THIS WEEKEND
•The Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team (9-6, 6-3 NSIC), currently tied for fourth in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference,continues league play this weekend with a pair of road games versus two of the top three teams in the NSIC.   
•The Mustangs open the weekend on Friday night taking on No. 1 ranked and undefeated MSU Moorhead (14-0, 8-0 NSIC) starting at 5:30 p.m. inside Nemzek Fieldhouse. On Saturday, SMSU travels to Minot, N.D., to battle Minot State University (11-3, 6-2 NSIC), currently in third place in the NSIC, with game time slated for 3:30 p.m. inside the Minot State Dome.
•MSUM is ranked No. 1 for the first time in program history, while MSU is receiving votes for the NABC Top 25. This will be SMSU's second game versus a No. 1 ranked team this season. SMSU defeated No. 1 NW Missouri State earlier this season on Nov. 11.
•As of Jan. 8, SMSU, which has already played three teams ranked among the top 12 nationally, has the 18th toughest schedule in Division II with its 15 opponents combining for a winning pct. of .625.
•SMSU, which has played 10 of its first 13 games away from Marshall, will have its next three games away from home before hosting four straight to end January and open the month of February.  
•A preview for both MSUM and MSU can be found on page 4.

    BROADCAST INFO
•Both games will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL with Ryan Rohlik providing play-by-play.
•Live stats, radio and video broadcasts of all games can be found at SMSUmustangs.com.
 
    SERIES HISTORY VERSUS MSU MOORHEAD
•SMSU and MSU Moorhead meet for the 107th time with MSUM leading 61-45 in a series that started during the 1968-69 season.
•The two teams have played just twice, both in Marshall, since the 2018-19 season with MSUM winning both games, including 77-75 last season and 67-52 on Feb. 7, 2020.
•MSUM leads 33-16 in games played in Moorhead, but SMSU won the last games played at MSUM, 86-81, in the NSIC Tournament first round on Feb. 27, 2019.
•MSUM has won 11 of the last 17 games since the 2009-10 season.
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 6-11 all-time versus MSUM.
•Game-by-game results of the series is located on page 17.

    SERIES HISTORY VERSUS MINOT STATE
•SMSU and MSU meet for the 17th time with SMSU holding a 13-3 advantage.
•SMSU leads 7-1 in games played in Minot, including winning three straight. SMSU won last season in Minot, 65-63, on Jan. 7, 2023.  
•MSU ended SMSU's season a year ago, earning an 86-85 triple overtime victory in Marshall during the first round of the NSIC Tournament.
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 13-3 all-time versus MSU.
•Game-by-game results of the series is located on page 17.

    SMSU HEAD COACH BRAD BIGLER
•Brad Bigler, the all-time wins leader in program history, is in his 15th season as head coach and has an overall record of 230-183, including 156-142 in NSIC play.  
•The 2012-13 and 2016-17 NSIC Coach of the Year, Bigler has led SMSU to eight 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 in team history, 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 16.

    MUSTANG TIP-OFF TIDBITS   
•SMSU won a pair of NSIC games last weekend at home defeating Bemidji State (82-65) and St. Cloud State (86-75). SMSU has won five straight NSIC games,while the 86 points versus SCSU was SMSU's second highest output this season.
•Junior Dunwa Omot scored a season-high 23 points with five 3-pointers versus BSU and added 20 points versus SCSU. He was named the NSIC Player of the Week on Monday averaging 21.5 points, while shooting 64 percent (14 of 22) from the field, including 8 of 14 from 3-point range. He also finished the weekend making 7 of 8 free throw attempts, while recording four assists, four steals and three blocked shots.
•Omot has moved into 14th all-time in the SMSU record book with 130 made 3-pointers.
•SMSU shot 51 percent from the field with a season-high 33 field goals made versus BSU and then shot 55 percent versus SCSU.
•SMSU has two victories over top 15 teams this season, including defeating No. 1 ranked Northwest Missouri State on Nov. 11. It was the program's first-ever over a No. 1 ranked team. SMSU also defeated No. 12 Minnesota Duluth on Dec. 9.
•Senior Cliff Cofield became the 27th player in team history to reach 1,000 career points in the win over SCSU on Jan. 6. Cofield's career-high 31 points with a career-high 10 field goals and a career-high five 3-pointers in a win over Truman State on Nov. 26 was the most points scored by a Mustang player since Kenny Byers scored 33 at Minnesota Crookston on Jan. 31, 2020.
•SMSU scored a season-high 89 points and shot a season high 61.5 percent (32 of 52) from the field in a Dec. 2 loss at Minnesota State.

