PREVIEWING THIS WEEKEND
•The Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team (14-6, 10-4 NSIC), concludes a four-game road trip this Friday and Saturday, facing a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division teams.  
•SMSU will face MSU Moorhead (5-15, 3-11 NSIC) on Friday, Jan. 26, with tip-off set for 8 p.m. at the MSUM's Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse.
•SMSU concludes the weekend with a 6 p.m. match-up versus nationally ranked Northern State University (20-2, 13-1 NSIC) on Saturday, Jan. 27, at Wachs Arena in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
•NSU is ranked No. 7 in this week's D2SIDA Top 25 and No. 12 in the NABC Top 25.
•SMSU and NSU will be meeting for the second time this season after NSU earned an 81-69 non-conference victory in Marshall on Nov. 15.
•SMSU begins the weekend in second place in the NSIC South Division standings and fourth place overall.  
•MSUM opens the weekend tied for seventh in the NSIC North standings and 15th overall, while NSU is currently first overall in the NSIC standings.
•SMSU is 4-0 versus teams from the NSIC North Division in conference play this season and are a combined 29-15 versus North teams in conference play since divisions were introduced prior to the 2012-13 season.

    BROADCAST INFO
•All SMSU games will be broadcast all season on 105.1 FM KARL.
•Live statistics and video can be found at SMSUmustangs.com.  

    WINS VERSUS NATIONALLY RANKED TEAMS
•SMSU's last win over a Top 25 team came last season versus No. 21 (NABC) MSU Moorhead on Jan. 27, 2017.
•SMSU also defeated No. 16 Augustana (D2SIDA) last season on Dec. 30, 2016, which was its first over a nationally ranked team since defeating No. 16 Winona State on Jan. 17, 2014.
•SMSU's last victory over a Top 10 team was on March 3, 2010, at No. 8 Minnesota State in the quarterfinals of the NSIC Tournament.

    SERIES HISTORY VS. MSU MOORHEAD
•Southwest Minnesota State and MSU Moorhead meet for the 102nd time with MSUM leading 57-44.
•The first meeting camer during the 1968-69 season.
•MSUM leads 31-15 all-time in games played in Moorhead.
•MSUM has won the last two games in Moorhead, with SMSU's last victory coming on Jan. 19, 2013.
•SMSU won last season's lone meeting, 113-105 in overtime, in Marshall.
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 5-7 all-time versus MSUM.
•Game-by-game results of the series are on page 19.

    SERIES HISTORY VS. NORTHERN STATE
•Southwest Minnesota State and Northern State meet for the 93rd time with NSU leading 62-30.
•NSU leads 35-9 in games played in Aberdeen.
•NSU has won six the last eight games since the 2014-15 season.
•NSU earned an 81-68 non-conference win earlier this season in Marshall. It was the fourth straight year the teams have played a non-conference regular season game.
•The teams split a pair of games last season. SMSU won the non-conference match-up, 83-82 in Aberdeen, before NSU earned a 96-86 victory in Marshall.  
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 7-7 all-time versus Northern State.
•Game-by-game results of the series are on page 20.

    LAST TIME VERSUS NORTHERN STATE
•Northern State shot 64 percent in the second half and finished the game shooting 55 percent (31 of 56) from the field in earning an 81-68 win over SMSU on Nov. 15.
•The Wolves also held a 37-29 rebound advantage.
•Carter Kirk poured in a game-high 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead SMSU.
•Ryan Bruggeman added 15 points, while Turner Moen added 11 points and seven rebounds for the Mustangs.
•Logan Doyle (17) and Carter Evans (15) combined to score 32 points on 14 of 21 shooting and also combined to record 14 rebounds to pace the Wolves attack.
•The game box score is located on page 21.

