Independent file photo SMSU’s Kaden Evans brings the ball upcourt during their game against the University of Minnesota Morris on Nov 22, 2019. SMSU will begin its season today at Minot State.

MARSHALL — The Southwest Minnesota State University men’s basketball team opens the delayed 2020-21 regular season this Saturday and Sunday with a pair of non-conference games at Minot State University in Minot, N.D.

•SMSU and MISU open the season today with tip-off slated for 5 p.m., while Sunday’s game will begin at 1 p.m. Both games will be played inside the Minot State Dome.

•Minot State has announced attendance will be capped at 1,000 for each game.

•SMSU and MISU are both members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, but due to a revised league schedule in 2021 due to COVID-19, the two games will be considered non-conference.

Broadcast info

•Today’s game will be broadcast on 105.1 FM KARL, while Sunday’s game will air on 94.7 FM KKCK with Anthony Rohlik providing play-by-play for both games.

•Live stats, radio broadcast and video broadcast can be found at SMSUmustangs.com.

Series history

vs. Minot State

•SMSU and Minot State meet for the 10th and 11th time this weekend with SMSU winning all nine prior meetings.

•SMSU leads 4-0 in games played in Minot, including winning 61-57 last season on Jan. 17, 2020.

•The teams first met on Nov. 26, 2011, in Bemidji, Minn.

•SMSU head coach Brad Bigler is 9-0 all-time versus MISU.

Season openers

•SMSU is 29-24 all-time in season openers having won eight of its last 14 and 16 of its last 24 season lid-lifters.

•SMSU snapped a two-game losing streak in season openers last season earning a 62-58 road victory over Central Missouri.

•SMSU has opened the season on the road five times in the last six seasons.

Scouting

Minot State

•Minot State was picked to finish seventh in the NSIC North Division preseason poll. The Beavers finished last season 10-19 overall, including 4-18 in NSIC play. MISU ended its 2019-20 season with a 79-68 loss at Sioux Falls in the first round of the NSIC Sanford Health Tournament.

•Senior guard Max Cody is the team’s top returning scorer at 15.1 ppg. He connected on 38 3-pointers and dished out a team-high 186 assists last season.

•Senior forward Kody Dwyer averaged 11 points last season, while shooting 71 percent and grabbing 5.1 rpg.

•Last season, MISU shot 45 percent from the field, 34 percent from 3-point range, 73 percent from the free throw line and was plus-1.3 in rebound margin.

•MISU averaged 70 points per game last season, while opponents averaged 72 ppg.

•Head coach Matt Murken is in his ninth season with a record of 105-127.

NSIC South vs. NSIC North

•SMSU will not have any conference games versus NSIC North Division teams in 2020-21.

•SMSU finished 3-5 versus NSIC North Division teams last season and is a combined 40-24 versus North teams in conference play since divisions were introduced prior to the 2012-13 season.

•The 2019-20 season was just the second time in eight seasons SMSU had a losing record versus the North Division.

– Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications