Games 1 & 2: Newman (0-0, 0-0 MIAA) @ DoubleTree by Hilton Roseville Minneapolis Classic

@ Concordia- St. Paul (0-0, 0-0 NSIC)
Friday, November 12, 2021 | 6:00 p.m. | St. Paul, Minn. (Gangelhoff Center)
Audio:  None | Video:  NSIC Network

vs. Southwest Minnesota State (0-0, 0-0 NSIC)
Saturday, November 13, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. | St. Paul, Minn. (Gangelhoff Center)
Audio:  None | Video:  NSIC Network
 
RETURN TO ACTION

The Jets open the 2021-22 season on the road to play two foes from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference this weekend.

LAST TIME OUT

The Jets overcame an 11-point second-half deficit while scoring 52 points in the frame to defeat Pittsburg State 79-77 to wrap up the 2020-21 regular season Saturday, February 27 at John Lance Arena in Pittsburg.  The Gorillas started hot with back-to-back 3-pointers to open the contest as part of an 8-2 PSU run.  Cameron Huefner drilled another outside shot to give the Gorillas their biggest lead of the half at 14-6 with 13:43 left in the first period.  The Jets cut the deficit to two twice but could never capture the lead in the first half trailing 31-27 at the break.
The Gorillas started hot in the second half, taking their biggest lead at 47-36 4 minutes into the period.  Pittsburg State would lead by at least 10 points twice but could not put the Jets away as NU slowly cut the lead down before a pair of Ian Lee free throws gave the Navy & Red their first lead of the contest at 65-64 with 5:57 to play.  The teams traded the lead eight times over the final six minutes before a Joel Boyce layup put the Jets in front for good with 18 seconds to play.  A late Tracy Jones free throw closed out the win for Newman as the Jets split the season series with Pittsburg State.

SCOUTING THE SQUADRON

Newman ended last year's pandemic-abbreviated season 4-18 while playing all 22 games within the MIAA.  The Jets return 10 players from a year ago, including two of their top three scorers from that team.  The Jets will suit up four players classified as juniors this season who played at that classification a year ago, but plan to utilize the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic.  The Jets welcome five new freshmen to the program and they are joined by three sophomores and three other juniors.  Transferring into the Jets program are Clay Center High School product Anthony Atkinson (Barton County), former Wichita Southeast High School star Israel Barnes (Texas-Permian Basin, Weber St.), A. J. Morris (Alcorn St.), Kent Olewiler (Eastern, PA), and Damani Thomas (Niagara).

TOP RETURNERS

Junior guard Branden Bunn is the Jets' leading returning scorer after scoring 11.8 ppg a year ago.  Bunn also led the Jets in 3-pointers connecting on 42.5% of his attempts.  Bunn also proved a valuable addition to the Jets defense by leading the Navy & Red with 24 steals last season.  Redshirt junior forward DeAndre Johnson is NU's leading returning rebounder after snatching 4.3 rpg for the Jets last year.  Sophomore guard Ian Lee returns to pilot the Jets' offense after tallying the second-most assists for NU a year ago with 46 dimes against just 40 turnovers.  Lee is also the best returning free throw shooter from last year's team after connecting on over 86% of his tries from the line.

BEHIND ENEMY LINES

The host Concordia-St. Paul finished last season with a 1-13 record while going 0-10 in NSIC play.  The Golden Bears won their season-opener 80-56 at Minnesota-Crookston but lost 13 straight contests to end the year.  The Bears will look to end a streak of six straight losing seasons in 2021-22.  The Golden Bears return three of their top five scorers from a season ago and their top two rebounders from 2020-21.
The Golden Bears have played two exhibitions against NCAA Division I competition in preparation for the upcoming season.  Concordia-St. Paul fell 80-67 to the Minnesota Golden Gophers on November 1, 2021 in Minneapolis and were dropped 101-74 by Weber State in Ogden, Utah on November 4, 2021.  Three Golden Bears scored in double-figures in the second exhibition game, led by Marcus Skeete's 15 points.  He also led the squad with 7 rebounds.
Southwest Minnesota State looks to rebound after a 3-8 season last year.  The Mustangs went 1-6 in NSIC play after ending a seven-game losing streak to end the year by beating Sioux Falls 76-69 in overtime to cap off the 2020-21 campaign.  The Mustangs logged back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since failing to crack the .500 mark in 2014-15 and 2015-16.  Southwest Minnesota returns three of its top five scorers and top two rebounders off last year's squad.
In an exhibition match on October 29, the Mustangs defeated St. Olaf College 78-55 in a home game in Marshall, Minnesota.  Four Mustangs reached double-figure scoring while forcing St. Olaf into 21 turnovers.  The Mustangs outrebounded the Oles 31-22 and outscored them 42-18 in the paint.  Kenny Byers paced the Mustangs with 16 points after missing last season.  Dunwa Omot added 15 points while Anthony Costello tallied 14 and Jake Phipps scored 11.  Southwest Minnesota opens up the DoubleTree by Hilton Roseville Minneapolis Classic against Rogers State.