    SMSU HEAD COACH BRAD BIGLER
•Brad Bigler, the all-time wins leader in program history, is in his ninth season as head coach and has compiled an overall record of 150-107, including 105-83 in conference play.
•Bigler became the all-time wins leader on Dec. 2, 2017, passing Greg Stemen (141, 2001-09).
•The 2012-13 and 2016-17 NSIC Coach of the Year, Bigler has led SMSU to five winning seasons, including one 28-win season and a pair of 19-win seasons.
•SMSU won NSIC tournament titles in 2012 and 2017 and also won the NSIC South Division championship in 2017.  
•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 18.

    MUSTANGS SPLIT ROAD GAMES VS. CSP AND MSU
•SMSU split a pair of NSIC road games last weekend, defeating Concordia-St. Paul, 79-64, before suffering a tight, 72-70, setback versus Minnesota State.
•Ryan Bruggeman scored a team-high 17 points and dished out seven assists to pace SMSU to a 79-64 road victory over CSP.
•Bruggeman was one of five Mustangs to score in double figures along with Taylor Schafer (12), Carter Kirk (11), Michael Lee (11) and Turner Moen (10).
•Bruggeman paced the Mustangs with 21 points, six assists and three steals in the loss to MSU.
•Kirk added 16 points and 12 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season.
•Nick Dufault was the only other Mustang to reach double figure scoring, making 5 of 9 shots, including four from 3-point land to finish with 14 points.

    ABOUT SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE
•SMSU is 14-6 overall, 10-4 NSIC, and has won four of its last five games.
•SMSU has three players averaging double figure scoring.
•Ryan Bruggeman is averaging a team-high 16.8 ppg with a team-high 111 assists. He ranks seventh in the NSIC in scoring (17.5) and third in assists (6.0).
•Carter Kirk is scoring 14.4 ppg with a team-high 9.8 rpg. He also has a team-high 21 blocked shots and is shooting 60 percent. Kirk leads the NSIC in rebounding (10.3) and is sixth in field goal pct. (59.1).
•KJ Davis is scoring 10.3 ppg with 16 3-pointers.
•Michael Lee has made a team-leading 39 3-pointers, while Taylor Schafer has connected on 32 3-pointers while Nick Dufault has also made 32 3-pointers.
•SMSU is shooting 49 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range, 74 percent from the free throw line and is plus-2.9 in rebound margin.
•SMSU averaging 80 points per game, while opponents are average 74.

    BRUGGEMAN SETS SMSU CAREER ASSISTS RECORD
•Ryan Bruggeman broke the program's career assist record on Jan. 19 at Concordia-St. Paul.
•He now has 403 assists in 82 games, breaking the previous record of 396 held by Vinard Birch (2010-14).
•Bruggeman also ranks first in team history in assists average, third in free throw pct., fouth in free throws made and fifth in steals.

    SMSU 10TH IN D2SIDA REGIONAL POLL
•SMSU is ranked 10th in this week's D2SIDA Central Region poll released on Monday, Jan. 22.
•Each of the eight regions has six representatives from D2SIDA that coordinate the regional committee, with a regional poll that will be released every Monday during the regular season.
•The D2SIDA weekly rankings are independent of the official NCAA Regional Rankings that will be released towards the end of the regular season and determine the NCAA Tournament teams.
D2SIDA Central Region Poll (Jan. 22)
    Rank    (First-Place Votes)                   W-L    Pts.    Prev.
    1.    Northern State (3)    20-2    55    T1
    2.    Northwest Missouri State (1)    16-2    54    T1
    3.    Southern Nazarene (2)    14-1    53    3
    4.    Minot State    17-3    38    5
    5.    Washburn    14-4    36     6
    6.    Minnesota State    15-4    30    7
    7.    Central Missouri    14-4    28    4
    8.    Northwestern Oklahoma State    12-4    15    8
    9.    Central Oklahoma    13-5    10    RV
    10.    Southwest Minnesota State    14-6    5    T9

