THIS WEEK
•The Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team (5-11, 2-8 NSIC) steps out of divisional play this weekend with a pair of road games versus NSIC North Division opponents in the state of North Dakota.
•SMSU will open the weekend on Friday facing Minot State University (6-10, 0-10 NSIC) with game time set for 7:30 p.m. at the Minot State Dome in Minot, N.D.
•On Saturday, SMSU closes the weekend versus the University of Mary (8-8, 3-7 NSIC) with tip-off slated for 5:30 p.m. at the McDowell Activity Center in Bismarck, N.D.
 
    BROADCAST INFO
•Both games will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL with Ryan Rohlik providing play-by-play.
•Live stats, radio broadcast and video can be found at SMSUmustangs.com.

    MUSTANG TIP-OFF TIDBITS
•SMSU is 1-1 versus NSIC North Division teams this season and is a combined 38-20 versus North teams in conference play since divisions were introduced prior to the 2012-13 season.
•SMSU ranks 40th in Division II (Jan. 14) in field goal percentage defense (41.7) and 70th in scoring defense (69.9).
•SMSU dropped a pair of home games last weekend, losing 79-70 to Concordia-St. Paul and 53-46 to Minnesota State.
•SMSU forced CSP and MSU into a combined 32 turnovers which led to 34 points off of turnovers.
•SMSU's 46 points in last Saturday's loss to MSU was the first time the Mustangs scored less than 50 points since scoring 48 at UMary on Jan. 14, 2011. It was just the third time in head coach Brad Bigler's 11-year coaching career that SMSU scored less than 50 points in a game.
•SMSU also shot a season-low 27 percent in the loss to MSU, which marked the first time SMSU shot less than 30 percent in a game since Feb. 26, 2011, versus Minnesota State.
•Kenny Byers scored 21 points with a career-high eight assists, six rebounds and four steals in the loss to CSP. He scored a game-high 23 points in the setback to MSU. Byers has scored 20 or more points in seven straight games heading into this weekend's games.
•Andy Stafford scored a career-high 15 points with three 3-pointers in Friday's loss to CSP, while Nick Dufault scored 15 points with three 3-pointers.
•Brian Dayman grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds in the loss to MSU on Saturday.  
•Augustana's 27.9 percent shooting on Jan. 3 was the lowest by an SMSU opponent this season and was the first time an SMSU opponent shot less than 30 percent in a game since Wayne State (28.0) on Dec. 4, 2010.
•Junior Kenny Byers leads the team in scoring (17.9), rebounding (8.1), assists (42), steals (24) and has recorded a team-high seven double-doubles. Byers ranks tied for fifth among all NSIC players with seven 10 or more rebound games this season, while his seven double-doubles ranks fourth among all NSIC players and 18th nationally.
•Junior Nick Dufault, who missed two games in early January with an injury, has connected on a team-high 33 3-pointers and ranks fourth in team history in 3-point field goal pct. (42.3). Dufault also ranks tied for 13th in program history with 126 3-point field goals made. He needs eight more 3-pointers to move into a tie for 12th.
•Freshman Cliff McCray ranks third on the team in scoring (9.8) and second with 28 assists.    
•Sophomore Grant Kramer, who ranks third on the team with 24 assists, has missed the last five games due to injury.  
•SMSU has outrebounded its opponents just five times through 16 games this season and is minus-0.1 in rebound margin. Last season, SMSU outrebounded its opponent just twice in its last 21 games and finished last in the NSIC in rebound margin (minus-8.5).  
•SMSU is shooting 43 percent from the field, 37 percent from 3-point range, 63 percent from the free throw line and is minus-0.1 in rebound margin.
•SMSU is averaging 66 points per game, while opponents are averaging 70 points per game.

    SERIES HISTORY VERSUS MINOT STATE
•SMSU and Minot State meet for the ninth time on Friday with SMSU winning all eight prior meetings.
•The teams first met on Nov. 26, 2011, in Bemidji, Minn.  
•SMSU leads 3-0 in games played in Minot, including 74-64 in the last game played on Feb. 3, 2017.
•SMSU won last season's lone meeting in Marshall, 83-77 on Jan. 18, 2019.
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 8-0 all-time versus MISU.
 