THE SERIES

The Jets matchup with the Golden Bears and Mustangs will be their first in the school's NCAA Division II history.

PREVIOUS MATCHUP

The Jets are playing Concordia-St. Paul and Southwest Minnesota State for the first time this weekend.

CAPTAIN OF THE FLEET

R.J. Allen begins his fifth season as the head coach of the Jets in 2021.  It will be his 11th season with the program.  Allen has compiled a record of 47-60 over his first 4 years in Wichita with a 7-34 record in MIAA play.  Allen has coached a player to the All-MIAA team each of his first two years in the league.  Joel Boyce was named All-MIAA Honorable Mention in 2021 while Marshawn Blackmon earned Third Team recognition in 2020.  During the Jets' last year in the Heartland Conference, Allen led NU to a 20-9 overall record while finishing third in the Heartland Conference at 11-5.  The 20 wins tied the NU record for victories in their NCAA Division II era.  NU also finished the season in the Top 10 of the South Central Regional Rankings.  Allen was named the 2018 Heartland Conference Coach of the Year in his first season at the helm at Newman after guiding the Jets on a dramatic turnaround in the second half of the season that saw NU finish 14-14 overall and third in the conference with a 10-6 record.
Allen arrived in Wichita in 2011 and spent six seasons as an assistant and eventually associate head coach under Mark Potter, NU's all-time winningest coach.  The Jets won 88 games over those 6 years and made four trips to the Heartland Conference Tournament and the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance after going 20-8 in 2012-13.  He was also on the bench when the Jets knocked off No. 2 seed Lubbock Christian in the first round of the 2016 Heartland Conference Tournament to earn its first ever postseason victory as an NCAA program.
Allen is no stranger to the Air Capital after growing up in Wichita and playing his prep years for his dad, Ron, at Wichita East High School.  Allen was a two time All-City and All-State selection and helped lead the Blue Aces to the 2002 6A state championship.  Following high school, Allen stayed local playing two years at Hutchinson Community College.  The Blue Dragons dominated during Allen's career going 57-9 over the two year span with a 41-1 record in Jayhawk Conference play and winning the conference title in 2004.

LEADING THE GOLDEN BEARS & ROUNDING UP THE MUSTANGS

Matt Fletcher starts his second season at Concordia St. Paul in 2021.  He is 1-13 with the Golden Bears after one season in St. Paul but touts a career record of 77-46 as a head coach while going 52-22 in conference play.  Fletcher didn't have to go far to make the transition, moving to St. Paul from nearby Mankato, Minnesota after spending four seasons leading Bethany Lutheran College.  Under his tutelage, the Vikings went 76-33 with a sparking 52-12 record in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play.  Fletcher won two UMAC Tournament championships and led the Vikings to the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament in 2018 and 2019.  In 2018, Fletcher was named the UMAC Coach of the Year after leading Bethany to a 20-9 record while going 13-3 in league play to win the UMAC regular-season title.  Fletcher previously spent three years as the associate head coach at Upper Iowa.
Brad Bigler is beginning his 13^th season as the Mustangs head coach.  He has led Southwest Minnesota State to a 190-153 record during his time on the bench while going 128-119 in NSIC competition.  SMSU has made three NCAA Tournament appearances on his watch to go along with five appearances in the NSIC Tournament championship game.  Bigler led SMSU to NSIC South Division titles in 2017 and 2018 while logging his only two 20-win seasons, going 53-15 over the span and 34-10 in the NSIC.  Bigler is the all-time winningest coach in school history and is entering his 25^th year in the program after starting as a player for the Mustangs in the 1997-98 campaign.  After spending one year as the Lakeview High School girls basketball coach in 2002-03, he returned to SMSU as a graduate assistant in 2003 before becoming a full-time assistant in 2005 and the associate head coach in 2006.  Bigler was named the 2013 and 2017 NSIC Coach of the Year and last led the 'Stangs to the Big Dance in 2018 when their season ended in the Second Round.  His 2017 team's year ended in the Sweet 16 and set a program record for wins with 28.

ALLEN HOMECOMING

NU head coach R.J. Allen returns to his alma mater after playing for two years at Concordia-St. Paul as a starter and captain for the Golden Bears as they went 34-23 from 2004-06.  He led the team to even greater heights as a coach, spending five seasons as an assistant coach.  Allen was on the bench as the Bears went 21-8 during the 2006-07 season, the school's first ever 20-win season as an NCAA Division II member.  Their third-place finish that year in the NSIC is still their best conference finish as an NCAA Division II school.

