TIP-OFF
• Central Missouri Mules Basketball will tip-off the 2017-18 regular season with a pair of in-region games this weekend in the Wisconsin Dells. UCM faces off against Minnesota-Duluth and Bemidji State. The Mules take on the Bulldogs on Friday at 7:30 p.m. before facing the Beavers on Saturday at 5 p.m.
• The Mules finished the 2016-17 season 21-9 overall with a 13-6 mark in MIAA play to finish second in the regular season standings. The Mules finished second in MIAA Tournament, losing to eventual National Champion Northwest Missouri, 69-61. 
• The Mules were picked to finish second in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Minnesota-Duluth was 4-25 a season ago and finished in eighth place in the NSIC Northern Division with an 3-19 conference mark.
• The Bulldogs were picked to finish 13th in the NSIC Coaches' Poll.
• Bemidji State was 10-18 last season and finished in sixth place in the NSIC North with an 8-14 conference record.
• The Beavers were picked to finish 10th in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll.

ON THE AIR
• The games will be broadcast on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar and warrensburgradio.com with Greg Hassler calling the action.
• The games will also be webcast online through the MIAA's Blue Frame portal at http://www.themiaanetwork.com/ucmmules/. It is a pay-per-view webcast. 

PROGRAM SNAPSHOT
• This is the 113th season of Central Missouri Mules basketball.
• Central Missouri is third all-time in NCAA Division II men's basketball with 1,675 wins.
• The Mules have won two NCAA Men's National Championships (1984 & 2014) and four National Championships overall (1937 & 1938 NAIB).

MULE FEED
• The Mules return one All-MIAA player from a season ago, senior guard Spencer Reaves, who earned second team all-conference honors after averaging 17.1 points and 4.2 boards per game.
• The Mules averaged 73.1 points per game and shot 48.4 percent from the field last season. Defensively, UCM allowed 65.4 points per game on 43.4 percent shooting.
• 10 different players scored in double figures for the Mules in 2016-17 and five of those players return to the squad this year.
• Spencer Reaves is the only returning UCM player to record a double-double during the 2016-17 season. He scored in double figures in 29 of 30 games played, including 13 20-point performances.
• DJ Richardson is the only other returner besides Reaves who averaged double-figure points last season at 10.3 points per game.

SERIES HISTORY
• This will be the third meeting between Central Missouri and both Minnesota-Duluth and Bemidji State.
• UCM defeated UMD 68-65 in last year's season-opener in Wisconsin Dells. In two, meetings against the Bulldogs, both season-openers, the Mules have won both times and outscored them a combined 146-125 in two games.
• The first meeting with BSU was a 46-32 UCM win in the 1942 NAIA Tournament. The two teams squared off for the first time in 74 years last season with the Mules beating the Beavers 80-65. 

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
• Minnesota-Duluth will have an experienced squad entering this season, returning four starters and all but two players from the 2016 squad. 
• The Bulldogs went 4-25 last season with a 3-19 mark in NSIC play, finishing eighth in the north division.
• Head Coach Matt Bowen leads the Bulldogs in his sixth season. He is 55-87 in his time with UMD and entering his 12th season overall he has a career record of 119-189. 
• Senior guard Kyle Schalow will look to lead the Bulldogs yet again this season. He started all 29 games for the Bulldogs last season and dished out a team best 82 assists while averaging a 2.8 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Three of UMD's leading scorers' return this season with sophomore forward Luke Harris leading the way. He averaged 10.8 points per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the field. 
• Sophomore guard Logan Rohrscheib shot 40 percent from behind the arc last season to lead the Bulldogs and averaged 9.9 points per game.
• Last year, the Bulldogs averaged 69.2 points per game, while giving up 76.5. They shot 42.4 percent from the field and allowed 46.4 percent. 

SCOUTING THE BEAVERS
• Bemidji State was 10-18 last season and finished with an 8-14 mark against NSIC North opponents to finish sixth.
• The Beavers are led by sixth-year head coach Mike Boschee. He is 64-75 at BSU. Entering his 15th overall season as a head coach, Boschee is 179-90.
• BSU will have a combination of youth and experience on this year's squad as they return six letterwinners from a season ago and bring in six true freshmen.
• Sophomore guard Jai'Vionne Green will look to make a big impact for the Beaver after an historic freshman campaign that saw him total 454 points, a program record by a BSU freshman. 
• Green averaged 16.2 points per game while shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 46.8 percent from beyond the arc.
• BSU returns two other players from a season ago in senior guard Sharif Black and sophomore forward Logan Bader. Black averaged 12.7 points per game, second best on the team, while Bader put up 5.6 points per game.
• Last year, BSU averaged 75.6 points per game and gave up 79.2 while shooting 46.5 percent from the field and allowing 46.7 percent shooting.