    SERIES HISTORY VERSUS UMARY
•SMSU and UMary meet for the 19th time on Saturday with SMSU leading 15-3 in a series that started during the 2005-06 season.
•SMSU leads 5-2 in games played in Bismarck, N.D., including earning a 76-62 victory in the last game played on Feb. 4, 2017.
•SMSU has won the four meetings in the series, including 79-71 last season in Marshall on Jan. 19, 2019.
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 9-3 all-time versus UMary.

    SMSU VICTORIES OVER THE LAST THREE-PLUS SEASONS
•Southwest Minnesota State has posted a combined record of 76-40 the past three-plus seasons (start of 2016-17 to current) which includes two NSIC South Division titles and three appearances in the NSIC Tournament championship game.
•The 71 victories entering this season was the best three-year run in program history.

    SMSU HEAD COACH BRAD BIGLER
•Brad Bigler, the all-time wins leader in program history, is in his 11th season as head coach with an overall record of 184-135, including 124-104 in NSIC play.
•The 2012-13 and 2016-17 NSIC Coach of the Year, Bigler has led SMSU to seven 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 NSIC South Division championships in both 2016-17 and 2017-18.  
•SMSU has played in five NSIC Tournament championship games during his tenure (2010, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019).
•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 MINOT STATE
•Minot State is 6-10 overall, 0-10 NSIC, and is currently on a 10-game losing streak after opening the season with six straight victories. The Beavers lost to St. Cloud State (82-65) and Minnesota Duluth (93-69) at home last weekend.
•Senior guard Kyle Beisch is averaging 19.8 ppg and 4.7 rpg, while connecting on a team-high 45 3-pointers.
•Junior forward Kody Dwyer is averaging a team-high 5.4 rpg and scoring 10.5 ppg, while shooting 72 percent from the field.  
•Junior guard Max Cody is scoring 16.1 ppg with 22 3-pointers and has dished out 99 assists.  
•MISU is shooting 45 percent from the field, 33 percent from 3-point range, 72 percent from the free throw line and is plus-2.2 in rebound margin.
•MISU is averaging 72 points per game, while opponents average 71 points per game.  
•Head coach Matt Murken is in his eighth season with an overall record of 101-118. He had a two-year record of 46-16 at the University of Jamestown (2010-12) prior to Minot State.   

    SCOUTING UMARY
•UMary is 8-8 overall, 3-7 NSIC, heading into Friday's game versus Sioux Falls. The Marauders split a pair of home games last weekend losing to Minnesota Duluth last Friday 78-54, but rebounded with an 85-80 win over St. Cloud State.
•Junior forward Matthew Kreklow is averaging 15.2 ppg and 8.1 rpg, while shooting 57 percent from the field.
•Senior guard Jaylan White is scoring 12.3 ppg and had recorded a team-high 60 assists.
•UMary has four players who have made 20 or more 3-pointers with junior forward Wyatt Carr making a team-high 24.
•Kreklow and Carr each scored 18 points and combined to shooting 14 of 17 from the field in the win over SCSU.
•UMary is shooting 43 percent from the field, 33 percent from 3-point range, 76 percent from the free throw line and is minus-0.5 in rebound margin.
•UMary is averaging 70 points per game, while opponents average 68 points per game.  
•Head coach Joe Kittell is in his fifth season at UMary with a record of 57-75 heading into Friday's game.  

    SMSU IN THE 2019-20 NCAA STATISTICS
•The latest 2019-20 NCAA statistics (Jan. 14) are located on page 16.
•SMSU ranks 37th in total blocked shots, 39th in field goal pct. defense, 48th in blocked shots per game, 71st in scoring defense and 77th in 3-point field goal pct.
•Weston Baker Magrath is ranked 16th in blocked shots and 20th in blocked shots per game.
•Kenny Byers ranks 18th with seven double-doubles, 21st in field goals attempted, 41st in field goals made, 47th in total rebounds, and 84th in rebounding.

