THE GAME
The Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team (2-0) will have its first true road game of the season on Tuesday night facing conference rival Northern State University (1-1) in a non-conference game at Wachs Arena in Aberdeen, S.D., with tip-off slated for 8 p.m. This is the third straight season the teams have played a non-conference game during the regular season. The teams play each other just once during conference play due to the NSIC's divisional play schedule. Following Tuesday's game, the Mustangs continue road action this Friday and Saturday in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. On Friday night, SMSU will play at Michigan Tech, before taking on Northern Michigan on Saturday afternoon.

    BROADCAST INFO
•Tuesday's game will broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL with Ryan Rohlik handling the play-by-play for SMSU basketball for the fourth straight season.
•The game can also be viewed online at SMSUmustangs.com/watchnow.
    
    SERIES HISTORY
•Southwest Minnesota State and Northern State meet for the 90th time on Tuesday with NSU leading 60-29.
•NSU leads 35-8 all-time in games played in Aberdeen, including winning the last three at Wachs Arena.
•SMSU's last victory in Aberdeen came on Jan. 18, 2013.
•NSU has won four the last five games overall, including winning two of three games last season.
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 6-5 all-time versus Northern State.
 
    GAME DAY STORYLINES
•SMSU finished 4-11 on the road last season and lost eight straight road games to end last season. SMSU's last road win came versus Wayne State on Jan. 2, 2016.
•Senior Joey Bartlett became the 20th player in team history to reach 1,000 career points during SMSU's win versus Emporia State on Nov. 13.
•SMSU opponents made 10 or more 3-pointers 11 times last season. But both Fort Hays State and Emporia State made just one in each game last weekend.
•SMSU's field goal percentage of 49.2 last season ranked as the second highest in team history.
•SMSU's 80.4 points per game last season ranked as the fifth highest in team history.
•Sophomore Ryan Bruggeman finished last season as the 16th player in team history to reach 100 assists in a single-season. He finished with 126 assists, tying for the fifth highest in single-season team history.
•Bruggeman's 4.5 assists per game last season ranked as the fourth highest per game average in team single-season history and is the highest since LaRon Dawn averaged 5.2 in 2004-05.
•SMSU outrebounded its opponents or was tied in 25 of 28 games last season. SMSU's +5.5 rebound margin last season ranked as the third highest in team history.

    SMSU HEAD COACH BRAD BIGLER
•Brad Bigler is in his eighth season as head coach and has compiled an overall record of 110-95.
•The 108 victories ranks second all-time in team history.
•Bigler has a record of 78-74 in NSIC play.
•The 2012-13 NSIC Coach of the Year, Bigler has led SMSU to four winning seasons, including a pair of 19-win seasons.
•In 2011-12, SMSU won 19 games, captured the NSIC tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the third time in program history.
•SMSU's 11th head coach, Bigler spent six seasons (2003-09) as an assistant coach at SMSU, including the last three as associate head coach. Bigler's complete bio is found on page 9.

    ABOUT SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE
•SMSU opened the regular season last weekend with a pair of victories in Sioux Falls, S.D., at the NSIC/MIAA Challenge.
•SMSU defeated Fort Hays State (Kan.) 84-60 on Saturday, with Taylor Schafer scoring a game-high 21 points with four 3-pointers.
•Mitch Weg added 17 points and six rebounds, while Joey Bartlett added 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
•On Sunday, SMSU held off Emporia State (Kan.), 77-74, behind a team-high 18 points from KJ Davis.
•Weg added 12 points on 5 of 7 shooting and grabbed a team-high five rebounds.
•SMSU committed 16 turnovers in the win versus ESU and made just 9 of 18 free throws in the second half.
•SMSU is averaging 81 points per game, while opponents are averaging 67.
•SMSU is shooting 49 percent from the field, 38 percent from 3-point range and 70 percent from the free throw line.
•Davis and Weg each are averaging a team-high 14.5 ppg, while Weg and Bartlett each are averaging 5.5 rebounds per game.

    ABOUT NORTHERN STATE
•Northern State is 1-1 on the season following a pair of games in Oklahoma last weekend. NSU defeated Southern Nazarene (Okla.), 91-88, before losing 93-69 to Harding (Ark.).
•Mack Arvidson is averaging 16.5 ppg with eight 3-pointers to lead the Wolves.
•Carter Evans is scoring 12 ppg and averaging 5.5 rpg.
•NSU is shooting 44 percent from the field, 28 percent from 3-point range and 76 percent from the free throw line.
•NSU is scoring 80 points per game, while opponents are averaging 91 per game.

    SMSU'S 2-0 START
•SMSU is off to a 2-0 start for the second time in three seasons and third time since 2009-10.
•SMSU's last 3-0 start came in 2009-10 when the team won its first four games.

