CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston men's basketball team opened practice for the 2022-23 season officially on Saturday, October 15. The Golden Eagles have a new look squad under Head Coach Bryan Beamish, who is in his first season as the head coach after serving previously as assistant coach and associate head coach from 2014-22. 

The Golden Eagles have a new look for the 2022-23 season, with 10 players who are brand new to the program. Only four players have previous experience in the program. Tyrese Shines (Jr., G, La Grange, Ill.) didn't play last year but remained as a student at UMN Crookston. Shines played in 25 games, starting two as a freshman during the 2019-20 season, averaging 6.6 points and 2.6 rebounds. Marcus Thompson (R-Sr., F, Brooklyn, N.Y.) returns after playing 25 games last season. He averaged 3.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. Ron Kirk, Jr. (So., G, Milwaukee, Wis.) appeared in 19 games as a freshman, notching 2.1 points per game. Rambo Badyal (Sr., G, Kelowna, British Columbia) played in 14 games as a junior.

Minnesota Crookston brought a talented group in via recruiting. The Golden Eagles have a very versatile group of newcomers both offensively and defensively. Blaize Sagna (So., G, London, England) averaged 11.0 points per game at Howard College at the NJCAA level in 2021-22. De'Antray Hughes (R-Jr., F, New Orleans, La.) notched 5.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game at Barton Community College at the NJCAA level. Xzavier Jones (Jr., G/F, Milwaukee, Wis.) was a 2020-21 NJCAA First Team All-American. Last season, he notched 9.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game for Iowa Lakes Community College. Chandler Meeks (Fr.., G, Omaha, Neb.) comes in as a true freshman after notching 9.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game as a prep at Omaha Westside H.S. Jordan Mitchell (R-So., F, Columbus, Ohio) was the 10th-best recruit out of Ohio as a prep. Last season, he helped Dodge City Community College to the NJCAA Tournament. Matthew Allman (R-Jr., G/F, London, England) averaged 4.0 points per game last season at NCAA Division II Glenville State College. He shot 36.1 percent from beyond the arc. Peter Fuchs, Jr. (Fr., G, Wausau, Wis.) played the 2021-22 season at DME Academy in Florida. As a junior, Fuchs notched 17.1 points per game at Wausau West H.S. Pedro Rossi (So., F, Bahia Blanca, Argentina) played at NCAA Division I St. Bonaventure University. He played for the Argentina U-19 basketball team. Dezmond Washington (Jr., G/F, Morrilton, Ark.) averaged 10.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per game last season for East Los Angeles Community College. Isaiah Bundy-Smith (Fr., F, Rugby, N.D.) played his post-grad season at Golden State Prep. He had a season-high 24 points last season.

Minnesota Crookston opens the season Wednesday, November 2 with an exhibition at North Dakota State University.