THIS WEEK
•The Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team (6-12, 3-9 NSIC) returns home to the R/A Facility for a pair of critical NSIC South Division games this Friday and Saturday versus two of the hottest teams in the conference.
•SMSU will open the weekend on Friday, Jan., 24, face Winona State University (10-8, 7-5 NSIC) with game time set for 7:30 p.m. WSU has won three straight and seven of its last nine games. WSU is currently in fourth place in the NSIC South standings.
•On Saturday, Jan. 25, SMSU wraps-up the weekend battling Upper Iowa University (11-7, 8-4 NSIC) with tip-off slated for 6 p.m. UIU enters the weekend in second place in the NSIC South and is on a four-game winning streak and has won seven of its last nine games. UIU has scored 100 more points in three of its last four games and have reached 100 points four times this season.
•UIU ranks first in the NSIC in scoring offense (88.7), WSU ranks fifth (79.8), while SMSU is 16th (64.3). SMSU ranks third in the NSIC in scoring defense (70.5), while WSU is 10th (76.7) and UIU is 16th (88.4).
•SMSU, which split a pair of road games last weekend in the state of North Dakota, is 3-4 at home this season and has lost its last three home games. The last time SMSU lost four straight home games occurred from Jan. 3 to Jan. 30, 2015.  
 
    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 ranks 36th in Division II (Jan. 20) in field goal percentage defense (41.8) and 60th in scoring defense (69.4).
•SMSU split two road games last weekend in North Dakota, winning 61-57 at Minot State last Friday, before losing 75-60 to UMary.
•SMSU limited Minot State to 22 percent shooting in the first half on Friday night. It was the second time in four games (at Wayne State on Jan. 4, 29.6) SMSU has limited an opponent to less than 30 percent shooting in a half.
•UMary connected on 15 3-pointers--the highest total by an SMSU opponent this season--in the victory on Saturday.
•Jake Phipps scored a career-high 18 points on 8 of 9 shooting in the victory at Minot State.
•Kenny Byers added 17 points on 7 of 10 from the field and also recorded five rebounds, five assists and four steals in the victory over Minot State.   
•In the loss to UMary, Nick Dufault made five 3-pointers and finished with a team-high 16 points.
•Junior Kenny Byers leads the team in scoring (17.6), rebounding (7.8), assists (52), steals (29) and has recorded a team-high seven double-doubles. Byers ranks tied for sixth 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 25th nationally.
•Junior Nick Dufault, who missed two games in early January with an injury, has connected on a team-high 38 3-pointers and is second on the squad in scoring (12.7). He ranks fifth in team history in 3-point field goal pct. (41.9) and 13th in program history with 131 3-point field goals made. He needs three more 3-pointers to move into a tie for 12th.
•Freshman Cliff McCray ranks third on the team in scoring (8.9) and second with 33 assists.    
•Junior Weston Baker Magrath has a team-high 35 blocked shots, which ranks eighth in team single-season history.
•Sophomore Grant Kramer, who ranks third on the team with 24 assists, has missed the last seven games due to injury.  
•SMSU has outrebounded its opponents just five times through 18 games this season and is minus-0.8 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).  
•For the season, SMSU is shooting 44 percent from the field, 37 percent from 3-point range, 64 percent from the free throw line and is minus-0.8 in rebound margin. SMSU is averaging 66 points per game, while opponents are averaging 69 points per game.

    SMSU VICTORIES OVER THE LAST THREE-PLUS SEASONS
•Southwest Minnesota State has posted a combined record of 77-41 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.

    SERIES HISTORY VERSUS WINONA STATE
•SMSU and Winona State meet for the 110th time with WSU leading 70-39 in a series that started in 1968-69.
•WSU holds a 27-8 advantage since 2004-05, but SMSU is 6-5 in the last 11 meetings.
•SMSU has won four of the last six games since the start of the 2016-17 season. The teams split last season with each team winning on their home court.
•WSU hold a 27-24 advantage in games played in Marshall, but SMSU has won the last three inside the R/A Facility, including 69-67 last season.
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 8-13 all-time versus WSU.
•Game-by-game results of the series on page 17.

    SERIES HISTORY VERSUS UPPER IOWA
•SMSU and Upper Iowa meet for the 30th time with SMSU leading 21-8 in a match-up that started in 1979-80.
•SMSU leads 10-4 in games played in Marshall, including winning last season, 90-65.
•UIU won four straight in Marshall from Jan. 18, 2014, to Jan. 7, 2017.
•SMSU has won five straight in the series which started with a victory in the championship game of the NSIC Tournament in 2017. Prior to SMSU's current streak, UIU had won six of the previous seven games.
•SMSU won both games last season, 91-87 at Upper Iowa and 90-65 in Marshall.
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 13-7 all-time versus UIU.
•Game-by-game results of the series are on page 18.

