MARQUETTE, Mich. - In the mix of a four-game homestand, the Northern Michigan men's basketball team will look to bounce back on Monday, January 13, as they will host the Roosevelt Lakers at 7:30 p.m.
After a seven-game winning streak, Northern (10-3, 4-1) fell to a hot-shooting Michigan Tech squad in its last outing while the Roosevelt Lakers (4-9, 1-4) also fell to the Huskies in its most recent game, 82-59.
The game can be watched on the FloSports app, or Casey Ford has you covered on the airwaves of 100.3 The Point.
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Monday, January 13 - vs. Roosevelt at 7:30 p.m.
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About the 'Cats
The Wildcats will look to get back on track after its seven-game winning streak was snapped on Thursday. It was the 5th time in the last four seasons NMU had a 7+ game winning streak, with its 13-game winning streak last year tying a program record, originally set in 1984-85.
The Wildcats have had the toughest defense across the GLIAC, allowing just 66.4 points per game, a top-25 mark nationally. NMU is also allowing a league-low 30.2 opponent rebounds per game and holds a +6.2 rebounding margin against GLIAC teams. The 'Cats sit 2nd across the conference with 7.62 steals per game, with
Gerald Gittens Jr. (1.5) and
Biggie Luster (1.3) top-7 in the league.
Dylan Kuehl has been named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week twice this season. He is averaging 16.1 points per game, good for 7th in the conference. The Hustisford, Wisconsin native scored 20 points with six rebounds against the Huskies and has now scored in double figures in 12 of 13 games while shooting over 50% in 10 of the last 11. In GLIAC games, he is 3rd across the league at 18.8 points per game and field goal percentage, shooting 54.8% from the floor. He surpassed the 1,000 career-points plateau earlier this season, becoming the 35th player in program history to join the exclusive 1K club, and the first since Max Bjorklund (2/17/22). Kuehl was selected to the All-GLIAC Preseason First Team after being named to the All-GLIAC First Team and All-Defensive Team in each of his first two seasons.
Julien Smith is second on the team averaging 12.4 points per game. He has been NMU's go-to player in the clutch. With less than four minutes to go in a 10-point game or closer, he is 8-10 (80.0%) from the field, including 7 for his last 7. The majority of that work has come from beyond the arc, shooting 6-8 (including 5 for his last 5) with a game-winning buzzer beater over Illinois-Springfield.
Sam Privet (9.9),
Gerald Gittens Jr. (8.5) and
Brian Parzych (7.3) round out a well-balanced starting five.
Matt Majkrzak has been a magician after New Year's Day, as the win over Davenport moves him to a perfect 6-0 at NMU in the first game after New Year's Day. NMU is 34-6 (.850) over its last 40 home games. Under Majkrzak, the reigning GLIAC Coach of the Year, the Northern program has returned to prominence. In 2022-23, Northern captured its first GLIAC Tournament title since 2000. The Wildcats went 25-8 that year, the most wins in program history, and made it to the Round of 32. Last year, the Green and Gold followed it up with a 22-11 season that saw them win the GLIAC regular season title for the first time since the 1992-93 season with a regular season conference record of 14-4.
A Look at Roosevelt
The Lakers are 4-9 overall with a 1-4 record on the road. Roosevelt is coming off of a 82-59 defeat at Michigan Tech and has lost its last two. The Lakers grabbed their first GLIAC win on January 2, a 78-77 thriller over Purdue Northwest.
The duo of Forte Prater and Enari Thomas lead the offense and present one of the best one-two punches in the nation. Prater (20.6 points per game) and Thomas (19.2) are 1st and 2nd in the conference in GLIAC games only, while Prater averages 19.2 per game overall followed by Thomas at 16.6.
The Lakers average 72.6 points per game while giving up a GLIAC-high 80.0. The three-point line has also been a struggle so far, shooting a GLIAC-low 30.8% while holding the second-worst opponent three-point percentage at 36.4%.
Head Coach Dee Brown is in his third season guiding the Laker program. Last year in the NAIA, Brown guided Roosevelt to a 25-5 record and a CCAC CCAC Regular Season Championship.
Superior Dome Showdown vs. Michigan State
On October 13, the Wildcats played its most notable preseason exhibition in program history when they hosted DI blueblood Michigan State in front of 11,500 fans in the Superior Dome Showdown, the largest indoor event in the history of the Upper Peninsula. In a weekend that was much more than the game on the court that included the retirement of NMU alum Tom Izzo's #10 jersey and icons Bill Raftery and Lisa Byington announcing the game, the Wildcats put up a valiant effort and fell 70-53 to the Spartans.
Jackson Dudek led the way with 14 points.