    BARTLETT REACHES 1,000 CAREER POINTS
•Senior Joey Bartlett became the 20th player in team history to reach 1,000 career points in SMSU's win over Emporia State on Nov. 13.
•Bartlett has scored 1,002 points in 90 career games ranking 20th in team scoring history.

    JOEY BARTLETT NOTES
•Averaging 12.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg in two games. Ranked second on the team in both categories last season.
•Second on the team in scoring last season with 11.8 ppg.
•Older brother of teammate Kolin.

    KOLIN BARTLETT NOTES
•Played in five games last season.
•Currently out with an injury.
•Younger brother of teammate Joey.

    RYAN BRUGGEMAN NOTES
•Has started two games and leads the team with 11 assists.
•Started all 28 games last season averaging 10.5 ppg.
•Led team with 126 assists and with 49 steals last season.

    KJ DAVIS NOTES
•First season with SMSU.
•Has started two games and is tied for team-lead with 14.5 ppg.
•Scored a season-high 18 points vs. Emporia State.
•Has made three 3-pointers.

    CARTER KIRK NOTES
•Has started two games.
•Averaging 7.0 ppg and 3.0 rpg.
•Finished second in the NSIC in field goal pct. last season.  •Shot 64.7 percent from the field overall last season. •Scored a career-high 19 points on 9 of 10 shooting vs. Minot State (12/12).

    MICHAEL LEE NOTES
•Has played in two games this season.
•Averaging 6.5 ppg and 2.0 rpg.
•Played in all 27 games with 14 starts last season.
•Averaged 3.1 ppg and 2.2 rpg last season.
•Scored season-high nine points vs. Sioux Falls (12/19).
•Only true freshman to play last season.

    JAKE MAIERS NOTES
•Played in four games and scored four points last season.
•Currently out with an injury.

    TURNER MOEN NOTES
•Has started two games.
•Has yet to score this season but is averaging 3.0 rpg.
•Played in 27 games with 13 starts last season.
•Averaged 5.7 ppg and 3.3 rpg last season.

    DREW OSMUNDSON NOTES
•Has played in two games averaging 1.0 ppg.
•Has recorded four assists.
•Played in 16 games last season averaging 2.8 ppg.

    TAYLOR SCHAFER NOTES
•Has played in two games this season.
•Scored a season-high 21 points vs. Fort Hays State.
•Played in all 28 games with two starts last season.
•Averaged 9.4 ppg and led team with 57 3-pointers last season.
•Scored career-high 23 points last season at Minnesota Duluth with a career-high six 3-pointers.

    MITCH WEG NOTES
•Ranks first in team history shooting 57.9 percent from the field.
•Has started two games this season.
•Averaging 14.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg.
•Scored 17 points vs. Fort Hays State.
•Shooting 70.6 percent from the field.
•Started all 28 games last season.
•Named CoSIDA Academic All-District in 2015-16.  
•Led team in both scoring (12.5) and rebounding (7.2)  last season.

    MUSTANGS REACH 100 AND THEN SOME
•Southwest Minnesota State reached 100 points in two games last season.
•SMSU beat Northern State, 111-105 in overtime and defeating Minnesota Crookston 100-68.
•SMSU is 35-8 all-time when scoring 100 points in a game.

    MUSTANG 20-POINT GAMES  
•Southwest Minnesota State has five current players who have scored 20 or more points in a game during their careers, including once this season.
•Senior Joey Bartlett leads all current players having reached the 20-point mark 10 times. Senior Mitch Weg has reached the mark four times, sophomore Ryan Bruggeman has done it three times, sophomore Taylor Schafer has done it three times, including once this season, while junior Turner Moen scored 20 or more points twice.

20-Point Games - ACTIVE Players
    28    Joey Bartlett    Sioux Falls, 12/20/14
    27    Joey Bartlett    Fort Hays State, 11/14/15
    26    Joey Bartlett    East Central, 11/14/14
    25    Joey Bartlett    Augustana, 2/12/16
    25    Turner Moen    Wayne State, 2/14/15
    24    Joey Bartlett    Northern State, 1/16/15
    24    Joey Bartlett    U-Mary, 12/12/14
    23    Ryan Bruggeman    Bemidji State, 2/5/16
    23    Taylor Schafer    Minnesota Duluth, 1/30/16
    23    Mitch Weg    Winona State, 1/10/15
    22    Ryan Bruggeman    Northern State, 2/24/16
    22    Ryan Bruggeman    Northern State, 11/19/15
    22    Joey Bartlett    Concordia-St. Paul, 1/24/15
    22    Mitch Weg    Minot State, 12/13/14
    21    Taylor Schafer    Fort Hays State, 11/12/16
    21    Mitch Weg    Bemidji State, 2/5/16
    21    Mitch Weg    Northern State, 11/19/15
    21    Joey Bartlett    Minnesota State, 1/23/15
    21    Turner Moen    Jamestown, 11/21/14
    20    Joey Bartlett    Upper Iowa, 1/9/15
    20    Joey Bartlett    Northern State, 1/3/14
Bold indicates 2016-17 season

