MBB Preview: Blue Devils tip-off season at Bethel University tourney

Live Stats | Live Video

THIS WEEK'S GAMES: The Blue Devils (0-0, 0-0 WIAC) will open their 2012-13 campaign at Bethel University's Perkins Tip-Off on Friday, Nov. 16 and Saturday, Nov. 17. They will open against St. Scholastica on Friday and play either Bethel or Simpson College the following evening.

WEBCASTS: All of Stout's home games will be available in a Live Video stream by Blue Devil Video, with Adam "Big Country" Lehnertz on the call. WMEQ 880 AM radio, with either Jason Kenyon, Rob Silvers, Dan Schultz, Jimmie Kaska or Jake Bostrom, will broadcast the away conference games, as well as all Saturday conference games. Check the Blue Devil webcast schedule for the streaming schedule. Links to other team's streaming options will be available. Live Stats will be available for all Stout home games and many road games (check schedule details).

CAREER STATS: Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page to check out the UW-Stout career high for points, rebounds, and assists of each Blue Devil player.

THE BLUE DEVILS: Injuries and eligibility played a huge part in Stout's struggles last year, so they will look to improve upon those categories this year. They will have to do so, however, without Steve Pax, whose season, and likely Blue Devil career, ended early last year with a knee injury. Aside from Pax, Stout, who finished their season with three straight wins, will return nearly everyone from their 2011-12 roster. The Blue Devils return all five players who started over ten games last year and return all 10 who appeared in 20 games. Alex Oman, who sat on the bench, ineligible, for the season's first semester, will head up the offense. After returning after the break, Oman scored 18.4 points and pulled down 5.9 boards per game, leading the team in both categories. Jarvis Ragland, who also missed games during winter break last year, brings back 11.5 ppg and will likely have a starting spot in the lineup. Running the offense from the point guard position will be senior Erik Olson, who was nagged by injuries late last season. He still managed to lead the WIAC in assists, dishing out 5.4 per contest. Furthermore, Olson took care of the ball and had a league-best 2.16 assist-to-turnover ratio. Big men Tim Butina and Josh Kosloske will share time down low, as each bring back an average of 4.8 rebounds per game. Their efforts last season helped Stout boast a rebounding margin of +4.4, good for second best in the WIAC. Butina started 22 games, the most of any Blue Devil, and came off the bench in the other three. Kosloske, in his first year at Stout, played just 15 minutes per game but missed only two contests. Competing for a starting spot will be Aaron Jenny, Jay Higgins, and Thomas Scholle-Malone. Jenny and Higgins did not miss a game all year, and Scholle-Malone only missed one. Jenny got the most starts of the three (14) while Scholle-Malone and Higgins started nine and eight, respectively. | 2011-12 Statistics

THE OMAN EFFECT: Alex Oman played in 14 games last season, all after the winter break. Upon returning, he made an immediate impact. He was the workhorse for the Blue Devils, leading the team in scoring and rebounding as well as minutes on the court. Stout went 3-8 overall when Oman did not see the floor, a winning percentage of .273. After his return, they went 6-8 (.429). Oman especially made his mark in WIAC games. Stout was 0-5 without him in league play, averaging just over 51 points per game. Once Oman stepped onto the court, They were 4-7, and bumped their scoring average up by nearly seven points (58.3 ppg). Oman led the Blue Devils in scoring in 11 of the 14 games he played. Against then 12th-ranked Stevens Point, he nailed a half-court buzzer beater to send the game into overtime, a game in which they won, one of three wins to end the season. Blue Devil fans will hope Oman can start the season eligible and healthy as he will be a huge factor in their success again this year.

CHASING THE RECORD BOOKS: Erik Olson has been climbing the Stout leaderboard in assists and is seventh with 316. 43 assists this year will make Olson the all-time career assists leader in the Stout record books. Olson finished the 2011-12 season with108 assists, averaging 5.4 per contest. When he recorded 11 assists against Northland College, Nov. 26, he matched a career-high from Jan. 30, 2010, against UW-Whitewater. In 2010-11, Olson led the WIAC in assists with 4.8 per contest, 120 total. Olson was second in the WIAC in steals with 1.79 per contest, 45 total. Last year, Olson has had fewer than four assists in a single game only three times.

