THIS WEEK
•The Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team (6-3, 1-2 NSIC) will play its first games away from the R/A Facility this season taking on a pair of NSIC North Division teams on Friday and Saturday.
•On Friday, SMSU will take on St. Cloud State University (7-2, 2-1 NSIC) with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. at Halenback Hall.
•SMSU concludes the weekend on Saturday, battling the University of Minnesota Duluth (5-2, 2-1 NSIC) with game time slated for 5:30 p.m. at Romano Gymnasium.
•SCSU received votes in this week's NABC Top 25 poll.
•UMD assistant coach Casey Bruggeman is the older brother of SMSU senior guard Ryan Bruggeman.
 
    BROADCAST INFO
•Both games will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL.
•Live stats and video can be found at SMSUmustangs.com.

    SERIES HISTORY VS. ST. CLOUD STATE
•SMSU and St. Cloud State meet for the 63rd time on Friday with SCSU leading 40-22.
•The teams first met during the 1969-70 season.
•SMSU won both games last season, including 82-59 in St. Cloud during NSIC play. SMSU also won 73-66 in the semifinals of the NSIC Tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D.
•SCSU leads 24-8 in games played in St. Cloud.
•SMSU has won the last three games in the series overall.
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 6-9 all-time versus SCSU.
•Game-by-game results of the series on page 18.

    SERIES HISTORY VS. MINNESOTA DULUTH
•SMSU and Minnesota Duluth meet for the 85th time on Saturday with UMD leading 51-33.
•The teams first met during the 1972-73 season.
•SMSU won last season's lone meeting, 68-65 in Duluth
•UMD leads 33-9 in games played in Duluth, but SMSU has won six of the last eight at Romano Gym.
•SMSU has won 14 of the last 16 games overall since the 2005-06 season.
•UMD's two victories since Dec. 12, 2004, came on Jan. 20, 2012, and Jan. 30, 2016, both in Duluth.
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 11-2 all-time versus UMD.
•Game-by-game results of the series on page 19.

    ABOUT SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE
•SMSU snapped a two-game losing streak with a home victory over Concordia-St. Paul on Saturday and is 6-3 overall, 1-2 NSIC.
•SMSU has four players averaging double figures in scoring.
•Senior guard Ryan Bruggeman is averaging a team-high 23.2 ppg with a team-high 61 assists and team-high 20 steals.  
•Senior guard Taylor Schafer is averaging 13.1 ppg with a team-high 23 3-pointers.
•Sophomore guard Nick Dufault is averaging 11.2 ppg and has made 20 3-pointers.
•Sophomore forward Kenny Byers is scoring 12.6 ppg with 5.0 rpg.
•Senior forward Steven McNease leads the team in rebounding with 9.7 per game.
•SMSU is shooting 51 percent from the field, 46 percent from 3-point range, 80 percent from the free throw line and is plus-4.0 in rebound margin.
•SMSU is averaging 86 points per game, while opponents are averaging 80 points per game.

    BRUGGEMAN MOVES INTO TOP 2 IN SCORING
•Ryan Bruggeman now ranks second in the SMSU career scoring list with 1,604 points in 105 games. He is 34 points from tying Jacob Fahl (1999-2003) for first place in team history with 1,638 points.

    BRUGGEMAN AMONG THE BEST ACTIVE D2 PLAYERS
•Senior Ryan Bruggeman ranks among the top 10 for active Division II players in several career categories.
•He begins the week fourth among all active players with 571 assists, sixth in steals with 176 and ninth in points with 1,604.

    BRUGGEMAN EARNS NSIC WEEKLY AWARD
•Senior guard Ryan Bruggeman was named the NSIC South Division Player of the Week on Monday.
•He averaged 30 points, 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds in SMSU's split with Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul. He shot a combined 53 percent (19 of 36) from the field and made 21 of 23 (91 percent) free throws during the two games.
•He scored 36 points versus MSU and added 24 points and 10 assists versus CSP.
•It's the third time in his career he has earned the award.

