MARQUETTE, Mich. – Under first-year head coach
Keil Ganz, the new-look Northern Michigan men's basketball team is ready to begin a new season this weekend when they head to the D2 CCA Midwest Tip-Off Challenge in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.
There will be a total of 12 teams in attendance, with three women's games to start each day followed by three men's games. Participating men's teams include: Northern Michigan, Central Oklahoma, Grand Valley State, Harding, Lincoln Memorial, and West Texas A&M.
NMU begins the season against Central Oklahoma on Friday, October 30, at 6 p.m. CT. Then the Wildcats will turn their attention to Harding on Halloween night at 8:15 p.m. CT. To wrap up the tournament, NMU will take on Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, November 1, at 6 p.m. CT.
Friday's and Saturday's games can be heard on 94.9 The Bay, while Sunday's can be heard on the airwaves of 100.3 The Point. Casey Ford will be on the call. The games will also be streamed on the
Justagame Fieldhouse website.
Follow the Action
Follow @NMU_WBBall on Instagram and @NMU_Wildcats on X (formerly known as Twitter) for updates leading up to and during the games.
A Word From Keil Ganz
"I feel pretty good about the group that we're slated to start this weekend. Offensively, we have a lot of guys that we can put on the floor which is a scary way to play, but also a fun way to play. But it starts defensively, and we have to be a good defensive team in order to have success this season."
About the Wildcats
Under first-year head coach
Keil Ganz, the Wildcats enter the 2026-27 season looking to build on one of the most successful campaigns in program history. Northern Michigan finished 28-7 last season, setting a program record for wins while capturing its fourth consecutive GLIAC regular-season or postseason championship and earning its fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Wildcats also climbed as high as No. 10 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) National Poll, their highest ranking since 1993.
Ganz returns to Marquette after spending the 2025-26 season as an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, where he helped the Phoenix improve from 4-28 to 18-15. This marks his third stint with the Wildcats program after previously serving as an assistant coach in 2023-24 and associate head coach in 2024-25. During his previous time in Marquette, Northern won the 2025 GLIAC Tournament Championship and continued a historic stretch of postseason success under former head coach Matt Majkrzak, who departed for Northern Illinois after seven seasons leading the Wildcats.
Northern returns six players, including guards
Charlie Miller (6.6 ppg),
Brooks Hinson (4.9 ppg), and
Isaiah Allen (4.1 ppg). All three showed their scoring potential last season, each reaching double figures multiple times while shooting better than 32% from three-point range.
Aidan Bellisle,
Ross Robertson, and
Pryce Gregoire also return and look to step into larger roles.
The Wildcats will need to replace significant production from last season, led by graduate student
Dylan Kuehl. The D2CCA First Team All-American averaged 21.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while earning GLIAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Cal Klesmit and
Jackson Dudek also earned All-GLIAC recognition, leaving Ganz and the returning Wildcats with key contributions to replace.
Of the nine newcomers, five are freshmen, while four transfers join the program:
Jake Dunham from Parkside,
George Bellevue from Panola College,
Kyle Olagbegi from IU South Bend, and
Bristol Lewis from Wisconsin-Platteville.
The Wildcats have reached the NCAA Tournament and won a GLIAC regular-season or postseason championship in each of the past four seasons. With a new head coach and several new faces, Northern will look to maintain that standard and compete for another conference championship in 2026-27.
2026-27 GLIAC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
1. Grand Valley State, 89 (5)
1. Lake Superior State, 89 (3)
3. Michigan Tech, 83 (2)
4. Ferris State, 68 (1)
5. Parkside, 56
6. Northern Michigan, 51
7. Purdue Northwest, 49
8. Saginaw Valley State, 47
9. Wayne State, 37
10. Davenport, 26
11. Roosevelt, 10
