THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
•The No. 6 seeded Southwest Minnesota State University men's basketball team (21-8) opens play at the NCAA Central Region Tournament in Topeka, Kan., on Saturday, March 15, facing No. 3 seed, Winona State University (21-10), starting at 12 p.m. at Lee Arena on the campus of Washburn University.  
•The winner of Saturday's game will advance to the semifinals on Sunday to face either No. 2 MSU Moorhead or No. 7 Fort Hays State (Kan.) at 5 p.m. The championship game will take place on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
•SMSU is making its second straight and seventh appearance overall in the NCAA tournament in program history.
•SMSU and WSU will be playing for the fourth time this season with WSU winning the previous two games. The teams split two games during the regular season with SMSU earning a 75-62 win in Winona, Minn., on Dec. 14, before WSU picked-up a 66-59 win in Marshall on Feb. 8. WSU won the third match-up, 71-60, on March 1 in Sioux Falls, S.D., in the quarterfinals of the NSIC tournament.
•WSU is ranked No. 25 in this week's CSC Top 25 poll and receiving votes in the NABC Top 25 poll. SMSU is receiving votes in both the CSC and NABC poll.  

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

    SMSU NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
•SMSU is making its seventh NCAA tournament appearance (2001, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2024, 2025) since moving to Division II in 1995-96.
•SMSU, 9-6 all-time in the NCAA tournament, has played in three region championship games, while winning region championships  and advancing to the Elite Eight in 2001 and 2009.  
•A complete listing of SMSU's all-time results in the NCAA tournament listed on page 4.

    SMSU VERSUS THE CENTRAL REGION FIELD
•SMSU and Winona State meet for the 121st time with WSU leading the series 75-45. This will be the second meeting between the schools in the NCAA tournament with SMSU winning, 88-77, in the 2001 North Central Region quarterfinals in St. Cloud, Minn.
•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 14-18 all-time versus Winona State.
•SMSU is 1-1 all-time versus Washburn; 46-63 versus MSU Moorhead; 16-4 versus Minot State; 33-17 versus Concordia-St. Paul; 4-3 versus Fort Hays State; SMSU has never played Harding.
•SMSU defeated Fort Hays State, 82-63, in the 2001 North Central Region semifinals in St. Cloud.

    SMSU IN THE NATIONAL TOP 25 POLLS
•SMSU received votes in the this week's NABC and CSC Top 25 polls released on Tuesday.
•SMSU was ranked No. 18 in the first regular season NABC poll on Nov. 19, dropped to No. 22 on Nov. 26, moved No. 18 on Dec. 3, was not ranked on Dec. 10, before moving back into the poll at No. 24 on Dec. 17. SMSU fell out of the poll on Dec. 31 and Jan. 7 before returning to No. 22 on Jan. 14, No. 15 on Jan. 21, No. 13 on Jan. 28, and No. 17 on Feb. 4.  
•This week's CSC and NABC Top 25 polls can be found on pages 18-19.

    MUSTANG WIN TOTAL RANKS SIXTH HIGHEST IN TEAM HISTORY
•SMSU has reached 21 victories for the sixth time in the program's 58 seasons and has now recorded seven 20-win seasons.
•Prior to this season, the last 20-win campaign occurred in 2017-18.

    BRAATEN, OMOT AND STEVENS EARN ALL-NSIC ACCOLADES    
•Junior guard Jakob Braaten was named All-NSIC first team, while senior guard Dunwa Omot and sophomore forward Aeron Stevens were named All-NSIC second team the NSIC announced on Feb. 27. Omot was an All-NSIC second team honoree in 2023.

    SMSU HEAD COACH BRAD BIGLER
•Brad Bigler, the all-time wins leader in program history, is in his 16th season as head coach with an overall record of 261-198, including 180-153 in NSIC play.  
•SMSU has played in five NCAA tournaments (2012, 2017, 2018, 2024, 2025) during his tenure as head coach.
•The 2012-13 and 2016-17 NSIC Coach of the Year, Bigler has led SMSU to 11 winning seasons (including this season), with one 28-win season, one 25-win season, and four seasons of 19-or more win.
•SMSU won a share of this season's NSIC regular season championship, 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).
•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.
•Bigler's complete bio is found on page 17.