    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 185-136, including 125-105 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 WINONA STATE
•Winona State is 10-8 overall, 7-5 NSIC, and is currently on a three-game winning streak. The Warriors defeated Minnesota Crookston (80-66) and Bemidji State (82-74) at home last weekend.
•Junior guard Kevion Taylor leads the team in both scoring (19.6) and rebounding (7.4), while connecting on a team-high 63 3-pointers.
•Senior guard Caleb Wagner is averaging 18.9 ppg with 41 3-pointers.   
•Junior forward Andrea Lo Biondo is scoring 9.1 ppg and averaging 6.3 rpg.  
•WSU is shooting 43 percent from the field, 36 percent from 3-point range, 78 percent from the free throw line and is minus-3.7 in rebound margin.
•WSU is averaging 76 points per game, while opponents average 74 points per game.  
•Head coach Todd Eisner is in his fifth season with a record  of 70-64. He recorded 417 career victories as a head coach at Midland (Neb.), Benedictine (Kan.), Bellevue (Neb.) and Viterbo (Wis.).  

    SCOUTING UPPER IOWA
•Upper Iowa is 11-7 overall, 8-4 NSIC, heading into Friday's game at Sioux Falls. The Peacocks have won four straight at home, including last weekend over Bemidji State (105-93 2OT) and Minnesota Crookston (102-94).
•Junior forward Jareese Williams is averaging 13.9 ppg and leads the team with 57 3-pointers.
•Senior guard Joe Smoldt is scoring 13.3 ppg with 41 3-pointers.
•Jake Hilmer had dished out 87 assists and is averaging 12.1 ppg.
•UIU is shooting 46 percent from the field, 38 percent from 3-point range, 72 percent from the free throw line and is minus-4.4 in rebound margin. UIU ranks last in the NSIC in rebounding margin in 12 league games.
•UIU is averaging 84 points per game, while opponents average 83 points per game.  
•Head coach Brooks McKowen is in his seventh season at UIU with a record of 106-89. He led the Peacocks to the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
•McKowen was an assistant coach at SMSU from 2011-13.

    SMSU IN THE 2019-20 NCAA STATISTICS
•The latest 2019-20 NCAA statistics (Jan. 21) are located on page 16.
•SMSU ranks 28th in total blocked shots, 36th in field goal pct. defense, 38th in blocked shots per game and 60th in scoring defense.
•Weston Baker Magrath is ranked 15th in blocked shots and 22nd in blocked shots per game.
•Kenny Byers ranks 25th with seven double-doubles, 25th in field goals attempted, 42nd in field goals made and 62nd in total rebounds.

    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 fifth in steals, seventh in scoring, 10th in rebounding, 12th in assists and 17th in field goal pct.
•Nick Dufault ranks sixth in 3-point field goal pct., sixth in 3-point field goals per game, 19th in field goal pct. and 20th in scoring.  
•Weston Baker Magrath ranks fourth in blocked shots.
•SMSU ranks third in field goal pct. defense, third in scoring defense, seventh in 3-point field goal pct. defense and seventh 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 18 games and is averaging 6.3 ppg and 3.7 rpg.
•Leads the team with 35 blocked shots ranking eighth in team single-season history.
•Season-high 18 points vs. Minnesota Morris (11/22/19) and season-high seven rebounds at Minnesota State (12/6/19).  
•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 18 games and leads team in scoring (17.6), rebounding (7.8), assists (52) and steals (29).
•Has scored 20 or more points eight times and has recorded seven double-doubles this season.
•Has scored double figures in all but one game 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 18 games with 16 starts and is averaging 4.3 ppg and 4.9 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 16 games with seven starts and ranks second in scoring (12.7).
•Missed first two games of January with an injury.
•Has made a team-high 38 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 five times, including twice this season.
•Ranks fifth in team history in 3-point field goal pct. (41.9).
•Ranked third on the team with 49 3-pointers last season.
•Sat out 2016-17 season as a redshirt.

    KADEN EVANS NOTES
•Has missed 12 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 18 games with two starts and is averaging 4.1 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 seven 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 18 games and is averaging 8.9 ppg and 3.9 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 career-high six field goals at Sioux Falls (11/30/19).
•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 18 games and is averaging 4.8 ppg and 2.9 rpg.
•Scored career-high 18 points on 8 of 9 shooting at Minot State (1/17/20).
•Career-high seven rebounds vs. Minnesota State (1/11/20).
•Career-high five blocked shots vs. Concordia (1/10/20).
•Sat out the 2018-19 season as a redshirt.

    ANDY STAFFORD NOTES
•Did not play in the first seven games with a planned redshirt season. Has played in 11 games with four starts and is averaging 6.1 ppg and 2.5 rpg.
•Career-high 15 points with three 3-pointers vs. Concordia (1/10/20).  
•Has scored double figures in three games.
•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 3-8 in road/neutral site games this season and are a combined 95-94 in 189 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    3-8    42.4    37.2    60.5    34.5    62.3    13.1              
          
    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 2-2 versus NSIC North Division teams this season and is a combined 39-21 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 was 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 277-203 advantage over NSIC North teams in conference play since divisions were formed in 2012-13. The South holds a 17-15 lead this season as of Jan. 19.
•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 639 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 374-406 in 780 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 1,465 games compiling an all-time record of 677-788.
•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.