MBB Preview: Blue Devils head to Florida for pair of games

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THIS WEEK'S GAMES: The Blue Devils (7-2, 2-1 WIAC) will seek the warmer climes of Florida when they head south to the Land of Magic Tournament in Daytona Beach, Fla., held at Embry-Riddle College. Stout will meet MIllikin University (5-4), Saturday, Dec. 28 at 6 p.m. (ET) and SUNY-Plattsburgh (4-2), Monday, Dec. 30 at 4 p.m. (ET). All games will be available via Live Stats and in a live video stream.


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.

BLUE DEVILS BY THE NUMBERS
4	consecutive games a Blue Devil has scored at least     20 points
3	different Blue Devils to hit the 20 point mark over the     last four games
6	consecutive games Jimmy Whitehead has scored     10+ points in the second half
10	Blue Devils to make a three-pointer this season

THE BLUE DEVILS (7-2, 2-1 WIAC): With the loss to UW-River Falls on December 11, the Blue Devils saw their seven game winning streak come to an end. Ranked #19 going into the game, the loss tumbled Stout out of the top 25. In the most recent poll on d3hoops.com, Stout still received votes, but not enough to crack the top 25. Looking ahead, the Blue Devils hope to return to their winning ways with a pair of nonconference games in the Land of Magic Tournament followed by a WIAC match-up against UW-Eau Claire on January 4th. Leading the way for the Blue Devils are captains Jimmy Whitehead (Sr, La Crosse) and Aaron Jenny (Sr, Spicer, Minn.). Whitehead leads the team in scoring at 20.4 ppg while pulling down 5.2 rpg. Jenny is tops on the team in rebounding and assists, pulling down 5.8 boards per game while dishing out 21 assists. He has also been one of the team's most consistent scorers, averaging 12.7 ppg on .513 (40-78) shooting. Jenny has scored in double figures in 6-of-9 games, including a season high 24 against UW-Superior. Whitehead has been able to come up big when it matters most for Stout all season, averaging 11.1 points in the second half of games while shooting a scorching .633 (38-60). He has scored in double figures in the second half in eight of nine games to start the season. Whitehead has also topped the 20 points mark five times already this season, including each of the last two games. Senior Alex Oman (Lake Elmo, Minn.) ranks second on the team in scoring, with 13.8 ppg and fourth in rebounding with 4.1 per game. Adam Wadzinski (Sr, Verona) has started five straight games for Stout and provides a long-range scoring threat, hitting 9-23 three-point attempts. Brett Ahsenmacher (Fr, Annandale, Minn.) has hit 50% (9-18) of his three point attempts off the bench. Josh Kosloske (Sr, Oakfield) has been steady down low, averaging 5.0 ppg and grabbing 5.2 rpg, good for second on team. Debonair Townsend (Sr, Milwaukee), Tim Butina (Sr, Woodbury, Minn.), and Jay Higgins (Sr, Maple Grove, Minn.) have all seen significant time in the post for the Blue Devils. Each is averaging over 10 minutes per game and at least two rebounds per contest, led by Butina's 3.1 rpg. Townsend leads the team with six blocks. GuardHank Kujak (So, Blair) has seen an increase in minutes over the last four games, averaging 16.5 mpg, up from his season average of 12.5. Over that span, he has contributed 5.75 ppg and 2.25 rpg, while hitting 4-of-6 three point attempts. As a team, Stout is outscoring their opponents by 6.9 points per contest (71.8-64.9).  Stout also holds an edge when it comes to rebounding, pulling down 38.1 boards per game while opponents are grabbing just 28.6. |  2013-14 Statistics

STOUT'S LAST TIME OUT: The Blue Devil's seven-game winning streak came to an end in a conference battle against UW-River Falls, despite a season-high 29 points from Jimmy Whitehead. No other Blue Devil scored in double figures as Stout fell, 70-64. A back-and-forth affair throughout, the Falcons were able to pull away in the final minutes to hold on to the victory. Aaron Jenny added nine points, five assists and four rebounds for Stout. | Story and Stats 

