THIS WEEK
•The Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team (5-1) opens Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Saturday, Dec., 1, hosting the University of Sioux Falls (5-1) at the R/A Facility with tip-off set for 6 p.m.
•SMSU wrapped-up non-conference play last Saturday with a 100-81 win over Crown College and finished non-conference action with a 5-1 record.
•Saturday's game is the seventh of nine straight games SMSU will play at home to open the season.
•In non-conference play, SMSU ranks first among all NSIC team in 3-point field goal pct. and free throw pct., while ranking second in field goal pct.
•USF features two of the top four scorers in the NSIC during non-conference play.
•Both SMSU and USF received votes in this week's NABC Top 25 poll.

    SMSU ALL-TIME IN THE NSIC
•The 2018-19 campaign marks the 50th season SMSU has competed in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
•SMSU has an all-time record of 361-385 in 746 conference games, finishing in the top half of the final standings 25 times in 49 seasons.
•SMSU has finished in the top half of the NSIC standings in 17 of the last 22 seasons since 1997-98.

    BROADCAST INFO
•Saturday's game will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL.
•Live stats and video can be found at SMSUmustangs.com.

    SERIES HISTORY VS. SIOUX FALLS
•SMSU and Sioux Falls meet for the 32nd time on Saturday with SMSU leading 20-11.
•SMSU leads 15-0 in games played in Marshall, including earning an 86-57 win last season.
•SMSU has won five of the last six games overall since Dec. 19, 2015.
•Prior to last season's 29-point SMSU victory, seven of the previous eight games between the teams since the 2014-15 season were decided by six or less points, including one in overtime.
•SMSU leads the series 7-5 in conference games (8-5 overall) since USF joined the NSIC prior to the 2012-13 season.
•Game-by-game results of the series on page 18.

    ABOUT SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE
•SMSU opens NSIC play at 5-1 overall and has won five straight games following Saturday's, 100-81, home win over Crown College.
•SMSU has five players averaging double figures in scoring.
•Senior guard Ryan Bruggeman is averaging a team-high 19.7 ppg with a team-high 43 assists and team-high 12 steals.  
•Senior guard Taylor Schafer is averaging 14.3 ppg with a team-high 19 3-pointers.
•Sophomore guard Nick Dufault ranks third on the team with 14.2 ppg and has made 16 3-pointers.
•Sophomore forward Braedan Hanson is scoring 12.2 ppg.
•Senior forward Steven McNease leads the team in rebounding with 9.2 per game.
•SMSU is shooting 54 percent from the field, 51 percent from 3-point range, 79 percent from the free throw line and is plus-6.8 in rebound margin.
•SMSU is averaging 91 points per game, while opponents are averaging 77 points per game.

    BRUGGEMAN AMONG THE BEST ACTIVE D2 PLAYERS
•Senior Ryan Bruggeman ranks among the best for active Division II players in several career categories.
•He begins the week fourth among all active players with 553 career assists, sixth in steals with 168 and 10th in points with 1,513.

    MUSTANG TIP-OFF TIDBITS
•Senior Michael Lee will play in his 100th career game on Saturday night. Fellow seniors Ryan Bruggeman and Taylor Schafer have each appeared in 102 career games.  
•Kenny Byers recorded career-highs in both points (20) and rebounds (10) in Saturday's win over Crown.  
•SMSU has shot 54 percent or higher from the field in its five victories.
•SMSU has scored 100 or more points twice this season. Thelast time SMSU reached 100 twice in a season came during the 2015-16 season, while the last team SMSU scored 100 or more three times in a season occurred during the 2000-01 season.
•SMSU tied a season-high with 39 field goals versus Crown College last Saturday.
•Schafer reached the 1,000 career points mark on Nov. 20 vs. Northland. He is the 24th player in program history to reach 1,000 points and currently ranks 22nd all-time withi 1,014.
•SMSU shot 60 percent from the field versus Bethany Lutheran on Nov. 19. It was the second time SMSU shot 60 percent or higher in a game this season.

