THIS WEEK
•The Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team opens the delayed 2020-21 regular season this Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 2-3, 2021, with a pair of non-conference games at Minot State University in Minot, N.D.
•SMSU and MISU open the season on Saturday with tip-off slated for 5 p.m., while Sunday's game will begin at 1 p.m. Both games will be played inside the Minot State Dome.
•Minot State has announced attendance will be capped at 1,000 for each game.
•SMSU and MISU are both members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, but due to a revised league schedule in 2021 due to COVID-19, the two games will be considered non-conference.

    BROADCAST INFO
•Saturday's game will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL, while Sunday's game will air on 94.7 FM KKCK with Anthony Rohlik providing play-by-play for both games.
•Live stats, radio broadcast and video broadcast can be found at SMSUmustangs.com.

    SERIES HISTORY VERSUS MINOT STATE
•SMSU and Minot State meet for the 10th and 11th time this weekend with SMSU winning all nine prior meetings.
•SMSU leads 4-0 in games played in Minot, including winning 61-57 last season on Jan. 17, 2020.
•The teams first met on Nov. 26, 2011, in Bemidji, Minn.  
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 9-0 all-time versus MISU.
•Game-by-game results of the series is located on page 17.

    SEASON OPENERS
•SMSU is 29-24 all-time in season openers having won eight of its last 14 and 16 of its last 24 season lid-lifters.
•SMSU snapped a two-game losing streak in season openers last season earning a 62-58 road victory over Central Missouri.  
•SMSU has opened the season on the road five times in the last six seasons.

    SMSU HEAD COACH BRAD BIGLER
•Brad Bigler, the all-time wins leader in program history, is in his 12th season as head coach and has an overall record of 187-145, including 127-113 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 won back-to-back NSIC South Division championships in 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.
•SMSU's 71 combined victories from 2016-19 was the best three-year run in program history.
•Bigler's complete bio is found on page 16.    

    ABOUT SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE IN 2020-21  
•SMSU returns eight letter winners and all five starters from last season's team that finished 8-21 overall, including 5-17 in NSIC play. SMSU has 17 players listed on the 2020-21 roster with three seniors, one junior, four sophomores, four redshirt freshmen and five true freshmen.  
•Unfortunately, SMSU will not have two of its expected starters in the line-up this season as senior Kenny Byers (COVID opt-out) and junior Grant Kramer (injury), will both miss the season.
•Byers led the team last season in scoring (16.3), rebounding (6.9), assists (95), steals (43) and recorded a team-high eight double-doubles. Byers' 472 points scored last season ranks 20th in team single-season history.
•Senior Nick Dufault, who missed two games in early January with an injury last season, connected on a team-high 55 3-pointers and was second on the squad in scoring (10.8). Dufault begins the 2020-21 season ranked 10th in team history in 3-point field goal pct. (40.5) and 12th in program history with 148 3-point field goals made. Dufault needs 14 more 3-pointers to move into ninth all-time.
•Sophomore Cliff McCray ranked third on the team last season in scoring (8.7) and was second with 68 assists.    
•Senior Weston Baker Magrath set a team-high single-season record with 57 blocked shots a year ago. He surpassed the previous record of 55 set by Mark Ornatek (1979-80).
•In the last 10 games of last season, sophomore Jake Phipps ranked second on the team in scoring with 12.7 ppg and ranked first at 5.5 rpg. He shot 66 percent (53 of 80) during the 10-game stretch. He finished the season shooting 63.3 percent (93 of 147) from the field ranking third in team single-season history.
•SMSU recorded a team record 118 blocked shots last season.  
•During the 2019-20 season, SMSU shot 46 percent from the field, 38 percent from 3-point range, 68 percent from the free throw line and was plus-1.0 in rebound margin. SMSU averaged 66 points per game, while opponents averaged 70 ppg.

    SMSU PICKED 7TH IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL
•SMSU was picked to finish seventh in the South Division in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
•SMSU senior guard Nick Dufualt was named a "Player to Watch".
•Augustana was chosen as the South Division favorite, followed by Sioux Falls, Winona State and Minnesota State rounding out the top four.  

    NEW LOOK NSIC SCHEDULE AND POSTSEASON  
•Each NSIC team has 16 regular season games scheduled with 14 conference games versus teams within their division.
•The NSIC Sanford Tournament has been reduced to an eight-team tournament with the top four teams in each division advancing to the tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D.  

    SCOUTING MINOT STATE
•Minot State was picked to finish seventh in the NSIC North Division preseason poll. The Beavers finished last season 10-19 overall, including 4-18 in NSIC play. MISU ended its 2019-20 season with a 79-68 loss at Sioux Falls in the first round of the NSIC Sanford Health Tournament.       
•Senior guard Max Cody is the team's top returning scorer at 15.1 ppg. He connected on 38 3-pointers and dished out a team-high 186 assists last season.  
•Senior forward Kody Dwyer averaged 11 points last season, while shooting 71 percent and grabbing 5.1 rpg.  
•Last season, MISU shot 45 percent from the field, 34 percent from 3-point range, 73 percent from the free throw line and was plus-1.3 in rebound margin.
•MISU averaged 70 points per game last season, while opponents averaged 72 ppg.
•Head coach Matt Murken is in his ninth season with a record of 105-127.

