Games 1 & 2:
Newman (0-0, 0-0 MIAA) @ Holiday Inn Express Regional Challenge
 
vs. Concordia-St. Paul (0-0, 0-0 NSIC)
Friday, November 11, 2022 | 4:00 p.m. | Claremore, Okla. (Claremore Expo Center)
Audio:  None | Video:  MIAA Network | Live Stats:  RSU Athletics
 
vs. Southwest Minnesota State (0-0, 0-0 NSIC)
Saturday, November 12, 2022 | 12:00 p.m. | Claremore, Okla. (Claremore Expo Center)
Audio:  None | Video:  MIAA Network | Live Stats:  RSU Athletics
 
LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED
Jets men's basketball opens the season in Oklahoma against two foes from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference this weekend.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Missouri State opened the game on a 30-8 run through the first 10 minutes and the Jets never recovered in a 78-58 loss to the Bears to wrap up the preseason Nov. 5 in Springfield, Mo.  The Bears built the lead to 38-14 with 4:32 to play in the first half before the Navy & Red finally found their confidence ending the half on a 15-3 run to trim the lead to 41-29 at the break.  A Latik Murphy 3-pointer started the second half strong for the Jets to bring NU within nine.  The Bears answered with back-to-back scores to push the lead back to double digits.  NU would slash the lead back under 10 once more but could get no closer than nine the rest of the way.  The Jets were outshot 49% to 37.5% in the game by MoState.  Continuing a theme from last year, the Jets won the turnover battle by committing just 13 against the Bears, two fewer than their Missouri Valley Conference foe.  Newcomer Stevie Smith paced the Jets with 16 points.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
SCOUTING THE SQUADRON
The Jets went 6-21 in 2021-22 with a 3-19 record inside the MIAA.  Newman returns four players from last year's squad including second-leading scorer Stevie Strong, who averaged 13.7 ppg.  Strong was also second on the team in steals with 22 and led the Jets in 3-pointers shooting 44-for-138 from outside (31.9%).  Strong also paced the Jets from the foul line with 68 free throws on the way to shooting an impressive 89.5%.  Junior Ian Lee started 23 of 27 games for the Jets last season and dazzled offensively with 83 assists against just 43 turnovers.  Lee was also Newman's third-leading scorer at 9.6 ppg.
 
The Jets will be junior and graduate led this season with no seniors on the roster.  The Jets start the season with seven freshmen on the roster.  The Navy & Red will feature eight transfers this season: five from the junior college level and four from NCAA Division I.  Newman's roster features two graduate students, six juniors, and four sophomores.
 
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
Concordia-St. Paul is seeking continued improvement this season.  Last year's 3-25 record with a 2-19 mark in NSIC play was a two-win improvement both overall and in conference play from 2020-21.  The Golden Bears enter the year on a four-game losing streak after dropping nine of their last 10 contests to end last season.  CSP is trying to avoid its eighth-consecutive losing season and will attempt to post at least 10 wins for the first time in the last seven seasons.  The Bears haven't summitted 10 wins overall or in conference since a 13-16 campaign in 2015-16 in which they went 10-12 in NSIC action.  The Golden Bears haven't won a conference title since claiming the 1994 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Championship.  The Bears will try to end a two-year absence from the postseason this year and are seeking their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023.  CSP hasn't made a national postseason tournament since the 1998 NAIA Tournament.
 
In exhibition action, the Golden Bears were overwhelmed by South Dakota State in a 123-61 rout Nov. 2 in Brookings, S.D.  The Golden Bears are rebuilding again in 2022-23 with just one of their top five scorers from last season returning to go along with just two of their top five rebounders.  Sophomore guard Jacob Everson looks to be the Golden Bear to watch after averaging 8.4 ppg (third-best on the team last season) and 2.7 rpg while converting a team best 51.9% of his 3-point tries a year ago.
 
Southwest Minnesota State returned to respectability in 2021-22 with a dramatic 12-win turnaround over the previous year.  The Mustangs finished 15-12 overall with a 10-10 mark in NSIC play which was nine wins better in league play than the season before.  2021-22 snapped a two-season streak of finishing under .500.  The 'Stangs are looking to post a winning league record for the first time since going 17-5 in the NSIC in 2017-18 as part of a 25-9 record that saw SMSU make their most recent NCAA Tournament appearance.  Southwest Minn. is experience laden in 2022-23 with four of their top five scorers and three of their top five rebounders returning from a season ago.  Last year's leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, junior center Jake Phipps, looks to lead SMSU back to the top of the NSIC after averaging 12.7 ppg and 6.4 rpg a season ago.
 
In their lone exhibition game of the preseason, Southwest Minn. won comfortably over St. Olaf 68-52 Nov. 4.  The program seeks its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023 and is going for its fifth NSIC regular season crown.
 