    MUSTANGS DOWNS CROWN TO CLOSE BUSY WEEK
•SMSU extended its winning streak to five in a row, defeating Crown College, 100-81, in the third of three home games last week.
•SMSU had five players score in double figures with Kenny Byers pouring in a career-high 20 points with a career-high 10 rebounds.
•Nick Dufault scored a season-high 22 points on 8 of 12 shooting.
•SMSU closed the game with a 47-28 rebound advantage with Steven McNease (9) and Michael Lee (7) both joining Byers with strong rebounding games.

    SMSU 8TH IN D2SIDA CENTRAL REGION POLL
•SMSU is ranked tied for eighth in the second weekly D2SIDA Central Region poll released on Monday, Nov. 25.
•Each of the eight regions has six representatives from D2SIDA that coordinate the regional committee, with a regional poll that will be released nearly every Monday during the regular season.
•The D2SIDA weekly rankings are independent of the official NCAA Regional Rankings that will start in mid February and determine the NCAA Tournament teams.
D2SIDA Central Region Poll (Nov. 25)
    Rank    (First-Place Votes)                   W-L    Pts.    Prev.
    T1.    Northwest Missouri State (6)    7-0    60    1
    2.    Southern Nazarene     6-0    54    2
    3.    St. Cloud State    5-1    45    T5
    T4.    Missouri Southern    5-1    38    8
    T4.    Sioux Falls    5-1    38    3
    6.    Northern State    4-2    17    T5
    7.    Washburn    4-1    14    RV
    T8.    Southwest Minnesota State    5-1    11    NR
    T8.    Minnesota State    3-2    11    7
    10.    Central Missouri    5-2    10    4

    SMSU SETS RECORDS VERSUS FORT HAYS STATE
•SMSU set a program single-game record shooting 73.1 percent from 3-point range (19 of 26) in the win over Fort Hays State on Nov. 10.
•The 19 made 3-pointers tied the single-game record which was set at Minnesota-Morris on Feb. 2, 2002.
•The 19 made 3-pointers also set an R/A Facility single-game record breaking the previous mark of 16 set four times.
    SMSU HEAD COACH BRAD BIGLER
•Brad Bigler, the all-time wins leader in program history, is in his 10th season as head coach and has compiled an overall record of 166-111, including 112-84 in conference play.
•The 2012-13 and 2016-17 NSIC Coach of the Year, Bigler has led SMSU to six winning seasons, including one 28-win season, one 25-win season and two 19-win seasons.
•SMSU won NSIC tournament titles in 2012 and 2017 and also won the NSIC South Division championship in both 2016-2017 and 2017-18.  
•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 17.

    SCOUTING SIOUX FALLS
•Sioux Falls 5-1 on the season after suffering its first loss of the season on Saturday, 70-67, to Truman State (Mo.) in Aberdeen, S.D.
•USF was picked as the co-favorite to win the NSIC South Division and was selected third overall.  
•Senior guard Trevon Evans, the NSIC South Division Co- Preseason Player of the Year, is averaging 21.5 ppg with a team-leading 17 3-pointers and team-high 21 assists.  
•Senior guard Drew Guebert is scoring 20.8 ppg with 15 3-pointers and also leads the club with 7.2 rpg.
•Guebert has scored 24 or more points three times this season, including 33 in the season opener versus Fort Hays State played in Marshall.
•Junior guard Milan Surlic is averaging 9.0 ppg with eight 3-pointers and is tied for the team lead with 21 assists.  
•USF is shooting 43 percent from the field, 34 percent from 3-point range, 75 percent from the free throw line and is plus-10.7 in rebound margin.
•USF is averaging 78 points per game, while opponents are averaging 65 points per game.
•Chris Johnson is in his 11th season as head coach and is the program's all-time leader in victories with a 181-133 record.

    BRUGGEMAN MOVES INTO TOP 4 IN SCORING
•Ryan Bruggeman ranks fourth in the SMSU career scoring list with 1,513 points in 102 games. He is 50 points from tying Jordan Miller (2009-13) for third in team history.
•Jacob Fahl (1999-2003) is the program's all-time scoring leader with 1,638 points.

