THIS UPCOMING WEEK
•The Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team (0-2, 0-0 NSIC) opens Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Tuesday, Nov. 25, with a road match up versus the University of Sioux Falls (0-2, 0-0 NSIC) at the Stewart Center in Sioux Falls, S.D. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.
•USF will have a pair of non-conference home games this Friday and Saturday versus Chadron State and Grand Valley State before entertaining SMSU. 
•Following Tuesday's game, SMSU returns to non-conference play with two games versus familiar foes at the Concordia-St. Paul Thanksgiving Tournament on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 29-30, inside the CSP Gangelhoff Center. SMSU will battle MSU Moorhead on Saturday at 2 p.m. and then take on Jamestown on Sunday with game time at 2 p.m. Both games will be considered non-conference games.
•SMSU will play both teams in conference play later this season with SMSU hosting MSU Moorhead on Jan. 23, while playing at Jamestown on Jan. 30. 
•SMSU opened the season last weekend suffering a pair of losses in Hays, Kan., at the MIAA/NSIC Challenge. SMSU lost  65-56 to Fort Hays State on Nov. 15 before losing on a last-second shot to Nebraska Kearney by a score of 77-75 on Nov. 16.  

    BROADCAST INFO 
•All three games will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL with Ryan Rohlik providing play-by-play.
•Live stats, radio and video broadcasts of all NSIC games can be found at SMSUmustangs.com.

    SERIES HISTORY VERSUS SIOUX FALLS 
•SMSU and USF meet for the 45th time with SMSU leading 28-16 in a series that started in 1968-69.
•SMSU has won 13 of the 20 games since the 2015-16 season, including five straight and seven of the last eight since Feb. 21, 2021.
•USF leads the series 12-8 in games played at USF, but SMSU has won the last three inside the Stewart Center. 
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 16-10 all-time versus USF.

    MUSTANGS OPEN SEASON RANKED NO. 9 IN NABC PRESEASON POLL 
•SMSU opened the season ranked No. 9 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Top 25 preseason poll released on Oct. 28. 
•The No. 9 ranking is the highest for the program in the NABC poll since being ranked No. 9 on March 3, 2009. 
•SMSU was ranked in the NABC Top 25 poll eight times during the 2024-25 season, including a season-best No. 13 on Jan. 28, 2025.
•The NABC Top 25 poll can be found on page 19.

    SMSU PICKED TO WIN NSIC; BRAATEN NAMED SOUTH PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR 
•SMSU was picked to win both the South Division and overall title in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.
•Senior guard Jakob Braaten was named the NSIC South Division Preseason Player of the Year.

    MUSTANGS BY THE NUMBERS
•SMSU has two players averaging double figures in scoring with junior Aeron Stevens scoring a team-high 16.5 ppg and senior Jakob Braaten averaging 14.5 ppg.  
•Senior Mason Lund ranks third averaging 9.5 ppg, while leading the team at 8.0 rpg. 
•Junior Mekhi Shaw is averaging 9.0 ppg and 4.0 rpg.  
•Sophomore Landon Pokorski has dished out a team-high six assists and has made a team-high three 3-pointers.  
•SMSU is shooting 40 percent from the field, 29 percent from 3-point range, 83 percent from the free throw line and is minus-0.5 in rebound margin. The Mustangs are averaging 66 points per game, while opponents are averaging 71 ppg.

    MUSTANG TIP-OFF TIDBITS   
•SMSU is shooting 82.9 percent from the free throw line ranking 14th in Division II (as of Nov. 19). 
•Aeron Stevens scored 26 points in the loss to Nebraska Kearney on Nov. 16. It's his 10th 20-point game of his career. 
•SMSU returns 10 letter winners and four starters from last season's 21-9 team that won a share of the NSIC regular season championship with a record of 16-6. It was the third regular season championship (2001, 2009, 2025) in team history along with two division championships (2017, 2018). The team also advanced to the NCAA tournament for the second straight season and seventh in team history.   
•Senior Jakob Braaten earned All-NSIC first team honors last season leading SMSU in scoring at 14.3 points per game, while pouring in a team-high 159 field goals and leading the squad with 102 assists. He tied for first on the team with 53 steals, ranked third in rebounding at 5.6 per game and shot 53 percent (159 of 299) from the field.
•Joining Braaten as a returning double-digit scorer from last season is junior forward Aeron Stevens, who earned All-NSIC second team accolades a season ago. Stevens averaged 13.9 ppg and tied for the team lead in rebounding at 5.9 per game. 
•Junior guard Steven Kramer returns after starting all 30 games last season and averaging 9.8 ppg and 3.8 rpg, while senior guard Mason Lund also is back after making 30 starts a season ago and ranking second on the team with 49 3-pointers and averaging 9.1 ppg.  
•Junior guard Mekhi Shaw started six games last season averaging 7.9 ppg, while ranking tied for first on the team with 53 steals and second with 76 assists. 
•Also returning is sophomore guard Landon Pokorski, who played in 15 games and averaged 4.7 ppg. Senior forward Caleb Schlaak appeared in 26 games averaging 3.2 ppg, while sophomore forward Calvin Buss averaged 2.9 ppg in 29 games. 
•Sophomore guard Buay Koak and sophomore center Ethan Koltz both return after seeing limited time last season. 