    MUSTANGS BY THE NUMBERS
•SMSU has three players averaging double figure scoring and five averaging nine points or more.
•Junior Jakob Braaten is averaging a team-high 14.4 ppg, has dished out a team-high 98 assists and is third in rebounding at 5.5 rpg.
•Sophomore Aeron Stevens is scoring at 14.3 per game and is second in rebounding at 5.8 per game.
•Senior Dunwa Omot, who missed five games in January, is third in scoring at 12.6 ppg and second on the team with 47 3-pointers.  
•Junior Mason Lund leads the team in rebounding at 6.0 rpg, ranks first with 49 3-pointers and ranks fifth in scoring at 9.4 ppg.
•Sophomore Steven Kramer is fourth in scoring at 9.6 ppg and third in steals with 32.
•Sophomore Mekhi Shaw has recorded a team-high 52 steals, ranks second with 74 assists and is averaging 7.8 ppg.
•SMSU is shooting 48 percent from the field, 37 percent from 3-point range, 77 percent from the free throw line and is plus-1.7 in rebound margin. The Mustangs are averaging 74 points per game, while opponents are averaging 67 ppg.

    MUSTANG TIP-OFF TIDBITS   
•SMSU tied a school record with 19 3-pointers, recorded a season-high 29 assists and shot a season-high 62.5 percent (40 of 64) in its regular season finale at Northern State on Feb. 22.
•SMSU reached the 100-point mark in the win over NSU for the first time since scoring 100 vs. Minnesota Crookston on Feb. 1, 2019.  
•SMSU is 4-0 versus Top 25 teams this season which includes defeating a No. 1 ranked team for a second consecutive season.
•SMSU's 17-3 record earlier this season tied the 2016-17 team for the best mark after 20 games in team history.

    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.

    NCAA STATISTICS   
•In the Division II national statistics (March 10), SMSU ranks fourth in fouls per game (12.5), 20th in scoring defense (66.6), 24th in field goal pct. defense (41.8), 25th in free throw pct. (76.8), 38th in field goal pct. (47.9), 44th in 3-point field goal pct. defense (31.7) and 51st in turnovers per game (11.1).  
•Mekhi Shaw ranks 84th in steals (52) and 90th in steals per game (1.79).
•Jakob Braaten ranks 71st in field goal pct. (53.3) and 98th in steals (51).
•Complete NCAA statistics located on pages 15-16.

    SMSU IN THE FINAL 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).

    OMOT IN THE SMSU RECORD BOOK    
•In the SMSU record book, senior Dunwa Omot ranks fifth in 3-point field goals made (211), fifth in 3-point field goals attempted (522), eighth in points (1,410) and ninth in free throw pct. (82.3). (see charts on page 4).

    MUSTANG CAREER 20-POINT GAMES
•Five current SMSU players: senior Dunwa Omot, junior Jakob Braaten, junior Mason Lund, sophomore Aeron Stevens and sophomore Steven Kramer have scored 20 or more points in a game during their careers.
•Omot has reached the 20-point mark 22 times (six times this season), including one 30-point game, Stevens has reached the mark nine times, (five times this season), Braaten six times this season, while Kramer and Lund have done it twice this season.
20 or More Point Games This Season
    29    Aeron Stevens    Fort Hays State, 11/8
    27    Dunwa Omot    @UMary, 2/21
    26    Aeron Stevens    Minnesota Crookston, 2/15
    26    Jakob Braaten    @Minnesota State, 12/13
    25    Jakob Braaten    UMary, 1/18
    25    Dunwa Omot    Minnesota Duluth, 12/6
    25    Aeron Stevens    Minnesota State, 11/16
    24    Jakob Braaten    @Bemidji State, 1/24
    23    Dunwa Omot    @Sioux Falls, 2/1
    23    Dunwa Omot    Augustana, 1/30
    22    Jakob Braaten    Minot State, 1/11
    21    Jakob Braaten    vs. Winona State, 3/1
    21    Steven Kramer    @Wayne State, 2/11
    21    Steven Kramer    @Minnesota State, 12/13
    21    Dunwa Omot    Minnesota State, 11/16
    20    Mason Lund    @Northern State, 2/22
    20    Aeron Stevens    @Sioux Falls, 2/1
    20    Mason Lund    @Bemidji State, 1/24
    20    Dunwa Omot    Sioux Falls, 12/21
    20    Aeron Stevens    @Upper Iowa, 11/24
    20    Jakob Braaten    @Upper Iowa, 11/24