    MORE BRUGGEMAN IN CAREER RECORD BOOK
•Ryan Bruggeman broke the program's career steals record on Nov. 9 and now has amassed 168 in 102 games. He broke the previous record of 157 set by Andre Beasley from 1990-93.
•Bruggeman is also the program's all-time leader in assists with 553. He set the record during the 2017-18 season, surpassing the record of 396 held by Vinard Birch (2010-14).
•Bruggeman ranks first in team history in assists, assists average, steals and free throws made, while ranking third in free throw pct. and fourth in scoring.

    BRUGGEMAN EARNS PRESEASON HONOR ; SMSU PICKED SIXTH IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL
•Senior guard Ryan Bruggeman was named the NSIC South Division Preseason Player of the Year for the second straight season.
•SMSU was picked to finish sixth overall and fourth in the South Division in the 16-team NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll released in October.
•Minnesota State and St. Cloud State was chosen as the overall co-favorites.

    2018-19 NCAA STATISTICS
•The latest NCAA statistics (through Nov. 26) are located on page 14.
•The Mustangs rank first in the country in 3-point field goal pct., fourth in field goal pct., 18th in scoring, 19th in 3-pointers made per game, 23rd in total 3-pointers and 26th in free throw pct.
•Ryan Bruggeman ranks eighth in assists per game and 32nd in field goals made.  
•Nick Dufault ranks ninth in 3-point field goal pct.

    MUSTANG 20-POINT GAMES  
•A total of five Southwest Minnesota State players have scored 20 or more points in a game during their careers, including four times this season.
•Senior Ryan Bruggeman has 27 career 20-point games, including one this season, which was a 33-point game versus Mayville State.  
•Senior Taylor Schafer has six, senior Michael Lee and Nick Dufault each have two, while sophomore Kenny Byers has one during their careers.
20 or More Point Games - 2018-19 Season
    33    Ryan Bruggeman    Mayville State, 11/14/18
    25    Michael Lee    Fort Hays State, 11/10/18
    22    Nick Dufault    Crown, 11/24/18
    20    Kenny Byers    Crown, 11/24/18

    KOLIN BARTLETT NOTES
•Has started three games and is averaging 1.7 ppg and 1.0 rpg.
•Has five field goals this season.
•Younger brother of former Mustang Joey Bartlett (2013-17).

    RYAN BRUGGEMAN NOTES
•Averaging a team-high 19.7 ppg with a team-high 43 assists.
•Scored a season-high 33 points and made a career-high 15 field goals vs. Mayville State (11/14/18).
•Dished out a career-high 14 assists vs. Fort Hays State (11/10/18).
•Ranks first in team history averaging 5.4 assists per game.
•Ranks first in team history with 553 assists.
•Ranks first in team history with 407 free throws made.
•Ranks first in team history with 168 steals.
•Has started every game in his career.
•Two-time first team All-NSIC.
•Named 2018 honorable mention All-American by D2Bulletin.
•Named NABC first team All-Region and CCA second team All-Region in 2018.
•Named MVP of the 2017 NSIC Tournament.
    KENNY BYERS NOTES
•Has started six games and is averaging 11.8 ppg and 5.5 rpg.
•Scored a career-high 20 points on nine field goals with a career-high 10 rebounds vs. Crown (11/24/18).
•Played as a true freshman in 2017-18.

    NICK DUFAULT NOTES
•Has played six games and is averaging 14.2 ppg.  
•Ranks second on the team with 16 3-pointers and is third in scoring.
•Scored a season-high 22 points on 8 of 12 shooting with four 3-pointers vs. Crown (11/24/18).  
•Sat out 2016-17 season as a redshirt.

    BRAEDAN HANSON NOTES
•Has played in six games and is averaging 12.2 ppg and 5.8 rpg.
•Scored a career-high 17 points vs. Crown (11/24/18).
•Grabbed a career-high eight rebounds vs. Bethany Lutheran (11/19/18).
•Sat out 2016-17 season as a redshirt.