SCOUTING MILLIKIN UNIVERSITY (5-4): As a team, Millikin is outscoring their opponents by two points per contest (75-73). Big Blue also holds an edge in the rebounding category, pulling down 35.2 boards to just 31.2 for opponents. Millikin has enjoyed success from beyond the arc all season, shooting .372 as a team from three-point range. Leading the way for Big Blue is guard TJ Griffin, who is averaging 22.3 ppg. Griffin also leads the team in field goal percentage (.514), three-point shooting (.458, 22-48), and steals (17). He is also second on the team in assists, with 22. Also averaging double figures in points are Tives Gardner (11.1 ppg) and Deavis Johnson (10.0 ppg). Gardner is the team's other dead-eye from beyond the arc, hitting 14-37 threes on the season. He also paces the team in assists, with 23. Johnson anchors the post on both ends for Millikin, pulling down 9.0 rebounds per game while adding a team-high 13 blocks and 14 steals. Millikin has a balanced scoring attack after these three, with Jacob Kueker (8.3 ppg), Tommy Pilackis (8.1) and Jaylon Owens (7.1) all consistently receiving scoring oppurtunities. Owens is also second on the team with 6.2 rpg.  | 2013-14 Statistics  

MILLIKIN'S LAST TIME OUT: In a home matchup gainst Concordia (Wis.), Millikin lost a 84-81 heartbreaker when Eric Kittel hit a half-court shot at the buzzer. Trailing 78-66 with 3:33 remaining, Concordia went on an 18-3 run to close out the game. Millikin led by as many as 17 in the second half and shot 58% from the field compared to just 46% for Concordia. Four Millikin players scored in double figures, led by TJ Griffin with 27 on 9-13 shooting, including 4-5 from downtown. Tommy Pilackas added 13 while Bryn Agnew and Tives Gardner had 10 apiece. Jaylon Owens led the way on the glass, pulling down a game-high eight rebounds.  | Story and Stats

SCOUTING SUNY-PLATTSBURGH (4-2): The Cardinals spread the wealth when it comes to scoring, with four different players averaging at least 11 points per game. Shamoy McIntosh is scoring at a clip of 14.3 ppg to lead the team, followed by Shavar Fields (13.3), Jordan Moody (11.8) and John Perez (11.0). Perez is also the team's leading rebounder, pulling down 10.5 per game, including 3.8 on the offensive end. Point guard Chris Manning does a little bit of everything, as he is averaging 5.0 ppg, 5.5 apg, 4.7 rpg, and 3.83 spg. As a team, the Cardinals are outscoring their opponents by an average of 8.3 points per game (79.5-71.2) They are also outrebounding the opposition by a 39.3-34.0 margin (+5.3).  | 2013-14 Statistics 

SUNY-PLATTSBURGH LAST TIME OUT: Mike Mitchell hit 6-8 from three-point land on his way to 20 points as SUNY-Plattsburgh defeated SUNY-Cortland 64-61. Mitchell hit his final three-pointer with 45 seconds remaining to put the Cardinals up for good, 62-61. Shamoy McIntosh finished one rebound shy of a double-double, as he dropped in 12 points and pulled down nine rebounds. He also had a game-high four steals. Shavar Fields added nine rebounds for the Cardinals.  | Story and Stats

SCOUTING UW-EAU CLAIRE (0-0, 0-0 WIAC): |  After a few days in Florida, the Blue Devils return to conference play when they host UW-Eau Claire, Saturday, Jan. 4, at approximately 5 p.m. The men's game will be preceded by the women's game, which is scheduled to tip-off at 3 p.m. |  2013-14 Statistics 

LAST TIME THEY MET: 

AWARDS AND HONORS: Alex Oman was selected as the WIAC player of the week, Dec. 10...Jimmy Whitehead was the WIAC and the UW-Stout Northwestern Mutual player of the week, Dec. 3.

TEAM CAPTAINS:  Blue Devil team captains for the 2013-14 season are Aaron Jenny and Jimmy Whitehead.

