Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Dan Weisse
Record at UMC: 45-97 Season at UMC: Fifth Season
Winona State Warriors
Head Coach: Todd Eisner
Record at WSU: 59-55 Season at WSU: Fourth Season
NSIC/Sanford Health Men's Basketball Tournament
Minnesota Crookston vs. Winona State
Date: Sun., March 2
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Location: Sanford Pentagon, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/nsic/
Live Stats: http://northernsun.org/sidearmstats/bball
Series Record: Winona State leads 25-5
Last Meeting: Minnesota Crookston won 80-66 Jan. 18, 2019 in
Crookston, Minn.
Trends: Minnesota Crookston has won the last two of three meetings
Last Win: Minnesota Crookston won 80-66 Jan. 18, 2019 in Crookston, Minn.
Officials: Rhett Lamoreaux, Ted Krize, Jeff Coombe
Radio: 1260 KROX AM/105.7 FM (Leo Blavin, Play by Play)
TV: Midco Sports Network (Channel 622 HD, Channel 27 SD)
Winner Advances to Play Winner of Sioux Falls/Northern State
Mon., March 3 at 5:30 p.m. at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Minnesota Crookston
Projected Starters
Jr. PG 0
Harrison Cleary (6-1 180, Oak Creek, Wis.) 21.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 4.1 APG
RFr. SG 14
Brian Sitzmann (6-4 192, Savage, Minn.) 7.3 PPG, 2.4 RPG
R-Jr. SF 12
Malcolm Cohen (6-6 210, Detroit, Mich.) 8.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG
Sr. PF 30
Josh Collins (6-6 230, Minneapolis, Minn.) 7.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG
Jr. C 44
Javier Nicolau (6-10 215, Castellon, Spain) 4.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG
Top Bench Players
Sr. SF 25
Chase Knickerbocker (6-7 210, Annandale, Minn.) 11.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG
R-Sr. C 24
Gable Smith (6-7 225, Lodi, Wis.) 5.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.9 BPG
So. SG 2
Ben Juhl (6-1 186, Clive, Iowa) 8.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG
Sr. G 13
Darin Viken (6-1 200, Fosston, Minn.) 2.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG
R-So. F 21
Chase Johnson (6-8 240, La Crosse, Wis.) 3.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG
Winona State
Projected Starters
So. PG 20 Devin Whitelow (5-9 160, Peoria, Ill.) 7.8 PPG 3.0 RPG 4.4 APG
Jr. SG 10 Caleb Wagner (6-2 185, Muskego, Wis.) 13.2 PPG 3.7 RPG 3.1 APG
Sr. 3G 1 Mason Domask (6-3 200, Waupun, Wis.) 7.7 PPG 2.0 RPG
So. SF 24 Kevion Taylor (6-5 215, Milwaukee, Wis.) 16.6 PPG 6.5 RPG
Sr. PF 30 Tommy Gathje (6-8 220, Bloomington, Minn.) 9.3 PPG 4.2 RPG
Top Bench Players
Sr. F 4 Charlie Koontz (6-7 210, Minneapolis, Minn.) 6.8 PPG 4.0 RPG
Fr. G 5 Alec Rosner (6-2 185, Appleton, Wis.) 3.6 PPG 1.7 RPG
So. G 12 Dalante Payton (6-2 180, St. Paul, Minn.) 5.2 PPG 2.0 RPG
So. F 15 Max Miller (6-8 230, Roscoe, Ill.) 2.9 PPG 3.0 RPG
Fr. G 22 Nick Klug (6-1 160, Burlington, Wis.) 3.6 PPG
• The Minnesota Crookston men's basketball team opens up heir first trip to the Sanford Pentagon for the NSIC/Sanford Health quarterfinals Sun., March 2 as the Golden Eagles take on Winona State University at 2:30 p.m. in Sioux Falls, S.D. The winner will move on to advance to the semifinals to play the winner of Northern State University/University of Sioux Falls Mon., March 3 at 5:30 p.m. at the Sanford Pentagon. The NSIC/Sanford Health Championship game will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tues., March 4 in Sioux Falls, S.D. The four teams on the other side of the bracket are Bemidji State University, Southwest Minnesota State University, Wayne State College, and St. Cloud State University.
• SENIOR-LED TEAM. The Golden Eagles have several players who have been a huge part of the journey of going from a three-win team in 2015-16 to a 17-win team in 2018-19. Minnesota Crookston has five seniors on the squad including
Chase Knickerbocker,
Josh Collins,
Darin Viken,
Gable Smith, and
Aaron Hollcraft. The core will be huge as Minnesota Crookston enters the NSIC/Sanford Health quarterfinals in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Golden Eagles will start off the tournament against Winona State University, a great NCAA Division II program that claimed National Championships in 2006 and 2008. If they win, they will come against University of Sioux Falls or Northern State University. The Wolves are coming off a NCAA Division II National Runner-up finish during the 2017-18 season.
• SIOUX FALLS ALL THE WAY. If Minnesota Crookston continues to win in the tournament it will be all done in Sioux Falls, S.D., as they opened up the tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D., against Augustana University and will play all ensuing games at the Sanford Pentagon.
