The Scoop
The University of Minnesota Crookston men's basketball team will return home after a four-game road trip to face University of Mary Fri., Jan. 19 and Minot State University Sat., Jan. 20. The Golden Eagles are looking to snap a four-game losing streak, which followed up their three-game win streak to conclude the 2017 calendar year. 

Previewing the Golden Eagles
Minnesota Crookston continues to be off to their best start in program history with an 8-10 (5-7 NSIC) record. The Golden Eagles remain just one win shy of tying a school record for wins in a season, which was set during the 2000-01 season as Minnesota Crookston notched nine wins.

The Golden Eagles will look to snap their four-game losing streak heading into the weekend. Minnesota Crookston is led by sophomore sensation Harrison Cleary, who leads the conference with 23.1 points per game. His points per game is also 12th nationally. Cleary already topped 1,000 points earlier this season, becoming the youngest player in school history to do so. He also currently leads the nation in free throw percentage at 96.1 percent. He will look to continue to lead the charge for the Golden Eagles heading into this weekend. 

Alan Hodge, Jr. has been coming off the bench for Minnesota Crookston the last two games and has done a good job in that role. Hodge is notching 16.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Last weekend, he tallied 18.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game for the Golden Eagles. Hodge is shooting 42.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Junior Gable Smith also continues to improve offensively and has been one of the best defensive players in the league. Smith leads the conference and nation in blocked shots this season. He is averaging 3.9 blocked shots per game. Offensively, Smith is averaging 10.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game over the last five games.

Freshman Ben Juhl has also been a major factor this season for the Golden Eagles. Juhl is tallying 10.6 points per game. Junior Darin Viken also continues to step up for Minnesota Crookston. Viken is a player who will do anything to help his team. He has worked his way into the starting line-up recently. He tallied a season-high 15 points in the Golden Eagle's last home game Dec. 31 against Upper Iowa.

Minnesota Crookston comes into the weekend averaging 77.7 points per game. Defensively, the Golden Eagles are allowing their foes to score 74.0 points per game. Minnesota Crookston is shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 41.0 percent from beyond the arc. The Golden Eagles come in shooting at a 76.6 percent clip from the charity stripe. Minnesota Crookston is being out-rebounded on the season by the tally of 36.1 to 33.6. 

Previewing the Marauders
The University of Mary comes into the weekend with a 3-13 (1-11 NSIC) record. The Marauders lost both games last weekend to Minnesota State University and Concordia University-St. Paul. U-Mary has been close in several games this season as they have lost six games by 10 or less points.

The Marauders are a young squad as they only return one player who started 10 or more games last season in Trevor Zacher. The senior is averaging 10.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. U-Mary has been led this season by junior transfer Keith Hunter, a guard who is notching 13.9 points per game. In the post, the Marauders look to 6-9 forward Matthew Kreklow, who is averaging 9.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Fellow forward Tom Kubank is averaging 9.3 points per game.

U-Mary is averaging 71.1 points per game, while giving up 78.4 points per game to their foes. The Marauders are shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from beyond the arc. U-Mary shoots 71.7 percent from the foul line. U-Mary is being out-rebounded 34.2 to 28.6 this season.

Previewing the Beavers
Minot State has had a strong season as they are just outside the Top 25. The Beavers come in with a 16-2 (10-2 NSIC) mark. They are currently second in the NSIC North coming into the weekend. Minot State is led by the second-leading scorer in the league Tyler Rudolph, a 6-6 post who is tallying 22.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Rudolph comes in shooting 60.5 percent from the field. In addition, he can step outside where he is shooting 50.8 percent from beyond the arc. 

In addition to Rudolph, Minot State looks to point guard Luis Ricci Maia, who is one of the league's best facilitators. Ricci Maia is 6.7 assists per game to go with his 11.1 points per game. Ricci Maia is shooting 41.7 percent from beyond the arc. The Beavers are aided in the post by David Akibo, who is averaging 11.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Nathaniel Moore adds to Minot State's attack. He is coming off the bench for 10.8 points per game. 

The Beavers average 80.2 points per game, while giving up 68.1 points per game to their opponents. Minot State is shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from beyond the arc. The Beavers shoot 77.1 percent from the charity stripe. Minot State is out-rebounding their foes 35.9 to 31.2. 

Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Dan Weisse
Record at UMC: 25-74 Season at UMC: Fourth Season

U-Mary Marauders
Head Coach: Joe Kittell
Record at U-Mary: 34-42 Season at U-Mary: Third Season

Minot State Beavers
Head Coach: Matt Murken
Record at MINOT: 77-82 Season at MINOT: Sixth Season

Date: Jan. 19, 2018
Time: 8 p.m.
Opponent: University of Mary
Date: Jan. 20, 2018
Time: 6 p.m.
Opponent: Minot State University
Site: Crookston, Minn. - Lysaker Gymnasium (3,000)
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/umcrookston/mbball/
Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/crk/
Radio (Friday): 1260 KROX AM/105.7 FM
Officials (Friday): Bill Fisher, Mike Gullinsgrud, Ivan Cardona
Officials (Saturday): Josh Klem, Brent Svor, Darin Perius
Last (U-Mary): Split with U-Mary with a loss on the road and a win at home. U-Mary is 4-1 in their last five games with the Golden Eagles. 
Series: U-Mary leads the NCAA Division II series 17-5.
Last (MINOT): Minot State took both games over Minnesota Crookston last season. The Golden Eagles have lost all 10 Division II games against the Beavers since 2012-13. 
Series: Minot State leads the all-time series 9-2 over Minnesota Crookston.