RETURN TO NORMAL

Following schedule disruptions in 2020-21, the Jets are back to normal and playing in a preseason exempt tournament for the sixth time in seven years to open up their 2021-22 campaign.  It will be the ninth appearance for the Jets in such an event in the program's NCAA Division II history.  The Jets are 9-6 in such events and will be looking to log their fourth 2-0 record.  In 2019, the Jets went 1-1 at the Great American Classic with a 67-60 loss against Henderson State and a 65-60 victory over Southern Arkansas at the neutral site event.  The Jets haven't emerged unbeaten from a preseason tournament since going 2-0 at the Oklahoma Christian Classic in 2016 after picking up wins over Cameron and Texas A&M-Commerce.  The Jets look to avoid going 0-2 in a preseason exempt tournament for a third time.

GETTING OFF TO A GOOD START

The Jets are 1-3 in season-openers under Coach Allen.  NU won Allen's debut as head coach by holding off a frantic comeback from Cameron 87-85 in overtime in the opener to the 2017-18 season, but have now lost three openers in a row.  Last year, the Jets trailed by as many as 21 before battling back but falling short against #21 Missouri Southern 82-79 in the Jets' first-ever season opener at Fugate Gymnasium that also served as the start to conference play in NU's Division II era.  Newman is 8-6 in season-openers as a Division II program.

CLOSE CALLS

Newman played in 11 games last year in which the score of the game was within six points at some point in the final minute of regulation.  The Jets finished 3-8 in games where the final score was decided by a margin of 10 points or less a season ago. 

NEW MANAGEMENT

Kyle McLeroy begins his first year as assistant coach at Newman after spending the previous two years as a graduate assistant at Dallas Baptist University, a former Heartland Conference rival of the Jets.  Serving under long-time head coach Dr. Blake Flickner, McLeroy helped lead the Patriots to a 38-14 record over his two seasons.  DBU also earned a berth into two NCAA Tournaments with McLeroy on the bench.
McLeroy prepped at Cypress Ranch High School in Cypress, Texas before beginning his collegiate career at the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor.  As a freshman, he helped the Crusaders to a 25-3 record and a No. 5 ranking in the NCAA Division III Top 25.  He redshirted the next season and then transferred to NCAA Division I Sam Houston State.  There he led the Bearkats to a combined 50-20 record over his two seasons and helped set a new NCAA DI-era program record with 26 wins in the 2014-15 season.  Sam Houston State played twice in the Southland Conference Tournament championship game and made two appearances in the College Insider Tournament.

PREVIEWING COMING ATTRACTIONS

The Jets will get a first-hand look this weekend at MIAA rival Rogers State who is also participating in the event.  The Hillcats are coached by Justin Barkley now entering his 11^th season in Claremore, Oklahoma.  His career record stands at 218-106 entering the year, all at RSU, a former Heartland Conference rival of the Jets.  The 'Cats are coming off an 11-12 year in 2020-21 while tying for seventh in the MIAA standings with an 11-11 conference record.  Barkley has led RSU to two MIAA Tournaments in the Hillcats' first two years in the conference.  The Hillcats lead the all-time series with the Jets 12-5 and

LEADING 'THE ASSOCIATION'

• Joel Boyce finished last season ninth in the MIAA in field goal percentage after hitting nearly 54 % of his shots.
• Branden Bunn was fourth in 3-point percentage, drilling 42.5% of his attempts from behind the arc.
• Bunn was also a volume shooter for the Jets, connecting on 2.6 3-pointers per game, good for a tie for fourth in the MIAA last season.
• As a team, the Jets tied for the fourth-best 3-point percentage in a game in the MIAA last year by making 57% of their outside shots in a 90-68 win over Central Oklahoma.
• NU tied for the 5^th most free throws hit by an MIAA team last season swishing 29 of 35 tries in a 74-66 victory against Northeastern State.
• The Jets tied with Rogers State and Missouri Southern for the third-most turnovers in a game last season, committing 23 in a 100-61 loss at Washburn.

NU STATS 'N STREAKS

• The Jets ranked 14^th in the MIAA in scoring last season at 68 ppg and finished 10^th defensively, giving up 79 ppg. Concordia-St. Paul finished 12^th in the NSIC in offense a year ago while scoring 70 ppg and was 15^th defensively while allowing 85 ppg.  SMSU finished 16^th in the NSIC in offense last year scoring 63 ppg but was the fourth-best defensive team giving up 73 ppg.
• NU senior Brandon Bunn has scored in double-figures in three straight games.
• The Jets are looking for their first winning season since 2018-19 when Newman finished 20-9 while tying for third in the Heartland Conference.  NU also seeks its first 10+ win season since that same campaign.  2018-19 was also the last season NU participated in the postseason, losing in the first round of the final Heartland Conference Tournament to Rogers State.