    BYERS EARNS ALL-NSIC IN 2019-20
•Senior Kenny Byers was named second team All-NSIC last season.
•Byers led SMSU in nearly every offensive category averaging a team-high 16.3 points per game and ranked first on the team with 6.9 rebounds per game.
•He also was the team leader in both assists (95) and steals (43) and closed the season shooting 44.9 percent (180 of 401) from the field and 70.5 percent (86 of 122) from the free throw line.
•His eight double-doubles ranked fifth among all NSIC players during the regular season.
•In NSIC play, Byers ranked fifth in the league in steals (1.5), 10th in scoring (17.3), 12th in rebounding (6.7), 12th in assists (3.5), 16th in assist/turnover ratio (1.1), 18th in field goal percentage (45.0) and 19th in free throw percentage (75.2).
    SMSU IN THE 2019-20 NCAA STATISTICS
•The final 2019-20 NCAA statistics are located on page 15.
•SMSU ranked 31st in blocked shots per game, 35th in total blocked shots, 41st in 3-point field goal percentage, 53rd in scoring defense and 75th in field goal pct. defense.
•Weston Baker Magrath finished ranked 17th in blocked shots and 22nd in blocked shots per game.
•Kenny Byers ranked 74th in field goals attempted.

    SMSU IN THE 2019-20 NSIC STATISTICS
•The final 2019-20 NSIC team and individual statistics (NSIC games only) are located on pages 13-14.
•Kenny Byers finished the league season ranking fifth in steals, 10th in scoring, 12th in rebounding, 12th in assists, 16th in assist/turnover ratio, 18th in field goal pct. and 19th in free throw pct.
•Nick Dufault finished eighth in 3-pointers per game.  
•Weston Baker Magrath ranked third, while Jake Phipps finished 10th in blocked shots.
•Cliff McCray ranked 19th in steals.
•SMSU closed conference play third in scoring defense, third in field goal pct. defense and fourth in 3-point field goal pct.
•SMSU also ranked ninth in rebound margin, 13th free throw pct., 13th in 3-point field goal pct. defense, 16th in scoring offense and 16th in assist/turnover ratio.

    MUSTANG 20-POINT GAMES  
•Two current SMSU players, seniors Nick Dufault and Kenny Byers have scored 20 or more points in a game during their careers.
•Byers reached 20 points nine times last season and has  11 times in his career, which includes one 30-point game last season, while Dufault had three 20-point games last season and has five in his career.
20 or More Point Games in Career
    33    Kenny Byers    Minnesota Crookston, 1/31/20
    28    Nick Dufault    Minnesota Duluth, 12/14/19
    27    Nick Dufault    Bemidji State, 2/1/20
    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 2020-21 season

    WESTON BAKER MAGRATH NOTES
•Played in all 29 games with 25 starts and averaged 6.5 ppg and 4.0 rpg.
•Set program single-season record with 57 blocked shots.
•Season-high 18 points vs. Minnesota Morris (11/22/19) and season-high seven rebounds at Minnesota State (12/6/19).
•Scored 14 points on 7 of 9 shooting vs. Upper Iowa (1/25/20).   
•Played two seasons at Nebraska-Kearney and averaged 6.6 ppg and 3.1 rpg in 2018-19.

    LOGAN BENSON NOTES
•Sat out the 2019-20 season as a redshirt.
 
    KENNY BYERS NOTES
•Sitting out the 2020-21 season.
•Started all 29 games last season and led team in scoring (16.3), rebounding (6.9), assists (95) and steals (43).
•Named second team All-NSIC.
•Scored 20 or more points nine times and recorded eight double-doubles last season.
•Scored double figures in all but three games.
•Scored career-high 33 points at Minnesota Crookston (1/31/20).  
•Scored 27 points vs. St. Cloud State (12/13/19).
•Grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds vs. Minnesota Duluth (12/14/19).
•Named to the 2019 NSIC All-Tournament team.

    NOAH CHAMBERLAIN NOTES
•Sat out the 2019-20 season as a redshirt.

    BRIAN DAYMAN NOTES
•Played in all 29 games with 26 starts last season and averaged 3.5 ppg and was second on the team with 4.3 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
•Played in 27 games with 13 starts a season ago and ranked second in scoring (10.8).
•Missed first two games of January with an injury.
•Made a team-high 55 3-pointers.
•Scored 20 or more points three times.
•Ranks 10th in team history in 3-point field goal pct. (40.5).
•Made career-high seven 3-pointers at Bemidji State (2/1/20).
•Career-high 28 points with a career-high 11 field goals vs. Minnesota Duluth (12/14/19).
•Sat out 2016-17 season as a redshirt.