Statistical Leaders
Minnesota Crookston
Projected Starters
So. PG 0 Harrison Cleary, 6-1, Oak Creek, Wis. 23.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.9 APG
Fr. SG 2 Ben Juhl, 6-1, Clive, Iowa 10.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG
Jr. 3G 13 Darin Viken, 6-2, Fosston, Minn. 2.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG
Jr. SF 30 Josh Collins, 6-6, Minneapolis, Minn. 5.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG
R-Jr. PF 24 Gable Smith, 6-7, Lodi, Wis. 8.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.9 BPG
Top Bench Players
Jr. G 1 Alan Hodge, Jr., 6-0, Dallas, Texas 16.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG
Jr. F/C 44 Javier Nicolau, 6-11, Castellon, Spain 3.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG
R-Fr. G 10 Gabrys Sadaunykas, 6-4, Vilnius, Lithuania 1.4 PPG, 1.2 RPG

U-Mary
Projected Starters
So. PG 0 Jaylan White, 5-11, St. Charles, Iowa 8.2 PPG, 3.8 APG
Jr. SG 2 Keith Hunter, 6-3, Oakland, Calif. 13.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG
Sr. 3G 14 Trevor Zacher, 6-5, Beulah, N.D. 10.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG
Jr. SF 32 Tom Kubank, 6-7, Adelaide, Australia 9.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG
R-Fr. PF 44 Matthew Kreklow, 6-9, Maple Plain, Minn. 9.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG
Top Bench Players
R-Fr. G 11 Connor Hellebust, 6-3, Bismarck, N.D. 5.9 PPG, 2.1 RPG
Jr. G 13 Brody Sharkey, 6-0, Glendale, Ariz. 6.7 PPG, 2.6 RPG
Fr. F 4 Wyatt Carr, 6-5, Hazen, N.D. 5.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG
Sr. F 24 Michael Gorder, 6-6, Eagan, Minn. 1.5 PPG, 1.5 RPG

Minot State
Projected Starters
Sr. PG 11 Luis Ricci Maia, 5-11, Franca, Brazil 11.9 PPG, 6.7 APG
Sr. SG 3 Brandon Green, 6-3, Bowie, Md. 4.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG
Sr. 3G 20 Russ Davis, 6-4, Chandler, Ariz. 8.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG
Jr. SF 15 David Akibo, 6-7, London, England 11.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG
Sr. PF 24 Tyler Rudolph, 6-6, Bismarck, N.D. 22.2 PPG, 7.3 RPG
Top Bench Players
Sr. G 0 Nathaniel Moore, 6-1, Milwaukee, Wis. 10.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG
Fr. F 10 Dorian Aluyi, 6-6, Chicago, Ill. 2.0 PPG, 2.1 RPG
R-Fr. G 5 Max Cody, 6-1, Melbourne, Australia 2.7 PPG, 0.6 RPG

#5StoryLines
1. Can the Golden Eagles get the ball movement and defense that they have had in several of their wins?

2. Can Minnesota Crookston limit of the league's best player in Tyler Rudolph of Minot State?

3. Can Harrison Cleary have a strong weekend for Minnesota Crookston?

4. Will Gable Smith continue to be a pest in the paint with his blocked shots? 

5. Will the Golden Eagles slow down U-Mary's Keith Hunter?

#SensationalScorer

Minnesota Crookston sophomore guard Harrison Cleary has had a phenomenal start to his young career. Cleary leads the league with his 23.1 points per game, which is 12th nationally. In addition, he leads the nation as a free throw shooter by hitting at a 96.1 percent clip. Cleary is also potent from beyond the arc where he leads the Golden Eagles by shooting 47.4 percent. He has already surpassed 1,000 points in his career and is looking to continue his strong start to his career, beginning first with this weekend's games against U-Mary and Minot State. 

#Denied
Minnesota Crookston redshirt junior Gable Smith has always been a shot block machine with a school-record 194 blocks. Smith has taken it to a new level this year with an NCAA Division II leading 3.94 blocks per game. Smith has tallied five or more blocks in seven games this season. He has also continued to progress as an offensive player where he is averaging 8.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Smith has been strong in recent games as he is notching 10.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in the last five games. Smith leads the team by shooting 62.4 percent from the field. 

#NewAddition
The Golden Eagles added 6-6 forward Josh Collins at semester break. The junior transfer from Division I University of North Dakota started his first two games with Minnesota Crookston last weekend. He is looking to find his role for the Golden Eagles but has had some strong moments early on, especially against St. Cloud State when he tallied 10 points and eight boards. Collins comes into the weekend averaging 5.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. 

#OffTheBench
Golden Eagle junior Alan Hodge, Jr. came off the bench last weekend for Minnesota Crookston. Hodge had a strong weekend overall as he averaged 18.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game for Minnesota Crookston in games against Southwest Minnesota State and Sioux Falls. Hodge shot 14-of-32 from the field for 43.8 percent over the two games.