    SMSU IN THE NCAA STATS   
•In the latest Division II national statistics of Jan. 8, SMSU ranks 24th in turnovers per game (10.4), 42nd in free throw pct. (76.3) and 37th in assist/turnover ratio (1.3).
•Aeron Stevens ranks 24th in free throw attempts (93) and 33rd in free throws made (66).
•Cliff Cofield ranks 21st in free throw pct. (90.6) and 48th in total assists (60), while Jake Phipps ranks 57th in field goal pct. (56.6).
•SMSU in the latest NCAA stats can be found on page 15.

    MUSTANGS BY THE NUMBERS
•For the season, SMSU has four players averaging double figures in scoring with senior Jake Phipps scoring a team-high 15.7 ppg and is also the leader in rebounding at 6.9 rpg.
•Senior Cliff Cofield averaging 13.9 ppg with a team-high 60 assists and team-high 28 steals.  
•Freshman Aeron Stevens ranks third on the team with 11.9 ppg and has made a team-high 66 free throws.
•Junior Dunwa Omot is scoring 10.6 ppg while connecting on 21 3-pointers.
•Senior Kyle Luedtke is averaging 7.6 ppg and has made a team-high 27 3-pointers.  
•SMSU is shooting 47 percent from the field, 36 percent from 3-point range, 76 percent from the free throw line and is plus-0.7 in rebound margin. The Mustangs are averaging 74 points per game, while opponents are averaging 71 ppg.

    COFIELD IN THE SMSU RECORD BOOK
•Senior Cliff Cofield, who became the 27th SMSU player in history to score 1,000 career points on Jan. 6, ranks third in program history in steals (155) and fourth in assists (338).

    PHIPPS MOVING UP IN THE SMSU RECORD BOOKS
•Senior Jake Phipps currently ranks 13th in team history with 1,292 points in 110 games.
•He is also second all-time in blocked shots (132), fifth in field goal pct. (56.2, 526 of 936), seventh in field goals made (526) and 10th in rebounds (633).

    MUSTANG CAREER 20-POINT GAMES
•Four current SMSU players, senior Cliff Cofield, senior Jake Phipps, junior Dunwa Omot and freshman Aeron Stevens have scored 20 or more points in a game during their careers.
•Cofield recorded his first career 20-point game earlier this season versus No. 1 NW Missouri State and later scored a career-high 31 versus Truman State.
•Omot has reached the 20-point mark twice this season and 15 times in his career, including one 30-point game. Phipps has reached 20 points three times this season and 14 times in his career, while Stevens had reach the mark once this season.
20 or More Point Games in Career
    31    Cliff Cofield    Truman State, 11/26/23
    30    Dunwa Omot    Minot State, 2/21/23
    28    Jake Phipps    Upper Iowa, 2/10/23
    28    Dunwa Omot    Minnesota Duluth, 1/21/23
    28    Dunwa Omot    Minot State, 2/23/22
    27    Dunwa Omot    St. Cloud State, 1/20/23
    25    Dunwa Omot    Minnesota Duluth, 1/28/22
    25    Jake Phipps    Concordia-St. Paul, 12/17/21
    24    Jake Phipps    St. Cloud State, 1/6/24
    24    Dunwa Omot    Concordia-St. Paul, 12/16/22
    24    Jake Phipps    Northern State, 1/14/22
    24    Dunwa Omot    UMary, 1/8/22
    23    Dunwa Omot    Bemidji State, 1/5/24
    23    Dunwa Omot    Winona State, 2/12/22
    22    Jake Phipps    Minnesota Duluth, 12/9/23
    22    Jake Phipps    Concordia-St. Paul, 2/4/23
    22    Dunwa Omot    Bemidji State, 1/27/23
    22    Jake Phipps    UMary, 1/6/23
    22    Jake Phipps    Minnesota State, 12/18/21
    22    Jake Phipps    Sioux Falls, 11/23/21
    22    Jake Phipps    Sioux Falls, 2/21/21
    21    Aeron Stevens    Concordia-St. Paul, 12/8/23
    21    Dunwa Omot    Northland, 12/19/22
    21    Jake Phipps    Davenport, 11/20/21
    20    Jake Phipps    Upper Iowa, 11/25/23
    20    Cliff Cofield    NW Missouri State, 11/11/23
    20    Dunwa Omot    St. Cloud State, 1/6/24
    20    Jake Phipps    Minot State, 2/21/23
    20    Jake Phipps    Minnesota Duluth, 1/21/21
    20    Dunwa Omot    Sioux Falls, 12/31/22
    20    Dunwa Omot    Mount Marty, 11/26/22
    20    Dunwa Omot    St. Cloud State, 1/29/22
Bold indicates 2023-24 season

