Huskies tip off Friday, voted #1 in GLIAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll

• GLIAC Preseason Coaches' Poll

HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech men's basketball was selected to finish first in the GLIAC North Division this season the league announced Tuesday in its preseason coaches' poll. The Huskies begin the regular season as defending North Division Champions with four of five starters returning, including CoSIDA All-American combo guard Owen White.

The team opens with a pair of games in the Lewis Tournament at Neil Carey Arena this week. The Huskies play McKendree Friday, November 12 at 7 p.m. est., followed by Lewis Saturday, November 13 at 4 p.m.

LEWIS TOURNAMENT

2021-22 GLIAC MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON RANKINGS

 North
1. Michigan Tech 56 (6)
2. Ferris State 55 (5)
3. Parkside 34
4. Lake Superior State 32
5. Northern Michigan 25
6. Purdue Northwest 23

South
1. Grand Valley State 49 (9)
2. Wayne State 42 (2)
3. Davenport 31
4. Saginaw Valley State 20
5. Northwood 18

LAST TIME OUT

• The Huskies survived a late comeback to beat NCAA Division I Ball State University in an exhibition on November 3 in Muncie, Indiana.
• Trent Bell led the team with 17 points and shot 6-for-15 from the field and 5-for-9 from beyond the arc.
• The Huskies shot 26-for-57 and connected on 51-percent of 3-pt attempts (15-for-31).
• Tech led by as many as 17 points in the second half after the game was tied 31-31 at halftime.
• The Cardinals went on a 12-0 run to tie the game but Owen White made one free throw late, which proved to be the difference.

HUSKIES AT A GLANCE

With returning All-American combo guard Owen White and four starters back in the fold for 2021-22, Michigan Tech men's basketball hopes to again reach the NCAA Midwest Region tournament, where they fell 65-62 to Truman State in the Championship game last spring. The Huskies finished 15-8 overall, including 12-6 in the GLIAC North Division and took second place in the conference tournament. 

COACH BUETTNER AT THE HELM

For 27 seasons, Kevin Luke led the Huskies as head coach. Luke announced his retirement in April after amassing 471 career victories. He is the school's all-time winningest coach. Longtime assistant coach Josh Buettner was named head coach one day later after serving 13 seasons as assistant coach and one as associate head coach.

Buettner (a former Husky all-American player) hired Ben Stelzer as assistant coach. Stelzer is another former all-American for the Huskies (2011-15) and played basketball professionally in Spain before beginning his coaching career.

STARTING RETURNERS

This year's squad features five seniors, three juniors, one sophomore, six returning freshmen, and two true freshmen. White (senior – Rhinelander, Wisconsin) was named GLIAC Player of the Year, First Team all-Midwest District, and CoSIDA Academic All-America third team. He earned GLIAC Player of the week on three occasions and started 21 games, leading the league in scoring with 21.2 points per game. White posted a career-high 33 points against Ashland in the conference championship and surpassed 1,000 career points on March 5.

Forward Trent Bell (senior – Negaunee, Michigan) provided an imposing presence in the paint. Bell started all 23 games and averaged 11.4 points and 7.7 rebounds (5^th – GLIAC) with five double-doubles. Bell scored 17 points and hauled in 10 boards in the Midwest Region Semifinal game against Southern Indiana. 

Guard Carter Johnston (junior – Beaverton, Michigan) returns as the Huskies chief distributor after leading the GLIAC with 5.5 assists per game (14^th in NCAA Division II). Guard Eric Carl (junior – Kaukana, Wisconsin) was an exceptionally efficient outside shooter. He led the GLIAC with 64 three pointers on 129 attempts and finished second in the conference in 3-point percentage (49.6-percent).

SECOND YEAR STANDOUTS

Second year freshmen Adam Hobson (guard – Stoughton, Wisconsin) and Brad Simonsen (forward – Houghton, Michigan) have the potential for expanded roles after making positive impressions last season. Hobson appeared in 22 games and scored a season high 14 points versus Wisconsin-Parkside on February 27. Simonsen appeared in 10 games for Tech and went 4-fo-6 from 3-point range at Davenport on February 13.

FRESHMEN IN THE FOLD

The Huskies will need to fill the positions of graduated seniors Dawson Bilski (All-GLIAC Second Team) and Isaac Appleby (2019-20 GLIAC All-Defensive team). True freshmen Dawson Nordgaard (Forward – DePere, Wisconsin) and Nate Abel (Point Guard – Beaver Dam, Wisconsin) joined the squad this fall.

SCOUTING MCKENDREE

McKendree University was picked to finish fifth by the East Division coaches in the 2021-22 Great Lakes Valley Conference preseason poll released on Thursday. The Bearcats return three starters and 12 lettermen from last season's team and nearly 65-percent of its scoring for first-year head coach George Suggs who served as an assistant in the program for the past three seasons. 

Among the players returning is junior guard Bryson Bultman (Nashville, Ill./Nashville). Bultman was a first-team all-GLVC selection and an NABC Second-Team Midwest All-District honoree a season ago after averaging 15.5 points per game and leading the Bearcats in field goal percentage (52.4 percent) and assists (74).

Other key returners include senior guard/forward Brendan Gooch (Belleville, Ill./SIU Carbondale) and redshirt senior guard Oliver Stephen (Edwardsville, Ill./Southwestern Illinois College). In 2020-21, Gooch was second on the team in scoring (14.7 ppg) and rebounds (7.6 rpg) and shot 49-percent from the field, 46-percent from the 3-point line, and 88-percent at the free-throw line.

SCOUTING LEWIS

Lewis University was picked to finish in a tie for second in the GLVC East Division the conference office announced on Thursday afternoon. The Flyers are the defending GLVC Champions and made a run in the tournament as the No. 5 seed to capture their third conference championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Midwest Region Tournament.

Head coach Scott Trost, entering his 16th season, returns nine members from last year's championship team including senior Connor Niego (Western Springs, Ill./Lyons Township) who was named to the GLVC All-Tournament team and Marquise Jackson (Macon, Ga./Windsor Academy) who was selected to the All-GLVC Defensive team.

LAST YEAR RANKS

Last year, the Huskies ranked ninth in the conference in scoring (67.9 points), second in defense (63.7 points against), second in 3-point percentage (37.4-percent), and 10^th in rebounding (31.3 rebounds).

Tech begins non-conference play with a pair of games in the Lewis Tournament November 12-13. After facing a trio of Northern Sun opponents (Minnesota Crookston, Minnesota Duluth, and St. Cloud State), the team begins GLIAC action at Northwood on December 4.