MARQUETTE, Mich. - The NMU men's basketball team has a big road trip on the horizon this week, traveling to the eastern end of the U.P. to face the Lake Superior State Lakers, then down to Big Rapids to square off against the Ferris State Bulldogs. Both the Lakers and Bulldogs are tied for 2nd behind the Wildcats in the GLIAC standings. 

The Wildcats (15-4, 7-2) currently sit first in the GLIAC with a .778 win percentage and are 9-1 in their last 10 contests. The Lakers (7-10, 6-3) are fourth in the conference with a .667 win percentage and are 4-6 in their last 10. The Bulldogs (15-5, 6-3) are right behind the 'Cats with a .667 win percentage and are also 9-1 in their last 10. 


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Follow @NMUMensBBALL and @NMU_Wildcats on Twitter for continuous updates throughout the week.  

Thursday, January 26 - at Lake State at 7:30 p.m.
Watch  |  Audio  |  Live Stats  |  Game Notes

Saturday, January 28 - at Ferris State at 3 p.m.
Watch  |  Audio  |  Live Stats 


Last Time Out
The 'Cats were home for a pair and dropped game one to GVSU on Thursday, but bounced back on Saturday to beat Davenport to split the weekend. 

Despite 25 points from Dylan Kuehl and 10 assists from Max Weisbrod, all 11 Lakers scored as GVSU held on for an 82-77 road win over Northern Michigan to end the 'Cats eight-game winning streak. GVSU shot 31-63 (49.2%) while Northern went 30-58 (51.7%). The Lakers controlled the offensive glass 11-2 and the 'Cats struggled with foul trouble in the contest, as they picked up 21 personals to GVSU's 13, including Max Bjorklund fouling out late in the game. 

Looking to get back in the win column against Davenport, Max Bjorklund poured in 33 points, Dylan Kuehl added 21 points and nine rebounds, and Max Weisbord dished out 11 assists to help lead the Wildcats to an 89-74 victory over the Panthers. NMU was 32-65 (49.2%) from the floor while hitting their stride from beyond the arc, going 15-31 (48.4%). The Panthers weren't too shabby themselves, shooting 25-53 (47.2%) from the field and 10-20 (50%) from three. 


Cat Attack
The Wildcats are off to a 15-4 (7-2 GLIAC) start to the season and sit in first place in the GLIAC. Northern is averaging 83.5 PPG while holding the opposition to a mark of 71.7 PPG.

For as young as the 'Cats are, they have the lowest turnover clip per game in the GLIAC at 10.0. That is the 7th lowest turnover average in Division II. The Wildcats also do a good job cleaning up the glass, averaging 6.7 more rebounds per game than their competition. 

NMU is led by Max Bjorklund, scoring 20.6 per contest, the best mark in the GLIAC. Brian Parzych is second in scoring at 14.8 PPG. Freshman Dylan Kuehl is averaging 13.6 PPG and leads the team with 6.1 RPG. His 63.0 FG% is second in the GLIAC and the 11th-best mark throughout DII hoops. Max Weisbrod is also averaging double figures at 10.8 PPG.  


In the Polls
In the latest D2SIDA Midwest Regional poll, NMU currently sits in 4th place behind Missouri-St. Louis (16-3), Hillsdale (17-2), and Indianapolis (16-2). 


Bjorklund on Bevo Francis Watch List
Senior guard Max Bjorklund has been named to the Top 100 Watch List for the Bevo Francis Award, announced by Small College Basketball and the National Awards Committee. 

The Clarence "Bevo" Francis Award is presented annually to the player who has had the finest overall season within Small College Basketball. Considerations will be season statistics and individual achievements, awards, personal character, and team achievements.  This is an incredibly prestigious award, as this award will only be given to one player within Small College Basketball per season.

The Top 50 Watch List will be released on February 15th.
 

Coach Majkrzak Interview



Scouting Lake Superior State
The Lakers come into the matchup with a losing overall record (7-10), but a winning record against GLIAC opponents (6-3). They also boast a 4-1 record at home. The team averages 71.1 points per game on 44% shooting from the field and 36.2% from 3PT. 

The Lakers have three student-athletes who average double-digit scoring figures, they are Caden Ebeling (15.3), Kemon Bassett (13.4), and Xander Okerlund (10.1).


Previous Matchup vs. LSSU
On December 11 in Marquette, NMU defeated LSSU 87-72 behind significant contributions throughout the lineup. 

Max Bjorklund led the 'Cats in scoring with 23 points on 7-16 shooting while dishing out 5 assists. Max Weisbrod contributed 16 points on a 6-9 shooting clip. He added 6 rebounds. 
Off the bench, Najashi Tolefree brought energy for an all-around performance. He had 13 points and led the team with 7 rebounds (4 off. rebounds). Brian Parzych stuffed the stat sheets with 11 points, 7 assists, and 5 steals. 

The Wildcats dished out 20 assists while holding the Lakers to seven. Each side shot over 50% from the floor, but 47 fouls in the contest (26 in the first half) were the main cause of a game that didn't see much rhythm.

A big difference for NMU in the contest was making LSSU pay for their turnovers. NMU scored 24 points when LSSU turned over the ball while the Lakers only managed five. 


Scouting Ferris State
The Bulldogs will look to extend their four-game winning streak on Thursday when they host Michigan Tech before meeting the 'Cats on Saturday. The Bulldogs are fifth behind the 'Cats in the D2SIDA National Polls. The 'Dogs average 88.8 points per game on 52.2% shooting from the field, and 42.1% from deep. 

The Bulldogs have three players averaging double-digit points per game in Solomon Oraegbu (15.2), Ben Davidson (14.3), and Ethan Erickson (13.5).  


Previous Matchup vs. Ferris State
NMU put together an 89-77 win at Ferris State back on December 9 at the Berry Events Center. Five Wildcats reached double figures in scoring on the night while the team dished out 20 assists. 

Brian Parzych recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 assists. He also added 6 rebounds and 3 steals for a complete performance. Max Bjorklund had 18 points and 7 rebounds while Dylan Kuehl added 18 himself, 16 of which came in the second half. 

Ferris State also saw five with double digits, with Amari Lee pacing the team at 14 points. 

NMU went 33-64 (51.6%) from the floor and 8-22 (36.4%) from deep. Ferris shot 26-63 (41.3%) and 5-19 (26.3%) from beyond the arc.