: The University of North Dakota is 1-0 on the season following a 61-56 road victory at Missouri-Kansas City on Friday night in Kansas City, Mo. UND's O.J. Harrison connected on three-pointer with 18 seconds left to give UND the lead at 58-56. It was the season opener for both teams and the first game as a Division I school for UND. The Sioux led by 15 points at halftime, but UMKC grabbed a 56-55 lead with just a minute left in the game before Harrison's three-pointer. Daniel Harkins led the Sioux with 14 points, while Travis Bledsoe had 13, Pat Mitchell 12 and Harrison 10. UND finished 15-15 overall and sixth in the North Central Conference a season ago in its last year as of member of NCAA?Division II. Brian Jones is in his second season as head coach at UND with an overall record of 16-15.
The Series Match-Up:?Southwest Minnesota State and North Dakota meet for the ninth time on Tuesday night with UND holding a 6-2 all-time lead in a series that started during the 1973-74 season. UND is 6-0 all-time in games played in Grand Forks. The two teams last played in Grand Forks during the 2005-06 season with UND?earning a 78-72 victory. SMSU has won two of the last three games in the series including the two teams last meeting during the 2006-07 season with SMSU earning a 78-69 victory. SMSU head coach Greg Stemen, a native of LaMoure, N.D., is 2-2 all-time versus North Dakota.
SMSU Versus Division I Opponents: SMSU is 1-6 all-time against NCAA Division I schools, with their only win coming during the 2004-05 season at South Dakota State (93-55). SMSU lost to Montana State (99-63) in 1982-83, Missouri-Kansas City (87-64) in 1996-97, North Dakota State twice in 2004-05 (73-45 & 68-67) and once in 2006-07 (72-68) and also lost to South Dakota State (70-66) in 2005-06. SMSU has played several Division I schools in exhibition play during the past five years including Northern Iowa, Drake, Minnesota and South Dakota State. SMSU defeated South Dakota State in an exhibition game this season 70-65 in Brookings, S.D.
Mustangs Win Disney West Coast Classic: SMSU opened the 2008-09 season winning the 2008 Disney West Coast Classic in Anaheim, Calif. The Mustangs finished 3-0 with victories over three teams that appeared in last season's NCAA tournament. SMSU defeated Alaska-Anchorage 60-55, Humboldt State (Calif.) 103-52 and No. 24 Fort Lewis (Colo.) 79-65. Senior forward
Ross DeMasi was named the Disney Classic Most Valuable Player averaging 8.3 points and 13.7 rebounds per game while shooting 52.6 percent from the field. Junior guard
Jon DeRock was named to the all-classic team after leading the team with 13.3 points per game including connecting on six three-pointers.
SMSU in Exhibition Action: Southwest Minnesota State finished its exhibition season last Friday, Nov. 14 with an 80-46 win over NCAA Division III Northwestern (Minn.). SMSU finished the exhibition season 3-0 with prior victories over NCAA Division III St. Olaf 97-70 on Oct. 31 in Marshall and NCAA Division I South Dakota State 70-65 on Nov. 3 in Brookings, S.D.
Welcome to the Show: SMSU has four new players who have seen their first regular season game action in Mustang uniforms this season. Junior guard
Jon DeRock, redshirt freshman guard
Trent Carlson and redshirt freshman forward
Kevin Smith all sat out last year as redshirts, while junior guard
DeAnthony Zanders transferred to SMSU this summer after two seasons of junior college at Iowa Western CC.
The 2008-09 Schedule: Southwest Minnesota State will play one of its most challenging schedules in school history this season. SMSU is scheduled to play 30 regular season games which includes playing in the Disney West Coast Classic. The team will play 13?games against teams that played in last year's NCAA tournament or are in transition to NCAA Division I. SMSU will also play one game versus NAIA national tournament qualifier Northwestern College (Iowa).
SMSU Begins Season on the Road: SMSU is beginning the season with its first six games away from home marking the longest stretch of road or neutral site games to begin a season in school history. In fact the six games away from home is the longest stretch of road or neutral site games since the end of the 2000-01 season when SMSU finished the year playing six straight neutral site games in the NSIC?and NCAA tournament.
Remembering AW: Southwest Minnesota State will be wearing the initials “AW” on the back of its uniforms this season following the death of former men's basketball player Andy Wiersma. Wiersma died in a car accident south of Marshall on July 27. Wiersma played at SMSU from 2001-06 and following his senior season the men's basketball program honored Wiersma by renaming its “Mustang Award” the “Andy Wiersma Mustang Award”. The award is given each year to an SMSU men's basketball player who exemplifies the qualities of being a Mustang men's basketball student-athlete.
