Complete Release (PDF)

This Week: The No. 24 Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team (6-1, 0-0 NSIC), winners of two straight games, open the 2008-09 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference this Saturday, Dec. 6 hosting No. 8 Minnesota State University, Mankato at the R/A Facility beginning at 8 p.m.
     SMSU is off to a 6-1 start for just the third time in school history and will be looking to become just the second team in the history of the program to start a season 7-1.  The 2006-07 team is the only other Mustang team to begin a season with just one loss in its first eight games.
     MSU, the preseason favorite in the NSIC, heads to Marshall riding a seven-game winning streak following an opening season loss at the Disney East Coast Classic on Nov. 7.  Saturday's game will be the Mavericks first true road game of the season.

An R/A Facility First: Saturday night's game will be the first ever men's basketball game featuring two ranked opponents.  SMSU is ranked No. 24, while MSU is No. 8 in this week's NABC/Division II Top 25 poll.

SMSU?Drops Five Spots to No. 24: SMSU dropped five spots and is ranked No. 24 in the latest NABC/Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll released Tuesday afternoon.  SMSU received 18 points in the poll.  SMSU, which made its first appearance in the national poll in nearly seven years last week at No. 19, is 6-1 this season and is just the fourth SMSU team in program history to start a season 6-1 (2006-07 & 1974-75).  SMSU is one of three Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schools ranked in the Top 25.  Minnesota State, Mankato is ranked No. 8, while Winona State is No. 16.  Two other schools, Northern State and Augustana received votes. 
   SMSU was No. 19 in the first regular season poll released on Nov. 25, marking the first time since Dec. 3, 2001, that SMSU appeared in the national poll.
(complete poll can be found on page 5)

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.

About the Opponent: Minnesota State, Mankato is 7-1 on the season and ranked No. 8 in the latest national poll.  MSU is led by senior guard Jake Morrow, who averages 16.9 points per game and has connected on a team-high 19 three-pointers.  Junior center Travis Nelson is averaging 13.8 ppg and shooting 61.6 percent from the field.  Senior forward Mitch Gossen leads the team with 7.1 rebounds per game and is averaging 11.9 ppg.  MSU is averaging 87.4 points per game and allowing 69.2 ppg.  MSU head coach Matt Margenthaler is in his eighth season with an overall record of 147-68.

The Series Match-Up: Southwest Minnesota State and Minnesota State, Mankato meet for the 36th time Saturday night with MSU leading 27-8 in a series that started in 1969-70.  MSU is riding a six-game winning streak in the series with SMSU's last victory coming during the 2002-03 season.  MSU is 11-4 all-time in games played in Marshall.  SMSU head coach Greg Stemen is 2-6 all-time versus MSU.  This will be the first time the two teams have met as conference opponents since the 1981-82 season. 
(series information and all-time scores on page 1)

SMSU 6-1 For Just the Third Time Ever:?SMSU's 6-1 record ties the school record, set twice previously, for the best start to a season after seven games.  The 1974-75 and 2006-07 also started the season 6-1, but only the 2006-07 team won its eighth game of the season to improve to 7-1.

SMSU's 4-0 Start Ties for Best in History:?SMSU's 4-0 start this season tied the school record for the best start to a season.  The 1998-99 team also began the season perfect after four games but lost its fifth game of the season to Valley City State.  SMSU's chance for a 5-0 start ended with a 78-74 loss to Augustana at the NSIC?HoopsFest in Sioux Falls, S.D.  No team in school history has ever began a season 5-0. 

SMSU Last Time Out: SMSU shot a season-high 56.1 percent and scored 20 fast break points to cruise to a 96-63 victory over Northwestern (Iowa) on Wednesday in the team's regular season home opener.  Andrew Peschong led the Mustang offense with a career-high 20 points on 8 of 12 shooting while Ross DeMasi added 17 points on a perfect 7 of 7 shooting from the field.  Jon DeRock came off the bench to add 16 points while Taylor Huseby chipped in with a career-tying 11 points.  The Mustangs dominated on the glass once again with a 45-26 advantage.

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 Mustangs 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 began 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.

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 6-1 start this season has been its tremendous depth and great play by its non-starters.  Ten players have appeared in all seven games this season and all 10 are averaging at least 12 minutes per game.  Mustang non-starters are averaging 35.4 points per game compared to just 20.7 by their opponents.  The SMSU bench has outscored its opponents bench players in six of seven games this season.  Below is a look at the season stats for the SMSU and opponents' bench players.
Bench         FG%    3-FG%    FT%    REB    PTS    SMSU        .465    .410    .571    19.4    35.4
Opp.        .424    .320    .738    14.6    20.7   

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 87-18 overall, including 5-0 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 288 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.

2008 Disney Classic Champions: SMSU won the second annual Disney West Coast Classic earlier this season in Anaheim, Calif., finishing with a 3-0 record.  SMSU's three victories came against teams that advanced to last season's NCAA?tournament.  Senior forward Ross DeMasi was named Most Valuable Player while junior guard Jon DeRock was named to the all-tournament team.