    MUSTANG TIP-OFF TIDBITS
•SMSU tied a season-high with 11 steals at Concordia-St. Paul on Jan. 19.
•SMSU is 12-2 when opponents shoot less than 50 percent.
•Carter Kirk tied the team season-high with 10 field goals made versus Bemidji State on Jan. 13. He also had 10 field goals versus Emporia State.
•Taylor Schafer ranks 10th in team history with 147 3-pointers.  •Carter Kirk ranks first in school history in field goal pct., third in rebounds, seventh in blocked shots and 12th in field goals made.  •SMSU has shot 50 percent or higher in six of its last 10 games and eight times overall this season. A season ago, SMSU shot 50 percent or higher in 15 games.
•SMSU has made eight or more 3-pointers in eight of its last 10 games.
•SMSU tied a season-high with 14 3-pointers (including 11 in the second half) in the win at Upper Iowa on Jan. 6.  
•SMSU has committed nine or less turnovers in six games.
•SMSU's 116 points versus Crown College on Nov. 21 was the second highest point total in school history.
•SMSU made 33 free throws in the win over Northern Michigan on Nov. 18. It was the first time SMSU made more than 30 in a game since connecting on 33 versus Wayne State on Dec. 7, 2013.
•SMSU limited Michigan Tech to just 15 points in the second half on Nov. 17. It was the first time SMSU has held an opponent to less than 20 points in a half since Feb. 8, 2014, when Concordia-St. Paul scored 17 first half points.
•SMSU shot just 29.6 percent from the field in the second half in the loss to Fort Hays State in the season opener. It was the first time SMSU shot less than 30 percent in a half since Nov. 29, 2016, versus Sioux Falls.

    SCOUTING MSU MOORHEAD
•MSUM is 5-15 overall, 3-11 NSIC, and is coming off a pair of road losses to Minnesota Duluth (83-74) and St. Cloud State (69-55).
•The Dragons have lost 10 of their last 11 games since Dec. 9.  
•Tanner Kretchman leads the team averaging 15.4 ppg with a team-high 54 3-pointers and a team-leading 64 assists.
•Johnny Beeninga is scoring 14.2 ppg and has 44 assists.
•Travaun Coad is averaging 13.2 ppg and leads the team with 6.8 rpg.
•MSUM is shooting 47 percent from the field, 34 percent from 3-point range, 75 percent from the free throw line and is minus-1.3 in rebound margin.
•MSUM is scoring 75 points per game, while opponents are averaging 83 per game.
•Chad Walthall is in his eighth season as head coach with a record of 170-72. He was the head coach at Loras College (Iowa) from 2000-07.

    SCOUTING NORTHERN STATE
•NSU is 20-2 overall, 13-1 NSIC, and is currently in first place in the NSIC standings.
•NSU, which hosts Sioux Falls on Friday, suffered its first loss in NSIC play last Friday at St. Cloud State, but rebounded with a road win over Minnesota Duluth on Saturday.
•DJ Pollard is averaging a team-high 13 ppg with 30 3-pointers.
•Ian Smith is scoring 12.9 ppg and has dished out a team-high 96 assists.
•Darin Paterka is averaging 11.9 ppg with a team-high 34 3-pointers, despite missing the last four games.
•NSU is shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range, 74 percent from the free throw line and is plus-6.6 in rebound margin.
•NSU is scoring 79 points per game, while opponents are averaging 66 per game.
•Head coach Paul Sather is in his eighth season with a record of 146-80. He compiled a record of 94-62 in five seasons as head coach at Black Hills State (2005-10).  

    NCAA STATISTICS
•A complete listing of SMSU and Mustang individuals in the latest NCAA statistics (Jan. 23) can be found on page 17.
•SMSU ranks 14th in fewest turnovers per game (10.3), 22nd in assist/turnover ratio (1.42), 31st in 3-point field goal pct. (40.3) and 40th in field goal pct. (48.7).
•Carter Kirk ranks eighth in total rebounds (195), 28th in rebounds per game (9.8), 27th in field goal pct. (60.0) and 25th in double-doubles (8).
•Ryan Bruggeman ranks 25th in assist turnover ratio (2.85), 21st in free throw made (101), 19th in total assists (111), 32nd in assists per game (5.8) and 36th in free throw attempts (118).
•Turner Moen is ranked 40th in assist/turnover ratio (2.60).

