THIS WEEK
•The Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team (2-4, 0-2 NSIC) will return to the court for a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference game this Sunday traveling to Sioux Falls, S.D., to take on Augustana University  (5-5, 3-5 NSIC). Game time is set for 12 p.m. at the Sanford Pentagon.
•The two teams will play just one game on the weekend due to COVID-19 testing protocols.
•SMSU, which hasn't played since Jan. 24, has had seven games canceled this season.

    BROADCAST INFO
•Sunday's game will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL with Ryan Rohlik providing play-by-play.
•Live stats, radio broadcast and video broadcast can be found at SMSUmustangs.com.

    SERIES HISTORY VERSUS AUGUSTANA
•SMSU and Augustana meet for the 40th time with Augustana leading 24-15 with the first meeting in 1972-73.
•Augustana holds a 12-5 advantage in games played at Augustana's home arena, including a 64-61 victory last season at the Sanford Pentagon.
•SMSU is 2-1 all-time versus Augustana at the Sanford Pentagon with both victories coming during the NSIC Tournament in 2017 and 2018.
•Augustana holds a 6-4 advantage since Dec. 20, 2016, and has won the past four games, including twice last season.
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 8-15 all-time versus Augustana.
•Game-by-game results of the series is located on page 20.

    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 189-149, including 127-115 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 stretch in program history.
•Bigler's complete bio is found on page 19.    

    ABOUT SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE   
•Southwest Minnesota State is 2-4 overall and 0-2 NSIC, following two home losses to Minnesota State on Jan. 23-24, 60-40 and 95-67. SMSU played both games without three projected starters due to COVID-19 protocols.  
•In the 60-40 loss on Jan. 23, SMSU shot just 31 percent, including 26 percent in the second half, after trailing by six points at halftime. SMSU made just one of 16 3-pointer attempts in the game. SMSU went scoreless for five and a half minutes in the first half and also were held to just two points during the first nine minutes of the second half.  
•Nick Dufault led the Mustangs with 12 points, while Weston Baker Magrath chipped in with 10 points.
•In the Jan. 24 setback, MSU shot 55 percent and connected on 12 3-pointers. Alex Hillesheim had a solid game for SMSU with 13 points on 5 of 9 shooting and six rebounds. Dufault scored a team-high 18 points and made three 3-pointers. Jake Phipps added 12 points and three blocked shots.
•For the season, Dufault leads the team through six games averaging 16.2 ppg with a team-high 17 3-pointers. Evans is scoring 11.7 ppg, averaging 5.0 rpg, and has connected on 11 3-pointers and racked up a team-high 18 steals.
•Sophomore Cliff McCray, who missed both games last weekend, has dished out a team-high 15 assists and also leads the squad with 6.0 rpg.
•For the season, SMSU is shooting 46 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range, 62 percent from the free throw line and is minus-2.0 in rebound margin. SMSU is averaging 64 points per game, while opponents average 72 ppg.

    SMSU IN THE NCAA & NSIC WEEKLY STATISTICS   
•In the latest NCAA statistics (Feb. 3), SMSU ranks 18th in 3-point field goal pct. (40.2).
•Senior Nick Dufault ranks 14th in the country in 3-point field goal pct. (50.0), while redshirt freshman Kaden Evans ranks sixth in steals per game (3.0) and 59th in total steals (18).   
•The latest NCAA statistics can be found on page 18, while this week's NSIC stats are on page 16-17.

    MUSTANGS IN THE RECORD BOOK
•Three currents Mustangs rank high in the program single-season and career records book.
•Senior Nick Dufault currently ranks seventh in team history in 3-point field goal pct. (41.4) and ranks ninth with 165 career 3-pointers. He is eight shy of tying Jacob Fahl (1999-2003) for eighth all-time with 162. 
3-Point Field Goals Made Career
    1.     305      Matt Fletcher (118 games) - 2004-08
    2.     268    Adam Tesch (112 games) - 1998-02
    3.     253    Jordan Miller (115 games) - 2009-13
    4.     242    Taylor Schafer (128 games) - 2015-19
    5.     210      Travis Krenske (86 games) - 2005-08
    6.     207    Michael Lee (125 games) - 2015-19
    7.     182    Joey Bartlett (122 games) - 2013-17
    8.     173    Jacob Fahl (120 games) - 1999-03
    9.    165    Nick Dufault (99 games) - 2016-21
•Senior Weston Baker Magrath set a program record last season with 57 blocked shots.   
•Sophomore Jake Phipps shot 63.3 percent from the field last season ranking third in team single-season history.