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 is SMSU's and its opponents' statistical averages in the final five minutes this season:
<5 min.         FG%    3-FG%    FT%    REB    PTS    TO   
SMSU        .512    .250    .674    4.1    10.7    1.3
Opp.        .462    .400    .724    4.7    10.4    1.9

Krome All-Time at the Line:?Senior Ryan Krome ranks sixth in school history for career free throw percentage at 81.7 percent (152 of 186).

DeMasi Climbing Record Book: Senior Ross DeMasi ranks among the top 14 in three categories in the SMSU career record book.  He is second all-time in field goal percentage at 57.2 percent (210 of 367), ranks 13th in blocked shots with 35 and ranks 14th in rebounds with 495.  He needs just 23 more rebounds to crack the top 10 with 518.

Mustangs On the Boards Strong Again: SMSU has opened the season outrebounding its opponents in six of seven games and have a plus-13.1 rebound advantage on the season.  This is a trend that has been a trademark of head coach Greg Stemen's teams 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. 

Rebounding Key for SMSU Victories:?As noted in the information above, SMSU has been a strong rebounding team and is 39-10 when even or outrebounding its opponents since the start of the 2006-07 season, including 6-0 this season.  During head coach Greg Stemen's tenure, SMSU?is 98-34 when tied or outrebounding its opponent but just 21-57 when being outrebounded.

Mustangs Home and Away:?SMSU has played just one home game this season after?finishing 12-2 at home last season and setting a school record with 13 victories in 2006-07.  SMSU is 5-1 away from home this season after earning just five road or neutral site victories all of last season.  Here is a statistical comparison of the Mustang team averages for home and away/neutral games in 2008-09:
    W-L    FG%    3-FG%    FT%    REB    PTS    TO   
Home    1-0    .561    .357    .654    45.0    96.0    12.0   
Away    5-1    .453    .375    .581    45.3    79.0    13.5

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 120-45 (.727) in 165 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    1-0    -    1-0
Totals    120-45     68-25    52-20

Kevin Andrews 08-09 Notes:?Ranks third on the team in scoring ... season-high 17 points vs. Upper Iowa (11/30) ... has started all seven games ... second on the team with 12 three-pointers ... ranks third on the team in assists with 17 ... has not missed a game in his career.

Andy Beilke 08-09 Notes:?Team co-captain ... averaging 6.3 points per game ... third on the team in three-pointers with seven ... 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 two games scoring nine points ... scored eight points with two three-pointers vs. Humboldt State ... redshirt in 2007-08.

Nick Dale 08-09 Notes:?Has started all seven games ... leads team with 10 blocked shots ... ranks fifth in scoring ... scored career-high 13 points in win over North Dakota ... shooting 56.8 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 with 10.3 per game ... has started all seven games ... has one double-double this season and eight in his career ... grabbed career-high 16 rebounds vs. Fort Lewis ... averaging team-high 27.9 minutes per game ... has grabbed double digit rebounds in four games.

Jon DeRock 08-09 Notes:?Leads the team in scoring with 14.1 per game ... team leader with 21 three-pointers ... scored season-high 24 points vs. North Dakota ... hit seven three-pointers vs. North Dakota ... named to all-classic team at the Disney West Coast Classic.

Taylor Huseby 08-09 Notes:?Has played in all seven games ... averaging 16 minutes per game ... shooting 52.9 percent from the field ... tied career-high with 11 points vs. North Dakota (11/18) and 11 vs. Northwestern (12/3).

Ryan Krome 08-09 Notes:?Team co-captain ... has started all seven 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 seven games ... leads team with 27 assists ... second on the team in scoring with 10.7 per game ... scored career-high 20 points vs. Northwestern (12/3).

Scott Roehl 08-09 Notes:?Has played in all seven games ... averaging 3.9 rebounds per game ... tied career-high with eight rebounds vs. Fort Lewis.

Kevin Smith 08-09 Notes:?Has played in two games scoring five points ... redshirt in 2007-08.

DeAnthony Zanders 08-09 Notes:?Has played in all seven games ... second on the team with 18 assists ... scored career-high nine points vs. Upper Iowa (11/30) ... transfer from Iowa Western C.C.

SMSU in Exhibition Action: Southwest Minnesota State finished 3-0 in exhibition action this season defeating NCAA?Division III St. Olaf 97-70 in Marshall, NCAA?Division I?South Dakota State 70-65 in Brookings, S.D. and NCAA?Division III Northwestern (Minn.) 80-46 in Marshall. 

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. 

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.

SMSU Signs Three In Early Signing Period:?SMSU head coach Greg Stemen has announced that three high school standouts have signed letters of intent to play basketball for SMSU starting in 2009-10.  The three players who signed during the early signing period include 6-4 forward Billy Giddings from Blaine, Minn., 6-10 center Deryck Ludwig from Prior Lake, Minn., and 6-2 guard Matt Zager from Shakopee, Minn.

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.

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 once for a 20-game conference?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 with 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 

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 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.

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. 

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.

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.

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 1,116 games with an all-time record of 470-646.  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.

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 for all home games and conference games 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.