Northwest Missouri State Men's Basketball Game Notes (PDF)

Thursday, Jan. 7 | 6 p.m. | Bearcat Arena | Maryville, Missouri
No. 5 Washburn at No. 1 Northwest Missouri State
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Saturday, Jan. 9 | 2 p.m. | Bearcat Arena | Maryville, Missouri
Emporia State at No. 1 Northwest Missouri State
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NORTHWEST TO ENTERTAIN WASHBURN, EMPORIA STATE IN BEARCAT ARENA
The No. 1-ranked Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team (5-0 overall) will play a pair of home games this week in Bearcat Arena.
    Thursday's matchup will feature a pair of top-five ranked foes with the Washburn Ichabods making the trip to Maryville. The Bearcats and Ichabods will tip at 6 p.m.
    Northwest will play host to Emporia State Saturday at 2 p.m. to close out this week's action.

BEARCAT ARENA EXPANDS BASKETBALL ATTENDANCE
The Northwest Missouri State University Department of Athletics is moving forward with its plan to allow a limited number of fans into Bearcat Arena for women's and men's basketball doubleheaders.
    Student-athlete family members and season-ticket holders from 2019-2020 who expressed interest will have access to purchase seats this week. There will be no general admission tickets available for purchase.

ABOUT THE ICHABODS
Washburn is off to a 7-0 start to the season with three wins at home and a 4-0 mark in road play.
    All-MIAA pick Tyler Geiman leads the Ichabods in scoring at 17.3 points per game. Geiman scored 29 in Washburn's overtime win at Northeastern State Saturday.
    Washburn is averaging 82.9 points per game, which ranks second in the MIAA - trailing only Missouri Western's 88.0 ppg.
    The Ichabods are under the direction of fourth-year head coach Brett Ballard

ALL-TIME VS. WASHBURN
Washburn is one of two MIAA schools who owns a lead in the all-time series vs. Northwest. The Ichabods hold a 63-49 lead over the Bearcats in 112 meetings.
    Northwest has held the upper-hand of late by winning the last 11 matchups between the two programs. Nine of those 11 Northwest victories have come by single digits.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State has posted a 5-2 mark to begin MIAA play. The Hornets have suffered MIAA losses at home to Lincoln and on the road against Rogers State.
    Head coach Craig Doty is in his third season at the helm of the ESU program.

ALL-TIME VS. EMPORIA STATE
Northwest holds a 45-23 lead in the all-time series vs. Emporia State. Northwest has won six straight and 12 of 13 against ESU.
    The Bearcats have won six consecutive contests against the Hornets in Maryville.

CATCH THE ACTION
This week's game will be streamed on The MIAA Network and broadcast live on the Bearcat Radio Network.

BATTLE OF MIAA UNBEATENS
Thursday's matchup between Northwest and Washburn will feature a pair of top-five, unbeaten squads. Northwest is ranked No. 1 with a 5-0 mark, while Washburn is ranked No. 5 with a 7-0 record.

35-GAME HOME WIN STREAK
The Bearcats's 35-game home win streak ranks as the third-longest streak in the nation among all NCAA divisions.
    Northwest has won 84 of its last 86 games in Bearcat Arena dating all the way back to the 2014-15 season.
    Northwest set the MIAA record for consecutive home victories in 2018 at 48.
    Northwest's 35-game home win streak ranks No. 2 among NCAA Division II teams trailing only West Texas A&M's mark of 43.
    
Active Home Court Win Streaks (All Divisions)
Gonzaga (I) – 44
West Texas A&M (II) – 43
Northwest Missouri State (II) – 35
St. Edward's (II) – 31
Oregon (I) – 28
Randolph-Macon (III)  – 27
Prairie View A&M (I) – 27
Liberty (I) – 29
South Dakota State (I) – 24
Lincoln Memorial (II) – 21
Last loss - 3/10/18 vs. Minnesota State (L, 60-50)

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE IN BEARCAT ARENA
Since the start of the 2011-12 season, Northwest has compiled a home mark of 127-9, which includes a tally of 82-7 in MIAA play.
    Northwest has won 56 of its last 57 home MIAA contests - a stretch that began Jan. 14, 2015.