    BRAATEN NAMED NSIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
•Junior guard Jakob Braaten was named NSIC Player of the Week on Jan. 13.
•Braaten averaged 19.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 steals, while shooting 48 percent (15 of 31) from the field to help the Mustangs earn victories over MSU Moorhead and No. 4 ranked Minot State.

    JAKOB BRAATEN NOTES
•Has started all 29 games and is averaging 14.4 ppg and 5.5 rpg.
•Named 2024-25 All-NSIC first team.
•Has scored 20 or more points six times this season.  
•Named NSIC Player of the Week on Jan. 13.
•Made 11 of 12 free throws vs. Minnesota Crookston (2/15).
•Tied career-high with 10 field goals vs. UMary (1/18/25).
•Dished out career-high eight assists at Winona State (12/14/24).
•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 last season 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 28 games with one start and is averaging 3.0 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.

    NATHAN FENSKE NOTES
•Has played in three games and scored career-high five points with two field goals at Northern State (2/22/25).
•Sat out the 2023-24 season as a redshirt.

    BUAY KOAK NOTES
•Has played in three games and is 0 for 2 from the field.
•Sat out the 2023-24 season as a redshirt.

    STEVEN KRAMER NOTES
•Has started all 29 games and is averaging 9.6 ppg and 3.9 rpg.
•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).
•Grabbed a career-high eight rebounds vs. Wayne State (11/26/24).
•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 played in three game 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 all 29 games and is averaging 9.4 ppg with a team-high 6.0 rpg, while ranking first 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 last season 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.

    DUNWA OMOT NOTES
•Has played in 24 games with 23 starts and is averaging 12.6 ppg.  
•Missed five games with an injury.  
•Ranks second on the team with 47 3-pointers.
•Named 2024-25 All-NSIC second team.
•Scored season-high 27 points at UMary (2/21) with five 3-pointers.
•Scored 25 points with nine field goals vs. Minnesota Duluth (12/6).
•Led the team in 3-pointers the past three seasons.
•Played in 29 games with 26 starts last season and averaged 11 ppg with a team high 55 3-pointers.
•Named All-NSIC second team in 2022-23, starting all 28 games and averaging a team-high 16.6 ppg with a team-high 52 3-pointers.
•Scored career-high 30 points on 12 of 19 shooting with 12 rebounds vs. Minot State (2/21/23).  
•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.
•Twice named NSIC Player of the Week during his career.

    LANDON POKORSKI NOTES
•Only true freshman to play this season appearing in 14 games averaging 4.5 ppg and 1.9 rpg with 13 3-pointers.
•Scored career-high 13 points with three 3-pointers at Bemidji State (1/24/25).  

    CALEB SCHLAAK NOTES
•Has played in 26 games and is averaging 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 last season and scored six points.
•Transfer from Truman State (Mo.) where he played five games in 2022-23.

    MEKHI SHAW NOTES
•Has played in all 29 games with six starts and is averaging 7.8 ppg and 2.0 rpg.
•Leads team with 52 steals and is second with 74 assists.  
•Tied career-high with 17 points on 7 of 11 shooting versus Minot State (1/11/25).
•Scored 17 points with seven field goals, including three 3-pointers at Augustana (12/19).  
•Played in all 32 games a season ago and averaged 4.9 ppg with 44 assists.
•Redshirted during the 2022-23 season.

