THE OPENING TIP: The University of Minnesota Duluth will be hosting the American Family Classic Tournament this weekend (Nov. 15-16). The tournament will consist of UMD, Northern Michigan, Stonehill College and Southern Minnesota State University. The Bulldogs will be taking Northern Michigan on Friday (Nov. 15), then facing-off against Stonehill (Nov. 16).

SCOUTING REPORT ON NORTHERN MICHIGAN: The Wildcats  come fresh off a split in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference/Great Lakes Valley Conference Challenge, splitting the weekend. NMU started the weekend off, taking on Lewis University. The Wildcats beat Lewis 76-63. They then would take McKendree, only to fall 46-69. NMU is now sitting at 1-1 on the year, both games being played were non-conference match-ups. Matt Majkrzak is in his first season as head coach at Northern Michigan and overall. He is 1-1 in his career. The Wildcats were selected to finish sixth in the Northern Division of the GLIAC.
Alec Fruin has lead the way so far for the Wildcats, putting up an average of 13.0 points per game while averaging 3.5 rebounds per game. He leads the team with 33.5 minutes per game. Myles Howard leads the way in the ball control department, averaging 5.5 rebounds per game through two games, while putting up 4.5 points a game. Howard was also named to the GLIAC Preseason Team.

SCOUTING REPORT ON STONEHILL COLLEGE: The Skyhawks  come off a weekend of splits, as well as an exhibition  against Providence College (Oct. 19) where they fell to the DI program, 68-87. They would take on The University of District of Columbia, winnin gin a 61-55 battle. The next day, SC would play Saint Thomas Aquinas College, falling to the program, 70-85. Stonehill is now 1-1 on the year, both contests being non-conference. Chris Kraus is in his 7th season as head coach, all have been with the Skyhawks. He carries a 98-77 (.560) record at the helm of the program. Stonehill was picked to finish second in the Northeast division of the North East 10 conference.
Will Moreton leads the way on the offensive side of the ball for the Skyhawks, currently averaging 18.5 points per game while shooting 36.7% from the floor.  He's also leading the squad with an average of 10.5 rebounds per game, 9.5 on their own side of the court. He is tied for the team lead in minutes per game with an average of 35.0. Brandon Twitty is just behind Moreton in points, putting up an average of 17.0 in their first two games, shooting 45.2% from the floor. He 's averaging a total of 35.0 minutes a game and averages 3.0 rebounds a game.

THE SERIES: The Bulldogs and the Wildcats break even in the all-time match-up, with each side winning 35 games. Northern Michigan took last years meeting in a 64-52 battle. The last three times the two teams have met, Northern Michigan has won two, taking last year's as well as the meeting three years ago. This will be the first time Stonehill and UMD have met in the two programs histories.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY: This will be the 21st time the Bulldogs will be hosting the American Family Classic, with the first time being the 1982-83' season. UMD has gone 28-11 in the tournament history, winning out 10 times. The last time the Tournament was hosted by UMD was the 2007-08 season, where the Bulldogs went 1-1 against the Northern Michigan Wildcats (W, 79-53) and Concordia-St. Paul (L, 47-66).

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and its two opponents stack up with their records, in each other's respective preseason polls.
 

SCHOOL	OVERALL	PRESEASON CONF. RANK
UMD	1-1	3RD
NMU	1-1	6TH
SC	1-1	2ND

THE BROADCAST: The games will be carried live through a video stream with live stat capabilities. UMD Productions will be broadcasting every game, with live stats being on a separate link.

Broadcast: UMDBulldogs.com/watch

Live Stats: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/umd/

LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs started the 2019-20 season by taking part in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association/Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Crossover Tournament, facing off against (at the time) No. 9 Southern Nazarene as well as Southeastern Oklahoma State University Savage Storm. UMD would split the weekend, opening the regular season up by upsetting the SNU Crimson Storm in a double OT thriller, 115-109. The Bulldogs would then face the Savage Storm, who had just upset the (at  the time) No. 15 Northern State Wolves. UMD would fall to SEOSU, 86-95. The Bulldogs are 1-1 on the season.

POINTS GALORE: UMD ranks 2nd in the NSIC in points per game, averaging 100.5 per game. Redshirt freshman guard Drew Blair is leading the way, dropping 30.0 a game through two games, leading the NSIC and tied for fourth in the DII nation. Senior forward Brandon Myer is second on the team and tied for forth in the NSIC with 23.0 per game. Senior forward Alex Illikainen also ranks in the top 15 in the NSIC with 17.0 per game.

HOMEGROWN AND READY TO WREAK HAVOC: An All-NSIC first team player last season, Brandon Myer is the Bulldogs NSIC Player to Watch for. Myer led the club in points, rebounds, blocks and steals. The senior forward established career single-game highs in points and rebounds. He ended the season registering 21.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals -- all career highs -- while compiling 14 double-doubles, nine 25 (or more) point-games and a trio of 30-point games.

NSIC PRESEASON COACHES POLL: The Bulldogs were tabbed with a third place finish in the NSIC preseason coaches poll this season, snagging three first place votes (out of 16) and receiving 196 points. UMD blew expectations out of the water last year, finishing in a tie for third (picked to finish 10th). The Bulldogs were tabbed as the Northern Division favorites this year, swinging seven first place votes (out of eight) and 49 points.

Minnesota State was selected as the NSIC favorites this season, swinging seven first place votes and getting 214 points. Augustana was chosen to finish just behind the Mavericks, garning six first place votes and receiving 208 points,

In the divisional rankings, Northern State was chosen as the second place finishers behind UMD, gaining the only other first place vote, garnering 40 points. MSU Moorhead follows them, totaling 39 points.

