MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan men's basketball team will return to Wisconsin Dells for the second straight weekend of action, taking on Northern State on Friday, November 21, at 7 p.m. ET, followed by a meeting against Northwest Missouri State on Sunday, November 23, at 3 p.m. ET.
The Wildcats are coming off an opening weekend split in which they defeated Maryville 91-70, then fell to Missouri-St. Louis 80-67.
This will be Northern's second meeting with the Wolves of Northern State, while it will mark the first-ever matchup against the Bearcats of Northwest Missouri State.
Both games can be streamed through the Justagame Fieldhouse website
here. Friday's game can be listened to on 94.1 The Breeze and Sunday's on 100.3 The Point, with Casey Ford on the call.
Follow the Action
Follow @NMU_MensBBALL and @NMU_Wildcats on X (formerly known as Twitter) and @nmu_mbb on Instagram for updates throughout the weekend.
From the Coach
"The expectations are so high now, but a 1-1 weekend on a neutral floor against two really good teams isn't the end of the world. Now, we play two awesome opponents…which, in a lot of ways it's fun.
About the Wildcats
Northern enters the new season with championship expectations after winning last year's GLIAC Tournament title, and the first weekend offered an early look at both the group's strengths and areas for growth. Picked second in the GLIAC Preseason Poll and powered by a veteran frontcourt that has led the Wildcats to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, NMU opened its year with a split in Wisconsin Dells to start 1-1.
Friday's opener showed the potential of the revamped roster, as Northern rolled past Maryville 91-70 behind a balanced, efficient offensive performance. Five Wildcats scored in double figures, led by
Dylan Kuehl and Division I transfer
Charlie Miller with 16 points apiece. Newcomer
Isaiah Allen provided a spark with 13 points in his debut, while
Jackson Dudek and
Bennett Basich also reached double digits. NMU shot 50.8% from the field and a blistering 61.9% from three, getting contributions from seven players beyond the arc.
The Wildcats were unable to duplicate that offensive rhythm the next afternoon, falling 80-67 to Missouri-St. Louis. After hitting 13 threes in the opener, Northern cooled off drastically and went just 3-23 from deep while shooting 41.4% overall. Kuehl again led the way with 19 points and six rebounds, but no other Wildcat reached double figures as UMSL built a double-digit lead and held control for most of the contest.
Despite the split, NMU showed encouraging signs as its veteran frontcourt continues to anchor a roster that welcomed nine newcomers. Graduate leaders Kuehl and Dudek, both preseason All-GLIAC selections, headline a group that also features returning starter
Sam Privet and Division I transfers Miller (Northern Iowa) and Basich (UW-Green Bay) in a retooled backcourt. Now in his seventh season, head coach
Matt Majkrzak has guided the Wildcats to championships in each of the past three years, and the early returns suggest another contender is taking shape.
About Northern State
Historically a powerhouse in Division II hoops, the Wolves are still seeking their first win following losses to Oklahoma Baptist (83-72) and No. 20 Southern Nazarene (72-66). Senior Ty Rogers and freshman Cameron Mercadel are each averaging 15 points per game through two contests. Under first-year head coach Matt Wilber, NSU was picked to finish 13th in the NSIC Preseason Poll. The Wolves went 2-26 in 2024-25.
About Northwest Missouri State
The Bearcats have opened their new season 4-1 and have won four straight. After a 6-22 record in 2024-25, NWMSU was picked to finish 14th of 14 teams in the MIAA. This season, they are paced by one of the most experienced backcourts in the country with senior guards Aiden Gair (14.2 ppg), Matthew Mayes (13.3 ppg), and Royce Williams (13.0 ppg).