    JAKOB BRAATEN NOTES
•Has played in 13 games with 10 starts and is averaging 5.8 ppg and 4.2 rpg. Missed two games with an injury.  
•Has grabbed season-high seven rebounds in four games.
•Career-high 16 points with three 3-pointers vs. Upper Iowa (11/25/23).
•Played in 25 games with 17 starts last season and averaged 5.9 ppg and 3.6 rpg.  
•Pulled down career-high eight rebounds vs. Mt. Marty (11/26/22).
•Sat out the 2021-22 season as a redshirt.

    MASON LUND NOTES
•Has started all 15 games and is scoring 6.3 ppg and averaging 5.1 rpg.
•Tied career-high 10 rebounds vs. St. Cloud State (1/6/24).
•Connected on a career-high three 3-pointers with 11 points at Augustana (12/16/23).
•Scored 14 points in the season opener vs. Southeastern Oklahoma State with two 3-pointers.
•Missed the last 15 games a season ago due to injury.
•Played in the first 13 games with six starts and averaged 7.7 ppg and 3.7 rpg.
•Scored career-high 16 points on 6 of 11 shooting with two 3-pointers vs. Mt. Marty (11/26/22).

    CLIFF COFIELD NOTES
•Changed last name from McCray to Cofield this past summer.
•Has started all 15 games and is averaging 13.9 ppg with a team-high 60 assists.
•Scored career-high 31 points on 10 of 14 shooting with five 3-pointers vs. Truman State (11/26/23) with three assists and five rebounds.
•Scored 20 points in win over No. 1 NW Missouri State earlier this season.
•Started all 28 games last season and averaged 8.0 ppg, while leading the team with 87 assists.
•Season-high 10 rebounds and scored 11 points for second career double-double at Minot State (1/7/23).
•Tied career-high with eight assists vs. Newman (11/12/22).
•Started all 27 games, while averaging 9.5 ppg and dishing out a team-high 92 assists in 2021-22.
•Played and started nine games in 2021, while averaging 7.7 ppg and a team-high 6.0 rpg.
•Led the team in 2021 with 41 assists.

    KYLE LUEDTKE NOTES
•Transfer from Division I Omaha, where he played in 81 games over four seasons and scored 287 points.
•Has played in all 15 games with 11 starts and is averaging 7.6 ppg with a team-leading 27 3-pointers.
•Poured in 16 points with four 3-pointers at Minnesota State (12/2/23).
•Scored season-high 19 points with five 3-pointers at Winona State (12/1/23).

    LANCE MOSLEY NOTES
•Has not appeared in a game this season.
•Played in two games last season scoring two points and grabbing two rebounds vs. Northland (12/19/22).
•Played in two games with one rebound last season.
•Played in three games in 2021 scoring two points vs. Minnesota State (1/23/21).

    DUNWA OMOT NOTES
•Has played in 12 games with nine starts and is averaging 10.6 ppg with 21 3-pointers. Missed three games and most of a fourth with an injury.
•Scored season-high 23 points with five 3-pointers vs. Bemidji State (1/5/24).
•Named NSIC Player of the Week on Jan. 8, 2024.
•Named All-NSIC second team in 2022-23.
•Started all 28 games and scored a team-high 16.6 ppg with a team-high 52 3-pointers last season.
•Scored 20 or more points eight times with one 30-point game.
•Scored career-high 30 points on 12 of 19 shooting with 12 rebounds vs. Minot State (2/21/23).  
•Named NSIC South Division Player of the Week on Jan. 23, 2023, after scoring 28 points on 10 of 17 shooting vs. Minnesota Duluth (1/21/23) and scoring 27 points vs. St. Cloud State (1/20/23).
•Played in all 27 games with eight starts in 2021-22 averaging 11.9 ppg and 1.8 rpg, while leading the team with 56 3-pointers.
•Shot 56.6 percent on 3-pointers in 2021-22 ranking first in school history.
•Scored 28 points with six 3-pointers at Minot State (2/23/22)
•Played in four games and averaged 1.3 ppg and 0.8 rpg in 2021.