LAST TIME OUT: Stout finished their 2011-12 season by defeating UW-Oshkosh, 71-68, in their third straight win. Alex Oman held the hot hand again for the Blue Devils, matching a career-high with 28 points. But none of his points were as big as the two free throws with 15 seconds remaining to put Stout up, 69-68, never to trail again. The free throws culminated a long, deliberate comeback by the Blue Devils. Trailing by 15 points, 28-13, at 8:57 of the first half, the Blue Devils ever so slowly chipped away at the lead and trailed, 37-32, after Carter Ciolkosz layed in a bucket just before the first half buzzer. Stout cut the lead to one point several times in the second half, and the Titans built up a five point, 64-59, lead with 5:13 remaining as Flanigan scored six points in just over a minute. An Oman free throw and a Thomas Scholle-Malone bucket pulled Stout to within 64-62 with 4:01 remaining. Greg Schrimpf gave the Titans a 66-62 lead with a pair of free throws, but Oman cut the lead to one point, on a 3-pointer and Ciolkosz gave Stout the lead, 67-66, at 1:48 with a layup. The Titans took their final lead, 68-67, of the night on a bucket by Chad Mathwig with 1:19 remaining. Over the next minute, Stout missed a pair of field goals and a pair of free throws, while the Titans whiffed on a field goal attempt. Oman was fouled with 15 seconds left, and he drained both for a 69-68 lead. Jay Higgins stole the ball and was promptly fouled, making both attempts with two seconds left for the final 71-68 score. | Stats and Story

SCOUTING ST. SCHOLASTICA: The Saints return four of their primary starting five from last year, but lose sharpshooter Chris Hamers, who averaged 14.5 ppg fueled by a .414 three point shooting clip. Returning starters include seniors MarShaan Johnson, Jonah Dahlman, and Brett Tester. Dahlman directed the offense from the point guard position while the 6'5" Tester led the team in points (17 ppg) and rebounds (7.2 rpg). | 2011-12 Statistics

LAST TIME THEY MET: During the 2005-06 season, Stout met St. Scholastica in the Wendy's Holiday Tourney, which they were hosting at the Johnson Fieldhouse. Stout entered the game 9-1 and left 10-1 as they blew out the Saints, 85-63. The Blue Devils did all their work early, as they held a virtually insurmountable 46-19 lead at halftime. Ryan Stangl shot 10-for-14 from the field on his way to a career-high 24 points. | Box Score

SAINTS' LAST TIME OUT: A 79-73 loss in the semifinals of the UMAC tournament culminated a 13-13 season for the Saints. After splitting their regular season games with Northwestern College, the semifinal matchup served as a rubber match for the two clubs. Northwestern jumped out to an early lead and held it for most of the game. Late in the contest, however, Scholastica began to make a push using back-to-back three pointers, cutting the deficit to three with a minute to go. Turnovers got the best of them in the end, and Northwestern free throws sealed the deal. | Stats and Story

SCOUTING BETHEL: After winning nine of their last 12 regular season games, Bethel entered the MIAC playoffs hot and upset St. Olaf College in the first round before their season ended with a loss to St. Thomas in the next round. Much of their success was due to the efforts of Taylor Hall, Daniel Baah and Kyle Zimmerman, who each averaged at least 11 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Baah will not return, but Hall and Zimmerman will return as the primary workhorses. Hall led the team in minutes played (32.2 mpg), field goal percentage (.498), assists (2.1 apg), blocks (25), and scoring (16.2 ppg). | 2011-12 Statistics

LAST TIME THEY MET: Two years ago, Stout opened their season against Bethel, and came away with a 95-69 win at Johnson Fieldhouse. Eric Hostetter led all players in points and rebounds. Hostetter shot 9-16 from the field, including 5-10 from beyond the arc, scoring 23 points, 18 of which came in the first half. The teams battled evenly early on in the first half. Jerrod Buchholtz opened up the scoring by connecting on three straight three-pointers. Buchholtz finished the game with 20 points. Stout went on a little 13-5 run midway through the period to take a 10 point lead with eight minutes remaining. Then with two and a half minutes to go, Stout pulled off a 9-2 run until halftime, taking a 51-31 lead into the locker rooms. The Blue Devils all but put away Bethel midway through the second half when they turned a 20-point lead with 15 minutes to go into a 27-point lead with under eight minutes to play. Mahlon Thomas finished the game with nine points and nine rebounds, matching Hostetter for the high rebound total. In addition to Hostetter and Buchholtz, Steve Pax scored in double figures for the Blue Devils, as he contributed 12 points. | Stats and Story