THE COACHES:  UW-Stout:  Eddie Andrist (169-159 at Stout, 423-354 overall) is in his 14th year as the coach of the Blue Devils, and his 24th 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. |Millikin University: Matt Nadelhoffer (14-45) is in his third year as head coach of Big Blue basketball. Last season, he led Millikin to it's first CCIW victory in three seasons, finishing 4-10 in conference play. Before coming to Millikin, Nadelhoffer was head coach at Eastern University for nine years.
SUNY-Plattsburgh: Tom Curie 171-108 at SUNY-Plattsburgh, 265-189 overall) has been head coach of the Cardinals since 2003. A 24-year veteran of the college head coaching ranks, Curie has also been head coach at Division II Post University and junior college Alfred State. A three-time SUNYAC Coach of the Year recipient, Curie has led the Cardinals to four conference championships and four appearances in the NCAA Division III National Tournament. Curie owns the best winning-percentage of any coach in SUNY-Plattsburgh history. 
UW-Eau Claire:

CONFERENCES: Stout is a member of the nine team Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) along with UW-La Crosse, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Superior, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Platteville, UW-Whitewter and UW-River Falls. Millikin is a member of the eight school College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). SUNY-Plattsburgh is a member of the 10 team State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC). 

UP NEXT: Stout will host UW-Eau Claire, Saturday, Jan. 4 at approximately 5 p.m. in the second game of a doubleheader with the women's programs.

UW-Stout 2013-14 Season Highs (Updated Dec. 16, 2013)

Points: 29, Jimmy Whitehead vs. UW-River Falls, Dec. 11, 2013
3-Pointers Made: 3, Aaron Jenny vs. UW-Superior, Dec. 5, 2013; Alex Oman vs. Ashford, Nov. 30, 2013; Jimmy Whitehead vs. Luther, Nov. 25, 2013; Brett Ahsenmacher vs.Luther, Nov. 25, 2013.
Rebounds: 10, Aaron Jenny vs. Mount Mercy, Nov. 15, 2013
Assists: 5, Aaron Jenny vs. UW-River Falls, Dec. 11, 2013; Jay Higgins vs. Mount Mercy, Nov. 15, 2013
Steals: 5, Aaron Jenny vs. UW-Superior, Dec. 5, 2013


UW-Stout Career Bests (updated Dec. 16, 2013)

Phil Freeman - #4
Points: 12 vs. Mount Mercy, Nov. 15, 2013
Rebounds: 4 vs. Crown College, Nov. 16, 2013
Assists: 1 (2x) vs. UW-Superior, Dec. 5, 2013; vs. Crown College, Nov. 16, 2013

Aaron Jenny - #5
Points: 24 vs. UW-Superior, Dec. 5, 2013
Rebounds: 12 vs. Crown College, Nov. 16, 2013
Assists: 5 vs, UW-River Falls, Dec. 11, 2013; 4 (3x) vs. UW-Superior, Dec. 5, 2013;  vs. UW-Oshkosh, Jan. 14, 2012; vs. UW-Platteville, Dec. 10, 2011

AJ Dubek - #10
Points: 4 vs. Bethel, Nov. 19, 2013
Rebounds: 2 vs. Bethel, Nov. 19, 2013
Assists: 1 vs. Concordia Wisconsin, Dec. 30, 2012

Jarvis Ragland - #11
Points: 21 vs. Macalester, Nov. 18, 2011
Rebounds: 9 (2x) vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor, Dec. 29, 2011; vs. Whitewater, Jan. 19, 2013
Assists: 3 (2x) vs. UW-Superior, Dec. 7, 2011; vs. UW-Oshkosh, Jan. 12, 2013

Hank Kujak - #12
Points: 12 vs. Wartburg College, Dec. 1, 2013
Rebounds: 5 (2x) vs. Stevens Point, Feb. 15, 2012; vs Wartburg College, Dec. 1, 2013
Assists: 3 vs. Eau Claire, Feb. 11, 2012

