PREVIEW: Huskies travel to face Cardinals, Warriors

HOUGHTON, Mich. - Michigan Tech men's basketball returns to play for the first time since December 19 with road matchups at Saginaw Valley State (Thursday, January 5 - 8 p.m.) and Wayne State (Saturday, January 7 - 3 p.m.).  Both games will be streamed on FloSports and broadcast on Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ in the Keweenaw.

LAST TIME OUT

• Michigan Tech men's basketball fell 85-65 to Kentucky Wesleyan College on Monday December 19 at Owensboro Sportscenter. The Panthers (6-5) out-rebounded the Huskies 47-32 and had six players in double figures as MTU trailed since the 13-minute mark of the first half.
• Michigan Tech fell to 4-9 overall as the team continued its road struggles (0-6). Adam Hobson and Dan Gherezgher made it to double figures with 12 points and 11 points respectively. Marcus Tomashek finished with six points and four assists.

FOR THE HUSKIES

• The Huskies will look to rekindle the magic they possessed at home against Ferris State (W, 69-68) on December 11.
• The win over the perennial contender proved Tech's corps of young players are capable against some of the league's elite.
• Sophomore guard Adam Hobson leads the squad with 11.7 points per game. He plays a team-high 29.6 minutes and is shooting 45-percent, including 35-percent from beyond the arc.
• Hobson has seven games in double figures, including 25 points against Lewis and 20 points against Maryville. 
• The Stoughton, Wisconsin native was voted Most Improved Player after starting all 27 games last year and Outstanding Newcomer in 2020-21.
• While offensive and rebounding troubles have persisted, the Huskies take good care of the basketball and rank fourth in the GLIAC in turnovers per game (12.7) with a near even assist to turnover ratio.
• Freshman guard Marcus Tomashek ranks second in points (10.7) with five double-digit game totals.
• He scored a team-high 20 points at St. Cloud State and helped cement the Huskies' win over Ferris State with clutch late free throws. 
• Tomashek averaged 24 points per game at Ashwaubenon High School.
• Fellow freshman Dan Gherezgher averages 10.5 points with four starts and a 40-percent shooting percentage.
• Gherezgher is up to third on the team in assists (1.7) and holds a 1.0 assist to turnover ratio.
• Freshman Josh Terrian leads the category at positive 2.7 and is the only one of the trio to start all 12 games.

SCOUTING THE CARDINALS (7-6, 2-1)

• The Cards have won three straight, including an 87-68 victory over Grace Christian last time out on January 30.
• SVSU was selected to finish seventh in the GLIAC this season after tying for third place in the standings last year.
• Tre Garrett is a top returner after he averaged a career-high seven points per game, along with 1.6 steals. He has upped his rate to 15.5 points per game and shoots 55-percent from the field.
• So far, junior Freddie McIntosh has excelled in a larger role at guard this season. His 3.9 assists per game ranks fifth in the GLIAC.  He also ranks second on the squad with 14.3 points per game and has started all 13 outings.
• Head Coach Randy Baruth's Cardinals finished 19-11 overall in 2021-22, including 12-8 in the GLIAC.
• Michigan Tech and Saginaw Valley State split last year's season series with each team winning on their home court. Adam Hobson scored 11 points with five rebounds at SDC Gymnasium on February 17 in a 77-71 win.

SCOUTING THE WARRIORS (4-6, 1-2)

• Wayne State fell 81-71 on Friday in non-conference play to Ashland University at home. Avery Lewis led the Warriors with 18 points off the bench. Carmelo Harris (13 pts), Ray Williams Jr. (12 pts), and Antonio Marshall (11 pts) also made it to double figures.
• The Huskies swept the season series with Wayne State last year, winning 62-51 in Detroit and 82-57 on Senior Day in Houghton.
• Wayne State missed the GLIAC Tournament after closing out 2021-22 with a 5-18 overall record (4-16 GLIAC). The Warriors struggled mightily on the road (0-11).
• WSU plays Northern Michigan on Thursday before hosting the Huskies on Saturday.
• Head coach Bryan Smothers returned to coach his alma mater this year after spending time on the coaching staffs of Wayne State (other one), Michigan, and Niagara.
• Seven returners this season include Avery Lewis, Antonio Marshall, Ray Williams Jr., Kylin Grant, Tyree Martin, Cortez Jackson, and Nate Talbot. They joined seven newcomers.
• The Warriors play at Wayne State Fieldhouse (opened in 2021-22), also home to the Detroit Pistons G-League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.

BIG PICTURE

• Tech has been selected for entry in the NCAA Region Tournament two of the last three years and has not finished below .500 overall since 2018-19. 
• In 101 seasons, the squad has made 11 NCAA appearances and won three GLIAC Tournament titles.
• The Huskies were selected fifth in the D2SIDA preseason midwest region rankings poll.

NLI FALL SIGNING DAY

• Michigan Tech men's basketball head coach Josh Buettner announced three recruits penned a National Letter of Intent to join the Huskies next season. They include Luke Hazelton (Forward – Maple City, Michigan), Ethan Heck (Shooting Guard – De Pere, Wisconsin), and Gabe Smith (Forward - St. Germain, Wisconsin).
• A six-foot-seven-inch high school senior, Hazelton plays for Maple City Glen Lake and averaged nine points and five rebounds per game as a freshman. The following season, he scored 13.1 points per game and grabbed seven boards. As a junior, Hazelton posted 17.1 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers.
• His high school accolades include First Team All-Conference (x2), County Dream Team (x2), 3rd Team All-Area, 5th Team All-Area, and Honorable Mention All-State (x2). Hazelton helped his team to a pair of conference championships and one district championship. Hazelton is a member of Student Council LABS (Leaders Actively Bettering Society) and intends to major in Sports and Fitness Management at Michigan Tech. His father Todd played basketball at Albion College and brother Reece plays for the Ferris State Bulldogs.
• The six-foot-five-inch Ethan Heck is a senior at West De Pere High School and will join current Husky Dawson Nordgaard on the roster from De Pere, Wisconsin. Last season, Heck posted 14.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game for the Phantoms. As a sophomore, Heck put up 9.3 points, four rebounds, and two assists. He also saw the floor as a freshman, with 5.5 points and 1.2 rebounds per outing.
• Last spring, Heck was named a team captain as well as second team all-conference, after helping West De Pere to the conference championship. 
• The 6-foot-4-inch Smith is a senior at Northland Pines High School, where he plays small forward for the Eagles. Smith's family includes a lengthy list of accomplished athletes.
• His mother, Julia and sister, Maddie played volleyball for University of Wisconsin. His sister, Lexi plays basketball at Northern Michigan, and sister Jacqueline plays volleyball and track and field at Northern Michigan.
• As a senior, Smith is averaging 13.8 points per game, up from 11.2 points per game a year ago. He was named All-Great Northern Conference after helping his team to a regional championship in 2021-22.
• Smith lists St. Germain, Wisconsin as his hometown. He is a good student and member of both National Honor Society and Student Athlete Leadership Team (S.A.L.T.). Smith has not yet chosen an area of study at Tech.