CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston men's basketball team heads to Puerto Rico for the 2018 USA Sports Tours and Events Puerto Rico Basketball Classic in San Juan, Puerto Rico Wed., Nov. 21 to Fri., Nov. 23. The Golden Eagles take on Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico on Wednesday at 1 p.m. C.T. Thursday, Minnesota Crookston comes up Missouri Southern State University at 11 a.m. C.T., for a Thanksgiving Day showdown. The Golden Eagles conclude the trip Friday at 9 a.m. C.T. versus University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras.

Minnesota Crookston Preview
Projected Starters
Jr. PG 0 Harrison Cleary, 6-1 180, Oak Creek, Wis. (20.6 PPG, 4.2 APG, 4.0 RPG)
So. SG 2 Ben Juhl, 6-1 186, Clive, Iowa (13.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.0 APG)
Sr. SF 25 Chase Knickerbocker, 6-7 210, Annandale, Minn. (11.8 PPG, 4.0 RPG)
Sr. PF 30 Josh Collins, 6-6 230, Minneapolis, Minn. (7.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG)
R-Sr. C 24 Gable Smith, 6-7 225, Lodi, Wis. (3.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.0 BPG, 2.4 SPG)
Key Bench Players
R-Jr. G/F 12 Malcolm Cohen, 6-6 210, Detroit, Mich. (9.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG)
R-Fr. G 14 Brian Sitzmann, 6-4 192, Savage, Minn. (6.8 PPG)
R-So. F/C 21 Chase Johnson, 6-8 240, La Crosse, Wis. (3.2 PPG, 7.0 RPG)

Minnesota Crookston is off to their best start in their 20 years in NCAA Division II and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Golden Eagles are 4-1, having won four-consecutive tilts. Minnesota Crookston won their last three games by an average of 40 points per game.

The Golden Eagles have been propelled by the play of Harrison Cleary (Jr., G, Oak Creek, Wis.), who is the second all-time leading scorer in program history with 1,445 career points. Cleary needs 473 points to surpass Minnesota Crookston great Joe Hasz as the all-time leading scorer in program history. Cleary is averaging 20.6 points per game, while shooting 44.4 percent from the field, 46.2 percent from beyond the arc, and at a 90.5 percent clip from the stripe. He is also notching 4.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.

Ben Juhl (So., G, Clive, Iowa) has had a strong start to his sophomore campaign. Juhl is tallying 13.6 points per game, while shooting 47.1 percent from behind the three-point line. Chase Knickerbocker (Sr., G/F, Annandale, Minn.) has been a welcome addition back to the line-up after missing the last half of the 2017-18 season due to injury. Knickerbocker is averaging 11.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.

Malcolm Cohen (R-Jr., G/F, Detroit, Mich.), comes in averaging 9.0 points per game in his first season playing for the Golden Eagles after redshirting last year. Josh Collins (Sr., F, Minneapolis, Minn.) comes in notching 7.8 points and 5.0 rebounds. Defensively, Gable Smith (R-Sr., F, Lodi, Wis.), the league's Defensive Player of the Year last season, comes in with 3.0 blocks and 2.4 steals per game. Smith became the school's all-time leading rebounder last weekend. He is averaging 4.6 rebounds per game, to go with 3.2 points per tilt.

Minnesota Crookston comes in averaging 84.8 points per game. The Golden Eagles have had drastic improvement on the defensive side of the floor, where they are giving up just 59.4 points per game. Minnesota Crookston allowed 75.5 points per game last season. The Golden Eagles are shooting 48.3 percent from the field, 41.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 74.7 percent from the foul line. Minnesota Crookston is winning the war on the glass by the tune of 40.4 to 34.0 this season. They are also tallying 12.6 assists per game to just 8.4 turnovers per tilt.

Pontifical Catholic
Pontifical Catholic is a NCAA Division II affiliate located in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The Pioneers are coming off a 73-72 loss to Minot State University in overtime on Tuesday. Pontifical Catholic was paced by Miguel Barreto, who had 35 points for the Pioneers. Barreto shot 9-of-18 from the floor, 6-of-11 from beyond the arc, and 11-of-14 from the stripe.

Missouri Southern
Missouri Southern has posted a 2-1 record on the season. The Lions are receiving votes in the NABC Coaches Poll. Missouri Southern posted a 20-10 mark during the 2017-18 campaign. The Lions made it to the NCAA Division II Central Region Tournament, where they lost to Southwest Minnesota State University in the opening round.

Missouri Southern is a high-scoring team, tallying 87.3 points per game. Unfortunately on the defensive end, the Lions are allowing 87.7 points per game to their foes. Missouri Southern has been led by the play of Cam Martin, who is averaging 30.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Martin is a 6-9 240 post, who transferred to the Lions from Division I school Jacksonville State University.

In addition, Kinzer Lambert comes in notching 18.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. Elyjah Clark is averaging 12.7 and 6.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 37.5 percent from beyond the arc. Reggie Tharp rounds out the double-figure scorers with 12.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

Off the bench, the top contributor for the Lions is Ted Brown with 4.7 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. Brown is familiar with the Golden Eagles, having transferred from Concordia University-St. Paul.

The Lions come into the week shooting 49.2 percent from the field. Missouri Southern is hitting at a 34.1 percent clip from beyond the arc, and a 64.8 percent clip from the foul line. The Lions are being out-rebounded on the season 38.0 to 35.7.

Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras
Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras is a NCAA Division II affiliate located in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. The Gallitos are led by Josue Erazo, a senior for Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, who scored 20 points, and had eight boards, and four assists against McKendree last season. Josael Ramos also returns after tallying 15 points and three rebounds last season versus McKendree. The Gallitos also return Pedro Lopez, who notched five points and three boards against McKendree. Keython Cendeno, Albert Roque, and Emanuel Belardo, also return from last season's squad.