Mustangs Hit the Century Mark:?Southwest Minnesota State scored 103 points in a 103-52 victory over Humboldt State (Calif.) on Nov. 8 at the Disney Classic in Anaheim, Calif. It was the first time SMSU reached the 100 points scored mark since Dec. 2, 2003, and the 38th all-time. SMSU is now 32-6 in school history when scoring 100 points including 3-0 under head coach Greg Stemen.
The Mustang Bench Key to Start: One of the keys to SMSU's 3-0 start has been its tremendouts depth and great play by its non-starters. Ten players have appeared in all three games this season and all are averaging at least 13 minutes per game. Mustang non-starters are averaging 39.3 points per game compared to just 19.7 by their opponents. SMSU non-starters are also shooting 45.5 perfecnt from the field compared to just 33.3 percent by the opponents' non-starters.
Rebounding Key for SMSU Victories:?SMSU is 36-10 when even or outrebounding its opponents in the last three seasons including 3-0 in 2008-09. During head coach Greg Stemen's tenure, SMSU?is 95-34 when outrebounding its opponent but just 21-56 when being outrebounded.
Keepin' the Opponent Under 70:?Defense has been a trademark for Mustang basketball under head coach Greg Stemen. During Stemen's now eight years as head coach, SMSU is 85-18 overall, including 3-0 this season, when limiting opponents to 69 points or less.
Consecutive Three-Point Games:?Southwest Minnesota State has connected on at least one three-point field goal in 284 straight games. The last time SMSU failed to score a three-pointer was on Dec. 11, 1998 versus MSU?Moorhead in a game played at the North Dakota State Classic in Fargo.
SMSU Late in the Game:?Making plays down the stretch on both ends of the floor is a major key for teams in earning victories. The following was SMSU's and its opponents' offensive and defensive statistical averages in the final five minutes of its three games this season:
<5 min. FG% 3-FG% FT% REB PTS TO
SMSU .435 .000 .778 4.3 9.0 1.3
Opp. .583 .500 .538 4.7 12.3 0.7
Krome and Peschong Free Throw Pct.:?Senior
Ryan Krome (6th) and junior
Andrew Peschong (8th) both rank among the top 10 in school history for career free throw percentage:
Krome, Free throw percentage: 6th (.819, 145-177)
Peschong, Free throw percentage: 8th (.808, 138-171)
DeMasi Close to All-Time Leader: Senior
Ross DeMasi is just five made field goals away from qualifying for the school field goal percentage record book. DeMasi is shooting 56.4 percent from the field in his career (195 of 346), ranking third all-time in school history, but a minimum of 200 field goals must be made to qualify.
Mustangs On the Boards Strong Again: SMSU opened the season outrebounding its opponents in all three games by an average of 17.7 per game. This is a trend that has been a trademark of head coach Greg Stemen's team in recent years. Last season the Mustangs recorded the same or had more rebounds than its opponents in 25 of 29 games and finished with a plus 4.6 rebound advantage per game. During the 2006-07 season, SMSU led the NSIC in rebound margin with a 5.5 advantage per game in 18 conference games.
New Three-Point Shooting Line: The NCAA?has made a major rule change for men's basketball in 2008-09 as the three-point line has moved to 20-feet 9-inches. The new line is back one foot from the previous 19-feet 9-inches. It's the first time the line has been moved since the three-point line was introduced in 1986-87.
A New Look Northern Sun Conference: The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference will have a new look this season as the conference has expanded to 14 schools in the five-state area. Because of the expansion the 14-team schools will now play an unbalanced conference schedule. Teams will now play seven conference teams twice and the six other teams just once for a 20-game NSIC?schedule. SMSU will play Augustana, Bemidji State, Mary, Minnesota Duluth, Upper Iowa and Winona State just once in conference play. The NSIC?tournament, which determines the league's automatic bid to the NCAA?tournament, will still be an eight-team tournament and will the semifinals and finals being held at the highest remaining seed.
NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll:?Southwest Minnesota State was picked to finish seventh in the 2008-09 NSIC?preseason coaches' poll. NSIC?newcomer, Minnesota State, Mankato was chosen as the preseason favorite pick earning 176 points including seven first place votes. Northern State was picked to finish second receiving 169 points and five first place votes, while Winona State, last year's NCAA?national champion, was selected third with 159 points and two first place votes.
2008-09 NSIC?Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Minnesota State (7) 176
2. Northern State (5) 169
3. Winona State (2) 159
4. Augustana 139
5. St. Cloud State 131
6. Minnesota Duluth 118
7. SMSU 116
8. Concordia-St. Paul 103
9. Wayne State 76
10. MSU Moorhead 69
11. Upper Iowa 68
12. University of Mary 55
13. Bemidji State 51
14. Minnesota, Crookston 26
( ) First Place Votes
Stemen Continues to Add to Win Total:?SMSU head coach Greg Stemen, the all-time winningest coach in school history, recorded his 100th career victory at SMSU on Dec. 1, 2007, versus Minnesota, Crookston. Stemen, now with 116 wins, is one of seven current NSIC?coaches that have recorded at least 100 wins at their current school.