    NSIC STATISTICS
•A complete listing of SMSU and Mustang individuals in the latest NSIC statistics (NSIC games only) can be found on pages 15-16.
•Ryan Bruggeman ranks first in assist/turnover ratio, third in assists and eighth in scoring.
•Carter Kirk ranks first in rebounding and seventh in field goal pct.
•Turner Moen ranks fourth in assist/turnover ratio and sixth in 3-point field goal pct.
•KJ Davis ranks seventh in free throw pct.
•SMSU ranks third in the NSIC in scoring offense (80.5), third in 3-point field goal pct. defense (35.7), fourth in 3-point field goal pct. (40.1), fourth in rebound margin (+4.0) and fifth in field goal pct. (48.1).

    SMSU TRUE "ROAD WARRIORS" LAST TWO SEASONS
•SMSU is 7-4 away from Marshall this season, including 5-4 in "true" road games and 2-0 in neutral site games.
•SMSU finished 12-3 in "true" road games last season, recording the most road wins in team history.
•SMSU closed last season 19-3 in away/neutral site games setting a new program record. The 2000-01 team that advanced to the Elite Eight held the previous record of 16 away/neutral site victories.
    
    CURRENT MUSTANGS IN THE RECORD BOOK
•To see where 2017-18 Mustangs rank in the SMSU career record book, go to page 4.

    KIRK JOINS BRUGGEMAN IN 1,000 POINT CLUB
•Senior Carter Kirk and junior Ryan Bruggeman both joined the 1,000 career points milestone last month.
•Bruggeman reached 1,000 career points during SMSU's win at Minnesota Duluth on Dec. 8 and currently ranks 13th in team history with 1,158 points in 82 games.
•Kirk became the 23rd SMSU player to reach 1,000 career points in SMSU's win over Wayne State on Dec. 31. He currently ranks 16th all-time with 1,112 points in 110 games.   
•A complete list of SMSU's 1,000-point scorers is listed on page 4.

    KIRK NAMED NSIC SOUTH PLAYER OF THE WEEK...AGAIN
•Senior Carter Kirk was named the NSIC South Division Player of the Week on Monday, Jan. 15, for the second time this season.
•Kirk averaged 20 points and nine rebounds, while shooting 67 percent from the field in home victories over Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State.
•He scored 15 points with eight rebounds versus UMC on Friday.
•He then scored a career-high 25 points on 10 of 13 shooting and had 10 rebounds versus Bemidji State.
•Kirk was also named the NSIC South Division Player of the Week on Jan. 2.
•Kirk averaged 20 points and 15 rebounds, while shooting 70 percent from the field in home games versus Augustana and Wayne State.
•He scored 17 points with 12 rebounds vs. Augustana.
•He scored 23 points and had 18 rebounds vs. Wayne State.

    BRUGGEMAN NAMED NSIC SOUTH PLAYER OF THE WEEK
•Junior Ryan Bruggeman was named the NSIC South Division Player of the Week on Dec. 4.
•It's the second time in his career he earned the honor.
•He averaged 24 points, 7.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds, while shooting 54 percent from the field in home victories over Upper Iowa (93-86) and Winona State (79-76).
•He scored 24 points in each of the two games.

    MUSTANG 20-POINT GAMES  
•Southwest Minnesota State has five players who have scored 20 or more points in a game during their careers, including 13 times this season.
•Junior Ryan Bruggeman has 20 career 20-point games, including eight this season. Last season he led the team with nine 20-point games which included one 30-point game.
•Junior Taylor Schafer has six 20-point games, senior Carter Kirk has five, Turner Moen has two 20-point games and redshirt freshman Nick Dufault has one.
20 or More Point Games - 2017-18 Season
    28    Ryan Bruggeman    Sioux Falls, 11/25/17
    25    Carter Kirk    Bemidji State, 1/13/18
    24    Ryan Bruggeman    Winona State, 12/2/17
    24    Ryan Bruggeman    Upper Iowa, 12/1/17
    23    Carter Kirk    Wayne State, 12/31/17
    23    Nick Dufault    Crown, 11/21/17
    22    Ryan Bruggeman    Minnesota Crookston, 1/12/18
    21    Ryan Bruggeman    Minnesota State, 1/20/18
    21    Ryan Bruggeman    Minnesota Duluth, 12/8/17
    22    Ryan Bruggeman    Winona State, 1/5/18
    20     Ryan Bruggeman    Northern Michigan, 11/18/17
    20    Carter Kirk    Northern State, 11/15/17
    20    Carter Kirk    Emporia State, 11/11/17

