No. 9 Huskies Head South for Florida Tech Winter Classic
Houghton, Mich. – The ninth-ranked Michigan Tech men’s basketball team wraps up their non-conference schedule and the calendar year with a trip to Florida for the Florida Tech Winter Classic this weekend. The Huskies will take on host Florida Tech on Friday at 5:00 p.m. and then meet Lynn at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Fans can watch a live stream and track live stats at Michigantechhuskies.com/live.
About the Panthers
Florida Tech sits at .500 through ten games, owning a 5-5 overall record and a 2-2 mark in league play. They clipped Eckerd in overtime, 87-85, on Tuesday and have won five of their past six. The Panthers are slated for three games in five days surrounding the Winter Classic.
Flordia Tech leans on a heavy three-point volume, attempting over 28 threes per game and averaging 75.4 points per outing, with 10 made threes per game. Leading scorers and rebounders include Xavier Ford-Belton and Ca’Darrius Sowell, each averaging 10.8 points; Ford-Belton grabs 7.7 rebounds per game and Sowell 5.6. Noah Van Bibber leads the squad in three-point attempts (52), makes per game (2.11), and total threes (19), while averaging 9.6 points in 17.7 minutes. Greyson Williams contributes around nine points and paces the team in assists (4.5) and steals (1.2).
The Panthers were predicted to finish last in the Sunshine State Conference in the preseason coach’s poll under first-year head coach Will Murphy.
About the Fighting Knights
Lynn heads to Florida Tech after a 79-78 loss to Tampa on Tuesday, standing at 7-2 overall and 3-2 in the SSC. They’ll play three games in five days to wrap up the weekend.
Lynn ranks among the nation’s best in several categories: top-10 in assist/turnover ratio (1.82), assists per game (20.4), offensive rebounds per game (17.67), rebounds per game (46.89), scoring offense (97.0), three-point attempts per game (37.8), and three-pointers per game (13.6). The Knights also boast the 11th-best bench in the country, averaging 39.11 points from reserves.
Max Polk has a season-high 24 points and six threes this year, averaging 2.7 triples per game on 37.5 percent. Lynn’s offense centers around multiple double-digit scorers, with four players in that range on a 95.1-point-per-game club. Polk leads with 16.3 points per game, followed by Braydon Luli at 14.8 points and 1.5 steals per game, along with 3.6 assists. John Roland adds 13.3 points and a team-high eight rebounds, including 4.6 on the offensive glass, while Justin Bubak contributes 12.3 points and 4.8 boards.
Lynn is picked to finish fourth in the SSC in the coaches’ poll under second-year head coach Bill Morosco.
About the Huskies
Michigan Tech travels to Florida for a second time this season after opening with a 2-0 showing at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic. The ninth-ranked Huskies currently own a 9-1 record with a 2-0 mark in conference play on a seven-game winning streak.
Defense has been the story for Tech, ranking among the nation’s best in defensive metrics. The Huskies sit in the top five nationally for field goal percentage defense (36.7%), and they rank second in scoring defense (58.7 ppg). They also hold a 12th-best mark in three-point defense (27.0%) and average 29.40 defensive rebounds, 22nd in the nation.
Nate Abel leads the team with 6.8 rebounds per game, followed by Gabe Smith (6.2) and Marcus Tomashek (5.0). Tomashek, an All-American, has reached double figures in eight games this season and posted his first 20-point game since the opening weekend with 22 points on 8-for-16 shooting, including 4-for-8 from long range, in the win over UW-Stout.
Gabe Smith and Ty Fernholz contribute 9.4 and 9.9 points per game, respectively. Fernholz shoots 2.7 triples per game and has a season-high six 3s in the win over St. Cloud State, while Smith has five double-digit scoring games including a season-best 17 in the season opener.
One Last Fact
At 9-1 through ten games, Tech is on pace for the best single-season start in program history, matching the 2001-02 squad and the 2002-03 teams that went 27-3 and 29-3, respectively. Head coach Josh Buettner, who played a role in those successful seasons as a freshman and sophomore, coaches the current squad.
Players Mentioned
- Nate Abel (#3) – PG, 6'2", Redshirt Senior
- Ty Fernholz (#24) – G, 6'1", Sophomore
- Gabe Smith (#20) – G/F, 6'6", Redshirt Sophomore
- Marcus Tomashek (#1) – G, 6'6", Senior
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