Brett Ahsenmacher - #13
Points: 14 vs. Luther College, Nov. 25, 2013
Rebounds: 2 vs. Luther College, Nov. 25,, 2013
Assists: 1 vs. Mount Mercy, Nov. 15, 2013

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: 6 vs. Northland, Nov. 24, 2012

Josh Watton - #15
Points: x
Rebounds: 1 vs. Bethel, Nov. 19, 2013
Assists: x

Michael Tesch - #21
Points: 2 vs. Bethel, Nov. 19, 2013
Rebounds: 1 vs. Bethel, Nov. 19, 2013
Assists: 1 vs. Bethel, Nov. 19, 2013

Jimmy Whitehead - #24
Points: 29 vs. UW-River Falls, Dec. 11, 2013
Rebounds: 8 vs. Crown, Nov. 16, 2013
Assists: 4 vs. Mount Mercy, Nov. 15, 2013

Reggie Kujak - #31
Points: 2 vs. Ashford University, Jan. 26, 2013
Rebounds: 2 vs. UW-Stevens Point, Jan. 9, 2013
Assists:

Jacob Nordstrom - #32
Points: 2 vs. Bethel, Nov. 19, 2013
Rebounds: 1 vs. Bethel, Nov. 19, 2013
Assists: x

Jay Higgins - #33
Points: 10 vs. Winona State, Nov. 29, 2011
Rebounds: 13 vs. Concordia-Texas, Dec. 30, 2011
Assists: 5 vs. Mount Mercy, Nov. 15, 2013

Josh Kosloske - #34
Points: 16 vs. St. Scholastica, Nov. 16, 2012
Rebounds: 15 vs. UW-La Crosse, Jan. 18, 2012
Assists: 2 (3x) vs UW-Oshkosh, Jan. 14, 2012; vs. UW-Superior, Dec. 7, 2011; vs. Bethel, Nov. 19, 2013

Adam Wadzinski - #35
Points: 8 vs. Wartburg, Dec. 1, 2013
Rebounds: 5 (4x) vs. UW-Oshkosh, Jan. 14, 2012; vs. Loras College, Dec. 29, 2012; vs. Eau Claire, Jan. 3, 2013; vs. Wartburg, Dec. 1, 2013
Assists: 4 vs. Ashford, Nov. 30, 2013

Braxtyn Meyer - #42
Points: 1 vs. Bethel University, Nov. 19, 2013
Rebounds: 2 vs. Bethel University, Nov. 18, 2013
Assists: x

Debonair Townsend - #44
Points: 9 vs. Wartburg, Dec. 1, 2013
Rebounds: 9 vs. La Crosse, Dec. 8, 2010
Assists: 1 (4x) vs. UW-Superior, DEc. 5, 2013; vs. La Crosse, Dec. 9, 2010; vs. Viterbo, Dec 18, 2010; vs. Superior, Feb. 9, 2011

Tim Butina - #45
Points: 13 vs. UW-Whitewater, Jan. 21, 2012
Rebounds: 13 vs. Northland, Nov. 24, 2012
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 Dec. 16, 2013)

A Stout Individual...
Scored 30+ points:  34, Jerrod Buchholtz vs. UW-River Falls (1/5/2011)
Scored 25-29 points:  29, Jimmy Whitehead vs. UW-River Falls (12/11/13)
Recorded 15+ rebounds:  15, Josh Kosloske vs UW-La Crosse (1/18/12)
Recorded 10+ assists:  11, Erik Olson vs. UW-Stevens Point (2/13/13)
Recorded 6+ steals:  8, by Jerrel Enerson-Matthews vs. Bethany Lutheran (11/21/08)

A Stout Team...
Had five players score in double digits:  vs. Luther College, Nov. 25, 2013 - Jimmy Whitehead (24), Aaron Jenny (19), Brett Ahsenmacher (14), Alex Oman (11), Josh Kosloske (11).
Had four players score in double digits:  vs. UW-Whitewater, Dec. 7, 2013 - Alex Oman (20), Jimmy Whitehead (19), Josh Kosloske (12), Aaron Jenny (12).
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:  56 vs. Northland College (11/24/12)
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