    SMSU UNDERCLASSMEN PLAY BIG MINUTES
•With senior Kenny Byers (season opt out) and junior Grant Kramer (currently out with an injury), SMSU has relied on several underclassmen to play big roles this season.
•Through six games, SMSU has played 14 players with all but two either sophomores, redshirt freshmen or true freshmen. SMSU's starting line-up last weekend featured one senior, one sophomore and three redshirt freshmen.  

    SCOUTING AUGUSTANA
•Augustana is 5-5 overall, 3-5 NSIC, and is coming off a pair of road losses last weekend to Upper Iowa, 98-88 and 114-109 in overtime.
•Sophomore guard Isaac Fink is averaging 13.4 ppg and is averaging 6.4 rpg.         
•Senior forward Tyler Riemersma averages a team-best 9.3 rpg and is scoring 12.7 ppg.    
•Junior guard Matt Todd has connected on a team-high 21 3-pointers and is scoring 12.4 ppg.  
•AU is shooting 44 percent from the field, 36 percent from 3-point range, 74 percent from the free throw line and is plus-6.9 in rebound margin. AU is averaging 85 points per game, while opponents average 77 ppg.
•Head coach Tom Billeter is in his 18th season at AU with a record of 329-192. He led the Vikings to the 2016 NCAA Championship. He has a career record of 426-243 in 22 seasons overall having spent four seasons as head coach at North Dakota State.

    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 Dufault 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 was scheduled to have 16 regular season games 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.
 
    MUSTANG 20-POINT GAMES  
•Two current SMSU players, seniors Nick Dufault and Kenny Byers have scored 20 or more points in a game multiple times during their careers.
•Dufault has one 20-point game this season and has six in his career.
•Byers reached 20 points nine times last season and has 11 times in his career, which includes one 30-point game.
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    Minot State, 1/8/21
    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
•Has played in five games and is averaging 4.0 ppg and 3.0 rpg. Missed one game with an injury.
•Scored season-high 10 points vs. Minnesota State (1/23/21).
•Played in all 29 games last season with 25 starts and averaged 6.5 ppg and 4.0 rpg.
•Set program single-season record last season with 57 blocked shots.
•Career-high 18 points vs. Minnesota Morris (11/22/19) and season-high seven rebounds at Minnesota State (12/6/19).
•Played two seasons at Nebraska-Kearney and averaged 6.6 ppg and 3.1 rpg in 2018-19.


    LOGAN BENSON NOTES
•Has played in three games with two starts.
•Scored two points and two rebounds vs. Minnesota State (1/24/21)
•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 in 2019-20.
•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
•Has played in six games with two starts and is averaging 3.3 ppg and 1.7 rpg.
•Scored season-high seven points vs. Minot State (1/8/21) on 3 of 3 shooting with one 3-pointer.
•Scored five points vs. Minnesota State (1/24/21).
•Sat out the 2019-20 season as a redshirt.

    BRIAN DAYMAN NOTES
•Has started four games and is averaging 5.0 ppg and 3.8 rpg. Has missed two games due to COVID protocols.
•Scored a career-high 11 points on a career-high five field goals at Minot State (1/2/21).
•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).
•Sat out the 2018-19 season as a redshirt.

    NICK DUFAULT NOTES
•Has started all six games and is averaging a team-high 16.2 ppg with a team-high 17 3-pointers.
•Scored season-high 22 points vs. Minot State (1/8/21).
•Poured in 18 points vs. Minnesota State (1/24/21).
•Played in 27 games with 13 starts a season ago and ranked second in scoring (10.8).
•Made a team-high 55 3-pointers last season.
•Ranks seventh in team history in 3-point field goal pct. (41.4) and ninth in 3-point field goals made (165).
•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
•Has played in all six games with two starts and is averaging 11.7 ppg and 5.0 rpg. Leads the team with 18 steals.
•Scored career-high 17 points vs. Minot State (1/8/21) with seven field goals.  
•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 (11/21/19).
•Sat out the 2018-19 season as a redshirt.