    SMSU IN THE 2019-20 NSIC STATISTICS
•The current 2019-20 NSIC team statistics (NSIC games only) are located on pages 14.
•Kenny Byers ranks seventh in scoring, seventh in steals, ninth in rebounding, 13th in assists and 15th in field goal pct.
•Nick Dufault ranks third in 3-point field goal pct., fifth in 3-point field goals per game and 15th in scoring.  
•Weston Baker Magrath ranks fifth in blocked shots.
•SMSU ranks third in 3-point field goal pct. defense, fourth in field goal pct. defense, fourth in scoring defense and sixth in 3-point field goal pct.

    MUSTANG 20-POINT GAMES  
•Two current SMSU players, juniors Nick Dufault and Kenny Byers have scored 20 or more points in a game during their careers.
•Byers has reached 20 points eight times this season and 10 times in his career, while Dufault has two 20-point games this season and four in his career.
20 or More Point Games in Career
    28    Nick Dufault    Minnesota Duluth, 12/14/19
    27    Kenny Byers    St. Cloud State, 12/13/19
    24    Kenny Byers    Wayne State, 1/4/20
    24    Kenny Byers    Minnesota Duluth, 12/14/19
    23    Kenny Byers    Minnesota State, 1/11/20
    23    Kenny Byers    Sioux Falls, 12/21/19
    23    Nick Dufault    Crown, 11/21/17
    22    Nick Dufault    Crown, 11/24/18
    21    Kenny Byers    Concordia-St. Paul, 1/10/20
    21    Kenny Byers    Augustana, 1/3/20
    20    Nick Dufault    Concordia-St. Paul, 12/7/19
    20    Kenny Byers    Central Missouri, 11/9/19
    20    Kenny Byers    Concordia-St. Paul, 12/8/18
    20    Kenny Byers    Crown, 11/24/18
Bold indicates 2019-20 season

    WESTON BAKER MAGRATH NOTES
•Has started 16 games and is averaging 6.3 ppg and 3.9 rpg.
•Leads the team with 30 blocked shots.
•Season-high 18 points vs. Minnesota Morris (11/22/19).
•Played previous two seasons at Nebraska-Kearney and averaged 6.6 ppg and 3.1 rpg in 2018-19.
•Led UNK in blocked shots last season with 33.
•Scored a 2018-19 season-high 18 points versus Northeastern State.
 
    KENNY BYERS NOTES
•Has started all 16 games and leads team in scoring (17.9), rebounding (8.1), assists (42) and steals (24).
•Has scored 20 or more points eight times and has recorded seven double-doubles this season.
•Scored career-high 27 points vs. St. Cloud State (12/13/19).
•Grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds vs. Minnesota Duluth (12/14/19).
•Played 32 games with 31 starts last season and averaged 10.2 ppg and 4.0 rpg.
•Named to the 2019 NSIC All-Tournament team.
•Played as a true freshman in 2017-18.

    BRIAN DAYMAN NOTES
•Has played in all 16 games with 14 starts and is averaging 4.4 ppg and 5.1 rpg.
•Grabbed career-high 11 rebounds vs. Minnesota State (1/11/20).
•Scored 10 points vs. Arkansas-Monticello with four field goals and also scored 10 points with four field goals at Augustana
•Sat out the 2018-19 season as a redshirt.

    NICK DUFAULT NOTES
•Has played in 14 games with five starts and ranks second in scoring (13.0).
•Missed first two games of January with an injury.
•Has made a team-high 33 3-pointers this season.
•Career-high 28 points with a career-high 11 field goals vs. Minnesota Duluth (12/14/19).
•Has scored 20 or more points twice this season.
•Has made career-high five 3-pointers four times, including once this season.
•Ranks fourth in team history in 3-point field goal pct. (42.3).
•Ranked third on the team with 49 3-pointers last season.
•Sat out 2016-17 season as a redshirt.