    HOME AND AWAY
•SMSU finished 8-4 at home last season and is a combined 89-34 at home since the 2007-08 season.
•The Mustangs, 2-0 in road/neutral site games this season, finished 5-11 in road/neutral site games last season and are a combined 46-67 in 113 road/neutral site games since 2009-10.
•The following is a statistical comparison of the Mustang team averages for home and away/neutral games in 2016-17:
        W-L    FG%    3-FG%    FT%    REB    PTS    TO    
Home    0-0    -    -    -    -    -    -    
Away    2-0    .487    .382    .704    29.5    80.5    12.0     

    HOME SWEET HOME
•The 2016-17 season marks the 21st year the R/A Facility has been the home arena for SMSU men's basketball.
•The facility has proven to be a tough place for opponents with SMSU compiling a record of 196-76 (.720) in 272 all-time games with just two losing seasons.
•SMSU has recorded double figure home victories in eight of the past 11 seasons.

SMSU in the R/A Facility
    Year    Overall    NSIC    Non
    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    13-3    8-2    5-1
    2009-10    12-3    7-3    5-0
    2010-11    10-3    8-3    2-0
    2011-12    10-2    9-2    1-0
    2012-13    7-4    7-4    0-0
    2013-14    11-4    8-3    3-1
    2014-15    6-8    4-7    2-1
    2015-16    8-4    7-4    1-0
    2016-17    0-0    0-0    0-0    
    Totals    196-76     126-53    70-23

    NSIC SOUTH VS. NSIC NORTH
•SMSU finished 3-5 versus teams from the NSIC North Division during the conference play last season.
•SMSU is 19-13 versus NSIC North Division teams in conference play since divisions were introduced during the 2012-13 season.
•SMSU finished 5-3 versus teams North teams in conference play in 2014-15, recorded a 5-3 mark in 2013-14, and finished 6-2 in 2012-13.
•The NSIC South holds a 161-95 advantage over NSIC North teams in regular season play since divisions were formed in 2012-13, including 37-27 last season.
•In 2014-15, the South finished 35-29 versus the North, in 2013-14 the South finished 42-22, while in 2012-13, the South went 47-17.

    SMSU IN THE NSIC TOURNAMENT
•Southwest Minnesota State is 16-15 all-time in the NSIC tournament since the event began in 2000.
•The Mustangs are 8-2 at home, 1-7 on the road and 7-6 in neutral sites games. •SMSU has advanced to the semifinals nine times and played in five championship games (2001, 2002, 2007, 2010, 2012), including winning its lone tournament championship in 2012.

    CONSECUTIVE 3-POINT GAMES
•Southwest Minnesota State has connected on at least one 3-point field goal in 522 straight games.
•The last time SMSU failed to score a 3-pointer was on Dec. 11, 1998, versus MSU Moorhead at the North Dakota State Classic in Fargo, N.D.

    WORKING OVERTIME
•SMSU is 43-37 all-time in overtime games, including 1-0 last season.
•SMSU has struggled in overtime games in recent seasons, going 4-11 since 2006-07.
•SMSU is 6-6 all-time in double overtime games and 0-2 in triple overtime games.

    WEG NAMED NSIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
•SMSU senior forward Mitch Weg was the only SMSU player to earn  NSIC South Division Player of the Week honors last season when he earned the award on Nov. 23, 2015.
•Weg was the first SMSU player to earn the conference weekly award since the 2012-13 season.

    COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
•Senior Mitch Weg was named to the 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 team last season.
•Weg was one of just five student-athletes named to the first team.
•He was the first SMSU player to earn first team CoSIDA Academic All-District honors since Nick Smith in 2014.

    2016-17 NSIC PRESEASON POLL
•SMSU was picked to finish eighth overall and fifth in the South Division in the annual 16-team NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll released in October.
•Minnesota State was chosen as the overall preseason favorite earning 220 points, including all 11 first-place votes and was also picked to win the South Division.
•SMSU senior Mitch Weg was named a "Player to Watch"

    SMSU ALL-TIME IN THE NSIC
•This year marks the 48th season SMSU has competed in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
•SMSU has an all-time record of 327-375 in 702 conference games, finishing in the top half of the final standings 23 times in 47 seasons.
•SMSU has finished in the top half of the NSIC standings in 14 of the last 19 seasons since 1997-98.

    MUSTANG HISTORY
•Southwest Minnesota State is in its 50th season of men's basketball in 2016-17.
•SMSU has played 1,349 games compiling an all-time record of 602-747.
•SMSU has won two NSIC regular season championships (2001 & 2009), one NSIC tournament championship (2012), two NCAA region championships (2001 & 2009) and appeared in three NCAA tournaments (2001, 2009, 2012).
•SMSU has recorded 21 winning seasons in program history with 14 coming in the last 18 years.