    ALEX HILLESHEIM NOTES
•Has played in three games and is averaging 6.7 ppg and 3.3 rpg.
•Scored career-high 13 points on five field goals and grabbed a career-high six rebounds vs. Minnesota State (1/24/21).
•Did not play basketball in 2019-20.

    GRANT KRAMER NOTES
•Has not played in any games this season due to 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
•Has started four games and is averaging 8.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg. Has missed two games due to COVID protocols.
•Scored season-high 11 points vs. Minot State (1/9/21).
•Grabbed season-high nine rebounds vs. Minot State (1/8/21).  
•Started all 28 games last season and averaged 8.7 ppg and 3.9 rpg in 2019-20.
•Career-high 16 points at Upper Iowa (2/15/20).
•Scored 14 points with career-high six field goals at Sioux Falls (11/30/19).
•One of two true freshman to play in 2019-20.

    LANCE MOSLEY NOTES
•Has played in three games this season and scored two points vs. Minnesota State (1/23/21).
•One of five true freshmen on the roster.

    DUNWA OMOT NOTES
•Has not appeared in any games this season.
•One of five true freshmen on the roster.

    JACOB OWEN NOTES
•Has played in two games and had two blocked shots and one rebound vs. Minnesota State (1/23/21).
•One of five true freshmen on the roster.

    JAKE PHIPPS NOTES
•Has started all six games and is averaging 9.5 ppg and 4.8 rpg.
•Tied career-high with 18 points at Minot State (1/3/21).
•Appeared in all 29 games with three starts last season and averaged 7.2 ppg and 3.8 rpg.
•Shot a team-high 63.3 percent from the field last season ranking third in team history.
•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
•Has started four games and is averaging 9.0 ppg and 4.3 rpg. Has missed two games due to COVID protocols.
•Scored 11 points twice with three 3-pointers vs. Minot State (1/8/21) and (1/9/21).
•Scored eight points with six rebounds and four assists at Minot State (1/2/21).
•Sat out the 2019-20 season as a redshirt.

    ISSAC SOUMIS NOTES
•Has played in five games and is averaging 1.4 ppg and 2.0 rpg.  
•Scored five points with one 3-pointer at Minot State (1/3/21).
•Grabbed six rebounds vs. Minnesota State (1/23/21).
•One of five true freshmen on the roster.

    JONATHAN ZINNIEL NOTES
•Has played in three games this season and has one rebound.  
•One of five true freshmen on the roster.

    HOME AND AWAY
•SMSU is 1-3 at home this season after finishing 4-9 at home last season.
•SMSU is a combined 127-56 at home since the 2007-08 season.
•SMSU is 1-1 in road/neutral site games this season and are a combined 97-99 in 196 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 2020-21:
        W-L    FG%    3-FG%    FT%    REB    PTS    TO    
Home    1-3    46.0    36.7    64.9    30.5    63.8    15.0    
Away    1-1    47.7    51.9    57.1    31.0    64.0    14.5

    BYERS EARNS ALL-NSIC IN 2019-20
•Senior Kenny Byers, who is sitting out this season, 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).    

    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 234-98 (.704) in 332 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    1-3    0-2    1-1
    Totals    234-98    153-72    81-26

    CONSECUTIVE 3-POINT GAMES
•Southwest Minnesota State has made on at least one 3-point field goal in 656 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 and last scored 100 points on Feb. 1, 2019, versus Minnesota Crookston.
•SMSU is 40-8 all-time when scoring 100 points, including 8-2 under head coach Brad Bigler.

    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.  

    SEASON OPENERS
•SMSU is now 29-25 all-time in season openers following this season's 66-61 loss at Minot State.
•SMSU has opened the season on the road five times in the last six seasons.

    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 375-415 in 790 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 1,482 games compiling an all-time record of 681-801.
•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.