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SMSU MEN’S BASKETBALL: Mustangs prepare for NSIC opener

MARSHALL The Southwest Minnesota State University men’s basketball team have started their 2016-17 season in grand fashion, posting an undefeated record of 5-0, its best start in program history.

Despite being on the road for all five games, most recently in Michigan for a pair of games, it hasn’t stopped the Mustangs from taking time to step away from the court and give back.

After their last game on Nov. 19 against Northern Michigan, SMSU got on the bus and drove 10 hours back to Marshall, arriving in the middle of the night. But what impressed coach Brad Bigler the most happened the next morning, as members of the team participated in Mini Mustangs for three and a half hours.

“We say in the recruiting process that it is more than just basketball,” said Bigler. “It’s really important that our guys understand that they’ve got to give back to the community. We’ve had some pretty impactful stories from our guys and when you’re looking at the big picture, it’s easy to be the entertainment and we want to be more than just entertainment. We want to be able to give back to the community and for me being here almost 20 years, this community means a lot to this program and how we represent ourselves is a big deal.”

Sophomore guard Taylor Schafer feels it’s important to give back to the people who do a lot for them in return.

“That’s one of the most important things to us is giving back to the community,” said Schafer. “For us to get all the support from them that we get each game and season, it’s just important that we give something back to them. I think Mini Mustangs does a great job of that.”

Tonight the Mustangs return home for the first time this season, where they will square off against the University of Sioux Falls.

Bigler said he’s happy to return home to the friendly confines of the R/A Facility and hopes they attract a lot of fans for their NSIC opener.

“I think we’ve had one of the toughest schedules up until this point,” said Bigler. “Just to be able to play in front of our fans and our support base; I think there’s a lot of fans that have paid attention and are curious. Hopefully we can come ready to play tonight.”

Leading the Mustangs this season is Schafer, who averages 16 points per game. Adding to the SMSU effort is KJ Davis (12.2 points per game) and Carter Kirk (6.6 rebounds per game).

The Cougars come in with a 3-4 record and look to bounce back after going 1-2 in their tournament in Puerto Rico last week.

Bigler said it will be challenging to slow down the Cougars on offense, who are led by Mack Johnson (13.4 points per game) and Drew Guebuert (15.3 points per game, 7.7 rebounds per game).

“They’re just a team that can put up a bunch of points in a hurry,” said Bigler. “They have some very dynamic players in Mack and Drew and both of those guys compliment their other guys. Those will be more of the talked about things as far as matchups and how to take away their shots.”

Schafer said he’s been happy with the way his team has handled the basketball throughout the first five games and limited their number of turnovers.

“We started off the year handling the ball really well and not turning the ball over,” said Schafer. “The last couple of games we’ve been starting to turn the ball over but I think ball control is one of the reasons we’ve been so successful.”

Bigler said their biggest takeaway has been their ability to adapt to each team, sometimes with a limited amount of time to prep for the game.

“When you have five games in eight days, there’s only so much prep you can have for each team. We didn’t have much opportunities to prep for the Michigan schools but we made some pretty significant adjustments the day before and the day of and our guys were able to come out and execute,” said Bigler. “That’s something I don’t we could have done a few years ago with the young group. With this year’s more experienced group, there’s a big difference.”

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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