PREVIEW: Huskies set up showdown with #25 Bulldogs

HOUGHTON, Mich. - Michigan Tech men's basketball rides a nine-game win streak into this week's GLIAC showdown with No. 25 ranked Ferris State Thursday in Big Rapids at 7:30 p.m. The Huskies then finish the regular season at Lake Superior State on Saturday at 3 p.m. Both games can be heard on Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ. 

The Huskies received national rankings votes for the second straight week and are currently ranked No. 6 in the Midwest Region. The last time Tech cracked the top 25 was in 2014 and the last time the team won 10 straight games was in 2002.

Ferris State is 12-1 inside Jim Wink Arena and recently snapped a two-game win streak when they were beaten by Purdue Northwest Saturday night 80-77 in overtime. The Bulldogs took the first meeting between the two teams in Houghton 71-48 on December 11. Now the two sides boast identical 15-3 records at the top of the conference standings.

LAST TIME OUT

• Dominating Wayne State from start to finish, Michigan Tech men's basketball picked up their ninth straight victory Saturday 82-57 on senior day at SDC Gymnasium. Owen White posted a double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds. The Huskies shot an efficient 57.1-percent overall, including 47-percent (11-for-23) from beyond the arc. Trent Bell went 4-for-6 from the 3-point arc and totaled 16 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. 
• Senior Kyle Clow posted 11 points off the bench and shot 5-for-8. Tech also out-rebounded the Warriors 37-29. Brailen Neely had 22 points and six rebounds for Wayne State. The Warriors shot 35.7-percent in the game and went 5-for-21 (23.8-percent) from downtown.
• Michigan Tech swept Wayne State in the season series 2-0. The GLIAC quarterfinals, with higher seeds hosting, are set for Wednesday, March 2. Seniors Trent Bell, Kyle Clow, TeeAaron Powell, Owen White, Carter Johnston, and Jalen Carter were recognized prior to the start of Saturday's game for their contributions to the program.

SCOUTING THE #25 BULLDOGS

• The loss to Purdue Northwest dropped Ferris State five positions in the NABC National Division II ranking but they remain No. 2 in the Midwest Region. FSU has lost three of its last five outings. 
• Redshirt senior guard Walt Kelser (Southfield, Mich.) ranks third in the GLIAC with 17.3 points per game. He earned all-GLIAC and all-region honors after helping the Bulldogs to the GLIAC Championship in 2019-20. On November 14, Kelser put up 40 points and shot 15-for-19 in a win over Drury. Saturday, Kelser was contained to seven against the Pride, tying his season low. 
• Five Bulldog players average better than 10 points per game, including Dorian Aluyi (12.7), Lee Higgins (12.6), Ben Davidson (12.2), and Logan Ryan (11.2). 
• Ferris State averages a league best 87.7 points per game, shoots 48-percent from the field, including 40-percent from beyond the arc. Head coach Andy Bronkema has been at the helm since 2013. FSU has qualified for the NCAA Region tournament five times under his leadership and Ferris State won its first National Championship in 2017-18.

HUSKY GLIAC RANKS 

• Points - 74.1 (8th)
• Points Against - 64.8 (1st) [26th NCAA Division II]
• Rebounds - 34.3 (7th)
• Assists - 17.5 (3rd) [13th NCAA Division II]
• Steals - 7.0 (T-4th)
• Blocks - 3.3 (5th)
• Field Goal Percentage - 48.1 (2nd)
• 3-Point Percentage - 38.7 (2nd)

SCOUTING THE LAKERS

• Lake Superior State won six straight games prior to a loss Saturday night at Wisconsin-Parkside 90-61. The Lakers average 78 points per game along with 32 rebounds.
• Three experienced players lead the offense, including redshirt senior Malek Adams (18.8 ppg), senior Kemon Bassett (15.1 ppg), and redshirt senior Caden Ebeling (14.8 ppg).
• Steve Hettinga is in his 15th season as head coach of the Lakers and remains the program record holder for most wins all-time. The Lakers posted an 8-11 record in the Covid-19 shortened 2020-21 campaign. Kemon Bassett was named First Team all-GLIAC.
• The Lakers posted back-to-back fourth place finishes in the GLIAC standings during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
• The Huskies won the first meeting in Houghton 70-64 on December 9. Leading by 12 with under three minutes to play, the Lakers created turnovers and knocked down back-to-back threes to close to within four points 65-61 with 39 seconds on the clock. Carter Johnston calmly dropped in a pair of free throws before Adams hit another 3-pointer for Lake Superior State. Then Trent Bell went 2-for-2 from the line to finally seal victory for MTU. 

BELL 32ND HUSKY TO PASS 1,000 POINTS

• Senior forward Trent Bell (Negaunee, Michigan) passed 1,000 career points on Thursday and has also amassed more than 700 career rebounds since his start in 2017-18.
• Last season, Bell started all 23 games and led the team with 7.7 rebounds per game with five double-doubles. This year Bell continues to improve.
• He is currently second in the conference in rebounding (8.3 rpg) with a team-high nine double-doubles.

OWEN WHITE EARNS FIFTH GLIAC NORTH DIVISION PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD

• For the second time this season and fifth time in his career, Michigan Tech senior guard/forward Owen White (Rhinelander, Wisconsin) has been named GLIAC North Division Player of the Week, the conference office announced on Monday (Feb. 21).
• White totaled 39 points and 12 rebounds in two games last week to help the Huskies to nine straight victories. He also added three assists, three steals, and two blocks. White also shot 10-for-19 from the floor and 5-for-8 from beyond the arc. He was perfect at the free throw line (6-6) and averaged 31.5 minutes.

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.

PRESEASON POLL

• 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 began the regular season as defending North Division Champions with four of five starters returning, including CoSIDA All-American combo guard Owen White.

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.

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 10th in rebounding (31.3 rebounds). Tech began 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 started GLIAC action at Northwood on December 4. The Huskies have three four-game win streaks this season.