Men's Basketball | 10/27/2021 8:36:00 AM
Full Game Notes (pdf)
Live Video (Paid Subscription Required)
Live Stats (Daemen)
Live Stats (West Texas A and M)
Live Stats (Colorado Mesa)
The Minnesota State University Moorhead men's basketball team opens the 2021-22 against stout competition at this week's D2 Tip-Off Classic. All three Dragon opponents -- Daemen College, No. 3 West Texas A&M and No. 4 Colorado Mesa -- qualified for the NCAA tournament in 2021-22. Daemen and West Texas A&M faced off in the NCAA Elite Eight, in fact.
The Dragons, who received votes in the NABC D2 preseason coaches poll and were just outside the top 25, return all five starters from a team that qualified for the NCAA tournament and went 11-5 last season. MSUM is entering its 12th season under the direction of Head Coach Chad Walthall.
Live Stats links will be available at msumdragons.com.
MSUM's games will be available on live video with a subscription fee at https://lonestarconferencenetwork.com/wt/
More about MSUM can be found on Page 2 of this week's game notes.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION…
DAEMEN COLLEGE
The Wildcats, who are receiving votes in the preseason NABC Division II poll, qualified for the Elite Eight in 2020-21 and return 98 percent of their scoring and 99 percent of their rebounding from that squad that finished 10-6.
Center Andrew Sischo averaged 26.9 points and 13.0 rebounds per game a year ago and was named the East Coast Conference Preseason Player of the Year for a fourth time.
Mike MacDonald is in his eighth season as the Daemen head coach with a record of 139-57.
WEST TEXAS A&M
No. 3-ranked West Texas A&M has qualified for three straight NCAA D2 Elite Eights, including a trip to the national championship game a year ago. The Buffaloes return seven letterwinners from that squad.
The team lost its top three scorers from a year ago but returns Zach Toussaint, who averaged 10.0 points per game.
Tom Brown, a one-time associate head coach at Winona State, is in his eighth season as the West Texas A&M head coach with a record of 181-43.
ABOUT COLORADO MESA
No. 4-ranked Colorado Mesa is the defending Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champions. The team finished 21-2 a year ago and returns four starters from that team.
Sophomore forward Ethan Menzies returns after averaging 15.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game last season. Senior guard Georgie Dancer averaged 12.6 points per game.
Mike DeGeorge is in his fourth season at Colorado Mesa with a record of 61-22.