    JAKE PHIPPS NOTES
•Has started all 15 games and leads the team in both rebounding (6.9) and scoring (15.7).
•Tied season-high 10 field goals with season-high 24 points and vs. St. Cloud State (1/6/24).
•Scored 22 points vs. Minnesota Duluth (12/9/23).
•Recorded a double-double at Wayne State (11/21/23).  
•Named All-NSIC second team in 2022-23.
•Started all 28 games and averaged 13.3 ppg and a team-high 7.0 rpg last season.
•Scored career-high 28 points on 12 of 17 shooting with three 3-pointers vs. Upper Iowa (2/10/23).
•Grabbed career-high 15 rebounds at Wayne State (12/3/22).
•Started all 27 games in 2021-22 averaging 12.7 ppg and a team-high 6.4 rpg.
•Recorded a team-high five double-doubles in 2021-22.
•Twice was named NSIC South Player of the Week in 2021-22.
•Started 10 of 11 games in 2021 and averaged 11.1 ppg and 4.6 rpg.
•Appeared in all 29 games with three starts in 2019-20 and averaged 7.2 ppg and 3.8 rpg.
•Sat out the 2018-19 season as a redshirt.

    CALEB SCHLAAK NOTES
•Transfer from Truman State (Mo.) where he played five games in 2022-23.
•Has played in two games this season.

    MEKHI SHAW NOTES
•Has played in all 15 games and is averaging 4.8 ppg with 26 assists.
•Scored season-high 10 points on 4 of 8 shooting vs. Upper Iowa, 10 points at Winona State (12/1/23) and scored 10 vs. Minnesota Duluth (12/9/23) on 5 of 6 field shooting with four rebounds.
•Redshirted during the 2022-23 season.

    AERON STEVENS NOTES
•Has played in all 15 games and is averaging 11.9 ppg and 4.9 rpg.
•Has made season-high seven field goals in three games.
•Scored career-high 21 points with seven field goals vs. Concordia-St. Paul (12/8/23).
•Scored 18 points at Minnesota State (12/2/23).  
•Only true freshman expected to play this season for SMSU.

    MATT THOMPSON NOTES
•Has played in six games and connected on 3-pointers vs. Upper Iowa (11/25/23) and Truman State (11/26/23).  
•Redshirted during the 2022-23 season.

    HOME AND AWAY IN 2023-24
•SMSU is 4-1 at home this season and has a home record of 123-65 since head coach Brad Bigler took over in 2009-10.
•SMSU, which is 5-5 in road/neutral site games in 2023-24, is 107-118 in 225 road/neutral site games during the Bigler era.
•The following is a statistical comparison of the Mustang team averages for home and away/neutral games in 2023-24:
        W-L    FG%    3-FG%    FT%    REB    PTS    TO    
Home    4-1    51.6    31.9    77.2    33.8    80.2    9.4    
Away    5-5    45.1    37.9    75.8    33.8    70.9    10.9     

    HOME SWEET HOME
•The 2023-24 season marks the 28th year the R/A Facility has served as the home arena for SMSU men's basketball.
•SMSU has an all-time record of 255-112 (.694) in 367 games with 23 winning 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    2-6    1-5    1-1
    2021-22    6-5    5-5    1-0
    2022-23    10-5    8-3    2-2
    2023-24    4-1    4-1    0-0
    Totals    255-112    171-84    84-28

    CONSECUTIVE 3-POINT GAMES
•SMSU has made at least one 3-point field goal in 731 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.

    2022-23 ALL-NSIC RETURNERS   
•SMSU senior center Jake Phipps and junior guard Dunwa Omot both earned All-NSIC second team honors in 2022-23.
•Omot led SMSU in scoring (16.6), 3-point field goals made (52) and free throw percentage (87.0), while ranking second in both assists (63) and steals (38).
•Phipps led SMSU in rebounding (7.0), field goal pct. (55.1) and blocked shots (38), while ranking  second in scoring (13.3) and fourth in 3-point field goals made (25).