LAST TIME OUT • FLORIDA STATE 116, CENTRAL MISSOURI 68 • 10/26/17
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Oct. 26, 2017)-- In their only exhibition game of the 2017-18 season, Central Missouri Mules Basketball took on the Florida State Seminoles. FSU used numerous scoring runs to eventually walk away with a 116-68 exhibition win over the Mules.
• The Mules shot 18-of-53 from the floor to finish at 34 percent field goal percentage. After going 8-of-26 in the first half, the Mules went 10-of-27 in the second half, while allowing the Seminoles to shoot 40-of-69 over the 40 minutes of action.
• Spencer Reaves scored the first nine of 11 points for the Mules, but the Seminoles countered strong scoring 31 points in the same time to hold a 31-11 lead with 8:35 left to play in the first half.
• Free throws by Michael Winger, Clarence Smith, and Reaves kept the Mules within 20, but they scored just six point from the field in the final five minutes while scoring 10 from the charity strip. The Mules trailed the Seminoles 56-36 at halftime.
• The Mules and Seminoles traded buckets in the first two minutes of the second half to bring the score to 61-41. Reaves and Smith scored the first five points of the second half on a three pointer and layup, respectively. The Seminoles responded though going on a 10-0 run to grab a 30 point lead, 71-41.
• Both teams went back-and-forth in the final 15 minutes, but the Seminoles used late scoring runs to ultimately pull away from the Mules with the 48 point win.
• Reaves scored a game-high 26 points on 6-of-14 shooting. He was perfect 12-for-12 at the free throw line and pulled down four rebounds to also lead UCM.
• Smith's 10 second half points put him at 15 for the game as he was the only other Mule to score in double-figures. He finished 5-of-9 from the field.
• Five FSU players finished with double-figure points, with PJ Savoy leading the way at 19 points. He shot 6-of-11 from the field, while hitting a game-high four three pointers.

NEW ADDITIONS
• Central Missouri welcomes nine newcomers to the roster in 2016-17 along with redshirt freshmen DJ Anderson (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook HS), and Michael Winger (Waukee, Iowa). Newcomers include Duane Clark Jr. (St. Louis, Mo./Missouri-Kansas City), Mylan Collins (Kansas City, Mo./Lincoln College Prep HS), Brandon Emmert (Bolivar, Mo./Bolivar HS), Daniel Farris (St. Louis, Mo./Vashon HS), Ben Hagenkord (Overland Park, Kan./St. Thomas Aquinas HS), and Dawson Jones (Johnston, Iowa), Blake Spellman (Lee's Summit, Mo./Northern Kentucky), Josiah Talbert (Olathe, Kan./Olathe East HS), and Philip Winston (Lakemont, Wash./Quinnipiac).

BACKCOURT NOTES
• The Mules will have a number of options in the back court this season as they return three letterwinners, two redshirt freshmen and welcome five talented newcomers. Spencer Reaves returns after earning All-MIAA honors last season as do DJ Richardson and Clarence Smith. DJ Anderson and Michael Winger redshirted last season and look to compete for time in 20117-18. Blake Spellman and Philip Winston join UCM as transfers from Division I schools Northern Kentucky and Quinnipiac, respectively. The Mules also add a few of high school players to the mix in Mylan Collins, Daniel Farris, and Ben Hagenkord.

FRONTCOURT NOTES
• Jakob Lowrance looks to anchor the front court, with the departure of All-MIAA athletes Marquiez Lawrence and Kyle Wolf. Matt Wilkinson will push for more playing time in his sophomore season after appearing in 17 games as a true freshman and averaging 2.6 points per game. Marvin Joseph redshirted the 2016-17 season and will also push for more playing time. The Mules welcome four newcomers to the front court in two transfers and two true freshmen. Duane Clark Jr. comes to UCM after playing his freshman season at Missouri-Kansas City, while sophomore Josiah Talbert comes in as a transfer from Liberty. Freshmen Brandon Emmert and Dawson Jones enter the mix as well.