    KADEN EVANS NOTES
•Has missed 10 games with an injury.
•Has played in six games and is averaging 3.8 ppg and 1.7 rpg.
•Scored 13 points with five field goals, including three 3-pointers vs. Mayville State.
•Sat out the 2018-19 season as a redshirt.

    BRAEDAN HANSON NOTES
•Has played in all 16 games with two starts and is averaging 4.3 ppg and 3.3 rpg.
•Career-high nine rebounds vs. Stonehill (11/15/19) and vs. Minnesota Morris (11/22/19).
•Scored season-high 10 points vs. Minnesota Morris.
•Played in 32 games with 22 starts last season, averaging 6.5 ppg and 4.3 rpg.
•Scored a career-high 17 points vs. Northland (11/20/18).
•Poured in 16 points with four 3-pointers vs. UMary (1/19/19).
•Sat out 2016-17 season as a redshirt.

    GRANT KRAMER NOTES
•Has missed last five games with an injury.
•Has played in 11 games with seven starts and is averaging 5.5 ppg and 2.6 rpg with 24 assists.
•Career-high 14 points vs. Northern Michigan (11/16/19).
•Scored 13 points vs. Stonehill (11/15/19).
•Played in 32 games in 2018-19 and averaged 2.6 ppg and 2.4 rpg.
•Career-high 11 rebounds at Minnesota State (1/12/19).
•Sat out the 2017-18 season as a redshirt.

    CLIFF MCCRAY NOTES
•Has started all 16 games and is averaging 9.8 ppg and 3.8 rpg.
•Career-high 15 points and tied career-high with four assists vs. Minnesota Duluth.
•Made career-high three 3-pointers vs. Sioux Falls (12/21/19).
•Scored 14 points with six field goals at Sioux Falls (11/30/19).
•Has scored in double figures in nine games.
•Grabbed season-high seven rebounds at Central Missouri.
•One of two true freshman to play in 2019-20.

    JAKE PHIPPS NOTES
•Has appeared in all 16 games and is averaging 3.8 ppg and 2.9 rpg.
•Career-high seven rebounds vs. Minnesota State (1/11/20).
•Career-high five blocked shots vs. Concordia (1/10/20).
•Scored eight points with six rebounds at Central Missouri.
•Also scored eight points vs. Northern Michigan.  
•Sat out the 2018-19 season as a redshirt.

    ANDY STAFFORD NOTES
•Did not play in the first seven games. Has played in nine games with four starts and is averaging 6.0 ppg and 2.0 rpg.
•Career-high 15 points with three 3-pointers vs. Concordia (1/10/20).  
•Scored 13 points with three 3-pointers at Wayne State
•One of two true freshman to play in 2019-20.

    KEVIN TOTUSEK NOTES
•Has played in three games this season.
•Scored one point vs. Minnesota Morris.
•Played in five games in 2018-19 and averaged 1.2 ppg.
•Scored four points vs. Crown (11/24/18).
•Sat out the 2017-18 season as a redshirt.

    HOME AND AWAY
•SMSU is 3-4 at home this season after finishing the 2018-19 season 12-5 at home.
•SMSU is a combined 125-48 at home since the 2007-08 season.
•SMSU is 2-7 in road/neutral site games this season and are a combined 94-93 in 187 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    3-4    46.0    35.9    70.1    34.0    71.3    12.4    
Away    2-7    40.9    38.2    58.6    36.3    62.7    13.3         
          
    SMSU PICKED 12TH IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL
•SMSU was picked to finish 12th overall and sixth in the South Division in the 16-team NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
•Minnesota State was chosen as the South Division and overall favorite, while Minnesota Duluth was picked to win the North Division.
•SMSU junior guard Kenny Byers was named a "Player to Watch".