    Kolin Bartlett NOTES
•Has played in 20 games averaging 3.0 ppg and 2.9 rpg.
•Scored 11 points on 5 of 7 shooting vs. Crown (11/21/17).
•Scored six points on three field goals vs. Sioux Falls (12/16/17).
•Played in just two games last season due to an injury.
•Younger brother of former Mustang Joey Bartlett (2013-17).

    Vydal Bradford NOTES
•Has played in five games this season.
•Scored 11 points on 5 of 6 shooting vs. Crown.
•Sat out last season as a redshirt.

    Ryan Bruggeman NOTES
•Averaging a team-high 16.8 ppg and leads team with 111 assists.
•Scored season-high 28 points at Sioux Falls (11/25/17).
•Has eight 20-point scoring games this season.
•Has scored double figures in all but one game this season.
•Ranks first in team history averaging 4.9 assists per game.
•Ranks first in team history with 403 assists.
•Ranks third in team history with 84.2 career free throw pct.
•Ranks fifth in team history with 127 steals.
•Has started all 82 games in his career.
•Named MVP of the 2017 NSIC Tournament.
•Named to the 2017 NCAA Central All-Tournament team.
•Scored 528 points last season, ranking 12th highest in team history and highest since 2000-01.

    Kenny Byers NOTES
•Has played in 20 games during his true freshman season.
•Scored season-high 11 points vs. Wayne State (12/31/17) on 5 of 6 shooting with one 3-pointer.
•Scored 10 points at St. Cloud State (12/9/17).
•Season-high eight rebounds vs. Upper Iowa (12/1/17).

    KJ Davis NOTES
•Averaging 10.3 ppg and has connected on 16 3-pointers.
•Has scored double figures in 11 games this season.
•Scored a career-high 19 points with 12 free throws made vs. Upper Iowa (12/1/17).
•Led the team with 47 steals last season.

    Nick Dufault NOTES
•Has played 20 games and is averaging 7.5 ppg with 32 3-pointers.
•Has scored double figures in six games.
•Scored season-high 23 points vs. Crown (11/21/7) on 8 of 12 shooting with five 3-pointers.
•Scored 14 points at Minnesota State (1/20/18) with four 3-pointers.
•Sat out last season as a redshirt.

    Braedan Hanson NOTES
•Has played in five games this season.
•Sat out last season as a redshirt.

    Carter Kirk NOTES
•Averaging 14.4 ppg and team-high 9.8 rpg while shooting 60 percent from the field.
•Has seven or more rebounds in 18 of 20 games this season.
•Team-high eight double-doubles and has 15 in career.
•Has reached double figuring scoring in 14 games, including four 20-point games.  
•Scored a career-high 25 points vs. Bemidji State (1/13/18).
•Grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds and scored 23 points vs. Wayne State (12/31/17).
•Recorded 17 points and 17 rebounds vs. Northern Michigan.
•Ranks first in team history with a career 58.4 field goal pct.  
•Ranks third in team history with 736 rebounds.
•Shot a team-high 61.7 percent from the field a season ago.

    Michael Lee NOTES
•Averaging 7.4 ppg with team-high 39 3-pointers.
•Scored a career-high 17 points vs. Crown (11/21/17) with four 3-pointers.
•Has scored double figures in six games.
•Has made three or more 3-pointers in seven games this season.
•Tied for second on the team last season with 52 3-pointers.