    GRANT KRAMER NOTES
•Has played in six games and is averaging 0.5 ppg.
•Scored one field goal vs. Fort Hays State (11/10/18).
•Sat out the 2017-18 season as a redshirt.

    MICHAEL LEE NOTES
•Has started six games and is averaging 9.2 ppg.
•Has connected on 12 3-pointers.
•Scored a career-high 25 points with seven 3-pointers vs. Fort Hays State (11/10/18).
•Ranks fourth in team history in 3-point pct. at 44.0.
•Made 80 3-pointers last season ranking seventh in team single-season history.

    STEVEN MCNEASE NOTES
•In first season at SMSU and has one season of eligibility.
•Has played six games and is averaging 6.5 ppg and a team-high 9.2 rpg.
•Recorded career-high 18 rebounds and scored career-high 16 points vs. Northland (11/20/18).
•Played last season at Copper Mountain College (Calif.)

    TAYLOR SCHAFER NOTES
•Has started six games and is averaging 14.3 ppg.
•Leads the team with 19 3-pointers.  
•Twice has scored a season-high 19 points vs. Mayville State (11/14/18) and Bethany Lutheran (11/19/18).
•Ranks fifth in school history with 189 3-pointers and is sixth all-time in 3-pointers attempted (478).

    KEVIN TOTUSEK NOTES
•Has played in two games and is averaging 3.0 ppg.
•Scored four points vs. Crown (11/24/18).
•Sat out the 2017-18 season as a redshirt.

    HOME AND AWAY
•SMSU is 5-1 at home this season after recording a 12-2 home mark last season.
•SMSU is a combined 115-40 at home since the 2007-08 season.
•SMSU finished 13-7 in road/neutral site games last season and are a combined 86-77 in 163 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 2018-19:
        W-L    FG%    3-FG%    FT%    REB    PTS    TO    
Home    5-1    54.3    51.1    79.1    37.0    91.0    11.8    
Away    n/a  

    BACK-TO-BACK 20-WIN SEASONS
•The 25 victories last season ranks as the fourth highest in team history.
•SMSU has recorded back-to-back 20-win seasons for just the second time in program history and has a total of six 20-win seasons in team history.
•SMSU combined to win 53 games the last two seasons (2016-18) which is the best two-year combined wins total in team history.

    THREE-POINT RECORD IN 2017-18
•SMSU set a school record with 273 3-pointers made last season, breaking the previous record was 262 during the 2002-03 season.
•The Mustangs averaged eight 3-pointers made per game and connected on eight or more 3-pointers in 17 of its last 24 games to close last season.

    SMSU IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
•SMSU made its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in program history last season since moving to Division II in 1995-96.
•SMSU is 9-5 all-time in NCAA Tournament games and has appeared in three region championship games, while winning region championships in both 2001 and 2009.  

    NSIC SOUTH CHAMPIONS AGAIN
•SMSU captured the program's second straight NSIC South Division title last season. The NSIC divisional format was created prior to the 2012-13 season.
•SMSU tied with St. Cloud State for second place overall in the 16-team conference.
•SMSU won overall NSIC championships in both 2001 and 2009.

    BRUGGEMAN 2017-18 POST SEASON HONORS
•SMSU senior Ryan Bruggeman was named honorable mention All-American by D2Bulletin last season.
•He is the first SMSU player to earn All-American honors since Ross DeMasi in 2009.
•He was also named first team All-NSIC, first team NABC All-Region and second team CCA All-Region.

    BRUGGEMAN SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS IN 2017-18
•Senior Ryan Bruggeman dished out a school record 218 assists last season breaking the previous record of 185 set by Marques Pena in 2000-01.
•Bruggeman's 6.4 assists per game last season ranks first in team single-season history.
•Bruggeman also made 171 free throws last season setting a school single-season record.
•The previous mark was 148 set by Scott Koenen in 2000-01.

    DOUBLE CENTURY CLUB FOR JUST THE SECOND TIME
•For just the second time in team history, SMSU featured a pair of players who dished out 100 or more assists in a single-season in 2017-18.
•Ryan Bruggeman (218) and Turner Moen (106) both reached 100 assists last season.
•The only other time SMSU featured two players with 100 more assists in one season came in 1985-86, when Tom Bowens (106) and Juan Mitchell (105) both reached the mark.