Year        Bearcat Arena Record (MIAA Games)
2011-12    12-1 (9-1)
2012-13    12-3 (6-3)
2013-14    12-1 (9-1)
2014-15    13-2 (8-1)
2015-16    13-0 (11-0)
2016-17    18-0 (10-0)
2017-18    12-2 (8-1)
2018-19    17-0 (9-0)
2019-20    16-0 (10-0)
2020-21    2-0 (2-0)

28-GAME WIN STREAK FOR NORTHWEST
Northwest is in the midst of a 28-game win streak, which is the second-longest active win streak among NCAA Division II teams.
    Lincoln Memorial owns the nation's longest win streak at 38.
    Northwest's 28-game win streak ranks as the third-longest active streak in all divisions of college basketball.
    The Bearcats also own a 25-game win streak in the MIAA.

Active Div. II Overall Win Streaks
Lincoln Memorial – 38
Northwest Mo. St. – 28
West Texas A&M – 24
Florida Southern – 17
Northern State – 11
Saint Anselm – 11
Indiana (Pa.) – 10
West Liberty – 10
Colorado Mesa – 9

Active Overall Win Streaks
Lincoln Memorial (II) – 38
Yeshiva (III) – 29
Northwest Mo. St. (II) – 28
West Texas A&M (II)  – 24
UC San Diego (I) – 24

WINNING NUMBERS
Northwest has posted a spectacular mark of 74-1 over the past three seasons.
    Northwest went 38-0 in capturing the 2018-19 national title. The Bearcats posted a mark of 31-1 last season.

LIMITED LOSSES IN FIVE YEARS
Northwest has suffered only six losses in the last five seasons. The Bearcats have compiled a record of 136-6 over the last five years.

35-1 - 2016-17
27-4 - 2017-18
38-0 - 2018-19
31-1 - 2019-20
5-0 - 2020-21

LAST 112 MIAA GAMES
Beginning Jan. 14, 2015, Northwest is 104-8 in its last 112 MIAA games. Seven of those eight losses have come on the road.
    In that stretch, Northwest is 55-1 in Bearcat Arena in MIAA matchups with the only setback coming Feb. 17, 2018, against Missouri Southern.

PRETTY GOOD AGAINST MIAA FOES
Since Feb. 22, 2018, Northwest has won 54 of its last 55 games against MIAA opponents (regular season/postseason).

HAWKINS SECOND IN MIAA IN SCORING
Senior forward Ryan Hawkins ranks second the MIAA in scoring at 22.0 points per game. Missouri Southern's Cam Martin is the league leader at 24.7 ppg.
    Hawkins also ranks No. 5 in the league in rebounding (8.8 rpg).

HAWKINS ONE OF EIGHT PLAYERS IN COUNTRY WITH 1,500 POINTS & 600 REBOUNDS
Senior Ryan Hawkins is one of eight active players in the country (all NCAA Divisions) with at least 1,500 points and 600 rebounds. Hawkins and Missouri Southern's Cam Martin are the only two non-Division I members on the list.

1,500 Points & 600 Rebounds
Terry Taylor (Austin Peay) - 2,118 pts./1,055 rbs.
Luka Garza (Iowa) - 1,861 pts./760 rbs.
Cam Martin (Missouri Southern) - 1,754 pts./727 rbs.
Ryan Daly (St. Joseph's) - 1,705 pts./647 rbs.
Grant Golden (Richmond) - 1,614 pts./724 rbs.
Loudon Love (Wright State) - 1,532 pts./985 rbs.
Ryan Hawkins (Northwest Mo. St.) - 1,530 pts./728 rbs.
Cameron Krutwig (Loyola) - 1,518 pts./789 rbs.)