    Turner Moen NOTES
•Averaging 7.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg.
•Ranks fourth in team history in 3-point field goal pct. (41.9).
•Scored a season-high 15 points vs. Sioux Falls (12/16/17).
•Tied career-high with 10 rebounds vs. Bemidji State (1/13/18).
•Recorded first career double-double at Minnesota Duluth (12/8/17) with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
•Second on the team with 65 assists and second with 29 steals.
•Ranked second on the team last season with 73 assists.

    Taylor Schafer NOTES
•Averaging 8.8 ppg with 32 3-pointers.
•Scored season-high 16 points vs. Minnesota Crookston (1/12/18) with four 3-pointers.
•Has eight double figure scoring games this season.
•Ranks 10th in school history with 147 3-pointers.
•Scored a career-high 25 points at Concordia-St. Paul (2/18/17).
•Connected on a team-high 58 3-pointers last season.

    HOME AND AWAY
•SMSU is 7-2 at home this season after finishing 9-3 last season.
•SMSU is a combined 105-39 at home since the 2007-08 season.
•The Mustangs finished 19-3 in road/neutral site games last season and are a combined 80-74 in 154 road/neutral site games since 2009-10, including 7-4 this season.
•The following is a statistical comparison of the Mustang team averages for home and away/neutral games in 2017-18:
        W-L    FG%    3-FG%    FT%    REB    PTS    TO    
Home    7-2     .514    .419    .737    36.4    85.1    10.2        
Away    7-4    .463    .387    .745    34.0    75.5    10.4        
           
    NSIC SOUTH VS. NSIC NORTH
•SMSU is 4-0 versus teams from the NSIC North Division in conference play this season and are a combined 29-15 versus North teams in conference play since divisions were introduced prior to the 2012-13 season.
•SMSU finished 6-2 versus the NSIC North in conference games last season.
•SMSU recorded a 3-5 mark versus the North in 2015-16; 5-3 in 2014-15; 5-3 in 2013-14; and 6-2 in 2012-13.
•The NSIC South holds a 213-139 advantage over NSIC North teams in conference play since divisions were formed in 2012-13, including a slight edge this season at 17-15 (Jan. 15).
•The South Division has held the advantage in every season. In 2016-17, the South finished 35-29; 2015-16, the South led 37-27; in 2014-15, the South finished 35-29; in 2013-14, the South finished 42-22, while in 2012-13, the South went 47-17.

    SMSU RANKED IN THREE PRESEASON POLLS
•SMSU opened the 2017-18 regular season ranked in three separate preseason polls.
•SMSU was ranked No. 15 by the NABC, No. 14 by D2Bulletin and No. 13 in the D2SIDA poll.
•SMSU closed the 2016-17 regular season ranked No. 18 in the final NABC Top 25 poll.

    2017-18 NSIC PRESEASON POLL; BRUGGEMAN PRESEASON POY
•SMSU was picked to finish second overall and first in the South Division in the annual 16-team NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll released in October.
•Northern State was chosen as the overall favorite earning 213 points, including all eight first-place votes.
•SMSU earned 211 points and seven first place votes in the overall poll.  
•SMSU earned 45 points and four first place votes in the NSIC South Division poll.
•SMSU junior guard Ryan Bruggeman was named the NSIC South Division Preseason Player of the Year.

    SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE IN 2016-17
•SMSU finished the 2016-17 season 28-6 overall and won the NSIC South Division with a 17-5 conference record.
•SMSU's 28 victories last season tied the 2000-01 and 2008-09 teams for the most in team history.
•SMSU won the NSIC Tournament championship and advanced to the championship game of the NCAA Central Region Tournament.
•SMSU's 28 victories a season ago tied the 2000-01 and 2008-09 teams for the program single-season record. SMSU won region titles in both 2001 and 2009 and finished as region runner-up in 2017.
•SMSU has recorded 20 or more victories five times in team history.
•SMSU scored 2,749 points in 2016-17, the second highest output in team history. The 2000-01 team scored 2,897 points.
•SMSU had a season-high eight-game winning streak heading into the NCAA region title game last season. SMSU also had one winning streak of seven games and two streaks of six straight wins during the season.  

