THIS WEEK
The University of Mary men's basketball team opens the 2024-25 season with three games in three days in Billings, MT, at the 2024 D2CCA Tipoff Classic at the Trailhead, hosted by MSU Billings at Alterowitz Gym from November 1-3.
 
Friday, November 1
UMary at #RV MSU Billings
8 pm CT / 7 pm MT
 
Saturday, November 2
UMary vs. #RV St. Edwards
6 pm CT / 5 pm MT
 
Sunday, November 3
UMary vs. University of Alaska Anchorage
4 pm CT / 3 pm MT
 
FOLLOW LIVE
Links to live video and stats are available at www.GoUMary.com/coverage
 
CHALLENGE
The University of Mary faces a big challenge when the Marauders open the season at the Tip Off Classic. All three opponents are coming off 20-win seasons and St. Edwards and MSU Billings are receiving votes in the NABC Preseason Coaches Poll. Tourney host MSU Billings has made back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances and Alska Anchorage qualified for the 2024 NCAA tournament.
 
THE RECORDS
The Marauders finished the 2023-24 season 7-21 overall and 2-21 in the Northern Sun… are 7-19 overall and 2-18 in the Northern Sun (15th place)… MSU Billings went 20-10 overall and 14-4 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference to win the regular season title… St. Edwards University finished 21-11 overall and 14-7 in the Lone Star Conference… The University of Alaska Anchorage completed the 2023-24 season 21-11 overall and 10-8 in the GNAC on the way to an NCAA tournament appearance.   
 
MCGASKEY NSIC PLAYER TO WATCH
 New arrival Kevin McGaskey is the preseason UMary Northern Sun Player to Watch for the Marauders in the 2024-25 season. A graduate transfer from NCAA Division I Prairie View A&M, McGaskey joins the Marauders after competing for two seasons for the Panthers. He played in 24 games in 2023-24, including 13 starts, for SWAC member PVAM. The 6-0 point guard averaged 4.0 points, 3.0 assists and 2.2 rebounds while making 35 steals and hitting 71.0% of his free throw attempts in 25.5 minutes of play per game. The native of Missouri City, Texas, and graduate of Hightower High School posted season highs of 12 points and six rebounds against Alcorn State.    McGaskey played with former Marauders guard Zyon Smith at Highland Community College in Highland, KS, from 2020-22. 
 
BACK IN THE BLUE & ORANGE
The Marauders have a strong returning. Ten players return from last season, including five who started ten or more games in 2023-24 and a 6^th player returning from injury:  

• Junior forward Xavier Lewis - the Marauders leading returning scorer (6.7 ppg) and rebounder (5.5 rpg) – started 16 out of 27 games
• Sophomore guard Alex Mattes, who started 13 games last season as a true freshman, chipped in 6.2 points per game
• Junior forward Ty Rogers averaged 5.7 ppg and 3.8 rpg while starting 10 games
• Junior guard Gunner Swanson hit 29 treys last season, tops among returners, while starting 18 games
• Senior forward Rich Ashu started 11 games for UMary and led the team in blocks (25 in 26 games)
• Junior guard Marquel Saleek played over 14 minutes per game and averaged 4.3 ppg and delivered 30 assists while starting one out of 27games
• Sophomore guard Nick Harrell averaged over 11 minutes per game in 19 outings while senior forward Liam Dougherty was limited to eight games by injury
• Guard Jeremiah Jones was a key reserve as a freshman in 2022-23 before missing all of last season due to injury. Jones averaged 6.7 ppg and 5.7 rpg while playing 24.2 minutes per game, the fourth most on the team. He led the team in steals (29) and was second in assists (64).
• Redshirt freshman guard Alex Dvorak looks to make his UMary debut this season.

 
FRESH FACES
The Marauders have added eight new faces for the 2024-25 season:

• Graduate transfer guard Kevin McGaskey joins the Marauders from NCAA Division I Prairie View A&M
• Other transfers include junior guard Daniel Hong (North Dakota), junior guard Ty Johnson (Highland (IL) CC), and junior guard/forward Cayden Redfield (United Tribes)
• Incoming freshmen are guard Wylee Delorme (Devils Lake, ND), Tamarrein Henderson (West Salem, WI), guard Ryan Larson (Jamestown, ND) and  forward Matija Otasevic (Herceg Novi, Montanegro).

 
STAFF ADDITIONS
Marauders head coach Jack Nelson has several new faces on the bench alongside him this season. Bryan Forbes joins UMary as the lead assistant men's coach after serving as the head assistant coach at Briar Cliff the last five seasons following two years as the graduate assist at East Tennessee State University. Also joining the staff this season are DJ Sanchez, Nate Symens and former UMary player Zyon Smith.
 
HISTORY LESSON
The Marauders are 3-6 all-time against the Yellowjackets, winning home games 83-72 in Nov. 2009 and 76-62 in Dec. 2009. UMary's lone win at MSU Billings was 70-68 on Nov. 16, 2010. Outside of the Marauders two double-digit wins, the seven other meetings were decided by six or fewer points. MSUB has won the last four games with the last meeting a 66-53 home win November 14, 2018… This is the first time UMary has faced the University of Alaska Anchorage and St. Edward's University.  
 
YEAR FOUR
Head coach Jack Nelson enters year four with the Marauders. In his first season in 2020-21, the native of Dillon, CO, led UMary to its best conference record in four years. Nelson directed the Marauders to their first Northern Sun tournament road victory with an 82-70 win at Winona State to send UMary to the quarterfinals and a trip to the Sanford Pentagon. During the regular season the Marauders defeated #6 University of Minnesota Duluth 75-71, the highest ranked NCAA team UMary has beaten at home. Nelson recruited and coached Kai Huntsberry, the 2021-22 NSIC Newcomer of the Year and a 1st team all-conference selection who broke the NSIC tournament record for 3s in a game with eight. Prior to joining the Marauders Nelson was an assistant coach at the University of Sioux Falls (2018-21) and Minot State University (2012-16) in the Northern Sun and the head coach at Central Wyoming College (2016-18) for two seasons in between… In his first three seasons at UMary, Nelson has had scholar-athletes earn NSIC Newcomer of the Year honors (1), NSIC Player of the Week accolades (1), All-NSIC 1^st team recognition (1) and NSIC All-Academic Team honors (13).   
 
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