The RV University of Minnesota Duluth heads to St. Joseph, Missouri to face the Emporia State Hornets and RV Missouri Western Griffons in the Hillyard Classic. The Bulldogs play the Hornets on Friday at 5:00 p.m. and the Griffons on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.

Bulldogs Enter Hillyard Classic with Opening Win:

The RV University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs Men's Basketball team overcame their first-half shooting woes, besting the Concordia University, St. Paul Golden Bears 80-75.

While Concordia-St. Paul shot much better than UMD, the Bulldogs pounded the glass to get second chances, which led to 25 second-chance points for UMD, while the Golden Bears only managed six. Turnovers played a factor as well, as the Bulldogs would finish with six fewer turnovers than the Golden Bears, 8-14, with UMD getting six more points off of them.

Jackson Fowlkes led the Bulldogs in scoring with 14 points, while also dishing out five assists. Caleb Siwek and Nick Katona both contributed 11 points to the Bulldogs effort as well. On the rebounding side, Siwek and Wyatt McBeth led the way with eight rebounds each.

The Bulldogs look to continue their momentum into the weekend, with key matchups against unfamiliar foes. The Bulldogs first opponent are the Emporia State Hornets, who the Bulldogs have only played three times in program history, with the last matchup being a key win in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to reach the Regional Final for the first time in program history during the 2023 edition of the tournament.

The second opponent the Bulldogs face are the Missouri Western Griffons, who UMD faces for the first time in program history. The Griffons are expected to finish well in the MIAA this year, and will be an early challenge for the Bulldogs this season. Both games are available to be streamed on the MIAA Network.

The Bulldogs will need to shoot better in order to come out ahead in these contests, as well as maintaining the intensity on the glass. The Bulldogs will also use their bench to their advantage, which was crucial in Monday night's contest. Wes Rahn performed well off the bench in his first collegiate game, shooting a perfect 3-3 and contributing seven points to the effort, while Wyatt McBeth's five defensive rebounds and a steal aiding the Bulldogs defense.

About the Hornets:

While the Hornets are expected to finish 12th in the MIAA standings, Emporia State has been a historically successful program and cannot be taken lightly.

The Hornets finished the 2025-26 season with a 9-19 record, but had a quality win early in that campaign with a 77-61 win over St. Cloud State.

Emporia State will be led by junior forward Chris Harris. The Andover, Kansas native played a big role with the Hornets last season, averaging 28.3 minutes per game and 12.3 points per game. Olafur Styrmisson and Treyvon Taylor are also key returns for the Hornets.

While the Hornets had their struggles last season, they were one of the best teams in the nation on the glass, having one of the highest defensive rebound percentages in the nation at 75.3%. The Hornets will be a tough team to get offensive rebounds against.

UMD will have to face a fresh team on Friday, as the Hornets open their season with the game against the Bulldogs.

Head Coach Tom Billeter:

While Emporia State and UMD might be strangers to each other, Head Coach Tom Billeter is no stranger to UMD, having been the head coach of the Augustana Vikings from 2003-2024, and had played UMD 33 times during his time at Augustana. He won the 2016 NCAA Division-II National Championship with the Vikings, and is looking to bring that level of success to Emporia State.

All-Time Series:

UMD Leads 2-1
Last Game: UMD 84-79 (3/12/23)
Last ESU Win: 59-42 (11/27/93)
Wieck vs. ESU: 1-0
Billeter vs. UMD: 17-16

The Bulldogs have only played the Hornets three times in program history, with UMD taking two of the three contests.

From Last Game:

The UMD men's basketball upped the ante on an already prolific NCAA Tournament run when it defeated Emporia State 84-79 to advance to its first ever Regional Championship game. 

UMD was led by Drew Blair with 29 points, with Jack Middleton, Charlie Katona, and Austin Andrews also hitting double digits.

About the Griffons:

The Griffons are expected to be a top contender in the MIAA this year, as the Griffons were picked third in the MIAA preseason poll. The Griffons have been successful in the past and are expected to do well this season.

The Griffons finished the 2025-26 season with a 21-12 record, making the NCAA Tournament. Missouri Western's season ended in the first game, as St. Cloud State took a 83-65 win over them in Topeka.

The Griffons lost their top two players in terms of minutes last season, but will look towards Bode Goodman and Crew Gibson to play quality minutes for the team. William Kiburis make a return to the Griffons, and will also be a key player to look out for.

Last Season, the Griffons excelled on offense, having a rating of 114.6, one of the better ratings in Division-II. They particularly excelled at keeping the ball, as they had one of the lowest turnover rates in Division-II.

Missouri Western opened with a 103-70 win over Quincy, and will play #22 St. Cloud State in an NCAA Tournament rematch before playing the Bulldogs Saturday.

Head Coach Brooks McKeown:

Brooks McKeown is in his second season as head coach of the Griffons after coaching at Upper Iowa for 12 seasons. McKeown made his fourth NCAA Tournament Appearance last season, and has seven straight winning seasons as head coach. McKeown has a 7-5 record against UMD.

All-Time Series:

First Game
Last Game: N/A
Last UMD Win: N/A
Wieck vs. MWSU: 0-0
McKeown vs. UMD: 7-5

This is the first matchup in program history between the two sides.