Kevin Andrews 08-09 Notes:?Ranks third on the team in scoring ... has started all three games ... tied for team lead with six three-pointers ... ranks second on the team in assists ... has not missed a game in his career.
Andy Beilke 08-09 Notes:?Team co-captain ... ranks second on the team in scoring ... third on the team in three-pointers ... scored season-high 16 points vs. Humboldt State.
Zach Bruns 08-09 Notes:?Has played in one game ... missed most of last season with an injury.
Trent Carlson 08-09 Notes:?Has played in one game ... scored eight points on two three-pointers vs. Humboldt State ... redshirt in 2007-08.
Nick Dale 08-09 Notes:?Has started all three games ... leads team with four blocked shots ... shooting 56.3 percent from the field ... grabbed career-high 10 rebounds vs. Fort Lewis.
Ross DeMasi 08-09 Notes:?Named MVP?of Disney West Coast Classic ... leads team in rebounding ... has started all three games ... has one double-double this season and eight in his career ... grabbed career-high 16 rebounds vs. Fort Lewis ... averaging team-high 29.3 minutes per game.
Jon DeRock 08-09 Notes:?Leads the team in scoring ... tied for team lead with six three-pointers ... scored season-high 21 points vs. Humboldt State ... named to all-classic team at the Disney West Coast Classic.
Taylor Huseby 08-09 Notes:?Has played in all three games ... averaging 13 minutes per game ... shooting 42.9 percent from the field.
Ryan Krome 08-09 Notes:?Team co-captain ... has started all three games ... ranks sixth in school history in free throw shooting ... had nine points and seven rebounds in win over Alaska-Anchorage ... has not missed a game in his career.
Andrew Peschong 08-09 Notes:?Has started all three games ... leads team with 11 assists ... ranks eighth in school history in free throw shooting.
Scott Roehl 08-09 Notes:?Has played in all three games ... fourth on the team in rebounding ... tied career-high with eight rebounds vs. Fort Lewis.
Kevin Smith 08-09 Notes:?Has played in one game scoring two points vs. Humboldt State... redshirt in 2007-08.
DeAnthony Zanders 08-09 Notes:?Has played in three games ... scored six points and had six rebounds vs. Fort Lewis ... third on the team in assists ... transfer from Iowa Western C.C.
SMSU Versus Nationally Ranked Opponents:? SMSU is 1-0 versus nationally ranked opponents this season after defeating No. 24 Fort Lewis on Nov. 9 at the Disney Classic. Last season SMSU finished 1-5 versus Top 25 teams losing to No. 10 Southern Indiana, beating No. 14 St. Cloud State, before losing to No. 5 Winona State, No. 8 Northern State, No. 3 Winona State and to No. 4 Northern State. During head coach Greg Stemen's tenure as head coach SMSU is 3-22 versus nationally ranked teams.
Season Openers: Southwest Minnesota State is now 24-18 all-time in season openers after defeating Alaska-Anchorage on Nov. 7 and has now won 11 of its past 13 season lid-lifters. SMSU lost to Western Washington in 2002 and North Dakota in 2006 for its only two season-opening losses since the 1996-97 season.
A Look Back at SMSU in 2007-08: Southwest Minnesota State finished last season 17-12 overall, 11-7 NSIC and won nine of its last 14 games after a three-game losing streak in early January. Of the five games SMSU lost after Jan. 12, four came against the top three teams in the regional tournament. SMSU lost twice to No. 2 Northern State and once each to No. 1 Winona State and No. 3 Minnesota State, Mankato.
Senior Matt Fletcher lead the team in scoring with 13.6 points per game and also lead the team with 82 three-pointers. Senior Travis Krenske ranked second in scoring with a 13.3 points per game average and was also second in three-pointers with 77. Krenske also finished second on the team in both assists (70) and steals (37). Junior
Ross DeMasi averaged 9.6 ppg to finished third on the squad while leading the team with 6.8 rebounds per game. DeMasi also shot a team-high 56.4 percent (101 of 179) from the field. Sophomore
Kevin Andrews ranked fourth in scoring with 8.7 ppg. The Mustangs outrebounded its opponents in 23 of 29 games by an average of 4.6 per game.
Mustangs Finish High in NSIC Standings Again:?Southwest Minnesota State's third place finish in the NSIC?last season was its fifth top half finish in Greg Stemen's seven seasons as head coach. SMSU has finished second twice, third twice and fourth once during his tenure. SMSU has finished among the top four in the conference 11 times in the last 13 seasons.
Victory Total Sixth Best in History:?SMSU's 17 victories in 2007-08 is tied for the sixth most in one season in the school's history. SMSU has now recorded seven seasons with 17 or more victories in the 41-year history of the program with four of them coming under the direction of head coach Greg Stemen.