THE SERIES
Last year's meeting with the Golden Bears and Mustangs at the DoubleTree by Hilton Roseville Minneapolis Classic was Newman's first with each team.  The Jets went 0-2 at the event and will look to pick up their first win in each series to start 2022-23. 
 
PREVIOUS MATCHUP
The Golden Bears took control of the game with an early first-half run, and the Jet comeback came up just short in a 73-70 defeat at Concordia-St. Paul to open up the 2021-22 season November 12, 2021.  An early 12-0 run gave Concordia-St. Paul control as they took a 34-27 lead into the intermission.  CSP built the lead to as many as 13 at multiple times in the second half but cut it to one with less than six minutes to go, but the Jets could never tie or take the lead.  David Javorsky paced NU with 15 points.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
In the second game of the season the next day, Southwest Minnesota State shot 56.1% from the field and stampeded to an 84-58 victory that dropped the Jets to 0-2 on the year.  A 7-2 run to start the game boded well for the Mustangs who built the lead as high as 16 in the first half before leading at the break 46-33.  In the second half, it was the SMSU defense that took control, holding the Jets to just 27.6% shooting from the field as NU was never closer than 14 in the second period.  Branden Bunn was the only Jet in double figures with 18 points.
Full Recap | Box Score
 
 
A FAMILIAR START
Newman is playing in a season tip-off tournament for the seventh time in eight years to open up the season in 2022-23.  It is the 10^th appearance for the Jets in such an event in the program's NCAA Division II history.  NU is 9-8 in such events and will be looking to log their fourth 2-0 record.  The Jets are looking to avenge their 0-2 start to last season against these same foes at the 2021 DoubleTree by Hilton Roseville Minneapolis Classic hosted by Concordia-St. Paul at the Gangelhoff Center in Minneapolis last season.  The Jets are looking to avoid going 0-2 in a season tip-off event for a fourth time.  The Jets haven't emerged unbeaten from a season tip-off since going 2-0 at the Oklahoma Christian Classic in 2016 after picking up wins against Cameron and Texas A&M-Commerce.
 
LET'S TURN THIS AROUND
Newman is 1-4 in season openers under coach Allen.  NU won Allen's debut as Jets 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 four openers in a row.  This is the second-straight year the Jets have opened up against Concordia-St. Paul.  The Navy & Red are 8-7 in season-openers as an NCAA Division II program.
 
A STRONG START
Stevie Strong's start to his Newman career landed him in the NU record book last season.  Strong's 288 points in just 21 games set the season scoring record for a Newman freshman.  Not only that, but Strong also set the single-game freshman scoring record by pouring in 29 points in a game against Northeastern State last season.  Strong also set the record for season free throw percentage by hitting 89.5% of his charity shots.  Strong's 29 consecutive makes at the line to open a season were also best all-time by a Jet. 
 
'LEE'SING AGREEMENT
Ian Lee has developed into one of the MIAA's premier distributors in the conference over his first two seasons with the Jets.  Through just 49 games, Lee has cracked the Top 10 in career assists for the Jets with 129.  He's currently tied with Jarvis Jackson for sixth in career assists per game with 2.6 apg.  Lee's 83 assists last year also tied him with Jackson for ninth on the season assists list.  His 3.1 apg in 2021-22 also landed him in a tie for 10^th on the season assists per game rankings tied with Kyle Smith, Jarvis Jackson, and Jalen Love.
 
STAYING BUSY
Newman men's basketball played multiple exhibitions this season against NCAA Division I foes for the first time since 2010.  After playing the Shockers to tip off the preseason, Newman headed to Springfield, Missouri to face the Missouri State Bears from the Missouri Valley Conference.  In 2010-11, the Jets played exhibitions at Kansas State and Wichita State before tipping off the season.
 
CAPTAIN OF THE FLEET
R. J. Allen begins his sixth season as the head coach of the Jets in 2021.  It will be his 12th season with the program.  Allen has compiled a record of 53-81 over his first five years in Wichita with a 10-55 record in MIAA play.  Allen has coached a player to the All-MIAA team each of his first three years in the league.  Israel Barnes received All-MIAA Honorable Mention recognition last season, 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.
 
Allen is 0-1 against both Concordia-St. Paul and Southwest Minnesota State.
 