    AERON STEVENS NOTES
•Has started 28 games and is averaging 14.3 ppg and 5.8 rpg. Missed one game due to injury.
•Named 2024-25 All-NSIC second team
•Has scored 20 or more points in five games this season.
•Tied career-high with five 3-pointers vs. Minot State (1/11/25).
•Recorded double-double vs. Sioux Falls (12/21).
•Poured in 25 points vs. Minnesota State (11/16).
•Scored career-high 29 points vs. Fort Hays State (11/8/24) with 14 free throws made.
•Played in all 32 games last season 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.

    MATT THOMPSON NOTES
•Has played in three games scoring one field goal in each game including a 3-pointer at Northern State (2/22).
•Played in eight games and scored six points last season connecting 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 2024-25
•SMSU finished 12-3 at home this season and has a home record of 140-70 since head coach Brad Bigler started in 2009-10.
•SMSU, 9-5 in road/neutral site games this season, is 121-128 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 2024-25:
        W-L    FG%    3-FG%    FT%    REB    PTS    TO    
Home    12-3    48.3    35.3    77.0    34.4    75.7    9.9
Away    9-5    47.5    37.9    76.6    34.7    72.1    12.4     

    HOME SWEET HOME
•The 2024-25 season marked the 29th 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
    Totals    272-117    183-89    89-28

    CONSECUTIVE 3-POINT GAME STREAK ENDS
•SMSU's consecutive game streak of making at least one 3-point field goal came to an end earlier this season at 752 games when SMSU finished 0 for 6 in an overtime loss at Upper Iowa on Nov. 24.
•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.

    STEVENS SETS FRESHMAN RECORD IN 2023-24    
•Aeron Stevens set the school freshman record for free throws made and attempted in a single-season in 2023-24. He made 127 of 174 from the foul line with the 127 free throws made ranking eighth in team single-season history.
•Bob Throngard held the previous freshman record of 97 free throws made and 129 attempted during the program's first season in 1967-68.

    MUSTANGS AND THE CENTURY MARK
•SMSU scored 103 in the 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 is 0-1 in overtime games this season following a 79-78 road setback 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 NSIC
•The 2024-25 campaign marked the 56th 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 (including this season).
•SMSU has now 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 58th season of men's basketball and has played 1,603 games compiling a record of 753-850.
•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 six NCAA tournaments (2001, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2024).
•SMSU has recorded 28 winning seasons in program history with 21 coming in the last 28 years (including this season).

    SMSU ALL-TIME NCAA TOURNAMENT RESULTS
•SMSU is making its seventh NCAA tournament appearance in program history since moving to Division II in 1996.
•SMSU is 9-6 all-time in NCAA tournament games.
•SMSU has appeared in three region championship games winning titles and advancing to the Elite Eight in 2001 and 2009.  
SMSU all-time in the NCAA tournament
March 9, 2001 – W, Winona State, 88-77
March 10, 2001 – W, Fort Hays State, 82-63
March 11, 2001 – W, St. Cloud State, 67-65, Region Championship
March 21, 2001 – L, Kentucky Wesleyan, 85-66, NCAA Elite Eight
March 14, 2009 – W, Northern State, 69-47
March 15, 2009 – W, Minnesota State, 77-69
March 17, 2009 – W, Augustana, 73-60, Region Championship
March 25, 2009 – L, Cal Poly Pomona, 79-74, NCAA Elite Eight
March 10, 2012 – L, MSU Moorhead, 82-66
March 11, 2017 – W, Arkansas Tech, 93-82
March 12, 2017 – W, East Central, 74-70
March 14, 2017 – L, NW Missouri State, 55-52, Region Championship
March 10, 2018 – W, Missouri Southern, 81-77
March 11, 2018 – L, Minnesota State, 74-70
March 16, 2024 – L, NW Missouri State, 73-43
BOLD indicates home game