PREVIEW: Michigan Tech home to face Wildcats

HOUGHTON, Mich. - Michigan Tech men's basketball continues its stretch of five games in 11 days when they host Northern Michigan at SDC Gymnasium Monday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m. The Huskies swept two regular season games against NMU in 2020-21.

LAST TIME OUT

• Owen White was a force in the paint and Eric Carl supplemented from the outside and the Michigan Tech men's basketball team defeated Northwood 98-75 Saturday afternoon at Riepma arena in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. The Huskies scored 51 points in the first half and shot an efficient 60-percent overall to pick up a win in their first GLIAC matchup this season.
• White led the Huskies with 22 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds and shot 9-14 from the floor. Carl broke out for 21 points on 8-12 shooting, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range. Carl added three rebounds and one block. 
• After a 15-15 tie early in the first half, the Huskies took control of the game with a 19-6 run to open a 34-21 advantage with 6:20 to play. After extending the lead to 18, Tech took a 51-35 advantage into the break. Michigan Tech connected on 8 of 12 first-half threes. Tech never trailed by less than 21 through the final 17 minutes of the second half.
• Adam Hobson made a strong impact with 15 points, two steals, and two assists. Kyle Clow added 13 points, five points, and three assists in 14 minutes off the bench. Clow shot 4-for-7 overall and 3-4 from the free throw line. Trent Bell was an efficient 4-6 for nine points.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS

• Senior Max Bjorklund leads the team in points with 103 in the last six games, Bjorklund also leads the team in free throw percentage with at .840.
• Guard Nick Wagner leads the team in three pointers with 14 so far this season.
• In their last meeting in February 2021, the 'Cats fell short to the Huskies.

LEADING SCORER

• After leading the conference with 21.2 points per game last season, senior combo guard Owen White poured in 25 points last Saturday to raise his points total per game to 19.2 through his first five games (fifth in GLIAC).
• White is shooting 51-percent from the field with 11 of 33 3-pointers (33-percent). 
• He ranks second on the squad in rebounds (5.3 rpg) and averages 30.3 minutes per game (second). 
• White ranks No. 21 on the Michigan Tech basketball all-time career scoring chart with 1,197 points. He passed former teammate Dawson Bilski (1,192) this week.

SECOND YEAR STANDOUTS

• Second year freshmen Adam Hobson (guard – Stoughton, Wisconsin) and Brad Simonsen (forward – Houghton, Michigan) have the potential for expanded roles after making positive impressions last season. 
• Hobson appeared in 22 games and scored a season high 14 points versus Wisconsin-Parkside on February 27. 
• Simonsen appeared in 10 games for Tech and went 4-for-6 from 3-point range at Davenport on February 13.
• Through six games, Simonsen has increased his minutes to 11.7 and averages 5.5 points and 1.8 rebounds.
• Hobson has started all six games with 10.7 points and 0.8 rebounds per game. After averaging 14 minutes in 2020-21, Hobson has seen his time on court rise to 29.3 minutes.

FRESHMEN IN THE FOLD

• The Huskies needed to fill the positions of graduated seniors Dawson Bilski (All-GLIAC Second Team) and Isaac Appleby (2019-20 GLIAC All-Defensive team). True freshmen Dawson Nordgaard (Forward – DePere, Wisconsin) and Nate Abel (Point Guard – Beaver Dam, Wisconsin) joined the squad this fall. Neither have appeared in a game this year.

COACH BUETTNER AT THE HELM

• For 27 seasons, Kevin Luke led the Huskies as head coach. Luke announced his retirement in April after amassing 471 career victories. He is the school's all-time winningest coach. Longtime assistant coach Josh Buettner was named head coach one day later after serving 13 seasons as assistant coach and one as associate head coach.
• Buettner (a former Husky all-American player) hired Ben Stelzer as assistant coach. Stelzer is another former all-American for the Huskies (2011-15) and played basketball professionally in Spain before beginning his coaching career.

PRESEASON POLL

• Michigan Tech men's basketball was selected to finish first in the GLIAC North Division this season the league announced Tuesday in its preseason coaches' poll. The Huskies begin the regular season as defending North Division Champions with four of five starters returning, including CoSIDA All-American combo guard Owen White.

North

1. Michigan Tech 56 (6)

2. Ferris State 55 (5)

3. Parkside 34

4. Lake Superior State 32

5. Northern Michigan 25

6. Purdue Northwest 23

South

1. Grand Valley State 49 (9)

2. Wayne State 42 (2)

3. Davenport 31

4. Saginaw Valley State 20

5. Northwood 18

HUSKIES AT A GLANCE

• With returning All-American combo guard Owen White and four starters back in the fold for 2021-22, Michigan Tech men's basketball hopes to again reach the NCAA Midwest Region tournament, where they fell 65-62 to Truman State in the Championship game last spring. The Huskies finished 15-8 overall, including 12-6 in the GLIAC North Division and took second place in the conference tournament.

LAST YEAR RANKS

• Last year, the Huskies ranked ninth in the conference in scoring (67.9 points), second in defense (63.7 points against), second in 3-point percentage (37.4-percent), and 10th in rebounding (31.3 rebounds).
• Tech began non-conference play with a pair of games in the Lewis Tournament November 12-13. After facing a trio of Northern Sun opponents (Minnesota Crookston, Minnesota Duluth, and St. Cloud State), the team started GLIAC action at Northwood on December 4.