The University of Minnesota Duluth men's basketball team is set to make another stop on the road this week before returning home to Romano Gym, taking on the Winona State University Warriors on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 5:30 PM before hosting the Concordia St. Paul Golden Bears on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 1:00 PM.
Last Time Out
The Bulldogs settled for a weekend split on the road in North Dakota last weekend, collecting a 18 points win over the University of Mary Marauders on Friday but falling to the nationally ranked Minot State University Beavers on Saturday.
A career high rebounds for Nick Katona helped UMD power past the Marauders in enemy territory to start off the weekend. The Bulldogs out-rebounded UMary 47-33 throughout the night, collecting 14 offensive rebounds that turned to 10 second chance points on their way to a 70-52 victory.
Despite falling to an early 11 points deficit to open the first half, the Bulldogs collected five of their 11 offensive rebounds to help close the gap and take the lead by the halftime break against the Beavers. However, UMD struggled to find the bottom of the bucket in the second half which allowed Minot State to pull ahead 75-68 as time expired.
Last Weekend's Spotlight Players
#24 Charlie Katona - 2 GP, 28 PTS, 13 REB, 6 A, 5 STL, 1 BLK
#3 Kole Hanson - 2 GP, 27 PTS, 7 REB, 5 A, 2 STL
#1 Joshua Brown - 2 GP, 26 PTS, 9 REB, 2 A, 2 STL, 1 BLK
Scouting Report - Winona State
The Winona State University Warriors are 14-6 overall and 9-5 against NSIC opponents throughout the 2024-25 season, most recently coming off a 74-69 win over the Northern State Wolves.
The Bulldogs are 8-9 against the Warriors since 2014, falling to WSU 71-72 earlier this season in overtime. UMD holds a 4-5 home record, 2-4 away record, and a 2-0 neutral site record over the Warriors with their largest margin of victory over WSU being 22 points (81-59, Jan. 2021).
The Warriors are currently led in scoring by sophomore guard #7 Luke Haertle, who is averaging 18.0 points per game with 360 total points over 20 games this season.
Scouting Report - Concordia St. Paul
The Concordia St. Paul Golden Bears are 15-5 overall and 10-4 against NSIC opponents throughout the 2024-25 season, most recently coming off a 71-65 win over the University of Mary Marauders.
The Bulldogs are 8-5 against the Golden Bears since 2014, falling to CSP 89-93 earlier in the season right before the holiday break. UMD holds a 4-1 home record and a 4-4 away record against CSP with their largest margin of victory over the Golden Bears being 35 points (106-71, Jan. 2022).
The Golden Bears are currently led in scoring by senior guard #0 Antwan Kimmons, who is averaging 24.2 points per game with 483 total points over 20 games this season.
Bulldogs Against the Rest
The Bulldogs rank within the top five in the NSIC in 14 different statistical categories, including five different categories where they rank within the top three. These categories include:
Effective Field Goal Percentage - 0.544 (4th in NSIC, 58th in NCAA)
Field Goal Percentage - 47.8 (4th in NSIC, 53rd in NCAA)
Field Goal Percentage Defense - 41.0 (2nd in NSIC, 31st in NCAA)
Free Throw Attempts per Game - 20.9 (4th in NSIC, 98th in NCAA)
Free Throws Made Per Game - 13.9 (5th in NSIC, 154th in NCAA)
Rebounds Margin - 4.1 (4th in NSIC, 60th in NCAA)
Scoring Defense - 65.6 (2nd in NSIC, 16th in NCAA)
Scoring Margin - 10.9 (2nd in NSIC, 24th in NCAA)
Scoring Offense - 76.5 (5th in NSIC, 134th in NCAA)
Three Point Percentage Defense - 30.2 (1st in NSIC, 32nd in NCAA)
Turnover Margin - 2.0 (3rd in NSIC, 70th in NCAA)
Turnovers Forced Per Game - 12.58 (5th in NSIC, 168th in NCAA)
Turnovers Per Game - 10.6 (4th in NSIC, 21st in NCAA)
Winning Percentage - 68.4 (5th in NSIC, 56th 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 have another home and away pair of matchups next week, hosting the Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs before hitting the road to take on the Augustana University Vikings. Tip-off against SMSU is currently set for Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 5:30 PM.