    NSIC SOUTH VS. NSIC NORTH
•SMSU is 1-1 versus NSIC North Division teams this season and is a combined 38-20 versus North teams in conference play since divisions were introduced prior to the 2012-13 season.
•SMSU finished with a 5-3 record versus the NSIC North Division in 2018-19.
•SMSU finished 7-1 in 2017-18; 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 269-195 advantage over NSIC North teams in conference play since divisions were formed in 2012-13. The South holds a 9-7 lead this season as of Jan. 4.
•In 2018-19, the North finished 38-26, which was the first time in seven seasons the North finished with a winning record.
•Prior to last season, the South Division held the advantage in every season. In 2017-18, (38-26); in 2016-17 (35-29); in 2015-16 (37-27); in 2014-15 (35-29); in 2013-14 (42-22), while in 2012-13 (47-17).

    HOME SWEET HOME
•The 2019-20 season marks the 24th year the R/A Facility has served as the home arena for SMSU men's basketball.
•SMSU has a record of 232-90 (.720) in 322 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    12-5    7-4    5-1    
    2019-20    3-4    1-4    2-0
    Totals    232-90    152-65    80-25

    CONSECUTIVE 3-POINT GAMES
•Southwest Minnesota State has connected on at least one 3-point field goal in 637 straight games.
•The last time SMSU failed to connect on a 3-pointer was on Dec. 11, 1998, versus MSU Moorhead (0 for 10) at the North Dakota State Classic.

    A LOOK BACK AT SMSU IN 2018-19
•SMSU concluded the 2018-19 season with an 18-14 overall record, placed fifth in the NSIC South Division with a 10-12 mark and finished ninth in the overall standings.
•SMSU won three straight games in the NSIC Tournament to advance to the championship game for the third straight season before losing to Northern State, 72-68.

    REPLACING ALL-AMERICAN RYAN BRUGGEMAN
•One of several key players SMSU had to replace from last season's team was All-American guard Ryan Bruggeman, who closed his career as one of the most decorated players in program history.
•Bruggeman set the program's all-time scoring record with 2,246 points in 128 games. He is also the program's all-time leader in field goals made, free throws made, assists, free throw percentage and steals.
•Bruggeman in early January signed a professional contact to play for Delteco Gipuzkoa BC located in San Sebastian, Spain, which is a second tier league team in the Spain Basketball League. He most recently played for HKK Zrinjski HT Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina Division I. In 11 games, Bruggeman averaged 10.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.6 apg and 1.3 spg.

    MUSTANGS REACH 100 AND THEN SOME
•SMSU scored 100 or more points three times in 2018-19, defeating Bethany Lutheran, 101-81, Crown College, 100-81 and Minnesota Crookston, 100-78.
•It was the first time SMSU scored 100 or more three times in a season since 2000-01.
•SMSU is 40-8 all-time when scoring 100 points.

    WORKING OVERTIME
•SMSU is 47-39 all-time in overtime games, including 1-0 this season following a triple overtime victory over Minnesota Duluth on Dec. 14.
•SMSU is 7-6 in double overtime games and now 1-2 in triple overtime games all-time.

    SMSU IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
•SMSU has made five NCAA Tournament appearances (2001, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2018) in program history since moving to Division II in 1995-96.
•SMSU is 9-5 all-time in NCAA Tournament games appearing in three region championship games with region titles and Elite Eight appearances in both 2001 and 2009.  

    SMSU ALL-TIME IN THE NSIC
•The 2019-20 campaign marks the 51st season SMSU has competed in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
•SMSU has an all-time record of 373-405 in 778 conference games, finishing in the top half of the final standings 25 times in 50 seasons.
•SMSU has finished in the top half of the NSIC standings in 17 of the last 23 seasons since 1997-98.
•SMSU has one regular season championship (2000-01) and two tournament championships (2012 and 2017).
•SMSU also won NSIC South Division titles in both 2016-17 and 2017-18.

    MUSTANG HISTORY
•Southwest Minnesota State is in its 53rd season of men's basketball in 2019-20.
•SMSU has played 1,463 games compiling an all-time record of 676-787.
•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 24 winning seasons in program history with 17 coming in the last 21 years.