Magnolia, Ark. - There is no better way to describe the 2022-23 Southern Arkansas Men's Basketball team than 'new'. The Muleriders returned five familiar faces and added nine new players under the direction of first-year head coach Logan Quinn and assistant coach Nic Reynolds, a team the town of Magnolia will soon come to know. The Muleriders head north to begin their season in Duluth, Minnesota at the American Family Insurance Classic. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
The Muleriders will begin their 2022-23 season against the #7/10 University of Minnesota Duluth on Friday, November 11 and Bemidji State University on Saturday November 12. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Quinn became the program's tenth head coach since 1950 and the sixth to lead the program in its NCAA Era after spending the previous three seasons as the Muleriders' assistant coach.
The Muleriders' familiar faces include the 2021-22 team's leading scorer, senior guard Blake Rogers, as well as senior guard Kris Wyche, redshirt sophomore guard Connor Harvey, junior forward Jessie Davis Jr. and redshirt sophomore forward Logan Bradley.
Rogers played and started all 30 games for SAU last year and averaged 10.4 ppg to return as the team's leading scorer. Wyche, Harvey and Davis Jr. all return after logging minutes in over 20 contests. Wyche and Davis Jr. played in all but one game for SAU in '21-22.
The Muleriders were the only team in the GAC to rank in the top four in both scoring offense (74.8 ppg) and scoring defense (67.2 ppg) last season. SAU posted the country's third-best offensive rebound rate last season at 14.7, ranked 11th nationally in rebound margin at 7.3, 12th in rebounds per game at 40.6 and 17th in total rebounds with 1,218. Southern Arkansas was pesky defending the perimeter as the group ranked 25th in DII in three0point FG defense at 30.8%.
Coach Quinn recruited six athletes with previous NCAA experience in senior guard Brock Schreiner (Cameron), senior forward LaTreavin Black (USC Aiken), junior guard Gregory Hammond Jr. (UMass Lowell) and sophomore guard Logan Phillips (Purdue Northwest) as well as junior college transfers junior guard Jerry Carraway (Neosho CC) and sophomore combo Carel Ray Jr. (Frank Phillips College).
#7/10 University of Minnesota Duluth
* Went 25-6 in the 2021-22 season, their best record since the 1990-91 season                                                              Â
* 15-0 at home in 2021-22Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
* Won the 21-22 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division Title and played in the NICS Tournament championship game                                                                                                                              Â
* The Bulldogs return every 2021-22 starter including the team's leading scorer Drew Blair                                                                       Â
* Tabbed as the #1 team in the NICS
Bemidji State
* The Beavers posted an 8-17 record in 2021-22Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
* Bemidji State returns their second-best scorer from the 2021-22 season in Mohamed Kone                                                           Â
* The team recruited six new players including two with previous collegiate experience