SMSU in the Regional Poll:?Southwest Minnesota State was ranked in the NCAA North Central region rankings all six weeks during the 2007-08 season. SMSU was ranked 10th, 10th, 10th, 9th, 9th and 8th in the six polls before the regional tournament was announced.
Academic All-NSIC Honors:?Three SMSU players earned Academic All-NSIC?honors last season. Junior
Kevin Andrews, senior
Andy Beilke and junior
Andrew Peschong earned the award. Beilke is a two-time Academic All-NSIC honoree.
Andrews Earns Academic All-District Honors: Junior Kevin Andrew was named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V College Division third team last season. The College Division District V team consists of student-athletes from NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA schools from the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. Sports information directors in the district select the all-academic team. Andrews has compiled a 3.86 GPA while majoring in accounting.
Mustangs Win 12 At Home in 2007-08:?Southwest Minnesota State finished its 2007-08 home season with a 12-2 record tying for the second most home wins in one season in school history (done four previous times). SMSU also recorded 12 home wins during the 1986-87, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02 seasons. The record is 13 set during the 2006-07 season in 15 games.
SMSU From Downtown...Yes!:?SMSU connected on 210 three-pointers last season compared to 172 by its opponents. SMSU made the same or more three-pointers than its opponents in 19 of its 29 games in 2007-08 season.
Mustangs Home and Away:?SMSU?finished 12-2 at home last season after setting a school record with 13 victories in 2006-07. The road was less friendly for the Mustangs as the team finished 5-10 in road/neutral games after finishing 7-8 in 2006-07. Here is a statistical comparison of the Mustang averages home and away/neutral in 2007-08:
W-L FG% 3-FG% FT% REB PTS TO
Home 12-2 .460 .378 .679 35.4 72.4 12.6
Away 5-10 .440 .394 .715 32.0 69.7 12.2
SMSU?in the NCAA?Stats: The following is where SMSU and two Mustangs (top 100) ranked in the final NCAA statistics (261 teams) during the 2007-08 season:
Turnover/Game 10th 12.4
Rebound Margin 30th 4.6
Three-Point Field Goal Pct. 38th 38.7
Scoring Defense 42nd 66.1
Assist/Turnover Ratio 66th 1.04
Scoring Margin 92nd 4.3
Three-Point Field Goal/Game 97th 7.2
Free Throw Pct. 104th 69.6
Field Goal Pct. 125th 45.0
Steals 125th 7.5
Scoring Offense 165th 70.4
Field Goal Pct. Defense 217th 46.7
Blocked Shots 239th 1.6
Travis Krenske, 3-Point Field Goal Pct. 29th, 42.1
Matt Fletcher, 3-Point Field Goal Pct. 34th, 41.4
Matt Fletcher, 3-Point Field Goals Per Game 35th, 2.8
Travis Krenske, 3-Point Field Goals Per Game 57th, 2.7
History of the Program:?Southwest Minnesota State is in its 42nd season of men's basketball in 2008-09 and begins the season having played 1,112 games with an all-time record of 467-645. SMSU has racked up 16 winning seasons all-time with 10 coming in the last 13 years. The 2000-01 squad won a school record 28 games and captured the program's lone NSIC?championship, while also winning the NCAA?regional championship and advancing to the NCAA?Elite Eight.
SMSU Men's Basketball in NSIC Action:?The 2008-09 season marks the 40th year that SMSU men's basketball has competed in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. SMSU has compiled an all-time record of 232-298 (.437) in 530 conference games finishing in the top half of the final conference standings 18 times in 39 seasons. SMSU has had much better success in the conference in recent years, having finished in the top half of the standings in 10 of the last 13 seasons and has recorded a conference record of 125-75 (.625) in 200 games since the 1995-96 season.
Mustangs Make R/A Home Sweet Home:?This season marks the 13th year that the R/A Facility has been the home arena for SMSU basketball and its proven to be a tough place for opponents to play in. SMSU?has compiled a record of 119-45 (.725) in 164 games and has had just one losing season in the arena. SMSU has recorded double figure victories in three straight seasons.
Year Overall NSIC Non-Conf.
1996-97 6-4 3-2 3-2
1997-98 8-5 4-2 4-3
1998-99 10-3 5-1 5-2
1999-00 12-3 7-2 5-1
2000-01 12-1 9-0 3-1
2001-02 12-2 7-2 5-0
2002-03 9-5 7-2 2-3
2003-04 9-5 5-3 4-2
2004-05 6-8 3-4 3-4
2005-06 10-5 3-4 7-1
2006-07 13-2 8-1 5-1
2007-08 12-2 7-2 5-0
2008-09 - - -
Totals 119-45 68-25 51-20