MULES IN NON-CONFERENCE ACTION
• The Mules were 8-3 in non-conference games last season, including a 6-2 mark in regular season non-con games. They are 141-35 over the last 15 seasons.
• Central Missouri is 68-1 in the last 69 non-conference home games at the Multipurpose Building.

MULES IN SEASON OPENERS
• The Mules have won 15 straight season-openers and are outscoring their opponents 80.8 to 60.4 in those 15 games.
• Central Missouri beat Minnesota-Duluth 68-65 in last year's season-opener in Wisconsin Dells. UCM has won four straight season-openers against Northern Sun Conference opponents.
• UCM's last loss in a season-opener was a 76-56 defeat to Evangel to tip-off the 2001-02 season.

MULES IN NEUTRAL SITE GAMES
• The Mules are 9-3 in neutral site games under Doug Karleskint. The Mules were 4-1 in neutral site games in 2016-17 and the other seven of those games were played in the 2014-15 season.

ON PACE FOR 1,000
• Senior Spencer Reaves scored 512 points last season, averaging 17.1 points per game and in two seasons with the Mules he has scored 929 career points.
• He is 69 points shy of cracking UCM's career Top 20 list for scoring, and 71 points shy of eclipsing 1,000 career points.

UCM DURING THE KARLESKINT ERA
• Doug Karleskint has a record of 60-31 (.659) as he begins his fourth season as head coach at Central Missouri and a 149-65 (.696) overall mark in his eighth season as a head coach.
• He became the first Mules' head coach to start his first season at UCM 7-0 when he accomplished the mark in 2014-15.
• His 25 wins in 2014-15 were the most by a first-year head coach in Central Missouri history.
• Karleskint became the fourth Mules' head coach to win at least 20 games in his first season. 
• Before coming to UCM, he spent the previous five seasons at Arkansas Tech, including the last four as head coach. He compiled an 89-34 (.724) record with the Wonder Boys with four conference championships and four trips to the NCAA-II National Tournament, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2012.

MULES BASKETBALL HISTORY
• In the past 16 years, 23 former UCM players have gone on to play professional basketball.
• Four players are either currently playing professionally or on a professional roster; Donte Adams (Conejos De Tuxtla (Mexico), Charles Hammork (Kosovo, Ylli Therande), Michael Hicks (Poland, Polpharma-Pakmet), and Zack Wright (Germany, Brose Basket).

THE NEXT LEVEL
• In the past 16 years, 23 former UCM players have gone on to play professional basketball.
• Four players are either currently playing professionally or on a professional roster; Donte Adams (Conejos De Tuxtla (Mexico), Charles Hammork (Kosovo, Ylli Therande), Michael Hicks (Poland, Polpharma-Pakmet), and Zack Wright (Germany, Brose Basket).

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
• Central Missouri has won a combined 211 MIAA regular season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• Last season, UCM captured three MIAA regular season titles, one MIAA Tournament crown and two NCAA Regional Championships.
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 157 MIAA championships, more than any other league school.
• Central Missouri has won eight national championships during Hughes' tenure (men's and women's basketball in 1984, baseball in 1994 and 2003, women's bowling in 2003, men's basketball in 2014, and women's indoor and outdoor track & field in 2015) and 10 national championships overall.
• In 2016-17, Central Missouri won the inaugural MIAA's Commissioner's Cup trophy for the conference's top overall athletic department.

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN THE CLASSROOM
• Central Missouri had 252 student-athletes named to the 2016-17 MIAA Academic Honor Roll with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher.
• 22 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Scholar Athletes with at least a 3.5 GPA and having earned all-MIAA honors in their respective sport.
• 20 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners with a 4.0 GPA.
• UCM had five student-athletes earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in their respective sports. 
• All-time UCM is fourth in NCAA-II with 103 Academic All-Americans.
• Carly Thomas of Jennies Bowling was awarded prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships last year.

UPCOMING
• UCM will return home following their two game road swing as they host the Fairfield Inn Classic Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 16-18, at the Multipurpose Building.
• The Mules will take on the Cameron Aggies Thursday, Nov. 16, at 6 p.m. They will have Friday off before they tip-off against Maryville on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 12 p.m.