Bismarck, ND – When the University of Mary men's basketball team tips off the 2013-14 season on Saturday, fans may not recognize many of the players taking the court for the Marauders. Just don't take too long looking at the roster, though, or you may miss something exciting on the court.
 
Entering his third season as head coach of the Marauders, Jevin Budde leads a squad that returns just four players from last season and 12 student-athletes new to the program. Planning to play a high-energy brand of basketball, upwards of 12 players could hit the court each night for U-Mary.
 
"This is the deepest group of players we've had since I've been here," said Budde. "We will play up-tempo both offensively and defensively. Hopefully we force other teams into matchup issues with our versatility.
 
"We expect to compete each and every game. Our depth and improved athleticism will allow us to do things on both sides of the court that we weren't able to the past couple of years."
 
The Marauders will display improved depth and competition at all five positions and will use player versatility to provide several different looks to the opposition.
 
Michael Johnson, a senior from Grand Rapids, MN, provides the squad significant Northern Sun experience at point guard. A starter since his midway through his sophomore season, he averaged 4.5 points and 3.6 assists per game as a junior.
 
Looking to join Johnson in running the offense are two junior transfers, Marquealis Edwards and Mitch Kallevig, and freshman Damonta Henry. A two-time first team all-region performer at Southwestern (IA) Community College, Edwards scored over 1,000 points in two seasons and averaged 16.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.8 steals a year ago. A freshman from Riverside-Brookfield High School in Chicago, IL, Henry was a two-year starter and all-state player. Kallevig comes to U-Mary from Dickinson State and Williston State College, where he shot 42.9 per cent on three-pointers last year.
 
Brandon Tyler, a returning sophomore, keys the Marauders at shooting guard. Seeing significant minutes on the wing as a freshman, Tyler averaged 6.3 points and was second on the squad in three-pointers with 43. His season high was 18 points on 6-of-9 treys on the road at Augustana.
 
Johnson and Edwards will joing Tyler at the "2" when the Marauders want to play the pair off the ball. Junior Alex Anderson, a transfer from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and freshmen Luke Scott of Minneapolis, MN, and Brenden Mann of Littleton, CO, will add to the team's outside shooting efforts.
 
A key reserve on the Marauders 2011 NCAA tournament team, Jalen Jaspers enters his third season as a starter for U-Mary on the wing. Known for playing tenacious defense, the senior from Minneapolis, MN, averaged a career-high 10.3 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 50.9 per cent from the field in 2012-13. Joining him at small forward is Devan Douglas, a junior college transfer from Kirkwood (IA) College who earned all-region honors after averaging 11 points and six rebounds last season as a sophomore.
 
Marc Musungayi anchors the frontcourt for the Marauders at center. The 6-6 senior from Toronto, Ontario, was one of the most accurate shooters in the NSIC last season, shooting 55.6 per cent from the floor and 79.6 per cent at the line while averaging 10.5 points and 5.7 rebounds in his first season at U-Mary. The lone returner on the blocks will have help from several newcomers.
 
Junior college transfers Chris Mason and Germain Decoste and freshman Bryan Jefferson will handle the power forward position. Mason, who will also play the wing, is a high-energy defender who earned first team all-region honors at Phoenix (AZ) College last season after he averaged 17 points and seven rebounds. A two-year starter at Laramie County (WY) Community College, Decoste averaged 9.4 points and 5.8 rebounds as a sophomore. From Aurora, IL, the 6-7 Jefferson was a two-year starter at Waubonsie Valley High School and earned all-state recognition.
 
Decoste and freshmen Isaac Lindquist and Kevin Klemisch will back up Musingayi. Lindquist, who stands 6-9, is from Milbank, SD. Klemisch, from McClusky, ND, is 6-7.
 
The revamped Marauders squad takes to the floor for the first time this season on Saturday, Nov. 9, when U-Mary hosts former DAC 10 foe South Dakota School of Mines and Technology at 8 PM in the McDowell Activity Center.
 
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