TREVOR IS DIALED IN FROM EVERYWHERE
Junior point guard Trevor Hudgins is accurate from anywhere on the floor this season. Hudgins is shooting 58.0% from the floor, including 54.2% from three-point range. He is making 84.8% of his free throws.
    Hudgins leads the MIAA in three-point field goal percentage at 54.2%. Hudgins has drained 13-of-24 three-pointers this season.     
    Hudgins ranks No. 2 in the MIAA in overall field goal percentage at 58.0% (29-of-50 FGs).
    He is 28-of-33 (84.8%) at the free throw line through the first five games.

HUDGINS OWNS NATION'S BEST ASSIST-TO-TURNOVER RATIO
Junior Trevor Hudgins is the nation's leader (all NCAA divisions) in assist-to-turnover ratio. Hudgins possesses a 3.38 assist-to-turnover ratio in his collegiate career.
    Hudgins has 422 career assists to go against 125 career turnovers.

20 & 30-POINT GAMES
Senior Ryan Hawkins and junior Trevor Hudgins each eclipsed the 20-point scoring mark in Northwest's win at Pittsburg State.
    Hawkins poured in 24 points, 18 of which came in the first half. Hudgins tallied 21 points for his 40th career 20-point scoring game.

Career 20-Point Scoring Games
Trevor Hudgins - 40
Ryan Hawkins - 29
Diego Bernard - 8
Wes Dreamer - 2

Career 30-Point Scoring Games
Ryan Hawkins - 7
Trevor Hudgins - 5

GOING FOR DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Senior Ryan Hawkins secured his 21st career double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds in a 74-55 victory at Northeastern State.

Career Double-Doubles
Ryan Hawkins - 21
Trevor Hudgins - 8
Diego Bernard - 5
Wes Dreamer - 1

MCCOLLUM GETS DEFENSIVE
Bearcat head coach Ben McCollum can get defensive. When the Bearcats hold an opponent to 59 points or less, McCollum has guided Northwest to a mark of 124-5 in his 12 year career.

MCCOLLUM MOVES 200 GAMES OVER .500
Northwest Missouri State head coach Ben McCollum moved his career coaching record to 277-76 - more than 200 games over .500 - with triumphs over Northeastern State and Pittsburg State.

MCCOLLUM RANKS NO. 3 IN WIN PERCENTAGE
Bearcat head coach Ben McCollum ranks No. 3 among active NCAA Division II coaches in winning percentage with a minimum of 10 years as a head coach.
    McCollum also ranks No. 4 among all NCAA basketball head coaches (minimum of 10 years) in win percentage.
    McCollum has guided the Bearcats to a mark of 277-76 (.785 winning percentage) in his 12th season at the helm of the Northwest program.

NCAA Div. II Head Coach Win Percentage (Min. 10 yrs.)
1. Jim Crutchfield (Nova Southeastern)    .841 (428-81, 16 yrs.)
2. Josh Schertz (Lincoln Memorial)    .833 (324-65, 12 yrs.)
3. Ben McCollum (Northwest Mo. St.)    .785 (277-76, 12 yrs.)
4. Jeff Young (Walsh)    .768 (381-115, 17 yrs.)
5. Joe Lombardi (Indiana, Pa.)    .766 (333-102, 14 yrs.)
6. Charlie Ernst (Findlay)    .763 (210-65, 10 yrs.)
7. Ken Ammann (Concordia, Calif.)    .751 (485-161, 19 yrs.)
8. Mike Jones (Mississippi College)    .735 (338-122, 17 yrs.)
9. Lonnie Blow (Virginia State)    .729 (212-79, 10 yrs.)
10. Steve Hesser (Drury)    .718 (344-134, 16 yrs.)
Source: NCAA Statistics