    SMSU HEAD COACH BRAD BIGLER 
•Head coach Brad Bigler, the all-time wins leader in program history, is in his 17th season with an overall record of 261-201, including 180-153 in NSIC play.  
•SMSU has played in five NCAA tournaments (2012, 2017, 2018, 2024, 2025) during his tenure as head coach. 
•SMSU won a share of the 2024-25 NSIC regular season championship, captured 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). 
•The 2012-13 and 2016-17 NSIC Coach of the Year, Bigler has led SMSU to 11 winning seasons, with one 28-win season, one 25-win season, and four seasons of 19-or more victories. 
•The 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. 

    2024-25 WIN TOTAL RANKS SIXTH IN TEAM HISTORY
•SMSU recorded 21 victories last season for the sixth time in the program's 58 seasons and has now recorded seven 20-win seasons. 
•It was the program's first 20-win season since 2017-18. 

    BRAATEN AND STEVENS EARN ALL-NSIC ACCOLADES    
•Senior guard Jakob Braaten was named All-NSIC first team, while junior forward Aeron Stevens was named All-NSIC second team last season.

    2024-25 DEFENSE STRONG ONCE AGAIN    
•For the third straight season, SMSU closed NSIC play (22 games) ranking first in the league in scoring defense (66.0) and field goal pct. defense (41.5). 
•SMSU opponents are shooting 41.8 percent this season ranking as the fourth lowest in team history. 
•In 2023-34, SMSU opponents shot 41.1 percent ranking as the second lowest in team history. The 2022-23 team holds the school record at 39.9 percent.

    SMSU IN THE FINAL 2024-25 NCAA STATISTICS   
•In the final 2024-25 Division II national statistics, SMSU ranked fourth in fouls per game (12.6), 21st in scoring defense (66.7), 26th in field goal pct. defense (41.8), 25th in free throw pct. (77.1), 44th in field goal pct. (47.6), 46th in 3-point field goal pct. defense (31.8) and 47th in turnovers per game (11.0).  
•Mekhi Shaw ranked 85th in steals (53) and 98th in steals per game (1.77). 
•Jakob Braaten ranked 75th in field goal pct. (53.2), 85th in steals (53) and 98th in steals per game (1.77). 
•Steven Kramer ranked 94th in free throw pct. (83.3). 
•Complete NCAA statistics located on pages 15-16. 

    SMSU IN THE FINAL 2024-25 NSIC STATISTICS   
•In the final NSIC stats (league games only), SMSU ranked first in scoring defense (66.0), first in field goal pct. defense (41.5), first in free throw pct. (77.2), first in 3-point field goal pct. defense (31.2), second in field goal pct. (48.7), second in 3-point field goal pct. (38.4), second in scoring margin (8.2) and third in steals (7.7).
•Jakob Braaten ranked third in field goal pct. (53.0), sixth in free throw pct. (81.8), sixth in steals (1.7), 12th in assists (3.5) and 15th in scoring (14.6).  
•Dunwa Omot ranked fifth in 3-point field goal pct. (38.1) and sixth in 3-point field goals per game (2.4). 
•Steven Kramer ranked third in free throw pct. (85.3), while  Mekhi Shaw ranked sixth in steals (1.7). 

    MUSTANG CAREER 20-POINT GAMES 
•Four current SMSU players: senior Jakob Braaten, senior Mason Lund, junior Aeron Stevens and junior Steven Kramer have scored 20 or more points in a game during their careers.
•Stevens has reached the 20-point mark 10 times, including one this season, Braaten six times last season, while Kramer and Lund reached 20 points twice last season. 
20 or More Point Games in 2025-26
    26    Aeron Stevens    Nebraska Kearney, 11/16
    
    BRAYSON BOIKE NOTES 
•Has started both games and has scored five points.
•Made one 3-pointer at Fort Hays State.
•Only true freshman to play this season for SMSU. 

    JAKOB BRAATEN NOTES 
•Named 2025-26 NSIC Preseason South Division Player of the Year. 
•Named 2024-25 All-NSIC first team. 
•Has started both games and is averaging 14.5 ppg. 
•Scored 17 points vs. Nebraska Kearney. 
•Scored 20 or more points six times last season.  
•Tied career-high with 10 field goals vs. UMary (1/18/25). 
•Scored a career-high 26 points at Minnesota State (12/13/24). 
•Tied a career-high with nine rebounds at Augustana (12/19/24). 
•Played in 30 games with 12 starts in 2023-24 while averaging 5.9 ppg and 4.5 rpg. 
•Played in 25 games with 17 starts in 2022-23 and averaged 5.9 ppg and 3.6 rpg.  
•Sat out the 2021-22 season as a redshirt. 