• UPSET WEDNESDAY. Minnesota Crookston picked up their biggest win in program history Wed., Feb. 27 with an 87-72 win at Augustana University, who was the No. 2 seed in the NSIC South. The victory was part of a whole host of upsets around the league as other lower seeds Bemidji State University, Winona State University, and Southwest Minnesota State University all picked up victories. The Golden Eagles will be the lower seed Sunday as Winona State is the No. 6 seed in the NSIC South, as they look to pick up another win and continue their historic run.
• WINNING SEASON. With Wednesday's win over Augustana, the Golden Eagles have guaranteed their first winning season in the program's history in NCAA Division II, which they joined in 1999. The Golden Eagles are currently 17-15 on the 2018-19 season. The phenomenal season has ushered in a major turnaround of a program that went 3-24 when the current senior class were freshmen. The Golden Eagles will look to build on their wins total as they look to continue their run in the Sanford Pentagon at the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament.
• MISTER 2,000. Harrison Cleary became the first person in school history to score 2,000 points in a career earlier this season. The best thing though is H is not done yet, as he still as one year remaining with Minnesota Crookston. Cleary currently has 2,040 career points for the Golden Eagles. The all-time record in points in NCAA Division II is held by Travis Grant from Kentucky State University with 4,045 career points from 1969-72. The best output in the last 20 years was achieved by Ron Christy of Post University with 2,516 points. Cleary has a chance to surpass Christy, as he has averaged 680 points per season in his three years with the Golden Eagles.
• CROWN JUHL. Minnesota Crookston sophomore
Ben Juhl has battled injuries throughout the season, but put on perhaps his best performance on a big stage Wednesday as the Golden Eagles took down Augustana. Juhl had 17 points, including going an astonishing 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. Juhl will look to have the hot hand again as the Golden Eagles look to continue in the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament.
• MAJOR ROAD BLOCK. Gable Smith has been a blocking machine in his career with 282 blocks in his time in the Maroon and Gold. Smith has had a down year from last season with 50 blocks for the Golden Eagles, but he is still averaging 1.9 blocks per game. Smith is ranked all-time in NCAA Division II with his 282 career blocks. He is currently 21st all-time in NCAA Division II. He needs three blocks to surpass Kevin Thompson of Eckerd, who is ranked 20th all-time from 1993-96.
• THE CLIMB. Harrison Cleary ended the regular season third all-time in the NSIC with 1,522 points. Cleary needs two points to move past Ryan Bruggeman of Southwest Minnesota State University, who has 1,523 career points. Cleary needs 411 points to surpass Gage Davis for the NSIC record. Davis set the mark with 1,932 career points at St. Cloud State University.
• CHASING 1,000.
Chase Knickerbocker could potentially become the fourth player in school history to score 1,000 points. Knickerbocker will be aided if the Golden Eagles continue their season. Knickerbocker has scored 945 career points. He needs 55 points to join
Harrison Cleary, Joe Hasz, and Akeem Cubie in the 1,000 points. Knickerbocker is averaging 11.3 points per game.
• FROM DOWNTOWN. Minnesota Crookston set a NSIC Tournament mark with 18 three-pointers last Wednesday against Augustana. They also tied the NSIC Tournament record by shooting a phenomenal 69.2 percent from behind the three-point line. The Golden Eagles will look to remain on-fire from beyond the arc as they continue play at the Sanford Pentagon.
• SITZMANN FROM SAVAGE SINKING IT. Brian Sitzmann was also on-fire from beyond the arc Wednesday against Augustana. The redshirt freshman shot 4-of-5 from beyond the arc to finish with 16 points on the night. Sitzmann has continued to come into his own this season, as the Savage, Minn., native is averaging 7.3 points per game. Sitzmann has nine double-figure scoring games this season.
• MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE.
Malcolm Cohen has been a major factor for the Golden Eagles. Cohen is averaging 9.8 points per game in the last eight games for the Golden Eagles. Cohen, like many other Minnesota Crookston players, had a great game against Augustana as he tallied 17 points on 6-of-11 from the field, and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.
WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY WARRIORS. The sixth seeded Warriors head to the Pentagon after a huge upset against the seconded seeded Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. The Warriors now have a 13-16 overall record and are 9-13 in the NSIC. They will battle it out against Minnesota Crookston on Sunday at the Pentagon.
WATCH OUT FOR WAGNER. Junior guard, Caleb Wagner from Muskego, Wis., came out big on Wednesday night's game against the Bulldogs. Wagner outscored his average (13.2 PPG) last night by 4.8 points, with 18 points. He also played a majority of the contest with 36 minutes. He looks to defeat the Golden Eagles and move onto the next round at the Pentagon.
THE KEY-VION. Kevion Taylor, a guard/forward from Milwaukee, Wis., had an outstanding game Wednesday night against Minnesota Duluth. In 36 minutes of play, Taylor had 16 points which helped put Winona in the lead to eventually knock out the second seeded Bulldogs.
GREAT GATHJE. Senior forward, Tommy Gathje from Bloomington, Minn., looks to continue his season at the Pentagon. On Wednesday, Gathje had 10 points and played 27 minutes for the Warriors. He has played a key role for Winona State, and looks to defeat Minnesota Crookston on Sunday.
#5StoryLines
1. Can the Golden Eagles continue a historic run at the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament?
2. Can the Golden Eagles have another hot shooting night from three?
3. Can
Harrison Cleary have big games for the Golden Eagles?
4. Can the Golden Eagles be big on the glass?
5. Who will step up off the bench for Minnesota Crookston?