    NSIC SOUTH VS. NSIC NORTH
•This weekend will be the first two of eight games versus NSIC North Division teams this season.
•SMSU finished 7-1 versus 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 start of the 2012-13 season.
•SMSU's 7-1 record last season was its best finish 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.
•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.

    MUSTANG TIP-OFF TIDBITS
•SMSU has scored 90 or more points in five games.
•SMSU has shot 49 percent or higher in each of its six victories, but have shot 44 percent (ESU), 36 percent (USF) and 41 percent (MSU) in its three losses.
•SMSU has scored 100 or more points twice this season. The last time SMSU reached 100 twice in a season came in 2015-16. The last time SMSU scored 100 or more three times in a season occurred during the 2000-01 season.
•SMSU made a season-high with 39 field goals versus Crown College on Nov. 24.
•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 SPLIT FINAL TWO GAMES OF HOMESTAND
•SMSU split the final two games of its nine-game season-opening homestand last weekend, losing 75-67 to Minnesota State, before earning a 90-86 win over Concordia-St. Paul.
•SMSU shot 41 percent in the loss to MSU on Friday, including just 2 of 19 from 3-point range.
•Ryan Bruggeman scored a career-high 36 points on 13 of 23 shooting in the loss to MSU.
•On Saturday, SMSU made 11 of 21 from 3-point range with Bruggeman scoring 24 points with 10 assists.
•Kenny Byers added 20 points, while Steven McNease added 10 points and 11 rebounds.  




    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 an overall record of 167-113, including 113-86 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 ST. CLOUD STATE
•SCSU is 7-2 overall, 2-1 NSIC, after defeating both UMary and Minot State on the road last weekend.
•SCSU was picked as the co-favorite to win the NSIC overall title and the favorite to win the North Division title in the preseason coaches' poll.  
•Senior All-American guard Gage Davis, is averaging 22 ppg with 15 3-pointers and also leads the team with 9.0 rpg.  
•Junior forward Sean Smith is averaging 14.9 ppg and 8.1 rpg.   
•Senior guard Brindley Theisen is scoring 13.7 ppg and has connected on a team-high 28 3-pointers.
•SCSU is shooting 49 percent from the field, 37 percent from 3-point range, 65 percent from the free throw line and is plus-1.1 in rebound margin.
•SCSU is averaging 83 points per game, while opponents are averaging 74 points per game.
•Head coach Matt Reimer is in his fifth season with a record of 81-53.   

    SCOUTING MINNESOTA DULUTH
•UMD (5-2, 2-1 NSIC) split road games last weekend, beating Minot State, before losing in overtime to UMary. UMD will host Sioux Falls on Friday.
•Junior forward Brandon Myer is averaging 19.7 ppg and 10.1 rpg.  
•Senior forward Sean Burns is scoring 12.7 ppg with 7.7 rpg, while shooting 60 percent from the field.
•Junior guard Logan Rohrscheib has made a team-high .  
•UMD is shooting 46 percent from the field, 38 percent from 3-point range, 71 percent from the free throw line and is plus-6.5 in rebound margin.
•UMD is averaging 78 points per game, while opponents are averaging 65 points per game.
•Justin Wieck is in his first season as head coach with a record of 5-2. He was previously an assistant coach at MSU Moorhead the past four seasons.

    MORE BRUGGEMAN IN CAREER RECORD BOOK
•Ryan Bruggeman broke the program's career steals record earlier this season and now has amassed 176 in 105 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 571. He set the steals 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 second in scoring and third in free throw pct.

    SCHAFER REACHES 1,000 POINTS
•Taylor Schafer reached the 1,000 career points mark earlier this season on Nov. 20 vs. Northland College. He is the 24th player in program history to reach 1,000 points and currently ranks 20th all-time with 1,046.

    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 Dec. 10) are located on page 14.
•The Mustangs rank second in the country in 3-point field goal pct., 10th in free throw pct., 19th in field goal pct., 34th in scoring and 40th in 3-pointers made per game.  
•Ryan Bruggeman ranks 10th in assists per game, 13th in scoring, 13th in total assists, 17th in field goals made and 22nd in free throws made.   
•Steven McNease ranks 20th in rebounds per game.