    CALVIN BUSS NOTES 
•Has played in both games with six total rebounds. 
•Played in 29 games with one start last season and averaged 2.9 ppg and 2.8 rpg. Missed one game due to injury.
•Grabbed career-high nine rebounds at Wayne State (2/11/25).  
•Scored career-high 11 points on 5 of 5 shooting in first career start vs. Briar Cliff (11/30/24).
•Sat out the 2023-24 season as a redshirt.

    BUAY KOAK NOTES 
•Has not appeared in a game this season. 
•Played in three games and was 0 for 2 from the field last season.
•Sat out the 2023-24 season as a redshirt.

    STEVEN KRAMER NOTES 
•Missed the first two games with an injury. 
•Started all 30 games and averaged 9.8 ppg and 3.8 rpg a season ago.
•Tied career-high with 21 points, including 10 of 10 from the free throw line at Wayne State (2/11).
•Scored 21 points at Minnesota State (12/13/24). 
•Spent two seasons (2022-24) at the University South Dakota.
•Played in 31 games with five starts in 2023-24 averaging 2.7 ppg and 2.4 rpg.
•Closed the season dishing out 50 assists and recording 10 steals.

    ETHAN KOLTZ NOTES 
•Has not appeared in a game this season. 
•Played in three game last season grabbing two rebounds at Minnesota Crookston (1/3) and scoring two points vs. Northern State (1/17) and at Northern State (2/22). 
•Sat out the 2023-24 season as a redshirt.

    MASON LUND NOTES 
•Has started both games and is scoring 9.5 ppg with 8.0 rpg.
•Scored 17 points versus Nebraska Kearney.  
•Started all 30 games last season and averaged 9.1 ppg with a team-high 5.9 rpg, while ranking second on the team with 49 3-pointers. 
•Tied career-high 20 points at Northern State (2/22/25). 
•Scored 20 points with four 3-pointers at Bemidji State (1/24). 
•Pulled down career-high 17 rebounds at Upper Iowa (11/24/24). 
•Started all 32 games in 2023-24 averaging 7.0 ppg and was third on the team averaging 4.8 rpg.
•Played in the first 13 games in 2022-23 with six starts and averaged 7.7 ppg and 3.7 rpg, before missing the last 15 games due to injury. 

    LANDON POKORSKI NOTES 
•Has played both games and leads the team with three 3-pointers. Averaging 6.5 ppg. 
•Only true freshman to play last season appearing in 15 games averaging 4.7 ppg and 1.7 rpg with 14 3-pointers. 
•Scored career-high 13 points with three 3-pointers at Bemidji State (1/24/25).  

    ISAIAH SCHAFER NOTES 
•Has not played this season.
•Sat out the 2024-25 season as a redshirt. 

    CALEB SCHLAAK NOTES 
•Has played in one game with two rebounds.
•Played in 26 games last season and is averaged 3.2 ppg and 3.3 rpg.
•Scored career-high 11 points with a career-high 15 rebounds vs. Concordia-St. Paul (12/7).   
•Scored nine points on 4 of 4 shooting vs. Briar Cliff (11/30). 
•Played in four games in 2023-24 and scored six points. 
•Transfer from Truman State (Mo.) appearing in five games in 2022-23. 

    MICAH SCHLAAK NOTES 
•Has played in both games and is averaging 7.0 ppg.
•Scored 12 points on 5 of 10 shooting at Fort Hays State.
•Redshirted in 2024-25.

    MEKHI SHAW NOTES 
•Has started both games and is averaging 9.0 ppg and 4.0 rpg. 
•Scored 16 points at Fort Hays State. 
•Played in all 30 games a season ago with six starts and averaging 7.9 ppg and 2.0 rpg.
•Led team with 53 steals and was second with 76 assists.  
•Tied career-high with 17 points on 7 of 11 shooting versus Minot State (1/11/25). 
•Played in all 32 games in 2023-24 and averaged 4.9 ppg with 44 assists.
•Redshirted during the 2022-23 season.