    2016-17 NSIC SOUTH CHAMPIONS
•Last season SMSU earned the program's first NSIC South Division title since divisions were formed prior to the 2012-13 season.
•SMSU tied with Northern State for second place overall in the 16-team conference.

    2017 NSIC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS
•SMSU captured the program's second NSIC tournament championship last season defeating Upper Iowa, 71-58, in Sioux Falls, S.D.
•SMSU won its first NSIC tournament in 2012 in Rochester, Minn.

    BRUGGEMAN NAMED ALL-NSIC; BIGLER EARNS TOP HONOR
•Ryan Bruggeman was the lone SMSU player to be named first team All-NSIC in 2016-17.
•In the final NSIC statistics (conference games only), Bruggeman finished fourth in the league in assists (4.5), fourth in free throw pct. (.843), fifth in steals (1.4), 11th in assist/turnover ratio (2.2) and 20th in scoring (15.0).
•Bruggeman was the first SMSU player to earn first team All-NSIC honors since Jordan Miller in 2012-13.
•Brad Bigler was named NSIC Coach of the Year for the second time during his tenure (2012-13). Tim Miles (2000-01) and Greg Stemen (2008-09) are the only other coaches to earn the award in team history.

    HOME SWEET HOME
•This season marks the 22nd year the R/A Facility has served as the home arena for SMSU men's basketball.
•SMSU has a record of 212-81 (.723) in 293 games with just two losing 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    9-3    8-3    1-0
    2017-18    7-2    6-1    1-1    
    Totals    212-81    140-57    72-24

    CONSECUTIVE 3-POINT GAMES
•Southwest Minnesota State has connected on at least one 3-point field goal in 575 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.

    MUSTANGS REACH 100 AND THEN SOME
•Southwest Minnesota State has reached 100 points once this season in a 116-80 win over Crown College on Nov. 21. It was the second highest point total in team history.
•SMSU is 37-8 all-time when scoring 100 points in a game.

    WORKING OVERTIME
•SMSU is 45-39 all-time in overtime games, including 0-1 this season, after losing 91-85 at Sioux Falls on Nov. 25.
•SMSU finished 2-1 last season in overtime games.
•SMSU is 7-6 all-time in double overtime games and 0-2 in triple overtime games.

    SMSU ALL-TIME IN THE NSIC
•The 2017-18 campaign marks the 49th season SMSU has competed in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
•SMSU has an all-time record of 354-384 in 738 conference games, finishing in the top half of the final standings 24 times in 48 seasons.
•SMSU has finished in the top half of the NSIC standings in 16 of the last 21 seasons since 1997-98.

    SMSU IN THE NSIC TOURNAMENT
•SMSU is 20-15 all-time in the NSIC tournament, with two championships (2012 & 2017), since the tournament began in 2000.
•The Mustangs are 9-2 at home, 1-7 on the road and 10-6 in neutral sites games.
•SMSU has advanced to the semifinals 10 times and have played in seven championship games (2001, 2002, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2017).    

    SMSU ALL-TIME IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
•SMSU made its fourth appearance in the NCAA tournament last season and first since 2012. SMSU is 8-4 in 12 all-time tournament games.
•SMSU has appeared in three region championship games in team history winning titles in both 2001 and 2009.  

    MUSTANG HISTORY
•Southwest Minnesota State is in its 51st season of men's basketball in 2017-18.
•SMSU has played 1,401 games compiling an all-time record of 642-759.
•SMSU has won two NSIC regular season championships (2001 & 2009), one NSIC South Division championship (2017), two NSIC tournament championships (2012, 2017), two NCAA region championships (2001 & 2009) and has appeared in four NCAA tournaments (2001, 2009, 2012, 2017).
•SMSU has recorded 22 winning seasons in program history with 15 coming in the last 19 years.