GATHERING THE GOLDEN BEARS AND MUSTERING THE MUSTANGS
Matt Fletcher enters his third season at Concordia-St. Paul in 2022.  Fletcher's career record with the Golden Bears is 4-38 with a 2-29 mark inside the NSIC.  In his career, Fletcher is 80-71 overall with a 54-41 record in conference play in six total seasons.  Fletcher previously spent four seasons as the head coach at Bethany Lutheran.  Under his tutelage, the Vikings went 76-33 with a sparking 52-12 record in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play.  Fletcher led the Vikes to two UMAC Tournament titles and two appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament.  Fletcher never posted a losing record at Bethany Lutheran and never suffered double-digit losses in any of his four seasons in Mankato, Minn.  In 2018 he was named the UMAC Coach of the Year after his Vikings claimed the regular-season UMAC crown.  Fletcher previously spent three years as the associate head coach at Upper Iowa.
 
Fletcher is 1-0 in his career against the Jets.
 
Brad Bigler is prepped for his 14^th season as the head coach of the Mustangs.  He boasts a 205-165 record with a 138-129 record in NSIC competition in his only stop as a head coach.  Under his direction, SMSU has gone dancing three times in the NCAA Tournament and made five appearances in the NSIC Tournament championship game.  The highlight of Bigler's career was back-to-back 20-win seasons from 2016-18 while winning two NSIC South Division titles.  Bigler's Mustangs went an impressive 53-15 and 34-10 in conference play over the span.  Bigler is the all-time winningest coach in school history and has spent 25 years in the program after starting as a player for the Mustangs in the 1997-98 campaign.  After spending one season as the head girls basketball coach in 2002-03, he joined SMSU as a graduate assistant the next season.  Bigler has worked his way up the ladder over the previous two decades after being promoted to full-time assistant in 2005 and associate head coach in 2006.  He's twice been named the NSIC Coach of the Year.
 
Bigler is 1-0 against the Navy & Red.
 
LEADING 'THE ASSOCIATION'

• Wichita-native Israel Barnes finished fifth in the league in scoring last season averaging 18.9 ppg.
• Deandre Johnson, who graduated last spring, finished his last season with the Jets tied for ninth in the league in rebounding grabbing 6.0 boards per game.
• Stevie Strong finished eighth in 3-pointers per game in 2021-22 hitting 2.1 per contest.  Strong finished fourth in 'The Association' in free throw percentage at 89.5%.
• Ian Lee finished in a tie for ninth last season with 3.1 assists per game.  Lee was tied for fifth in the MIAA in assist/turnover ratio at 1.9.

 
NU STATS 'N STREAKS

• The Navy & Red finished last in the MIAA last year in offense scoring 65.7 ppg.
• NU ended the season 12^th defensively allowing 75.1 ppg.
• 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.

 
AND THEN…
The Navy & Red open up Fugate Gymnasium by hosting Sterling on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 7:00 p.m.
 
2022 MIAA MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLLS
Coaches
1.  Northwest Missouri (11) – 167 Points
2.  Central Oklahoma (3) – 158 Points
3.  Fort Hays State – 137 Points
4.  Washburn – 131 Points
5.  Emporia State – 125 Points
6.  Northeastern State – 100 Points
7.  Missouri Western – 93 Points
8.  Missouri Southern – 85 Points
9.  Central Missouri – 73 Points
T-10.  Pittsburg State – 63 Points
T-10.  Rogers State – 63 Points
12.  Nebraska-Kearney – 36 Points
13.  Lincoln – 26 Points
14.  Newman – 17 Points
 
Media
1.  Northwest Missouri (14) – 261 Points
2.  Central Oklahoma (4) – 243 Points
3.  Fort Hays State – 216 Points
4.  Washburn – 209 Points
5.  Emporia State – 181 Points
6.  Missouri Western – 163 Points
7.  Missouri Southern – 146 Points
8.  Northeastern State – 135 Points
9.  Central Missouri – 112 Points
10.  Pittsburg State – 106 Points
11.  Rogers State – 92 Points
12.  Nebraska-Kearney – 67 Points
13.  Newman – 33 Points
14.  Lincoln – 31 Points
 
2021-22 MIAA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Week 1:  Tray Buchanan – Emporia State
Week 2:  Trevor Hudgins – Northwest Missouri
Week 3:  Tray Buchanan (2) – Emporia State (2)
Week 4:  Trevor Hudgins (2) – Northwest Missouri (2)
Week 5:  Camryn Givens – Central Oklahoma
Week 6:  Isaiah Wade – Central Oklahoma (2)
Week 7:  Trevor Hudgins (3) – Northwest Missouri (3)
Week 8:  Tray Buchanan (3) – Emporia State (3)
Week 9:  Tray Buchanan (4) – Emporia State (4)
Week 10:  Isaiah Wade (2) – Central Oklahoma (3)
Week 11:  Trevor Hudgins (4) – Northwest Missouri (4)
Week 12:  Tray Buchanan (5) – Emporia State (5)
Week 13:  Tray Buchanan (6) – Emporia State (6)
Week 14:  Jonny Clausing – Washburn
Week 15:  Tyler Geiman – Washburn (2)