Men's Basketball 12/8/2016 10:34:00 PM Shawn Smith, Sports Information Director

UMC Men's Basketball Hosts MSU Moorhead and Northern State This Weekend

CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston men's basketball program will open up their conference home slate against Minnesota State University Moorhead and Northern State University. The Golden Eagles will take on MSU Moorhead Fri., Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. They will then take on Northern State Sat., Dec. 10 at 6 p.m.

Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Dan Weisse
Record at UMC: 13-48 Season at UMC:Third Season

Minnesota State Moorhead Dragons
Head Coach: Chad Walthall
Record at MSUM: 148-58 Season at MSUM: Seventh Season

Northern State Wolves
Head Coach: Paul Sather
Record at NSU: 109-74 Season at NSU: Seventh Season

MSU Moorhead at Minnesota Crookston
Dec. 9, 2016 • Crookston, Minn. • Lysaker Gymnasium • 8 p.m.
Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/crk/
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/umcrookston/mbball/

Northern State at Minnesota Crookston
Dec. 10, 2016 • Crookston, Minn. • Lysaker Gymnasium • 6 p.m.
Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/crk/
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/umcrookston/mbball/
Radio: 1260 KROX AM/105.7 FM (Chris Fee, Play by Play)

Weekly Snapshot

Minnesota Crookston
Projected Starters
So. PG 13 Kobe Critchley (6-0 173, Roseville, Minn.) 7.4 PPG, 2.7 APG
Fr. SG 0 Harrison Cleary (6-1 175, Oak Creek, Wis.) 22.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG
So. 3G 25 Chase Knickerbocker (6-6 189, Annandale, Minn.) 9.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG
R-So. SF 44 Gable Smith (6-7 215, Lodi, Wis.) 7.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG
Jr. PF 54 Jim Warmack (6-7 240, East Grand Forks, Minn.) 5.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG
Top Bench Players
Fr. F 21 Chase Johnson (6-6 207, La Crosse, Wis.) 5.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG
R-Fr. G 1 Connor Gamble (6-0 157, Stillwater, Minn.) 6.6 PPG, 1.0 RPG
Sr. G 14 Xavier Hall (6-1 170, Woodbury, Minn.) 3.9 PPG, 2.9 APG

MSU Moorhead
Projected Starters
Jr. PG 3 Tanner Kretchman (6-0, Fargo, N.D.) 15.5 PPG, 6.4 APG
Sr. SG 14 Aaron Lien (6-4, Moorhead, Minn.) 20.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG
Sr. 3G 10 Jon Doss (6-4, Chicago, Ill.) 11.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG
Sr. SF 5 Ayob Ayob (6-7, Winnipeg, Manitoba) 18.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG
Sr. PF 13 Matt Nelson (6-9, Rosemount, Minn.) 2.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG
Top Bench Players
Fr. G 1 Johnny Beeninga (6-1, Maple Grove, Minn.) 4.0 PPG, 1.4 RPG
R-Fr. F 12 Matt Anderson (6-7, Fall Creek, Wis.) 10.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG

Northern State
Projected Starters
R-So. PG 0 Ian Smith (5-10 165, Champlin Park, Minn.) 13.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.0 APG
R-Sr. SG 3 Mack Arvidson (6-2 190, Grand Forks, N.D.) 19.3 PPG, 2.2 RPG
R-Jr. 3G 11 D.J. Pollard (6-4 180, St. Louis Park, Minn.) 14.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG
So. SF 23 Justin Decker (6-7 225, Huron, S.D.) 8.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG
Jr. PF 54 Carter Evans (6-10 250, Rochester, Minn.) 6.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG
Top Bench Players
Jr. F 35 Logan Doyle (6-8 225, Alexandria, Minn.) 12.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG
R-Fr. G 4 Braxton Elliott (6-4 190, Sioux Falls, S.D.) 3.8 PPG, 1.8 RPG
Fr. G 21 Gabe King (6-5 185, Irene, S.D.) 3.3 PPG, 1.2 RPG
R-Fr. G 2 Brayden McNeary (6-3 195, Aberdeen, S.D.) 2.6 PPG, 0.6 RPG
So. F 15 Bo Fries (6-4 195, Langford, S.D.) 0.7 PPG, 1.7 RPG

#EGFProud
UMC junior Jim Warmack is continuing to improve for the Golden Eagles. In the last three games, the post player is averaging 9.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Warmack had 16 points against Jamestown and eight versus Minnesota Duluth.

#ItIsVeryCleary
UMC freshman guard Harrison Cleary is off to a phenomenal start to his career. The Oak Creek, Wis. native made an instant impression with 34 points in his collegiate debut on the road at Southwest Baptist. He has kept it up averaging 22.4 points per game. Cleary has scored over 20 points in five games so far this season. He is shooting 54.0 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from beyond the arc this season. He is also shooting 88.9 percent from the charity stripe. Cleary is currently the leading scorer in the NSIC. He is fourth in free throw percentage.

#KobeAtThePoint
UMC sophomore point guard Kobe Critchley leads the offense for the Golden Eagles. Critchley is coming off one of his better offensive weekends. The sophomore had 12 points on 3-of-5 from the field. He also was 5-of-6 from the charity stripe. Critchley is averaging 7.4 points and 2.7 assists this season for the Golden Eagles.

#ChaseK
Chase Knickerbocker continues to come into his own as a player. The sophomore wing player is averaging 9.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game this season. Chase Knickerbocker is shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 30.1 percent from beyond the arc this season. Knickerbocker had 12 points on 4-of-9 from the field against St. Cloud State.

#Tidbits

- Minnesota Crookston comes into the weekend with a 3-4 mark. The Golden Eagles had chances in both games last weekend. However, they gave up an eight-point lead with just over 10 minutes left against St. Cloud State and were unable to finish a late comeback against Minnesota Duluth. The Golden Eagles have shown a lot of improvement in year three under Dan Weisse but continue to fight through some of their youth. The Golden Eagles have just three upperclassmen on the roster with 12 underclassmen making up the rest of the roster.

- Harrison Cleary has been one of the most impressive players in the NSIC in the first seven games of the season. The NSIC's leading scorer is coming off 25 points against Minnesota Duluth and 24 versus St. Cloud State.

- The Golden Eagles come into the weekend averaging 73.1 points. They are giving up 75.0 points per game to their foes. UMC is shooting 38.2 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from beyond the arc. Minnesota Crookston has been out-rebounded 35.9 to 31.9 in games this season.

- Dan Weisse will face his former team and former boss Chad Walthall on Friday. Weisse was the lead assistant at MSU Moorhead from 2011-14.

- MSU Moorhead enters the weekend with a 7-1 mark. The Dragons have looked to four players averaging double-figures. Senior Aaron Lien leads the way with 20.1 points per game. He is shooting 53.1 percent from beyond the arc. Tanner Kretchman is one of the league's better point guards averaging 6.4 assists per game.

- The NSU men's basketball team enters the weekend with a 5-4 mark on the season. The Wolves are led by Mack Arvidson's 19.3 points per game. He is shooting 52.6 percent from beyond the arc. D.J. Pollard comes in averaging 14.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. The Wolves are shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 43.6 percent from beyond the arc.

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