    KADEN EVANS NOTES
•Missed all but six games with an injury last season.
•Averaged 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.

    ALEX HILLESHEIM NOTES
•Did not play basketball in 2019-20.

    GRANT KRAMER NOTES
•Will miss the 2020-21 season with an injury.
•Played in 20 games with 11 starts a season ago and averaged 7.2 ppg and 2.9 rpg.
•Missed nine games with an injury.
•Scored career-high 18 points on a career-high seven field goals with four 3-pointers at Northern State (2/26/20).
•Scored 17 points with five 3-pointers versus both Wayne State (2/21/20) and Augustana (2/22/20).
•Career-high 11 rebounds at Minnesota State (1/12/19).
•Sat out the 2017-18 season as a redshirt.

    CLIFF MCCRAY NOTES
•Started all 28 games and averaged 8.7 ppg and 3.9 rpg in 2019-20.
•Scored double figures in 13 games.
•Career-high 16 points at Upper Iowa (2/15/20).
•Made career-high three 3-pointers vs. Sioux Falls (12/21/19) and Augustana (2/22/20).
•Scored 14 points with career-high six field goals at Sioux Falls (11/30/19).
•Grabbed season-high nine rebounds vs. Winona State (1/24/20).
•Career-high six assists at Northern State (2/26/20).
•One of two true freshman to play in 2019-20.

    LANCE MOSLEY NOTES
•One of five true freshmen on the roster.

    DUNWA OMOT NOTES
•One of five true freshmen on the roster.

    JACOB OWEN NOTES
•One of five true freshmen on the roster.

    JAKE PHIPPS NOTES
•Appeared in all 29 games with three starts and averaged 7.2 ppg and 3.8 rpg last season.
•Shot a team-high 63.3 percent from the field ranking third in team history.
•Career-high 18 points on 8 of 9 shooting at Minot State (1/17/20) and also scored 18 points on 8 of 11 shooting at Northern State (2/26/20).
•Scored 18 points vs. Wayne State (2/21/20) on 8 of 11 from the field.
•Career-high 10 rebounds at Bemidji State (2/1/20).
•Career-high five blocked shots vs. Concordia (1/10/20).
•Sat out the 2018-19 season as a redshirt.

    SAM SCHWARTZ NOTES
•Sat out the 2019-20 season as a redshirt.

    ISSAC SOUMIS NOTES
•One of five true freshmen on the roster.

    JONATHAN ZINNIEL NOTES
•One of five true freshmen on the roster.

    HOME AND AWAY
•SMSU finished 4-9 at home last season registering its first losing season since 2014-15 and just the third since the R/A Facility opened in 1996-97.
•SMSU is a combined 126-53 at home since the 2007-08 season.
•SMSU finished 4-12 in road/neutral site games last season and are a combined 96-98 in 194 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 2019-20:
        W-L    FG%    3-FG%    FT%    REB    PTS    TO    
Home    4-9    47.1    38.8    71.5    34.0    69.2    12.2    
Away    4-12    44.1    37.7    65.1    33.1    62.8    13.3

    NSIC SOUTH VS. NSIC NORTH
•SMSU will not have any conference games versus NSIC North Division teams in 2020-21.
•SMSU finished 3-5 versus NSIC North Division teams last season and is a combined 40-24 versus North teams in conference play since divisions were introduced prior to the 2012-13 season.
•The 2019-20 season was just the second time in eight seasons SMSU had a losing record versus the North Division.
•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 South finished with a 34-30 advantage in 2019-20.
•Through eight seasons of conference play, the NSIC South holds a 294-218 advantage over NSIC North teams since divisions were formed in 2012-13.  
•The 2018-19 season is the only year in which the North has held an advantage versus the South.  

    HOME SWEET HOME
•The 2020-21 season marks the 25th year the R/A Facility has served as the home arena for SMSU men's basketball.
•SMSU has a record of 233-95 (.710) in 328 games with three 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    4-9    2-9    2-0
    2020-21    0-0    0-0    0-0
    Totals    233-95    153-70    80-25

    CONSECUTIVE 3-POINT GAMES
•Southwest Minnesota State has made on at least one 3-point field goal in 650 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.

    MUSTANGS AND THE CENTURY MARK
•SMSU did not reach 100 points in a game during the 2019-20 season.
•SMSU last scored 100 points on Feb. 1, 2019, versus Minnesota Crookston.
•SMSU is 40-8 all-time when scoring 100 points.

    WORKING OVERTIME
•SMSU is 47-39 all-time in overtime games, including a triple overtime victory over Minnesota Duluth last season on Dec. 14, 2019.
•SMSU is 7-6 in double overtime games and is 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 2020-21 campaign marks the 52nd season SMSU has competed in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
•SMSU has an all-time record of 375-413 in 788 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 54th season of men's basketball in 2020-21.
•SMSU has played 1,476 games compiling an all-time record of 679-797.
•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 23 years.