    MUSTANG DEFENSE ONE OF THE BEST IN 2022-23
•SMSU limited opponents to 39.9 percent shooting from the field and 30.5 percent from 3-point range last season setting team single-season records in both categories.
•SMSU allowed 64.5 points per game last season ranking as the third-lowest in team history.
•SMSU led the NSIC last season (league games only) in scoring defense (64.5), opponent field goal pct. (39.8) and 3-point field goal pct. defense (30.6).

    MUSTANGS AND THE CENTURY MARK
•SMSU last scored 100 points in a game on Feb. 1, 2019, versus Minnesota Crookston (100-78).
•SMSU is 40-8 all-time when scoring 100 points, including 8-2 under head coach Brad Bigler.

    WORKING OVERTIME
•SMSU finished 0-2 in overtime games in 2022-23 following a 72-68 home loss to Winona State on Feb. 11 and an 86-85 triple overtime setback to Minot State on Feb. 21.
•SMSU is 51-42 all-time in overtime games.
•SMSU is 8-6 in double overtime and 1-3 in triple overtime games all-time.

    SMSU IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
•SMSU has made five NCAA Tournament appearances (2001, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2018) 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 PICKED 7TH IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL
•SMSU was picked to finish seventh in the 15-team NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
•SMSU senior center Jake Phipps was named a 'Player to Watch'.
•Minnesota Duluth was selected as preseason favorite with UMD senior guard Drew Blair named the preseason Player of the Year.

    NEW LOOK NSIC REGULAR SEASON AND TOURNAMENT
•Due to Upper Iowa University leaving for the Great Lake Valley Conference, the NSIC is a 15-team conference in 2023-24.
•The NSIC regular season championship will be based on the 22-game unbalanced schedule with each team playing eight teams twice and another six teams once.
•The 12-team NSIC Men's Basketball Tournament begins on Feb. 28 with the top four seeds receiving a first round bye. First round games will be played on campus with the quarterfinals, semifinals and championships set to take place March 2-5 at the Sanford Health Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

    SMSU ALL-TIME IN THE NSIC
•The 2023-24 campaign marks the 55th season SMSU has competed in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
•SMSU has an all-time record of 405-443 in 848 conference games, finishing in the top half of the final standings 26 times in 54 seasons.
•SMSU has captured one regular season championship (2000-01), two NSIC South Division titles (2016-17) and (2017-18) and two tournament championships (2012) and (2017).

    MUSTANG HISTORY
•SMSU is in its 57th season of men's basketball in 2023-24.
•SMSU has played 1,557 games compiling an all-time record of 722-835.
•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 26 winning seasons in program history with 19 coming in the last 26 years.

    SCOUTING MSU MOORHEAD
•The Dragons are 14-0 overall, 8-0 NSIC, and are coming off two road victories last weekend versus Augustana and Wayne State. MSUM finished 27-5 last season, won the NSIC Tournament championship before losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.  
•MSUM ranks No. 1 in Division II in turnovers per game (8.9).
•Junior guard Jacob Beeninga is averaging a team-high 18.9 points with a team-high 34 3-pointers and a team-high 41 assists.
•Junior guard Jamir Price averages 14.4 ppg with 14 3-pointers.
•Senior forward Dane Zimmer leads the team with 8.2 rpg and is shooting 60 percent from the field.
•MSUM is shooting 46 percent from the field, 34 percent from 3-point range, 74 percent from the free throw line and is plus-0.7 in rebound margin.
•MSUM is averaging 82 points per game, while opponents are averaging 72 points per game.
•Head coach Tim Bergstraser is in his second season with a record of 41-5. He was an assistant coach at MSUM for four seasons prior to taking over as head coach.  

    SCOUTING MINOT STATE
•The Beavers are 11-3 overall, 6-2 NSIC, and will host Sioux Falls on Friday night. MSU has won three straight games, including road victories last weekend versus Concordia-St. Paul and Minnesota Duluth.
•Senior guard Khari Broadway averages a team-high 14.9 ppg with a team-leading 37 assists.  
•Junior guard Jaxon Gunville had made a team-high 40 3-pointers and is scoring 10.5 ppg.
•MSU is shooting 49 percent from the field, 39 percent from 3-point range, 74 percent from the free throw line and is plus-8.9 in rebound margin.
•MSU is averaging 81 points per game, while opponents are averaging 68 points per game.
•Head coach Matt Murken is in his 12th season with a record of 151-159.