The Bulldogs own Brandon Myer was selected as the Northern Division Preseason Player of the Year, while Minnesota State's Cameron Kirksey was selected as the Southern Division Preseason Player of the Year.

NEW DOGS ON THE BLOCK: The Bulldogs come into the 2019-20 season with a plethora of new faces, with three freshman, guard Jack Middleton, guard Isaiah Watts and guard Charlie Gorres, and two DI transfers, forward Alex Illikainen and forward Yalim Olcay joining the squad this season. Redshirt freshman guard Drew Blair figures to factor into the mix this year as well.

THE SCOOP ON THE DOGS: UMD ushers in a new era of Bulldog basketball with Justin Wieck as the program's 17th head coach. Despite losing All-NSIC second team selection Sean Burns, the Bulldogs return All-NSIC first team selection Brandon Myer. UMD does bring back starter Logan Rohrscheib as well. Wieck did bring in two DI transfers in Alex Illikainen from the University of Wisconsin, as well as Yalim Olcay, who transfers from Western Carolina University. The Bulldogs bring a trio of freshman into the mix this year, with guard Jack Middleton hailing from Edina, Minn., guard Charlie Gorres from Cottage Grove, Minn. and guard Isaiah Watts coming from Bloomington, Minn. Redshirt freshman guard Drew Blair looks to hop in the mix this year as well.

THE COACH: Justin Wieck took over as the University of Minnesota Duluth head men's basketball coach on May 1, 2018, becoming the 17th head coach in the 89-year history of the Bulldog program and just the fourth since the 1984-85 season. Wieck is enetering his second season as head coach for the Bulldogs.
During his first year, Wieck has helped a duo of players, senior forward Brandon Myer and forward Sean Burns, elevate their game to all-conference heights, as well as having erned four conference player of the week honors. Wieck helped to improve the Bulldogs from having an underwhelming season in 2017-18, to a positive overall record of 17-10, while 14-8 in conference, last season, UMD's best since 2008-09. During the 2018-19 season, the Bulldogs ranked No. T-13 in fewest fouls, as well as No. 6 in all of Division II for the fewest turnovers. The Bulldogs were ranked No. 1 regionally for the first time since 2008-09, and had a 4-1 record against NCAA Tournament teams.
Wieck's first recruiting class includes Drew Blair, a 2018 top 15 player in Wis., two time state champion for Stevens Point and a Division II transfer from Northwest Missouri State. Alex Illikainen, a Division I transfer from the University of Wisconsin, a 2014 top 100 player in the U.S. and a former 4-star recruit. Charlie Gorres, a 2019 Minn. top 15 recruit. Yalim Olcay, a Division I transfer from Western Carolina and a 16U Turkish National Team Training camp invite. Jack Middleton, a 2019 Minn. top 15 recruit as a Minn. Mr. Basketball finalist.

During Wieck's successful four years of assistant coaching service (offensive coordinator) at MSU-Moorhead, the Dragons rolled up a 96-38 overall record, made three NCAA Tournament appearances, captured at least a share of two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular titles, advanced to two NSIC Tournament finals and reigned as the NSIC North Division champions three times. Over that span, he helped produced two NSIC Players of the Year in Aaron Lien (2016-17) and Jordan Riewer (2014-15), six All-NSIC first team selections and two National Association of Basketball Coaches All-Americans.
In 2014-15 -- Wieck's first season -- MSU-Moorhead enjoyed its most productive season in program history. In addition to setting a team single-season record for victories by going 35-4, the Dragons laid claim to the NCAA II Central Region crown and made it to the NCAA Division II Elite 8 for the first time ever. Along the way, MSU-Moorhead also broke previous school marks for field goals made, field goal percentage, three-point field goals made, free throws made, and free throw percentage.

Prior to his arrival in Moorhead, Wieck served as the head men's basketball coach for two years at the University of Jamestown (N.D.), where he went 32-31 while directing the Jimmies to a NAIA Division II National Tournament appearance in 2012-13 as well as a second-place finish in the Association of Independent Institutions (Aii) Tournament. The following year, Jamestown captured both the inaugural North Star Athletic Association regular season and tournament championships while finishing 17-12 overall. Wieck, the 2013-14 NSAA Coach of the Year, saw four of his players receive all-conference first team honors and two become All-Americans during his time in Jamestown.
Wieck's resume also includes a two-year assistant coaching stint at NSIC member Northern State University (2010-12) where he handled the Wolves' recruiting coordinator duties.  In addition, he was employed for a total of four seasons as the video coordinator (2008-10) and graduate assistant coach (2006-08) at his alma mater, the University of Iowa. While with the Hawkeye staff, Wieck worked with Steve Alford and Todd Lickliter, both National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Coach of the Year recipients, and assisted the Iowa coaches in preparing opponent scouting reports along with breaking down Hawkeye practices and game films. He also served as assistant camp director for Iowa Summer Basketball Camps and was active in the academic monitoring and community outreach for the Hawkeye program.
A native of North Liberty, Iowa, Wieck joined the Iowa program as walk-on forward in 2004, fresh off a rewarding two-season career at Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). He eventually earned a scholarship as a senior -- the same year the Hawkeyes won the Big Ten Tournament and made their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
Wieck, an Academic All-Big Ten selection, earned both his Bachelor's degree in finance (2006) and Master's degree in athletic administration (2008) from Iowa. He and his wife, Laura, have two children – son Jordy (7) and daughter Anya (5) and newborn Ella.

ON TAP: The Bulldogs will host Wisconsin-Parkside on Nov. 20 before taking to the road to square off against Michigan Tech on Nov. 23 to close out non-conference play.