    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 eight times this season.
•Senior Ryan Bruggeman has 30 career 20-point games, including four this season, which includes a 33-point game versus Mayville State, a 31-point game versus Sioux Falls and a 36-point effort versus Minnesota State.
•Senior Taylor Schafer has six, senior Michael Lee and sophomores Nick Dufault and Kenny Byers each have two during their careers.
20 or More Point Games - 2018-19 Season
    36    Ryan Bruggeman    Minnesota State, 12/7/18
    33    Ryan Bruggeman    Mayville State, 11/14/18
    31    Ryan Bruggeman    Sioux Falls, 12/1/18
    25    Michael Lee    Fort Hays State, 11/10/18
    24    Ryan Bruggeman    Concordia-St. Paul, 12/8/18
    22    Nick Dufault    Crown, 11/24/18
    20    Kenny Byers    Concordia-St. Paul, 12/8/18
    20    Kenny Byers    Crown, 11/24/18

    KOLIN BARTLETT NOTES
•Has played in eight games with three starts and is averaging 1.3 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 23.2 ppg with a team-high 61 assists.
•Has three 30-plus point games this season.  
•Scored a career-high 36 points vs. Minnesota State (12/7/18).
•Has two double-doubles this season.
•Ranks first in team history averaging 5.4 assists per game.
•Ranks first in team history with 571 assists.
•Ranks first in team history with 437 free throws made.
•Ranks first in team history with 176 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 played nine games with eight starts and is averaging 12.6 ppg and 5.0 rpg.
•Tied a career-high with 20 points with seven field goals vs. Concordia-St. Paul (12/8/18).
•Scored 20 points on nine field goals vs. Crown (11/24/18).
•Played as a true freshman in 2017-18.

    NICK DUFAULT NOTES
•Has played nine games and is averaging 11.2 ppg.  
•Ranks second on the team with 20 3-pointers and is fourth in scoring.
•Scored a season-high 22 points on 8 of 12 shooting with four 3-pointers vs. Crown (11/24/18).  
•Ranks third in team history with 44.8 3-point field goal pct.
•Sat out 2016-17 season as a redshirt.

    BRAEDAN HANSON NOTES
•Has played in nine games with five starts and is averaging 8.9 ppg and 4.9 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 nine games and is averaging 0.3 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 nine games and is averaging 8.1 ppg.
•Has connected on 17 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 43.4.
•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 all nine games with two starts and is averaging 6.9 ppg and a team-high 9.7 rpg.
•Recorded career-high 18 rebounds and scored career-high 16 points vs. Northland (11/20/18).
•Has two double-doubles on the season.
•Played last season at Copper Mountain College (Calif.)

    TAYLOR SCHAFER NOTES
•Has started nine games and is averaging 13.1 ppg.
•Leads the team with 23 3-pointers.  
•Reached 1,000 career points during win vs. Northland (11/20/18).
•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 193 3-pointers and is sixth all-time in 3-pointers attempted (492).

    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 6-3 at home this season after recording a 12-2 home mark last season.
•SMSU is a combined 116-42 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    6-3    50.7    45.7    79.7    36.0    86.1    11.6    
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 made 3-pointers last season, breaking the previous record of 262 set 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.

    SMSU IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
•SMSU made its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance (2001, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2018) 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 was the first SMSU player to earn All-American honors since Ross DeMasi in 2009.
•Bruggeman 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.




    WINS VERSUS NATIONALLY RANKED TEAMS
•SMSU has yet to face a nationally-ranked team in 2018-19.
•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.
•Prior to the 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.

    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 223-84 (.726) in 307 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    6-3    1-2    5-1    
    Totals    223-84    145-59    78-25

    CONSECUTIVE 3-POINT GAMES
•Southwest Minnesota State has connected on at least one 3-point field goal in 598 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
•The 2018-19 campaign marks the 50th season SMSU has competed in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
•SMSU has an all-time record of 362-387 in 749 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.

    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 1,424 games compiling an all-time record of 659-765.
•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.