    WINS VERSUS NATIONALLY RANKED TEAMS
•SMSU defeated No. 7 (D2SIDA)/No. 12 (NABC) Northern State 64-57 on Jan. 27, 2018, in Aberdeen, S.D., recording its lone win over a ranked team last season.
•SMSU beat No. 21 (NABC) MSU Moorhead and No. 16 Augustana (D2SIDA) during the 2016-17 season.
•Prior to victory last season over NSU, SMSU's last victory over a Top 10 team was on March 3, 2010, at No. 8 (NABC) Minnesota State in the quarterfinals of the NSIC Tournament.

    SMSU TRUE "ROAD WARRIORS" LAST FEW SEASONS
•SMSU finished 13-7 away from Marshall last season, including 8-5 in "true" road games and 5-2 in neutral site games.
•SMSU finished 12-3 in "true" road games during the 2016-17 season, recording the most road wins in team history.

    NSIC SOUTH VS. NSIC NORTH
•SMSU finished 7-1 versus teams from the NSIC North Division in conference play last season and are a combined 32-16 versus North teams in conference play since divisions were introduced prior to the 2012-13 season.
•Last year's 7-1 record was the best finish for SMSU versus the North since divisions were formed.
•SMSU finished 6-2 in 2016-17, 3-5 in 2015-16; 5-3 in 2014-15; 5-3 in 2013-14; and 6-2 in 2012-13.
•Heading into the 2018-19 season, the NSIC South holds a 234-150 advantage over NSIC North teams in conference play since divisions were formed in 2012-13, including finishing 38-26 last season.
•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.

    HOME SWEET HOME
•The 2018-19 season marks the 23rd year the R/A Facility has served as the home arena for SMSU men's basketball.
•SMSU has a record of 222-82 (.730) in 304 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    12-2    10-1    2-1
    2018-19    5-1    0-0    5-1    
    Totals    222-82    144-57    78-25

    CONSECUTIVE 3-POINT GAMES
•Southwest Minnesota State has connected on at least one 3-point field goal in 595 straight games.
•The last time SMSU failed to score a 3-pointer was on Dec. 11, 1998, versus MSU Moorhead (0 for 10) at the North Dakota State Classic.

    MUSTANGS REACH 100 AND THEN SOME
•Southwest Minnesota State has scored 100 or more points twice this season, defeating Bethany Lutheran, 101-81, on Nov. 19 and Crown College, 100-81.
•The last time SMSU reached 100 twice in a season came during the 2015-16 season, while the last team SMSU scored 100 or more three times in a season occurred during the 2000-01 season.
•SMSU is now 39-8 all-time when scoring 100 points.

    WORKING OVERTIME
•SMSU is 45-39 all-time in overtime games, including 0-1 last season following a 91-85 at Sioux Falls on Nov. 25, 2017.
•SMSU is 7-6 in double overtime games and 0-2 in triple overtime games all-time.

    SMSU RANKED IN THREE PRESEASON POLLS
•SMSU opened the 2018-19 regular season ranked in three preseason polls.
•SMSU was ranked No. 20 by the NABC, No. 14 by D2Bulletin and No. 22 by D2SIDA.

    SMSU ALL-TIME IN THE NSIC TOURNAMENT
•Since the NSIC Tournament started in 2000, SMSU is 23-16 all-time with two championships (2012 & 2017).
•SMSU has advanced to the semifinals 11 times and have played in seven championship games (2001, 2002, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2018).
•The Mustangs are 10-2 at home, 1-7 on the road and 12-7 in neutral sites tournament games.

    MUSTANG HISTORY
•Southwest Minnesota State is competing in its 52nd season of men's basketball in 2018-19.
•SMSU has played 1,421 games compiling an all-time record of 658-763.
•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 five NCAA tournaments (2001, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2018).
•SMSU has recorded 23 winning seasons in program history with 16 coming in the last 20 years.