MARQUETTE, Mich. – Now ranked No. 13 in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Poll, the Northern Michigan men's basketball team (16-2, 7-1) returns home for a pair of games this week as the GLIAC schedule reaches its halfway point.
Northern (16-2, 7-1) is tied for first in the conference standings after 77-74 and 86-77 road victories last week at Lake Superior State and Saginaw Valley State.
Now, the 'Cats will face the only two GLIAC teams they have yet to see this season. NMU will host Purdue Northwest on Thursday, Jan. 22, at 7:30 p.m., followed by Wayne State on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m.
Each game will be streamed on FloCollege and can also be heard live 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.
About the Wildcats
At 16-2, the Wildcats are ranked No. 13 in the NABC Poll, their highest national ranking since Jan. 11, 1993 (No. 8).
Northern went on the road last week and picked up two key road victories. In a 77-74 win at Lake Superior State, the Wildcats trailed by as many as 14 points and didn't take their first lead until just 2:53 remained. Northern erased a 10-point halftime deficit by outscoring the Lakers 50-37 in the second half, completing a hard-fought rally in a hostile environment. NMU then knocked off Saginaw Valley State 86-77 with five players in double figures and recorded a season-high seven blocks.
Dylan Kuehl was named the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week, in large part thanks to eight blocks and 20 rebounds over the weekend. He finished with a dominant 31-point, 11-rebound double-double at LSSU, shooting 11-for-17 (64.7%) from the floor. For the season, Kuehl continues to be one of the nation's most complete two-way players. In GLIAC games, he ranks first in scoring (22.6 ppg), 11th in rebounds (6.0 rpg), fourth in field goal percentage (56.5%), and second in blocks (1.5 bpg).
The Wildcats remain one of the most efficient teams in the nation through 18 games, as they lead the country with a +13.0 rebounding margin. They are also top 10 in assist/turnover ratio (2nd, 1.72), three pointers per game (6th, 11.1), scoring defense (7th, 61.8), and three-point percentage (8th, 40.0).
A large part of the success beyond the arc is
Cal Klesmit, who leads the GLIAC with 3.6 threes per game and shooting 49.2%. Through eight conference games, he is eighth at 16.3 points per game. He can take over a game from three, notching five or more triples seven times this season.
Bennett Basich has also been an all-around force in league competition, averaging 13.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per game. He has scored in double figures in six straight games and most recently notched a 13-point, 14-rebound double-double.
A Look at Purdue Northwest
The Pride are 7-8 overall and 3-5 in conference play. Last week, they fell 77-74 vs. Roosevelt before bouncing back with a big 82-61 win over Parkside. They hit threes at a rate of 38.2%, second only to the Wildcats in the conference. Kyle Ross (14.8) and Kevin Taylor (11.2) lead the Pride in scoring.
Purdue Northwest is coached by Jordan Ashton in his first season leading the Pride. Northern has won the last nine games in the matchup.
A Look at Wayne State
At 8-6 overall and 5-3 within the GLIAC, the Warriors have won three straight games, but are 2-4 on the road. They are third in the conference in scoring (79.9 ppg) and shooting (46.4%). They get a lot of their productivity done inside the three-point line on both ends, as they rank last offensively (30.0%) and defensively (35.3%) in three-point percentage.
The offense is led by Jordan Briggs, who averages 16.4 points and 3.2 assists per game. Carlos Paul III (13.4 ppg) has also scored in double figures in six straight. They are coached by Bryan Smothers in his fourth season. The teams split last season, with each team winning on the road.
