SIOUX FALLS. – The University of Sioux Falls Men's Basketball Team, which has 39 wins over the past two seasons, will open the 2019-20 season at the Central Region Challenge in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday and Saturday. The Cougars will open with Lincoln University on Friday at 6:45 pm at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. The Cougars will then face Pittsburg State (Kan.) at 4:30 pm on Saturday. Live stats will be available for the USF games by clicking here.

USF has been picked to finish fourth in the South Division and tied for 10th overall in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, according to the NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll released earlier this fall. The Cougars, directed by head coach and the program's all-time wins leader Chris Johnson (211 career wins and 195 victories at USF), officially opened practice on Oct. 15. USF, which returns three starters & seven letter winners, finished 19-11 over and 13-9 in league play as they advanced to the NSIC Quarterfinals for a fourth straight year.

Minnesota State was selected by the league coaches as the preseason favorites in the NSIC for the 2019-20 season. The Mavericks received 214 points with seven first place votes and six points ahead of Augustana with 208 points and six first place votes. Minnesota Duluth was third with 196 points and three first place votes. USF was 10th overall, and tied with Wayne State for 10th with 96 points. In the South Division, USF was fourth with 25 points. They sit behind favorite MSU, 47 points, five first place votes; Augustana, 44 points, three first place votes and Winona State with 37 points.

Central Region Challenge Match ups - 

Friday November 8, 2019 (home team listed first)

12:00 pm - Washburn-Minnesota State
2:15 pm - Missouri Southern-Winona State
4:30 pm - Pittsburg State-Upper Iowa 
6:45 pm - Lincoln-Sioux Falls

Saturday November 9, 2019

12:00 pm - Minnesota State-Missouri Southern 
2:15 pm - Winona State-Washburn
4:30 pm - Sioux Falls-Pittsburg State
6:45 pm - Upper Iowa-Lincoln

Previewing USF's opponents - 

Notes on Lincoln U
The Blue Tigers, directed by sixth-year head coach John Moseley (also serves as school's Director of Athletics), enjoyed their most successful season in nearly 20 years in 2018-19, as Lincoln won 18 total games for its most victories in a year since 2000-01, and went 10-9 in conference play for its first winning season in the MIAA since 1986-87. Lincoln, which ended the year in the semifinals of the MIAA Men's Basketball Championship, has posted four-straight winning seasons for the first time since putting together eight-consecutive winning years from 1971-72 to 1978-79. Lincoln returns four players from that 2018-19 squad, led by Jonell Burton, the first Blue Tiger ever named to the MIAA's All-Defensive Team after tallying 24 steals and a team-high 33 blocks. Burton averaged 13.8 points and 5.5 rebounds and was additionally selected as an All-MIAA honorable mention. L'Kielynn Taylor, another one of Lincoln's key defensive players from a year ago, returns after averaging 5.0 boards while tallying 21 steals and six blocks. DJ Ward, who appeared in 14 games in 2018-19, and Zack Fields, who averaged 2.0 points in an injury-shortened season, are also back for their senior campaigns.

Notes on Pittsburg State

Pittsburgh State enters its third season under head coach Kim Anderson. The Gorillas posted a 17-13 overall record during the 2018-19 season. The Gorillas return one starter and six letterwinners from last year's squad. Senior forward Christian Edmondson leads Pitt State's returning contingent. Edmondson averaged 6.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last season. USF and Pittsburg State will play each other for the first time. Edmondson (6-6, 215) saw action in 25 games, including eight starts, in the Pitt State frontcourt. The Flower Mound, Texas, native shot 64.9 percent from the field, making 74 of 114 shots from the field. He also grabbed a team-leading 54 offensive rebounds and recorded 32 blocked shots (1.3 bpg) on the season. Sophomore guard Ray Elliott saw action in all 30 games in a reserve role for the Gorillas in 2018-19. The Tulsa, Okla., native contributed 4.8 points per game. Elliott (6-4, 165) made 27 3-point field goals on the year (27-83, .325). Senior guard Marcel Cherry averaged 4.2 points and 1.7 assists per game in his first season in the Pitt State program in 2018-19. The Merrillville, Ind., native made three starts in the Pitt State backcourt. Cherry (6-1, 185) averaged 7.7 points and 3.2 assists per game as a sophomore at Wabash Valley College in 2017-18. He posted 9.1 points per game as a freshman at Howard College, earning honorable mention All-Conference honors. Sophomore guard R.J. Lawrence (5-11, 145) played in 17 contests during his freshman campaign, averaging 3.5 points per game. The Blue Springs, Mo., native shot 46.7 percent from the field (21-45) in limited action (7.6 minutes per game).

An inside look at USF

The Cougars, which averaged 79.3 ppg and permitted 71.3 ppg, lost the services of two of the program's all-time greats in All-NSIC performers Drew Guebert and Trevon Evans. However, they will seek a third straight winning season as they return starters in sophomore guard/forward Chase Grinde (7.2 ppg, 4.9 rebounds, .512 field goal pct.), and Player to Watch junior forward Teathloach Pal (4.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.1 blocks and .533 field goal percentage). Pal had 17 games with a blocked shot a year ago and recorded a pair of double doubles.

Also back for USF will be 6-7 senior forward Devin Green (3.6 ppg, 2.3 rebounds) and 6-9 junior forward Austin Slater (2.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, .500 field goal pct.) as well as senior guard Milan Surlic (6.0 ppg, 2.7 rebounds). USF also returns sophomore forward Troy Houghton (2.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg), 6-2 junior guard William Lybaek (1.8 ppg), and 6-2 junior guard Logan Dreier. 

USF will also have several talented newcomers which include 6-2 junior point guard Trevon Adams of Kansas City, Mo.; , 6-2 sophomore guard Jaxon Simons of Wahoo, Neb. (Nebraska-Kearney transfer), 6-1 freshman guard Jack Thompson of Eagan, Minn.; 6-0 freshman guard Quincy Ihnen of Lennox, S.D.; 6-3 freshman guard Austin Olson of Murdo, S.D.; 6-4 freshman forward Jake Kettner of New Ulm, Minn.; and 6-6 freshman forward Wesley Oba of Manchester, England, among others. 

USF, which will open its home season against Dakota State at 7 pm on Saturday, Nov. 16, was one of the nation's top rebounding units and Pal, Slater, Green and Grinde played a key role. USF led the NSIC in rebounds (41.6) and ranked first nationally in rebounding margin per game at 10 (41.6-31.0), was 15th in DII in defensive rebounds per game, ninth in total rebounds per game, 27th in total rebounds (1,249) and 30th in offensive rebounds.