    AERON STEVENS NOTES 
•Has started both games and is averaging 16.5 ppg and 2.5 rpg.
•Scored 26 points on 9 of 16 shooting versus Nebraska Kearney. 
•Started 29 games last season and averaged 13.9 ppg and 5.9 rpg. Missed one game due to injury. 
•Named 2024-25 All-NSIC second team. 
•Scored 20 or more points five times last season. 
•Tied career-high with five 3-pointers vs. Minot State (1/11/25). 
•Scored career-high 29 points vs. Fort Hays State (11/8/24) with 14 free throws made. 
•Played in all 32 games in 2023-24 averaging 11.8 ppg and finished second on team with 4.9 rpg.
•Set freshman program record for free throws made (127) and free throw attempts (174) in a season. 
•Scored season-high 27 points with five 3-pointers vs. Winona State (2/3/24). 
•Only true freshman to play in 2023-24.

    HOME AND AWAY IN 2025-26 
•SMSU finished 12-3 at home last season and has a home record of 140-70 since head coach Brad Bigler started in 2009-10. 
•SMSU, which is 0-2 road/neutral site games this season, is 121-131 in 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 2025-26: 
        W-L    FG%    3-FG%    FT%    REB    PTS    TO    
Home    0-0    -    -    -    -    -    -
Away    0-2    39.8    29.3    82.9    32.0    65.5    12.0     

    HOME SWEET HOME 
•The 2025-26 season marks the 30th year the R/A Facility has served as the home arena for SMSU men's basketball. 
•SMSU has an all-time record of 272-117 (.699) in 389 games with 25 winning seasons (including this season). 
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    9-3    8-3    1-0
    2024-25    12-3    8-3    4-0
    2025-26    0-0    0-0    0-0
    Totals    272-117    183-89    89-28

    CONSECUTIVE 3-POINT GAME STREAK ENDS IN 2024-25 
•SMSU's consecutive game streak of making at least one 3-point field goal came to an end early last season at 752 games. SMSU finished 0 for 6 in an overtime loss at Upper Iowa on Nov. 24, 2024. 
•Prior to the Upper Iowa game, the last time SMSU failed to connect on a 3-pointer was on Dec. 11, 1998, versus MSU Moorhead at the North Dakota State Classic. 

    MUSTANGS AND THE CENTURY MARK 
•SMSU scored 103 in the 2024-25 regular season finale at Northern State on Feb. 22. It was the first time SMSU reached the century mark since scoring 100 on Feb. 1, 2019, versus Minnesota Crookston (100-78). 
•SMSU is 41-8 all-time when scoring 100 points, including 9-2 under head coach Brad Bigler. 

    WORKING OVERTIME 
•SMSU finished 0-1 in overtime games last season following a 79-78 road loss to Upper Iowa on Nov. 24.
•SMSU, which has lost five straight overtime games, last earned an overtime victory on Feb. 17, 2022, versus Wayne State. 
•SMSU is 51-45 all-time in overtime games. 
•SMSU is 8-6 in double overtime and 1-3 in triple overtime games all-time. 

    SMSU ALL-TIME IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
•SMSU made its seventh NCAA tournament appearance in program history last season since moving to Division II in 1996.
•SMSU, which is 9-7 all-time in NCAA tournament games, has appeared in three region championship games winning titles and advancing to the Elite Eight in 2001 and 2009. 
•SMSU hosted the Central Region Tournament in 2009.   

    SMSU ALL-TIME IN THE NSIC 
•The 2025-26 campaign will be the 57th season SMSU has competed in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. 
•SMSU has an all-time record of 429-454 in 883 conference games, finishing in the top half of the standings 28 times in 56 seasons. 
•SMSU has won three regular season championships (2000-01, 2008-09 and 2024-25), two South Division titles (2016-17, 2017-18) and two tournament championships (2012, 2017). 

    MUSTANG HISTORY 
•SMSU is in its 59th season of men's basketball in 2025-26 and has played 1,606 games compiling a record of 753-853. 
•SMSU has won three NSIC regular season championships (2001, 2009, 2025), two NSIC South Division championships (2017 & 2018), two NSIC tournament championships (2012, 2017), two NCAA region championships (2001 & 2009) and has appeared in seven NCAA tournaments (2001, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2024, 2025).
•SMSU has recorded 28 winning seasons in program history with 21 coming in the last 28 years. 

    SCOUTING SIOUX FALLS
•The Cougars are 1-3 overall, 0-0 NSIC, following last weekend's split with Chadron State and Grand Valley State. 
•Sophomore guard Taylen Ashley averages 17.5 ppg and is shooting 42 percent from the field.  
•Sophomore forward Brandon  Hrncir leads the club with 7.5 rpg and is scoring 15.3 ppg. 
•Freshman guard Brogan Madson is scoring 14.5 ppg with 14 assists. 
•USF is shooting 45 percent from the field, 25 percent from 3-point range, 62 percent from the free throw line and is plus-14 in rebound margin.
•USF is averaging 78 points per game, while opponents are averaging 77 points per game.
•Head coach Chris Johnson is in his 18th season at USF with a record of 284-214. He was also head coach at Culver-Stockton for one season (2004-05) and has 300 career victories.