BETHEL'S LAST TIME OUT: After upsetting St. Olaf in the first round of the MIAC Tournament, it looked as if another underdog story was in store. Bethel held a halftime lead against St. Thomas University, but was unable to hold off the Tommies, falling 74-64. Taylor Hall had 10 first half points, and Bethel scored the final six points of the half to grab a 28-27 lead. It was St. Thomas' Will DeBerg who had the final say, however, as he went for 18 points in the second half, fueled by 3-of-4 shooting from downtown, including the nail in Bethel's coffin late in the game. | Stats and Story

SCOUTING SIMPSON: Looking to improve upon a 12-14 season last year, Simpson will have to do so without arguably their three best players from a year ago. Zack Barragan started all 26 games and takes with him a team-best 16.5 ppg scoring average. Chad Boston was the Storm's only other player to start 26 games and trailed only Barragan in scoring (13.5 ppg). Also leaving is center Cornelius Mosby, who averaged a double double last year. His 12.6 points per contest will be missed almost as much as his 10.2 rebounds. Elijah Knox started 25 games and will return, but none of his returning teammates started more than 13 games. Drew Bentley and Olu Rotibi bring back some experience, each averaging over 18 minutes per game. | 2011-12 Statistics

LAST TIME THEY MET: UW-Stout and Simpson college have never met.

SIMPSON'S LAST TIME OUT: Zack Barragan scored a game-high 22 points, but Simpson's season ended with an 86-70 loss against Buena Vista in the IIAC Tournament semi-finals. Cornelius Mosby added 17 points and 14 rebounds in the final game of his career. | Stats and Story

THE COACHES: UW-Stout: Eddie Andrist (151-156 at Stout, 401-347 overall) is in his 13th year as the coach of the Blue Devils, and his 23rd overall in the collegiate ranks. Andrist led the Blue Devils to their first NCAA Division III appearance five seasons ago when Stout advanced to the second round. Andrist coached at Mount Senario for 11 seasons and won three national championships. Andrist spent two stints coaching international basketball, working with the country of Qatar.

CONFERENCES: Stout is a member of the nine-team Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) along with UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Superior and UW-Whitewater. St. Scholastica is a member of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC). Bethel is a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). Simpson is a member of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (IIAC).

UP NEXT: Following the Bethel Tournament, Stout will face Gustavus Adolphus College in their home opener, Tuesday, Nov. 20 at Johnson Fieldhouse.

UW-Stout Career Bests (updated Feb. 20, 2012)

Trent Thompson - #3

Points: 5 vs. Northland College, Nov. 26, 2011
Rebounds: 1, (4x)
Assists:

Erik Olson - #4

Points: 19 vs. UW-River Falls, Jan. 22, 2011
Rebounds: 8 vs. UW-River Falls, Jan. 5, 2011
Assists: 11 (2x) vs. Northland College, Nov. 26, 2011; vs. UW-Whitewater, Jan. 30, 2010

Aaron Jenny - #5

Points: 11 (2x) vs. UW-Eau Claire, Feb. 11, 2012; vs. UW-Oshkosh, Jan. 14, 2012
Rebounds: 7 vs. UW-Oshkosh, Jan. 14, 2012
Assists: 4 (2x) vs. UW-Oshkosh, Jan. 14, 2012; vs. UW-Platteville, Dec. 10, 2011

Steve Pax - #10

Points: 23 vs. UW-La Crosse, Jan. 26, 2011
Rebounds: 8 vs. Viterbo University, Dec. 18, 2010
Assists: 4 (3x) vs. Robert Morris, Nov. 27, 2011; vs. Viterbo University, Dec. 18, 2010; vs. Waldorf, Nov. 20, 2009

Jarvis Ragland - #11

Points: 21 vs. Macalester, Nov. 18, 2011
Rebounds: 9 vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor, Dec. 29, 2011
Assists: 3 vs. UW-Superior, Dec. 7, 2011

Josh Pax - #12

Points: 6 vs. UW-River Falls, Jan. 25, 2012
Rebounds: 4 (2x) vs. UW-River Falls, Jan. 25, 2012; vs. UW-La Crosse, Jan. 18, 2012
Assists: 1 (4x) vs. UW-River Falls, Jan. 25, 2012; vs. UW-Superior, Dec. 7, 2011; vs. Winona State, Nov. 29, 2011; vs. Macalester, Nov. 18, 2011

