The University of Minnesota Duluth men's basketball team will hit the road this weekend for a two game weekend in North Dakota, taking on the University of Mary Marauders on Friday, Jan. 24, at 5:30 PM and the No.22 ranked Minot State University Beavers on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 3:30 PM.
Last Time Out
The Bulldogs finished up a three game homestand last weekend at Romano Gymnasium, extending their win streak to five games and pulling away with a pair of wins over Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston.
The UMD defense stood out in their 75-59 win over the Bemidji State University Beavers on Friday, holding BSU to a 19.2% shooting performance from three point range. The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 19-7 scoring lead in the first half, maintaining that lead throughout the rest of the game to coast to the 75-59 win.
The Bulldogs capitalized on a collective scoring effort to power past the University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles on Saturday, seeing six different players score in double figures throughout the contest. UMD found themselves at another early advantage in the first, going up 35-15 with eight minutes to go, and went on to maintain and grow that lead throughout the rest of the contest for the 107-67 victory.
Last Weekend's Spotlight Players
#24 Charlie Katona - 2 GP, 35 PTS, 10 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK
#11 Jayden Johnson - 2 GP, 32 PTS, 4 REB, 7-12 (58.3%) 3FG
#3 Kole Hanson - 2 GP, 31 PTS, 7 A, 4 STL, 5-9 (55.6%) 3FG
Scouting Report - University of Mary
The University of Mary Marauders are 4-17 overall and 2-10 against NSIC opponents throughout the 2024-25 season, most recently coming off a pair of losses to Sioux Falls and SMSU.
The Bulldogs are 15-8 against the Marauders, holding a 10-2 home record, 4-6 away record, and a 1-0 neutral site record against UMary. UMD's largest margin of victory over the Marauders has been 26 points (100-74, Jan. 2016), and defeated UMary 79-54 in February last season.
The Marauders are currently led in scoring by redshirt sophomore guard #4 Jeremiah Jones, who is averaging 11.6 points per game with 244 total points over 21 games this season.
Scouting Report - Minot State
The Minot State University Beavers are 18-3 overall and 9-3 against NSIC opponents throughout the 2024-25 season, most recently coming off a split weekend with a loss to Wayne State and a win over Augustana.
The Bulldogs are 13-7 against Minot State since 2013, holding a 7-3 home record and a 6-4 away record against the Beavers. UMD's largest margin of victory over MSU has been 24 points (93-69, Jan. 2020), and defeated the Beavers 94-90 in February of last season.
The Beavers are currently being led in scoring by junior forward #50 Caleb Van De Griend, who is averaging 19.2 points per game with 4023 total points over 21 games this season.
Bulldogs Against the Rest
The Bulldogs rank within the top five in the NSIC in 16 different statistical categories, including six different categories where they rank within the top three. These categories include:
Blocks Per Game - 3.5 (3rd in NSIC, 88th in NCAA)
Effective Field Goal Percentage - 0.549 (3rd in NSIC, 46th in NCAA)
Field Goal Percentage - 48.3 (4th in NSIC, 39th in NCAA)
Field Goal Percentage Defense - 41.7 (2nd in NSIC, 41st in NCAA)
Free Throw Attempts per Game - 21.8 (4th in NSIC, 69th in NCAA)
Free Throws Made Per Game - 14.6 (5th in NSIC, 113th in NCAA)
Rebounds Margin - 4.0 (4th in NSIC, 62nd in NCAA)
Scoring Defense - 65.9 (3rd in NSIC, 18th in NCAA)
Scoring Margin - 11.5 (2nd in NSIC, 22nd in NCAA)
Scoring Offense - 77.4 (5th in NSIC, 124th in NCAA)
Three Point Percentage - 36.0 (5th in NSIC, 84th in NCAA)
Three Point Percentage Defense - 30.3 (1st in NSIC, 30th in NCAA)
Turnover Margin - 2.2 (4th in NSIC, 67th in NCAA)
Turnovers Forced Per Game - 12.53 (4th in NSIC, 173rd in NCAA)
Turnovers Per Game - 10.3 (5th in NSIC, 18th in NCAA)
Winning Percentage - 70.6 (4th in NSIC, 46th in NCAA)
Katona Named to 2024-25 Bevo Francis Watchlist
Fifth year senior Charlie Katona was named to Small College Basketball's Top 100 watchlist for the 2024-25 Bevo Francis Award on January 15.
This will be the Bulldogs' second player nomination for the award in as many years after former guard Drew Blair was up for the award last season.
The Clarence "Bevo" Francis Award is presented annually to the player with the strongest season throughout Small College Basketball, accounting for season statistics, individual achievements, personal character, and team achievements. This reward considers some of the top players from Division II, Division III, NAIA, USCAA, and NCCAA basketball.
Small College Basketball will reduce the watchlist to the Top 50 on February 15, and the Top 25 on March 15. Finalists and the overall winner will be announced in early April.
UMD Slated Third in NSIC Preseason
The University of Minnesota Duluth men's basketball team was slated to finish third in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) in the preseason coaches poll. The Bulldogs received 172 points in the conference poll, including one first place vote, after finishing off the 2023-24 season in the second round of the NCAA Central Region tournament.
Katona Named NSIC Player to Watch
Fifth year senior Charlie Katona was named UMD's NSIC Player to Watch for the 2024-25 season. Katona was a mainstay in the Bulldog starting five last season, starting in all 33 games for the Bulldogs and averaging 28 minutes a game. Katona recorded 424 total points while averaging 12.8 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, and 1.9 assists per game and will enter the season as the reigning NSIC Defensive Player of the Year.
Offseason Departures
The Bulldogs will see some changes in the rotation from last season, suffering huge losses with the graduation of Drew Blair and Jack Middleton, and with the transfer of Lincoln Meister.
Drew Blair was the premiere player in the Bulldog's offensive scheme last season, breaking the program's all time scoring record at the beginning of the season against Oklahoma Baptist and going on to lead the team in four different statistical categories (total points, points per game, rebounds, and steals).
Jack Middleton was the cornerstone of the Bulldog's leadership, and proved himself as one of the most accurate shooters on the team. Middleton ended his career with the Bulldogs as a 40.8% 3-pt shooter and an 89.8% free throw shooter.
Lincoln Meister was the Bulldog's primary sixth man option, serving as a dominant presence under the rim and an elite blocker. Ending the season with 32 blocks, UMD loses one of their strongest defensive big men with his transfer to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
Last Season
The Bulldogs closed out their 2023-24 season with their third straight NCAA tournament appearance, falling in the second round against the Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats.
UMD closed out the regular season at second place in the NSIC standings, and would go on to fall in the championship game of the NSIC tournament to the eventual NCAA National Champs, Minnesota State Mankato.
The Bulldogs secured the third seed going into the NCAA Central Region tournament, and closed out the opening round with a buzzer beater layup from Mattie Thompson to defeat Fort Hays State.
UMD ended their season in the semifinal round after a defense driven, 71-62 loss to the Bearcats.
Looking Ahead
Bulldog men's basketball will make one more on the road to take on the Winona State University Warriors next week before returning home to take on the Concordia St. Paul Golden Bears. Tip-off against the Warriors is currently set for Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 5:30 PM.