Hank Kujak - #13

Points: 9 vs. UW-Stevens Point (plus game winner), Feb. 15, 2012
Rebounds: 5 vs. UW-Stevens Point, Feb. 15, 2012
Assists: 2 vs. UW-Whitewater, Jan. 21, 2012

Alex Oman - #14

Points: 28 (2x) vs. UW-Oshkosh, Feb. 18, 2012; vs. UW-Superior, Feb. 1, 2012
Rebounds: 10 vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor, Dec. 29, 2011
Assists: 3 vs. UW-Platteville, Feb. 4, 2012

Carter Ciolkosz - #23

Points: 22 vs. Wartburg, Nov. 19, 2011
Rebounds: 6 (3x) vs. UW-La Crosse, Feb. 8, 2012; vs. UW-Superior, Dec. 7, 2011; vs. Northland College, Nov. 26, 2011
Assists: 4 vs. Bemidji State, Nov. 22, 2011

Jake Polk - #24

Points: 13 vs. Crown College, Nov. 20, 2010
Rebounds: 4 (3x) vs. Viterbo University, Dec. 18, 2010; vs. Crown College, Nov. 20, 2010; vs. Bethel University, Nov. 16, 2010
Assists: 2 vs. Viterbo University, Dec. 18, 2010

Thomas Scholle-Malone - #31

Points: 13 vs. UW-Oshkosh, Jan. 14, 2012
Rebounds: 7 vs. UW-Whitewater, Dec. 3, 2011
Assists: 2 vs. UW-Whitewater, Dec. 3, 2011

Jay Higgins - #33

Points: 10 vs. Winona State, Nov. 29, 2011
Rebounds: 13 vs. Concordia-Texas, Dec. 30, 2011
Assists: 3 (3x) vs. UW-Oshkosh, Jan. 14, 2012; vs. Gustavus Adolphus, Jan. 7, 2012; vs. Concordia-Texas, Dec. 30, 2011

Josh Kosloske - #34

Points: 12 vs. Concordia-Texas, Dec. 30, 2011
Rebounds: 15 vs. UW-La Crosse, Jan. 18, 2012
Assists: 2 (2x) vs UW-Oshkosh, Jan. 14, 2012; vs. UW-Superior, Dec. 7, 2011

Alex Wadzinski - #35

Points: 2 (3x) vs. UW-Oshkosh, Jan. 14, 2012; vs. UW-Eau Claire, Jan. 4, 2012; vs. UW-Whitewater, Dec. 3, 2011
Rebounds: 5 vs. UW-Oshkosh, Jan. 14, 2012
Assists: 3 vs. UW-Oshkosh, Jan. 14, 2012

Debonair Townsend - #44

Points: 8 vs. UW-Superior, Feb. 9, 2011
Rebounds: 9 vs. UW-La Crosse, Dec. 8, 2010
Assists: 1 vs. UW-La Crosse, Dec. 8, 2010

Tim Butina - #45

Points: 13 vs. UW-Whitewater, Jan. 21, 2012
Rebounds: 11 vs. Waldorf, Nov. 20, 2009
Assists: 2 (4x) vs. Robert Morris, Nov. 27, 2011; vs. Northland College, Nov. 26, 2011; vs. Winona State, Nov. 16, 2009; vs. Waldorf, Nov. 20, 2009

The Last Time...(updated Feb. 20, 2012)

A Stout Individual...
Scored 30+ points: 34, Jerrod Buchholtz vs. UW-River Falls (1/5/2011)
Scored 25-29 points: 28, Alex Oman vs. UW-Stevens Point, (2/18/2012)
Recorded 15+ rebounds: 15, Josh Kosloske vs UW-La Crosse (1/18/12)
Recorded 10+ assists: 11, Erik Olson vs. Northland College, (11/26/11); vs. UW-Whitewater (1/30/2010)
Recorded 6+ steals: 8, by Jerrel Enerson-Matthews vs. Bethany Lutheran (11/21/08)

A Stout Team...
Scored 105+ points: 109, vs. Crown College (2/15/11)
Scored 100-104 points: 102 vs. Silver Lake College (2/17/2010)
Recorded 60+ rebounds: 64, vs. Concordia-Texas (12/11/2011)
Recorded 55-59 rebounds: 55, vs. Northland College (11/28/09)
Recorded 25+ assists: 25, vs. Silver Lake College (2/17/2010)
Won 10 or more games in a row: 10, 2005-06 season
Lost 5 or more games in a row: 7, 2011-12 season

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