NCAA All Divisions Head Coach Win Percentage (Min. 10 yrs.)
1. Jim Crutchfield (Nova Southeastern)    .841 (428-81, 16 yrs.)
2. Josh Schertz (Lincoln Memorial)    .833 (324-65, 12 yrs.)
3. Mark Few (Gonzaga)    .831 (609-124, 21 yrs.)
4. Ben McCollum (Northwest Mo. St.)    .785 (277-76, 12 yrs.)
5. Roy Williams (North Carolina)    .776 (891-257, 32 yrs.)
6. John Calipari (Kentucky)    .769 (735-221, 28 yrs.)
7. Bill Self (Kansas)    .768 (716-216, 27 yrs.)
8. Jeff Young (Walsh)    .768 (381-115, 18 yrs.)
9. Mike Krzyzewski (Duke)    .767 (1,160-352, 45 yrs.)
T10. Scott Davenport (Bellarmine)    .766 (365-110, 16 yrs.)
T10. Joe Lombardi (Indiana, Pa.)    .766 (333-102, 14 yrs.)
Source: NCAA Statistics

HAWKINS MOVES UP REBOUNDING CHART
Senior Ryan Hawkins is one of five Bearcats to have ever tallied at least 700 career rebounds. Hawkins ranks No. 5 on Northwest's all-time rebounding list with 728 career caroms.

Northwest's Rebounds in a Career
1.     Don Sears (1966-1970)    874
2.     Russ Miller (1976-1980)    837
3.     Hunter Henry (2006-2009)    808
4.     Joe Hurst (1983-1986)    777
5.     Ryan Hawkins (2017-pres.)    728
6.     David Alvey (1973-1977)    677
7.     Chris-Ebou Ndow (2015-2018)    654
8.     Victor Coleman (1981-1984)    586
9.     Rick Jolley (1993-1996)    574
        Mark Adams (1976-1980)    574
        Bob Sundell (1986-1989)    574

HAWK CLIMBS BEARCAT STEALS LIST
Ryan Hawkins ranks No. 5 on Northwest's all-time steals list with 180 career steals.

Northwest Steals in a Career
1.     Scott Fleming (2000-2003)        305
2.    Kelvin Parker (2001-2004)        209
3.     Mark Yager (1979-1982)            188
4.    Justin Pitts (2014-2018)            186
5.    Ryan Hawkins (2017-pres.)        180
6.    Victor Coleman (1981-1984)        174
7.    Matt Wallace (2011-2015)        158
8.    Gerald Harris (1986-1988)        153
9.    Hunter Henry (2006-2009)        146
10.    DeShaun Cooper (2009-2014)        132

1,000 POINTS/500 REBOUNDS
Last season, Ryan Hawkins became the 13th Bearcat to post 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.
    Hawkins ranks No. 9 on Northwest's all-time scoring list with 1,530 points.
    Hawkins ranks No. 5 on Northwest's all-time rebounding list with 728 career rebounds.

Northwest's 1,000 Pts & 500 Rbs
Victor Coleman (1980-84)    1,759 pts/586 rbs
David Alvey (1973-77)    1,747 pts/677 rbs
Hunter Henry (2006-09)    1,592 pts/808 rbs
Joe Hurst (1982-86)    1,580 pts/777 rbs
Ryan Hawkins (2017-pr.)    1,530 pts/728 rbs
Russ Miller (1976-80)    1,282 pts/837 rbs
Jeff Hutcheon (1985-89)    1,203 pts/519 rbs
Matt Redd (1996-99)    1,200 pts/571 rbs
Don Sears (1966-70)    1,154 pts/874 rbs
Dillon Starzl (2011-14)    1,153 pts/518 rbs
Chris Ebou Ndow (2015-18)    1,134 pts/654 rbs
Bob Sundell (1986-89)    1,082 pts/574 rbs
Rick Jolley (1993-96)    1,054 pts/574 rbs

Northwest Points in a Career
1.     Justin Pitts (2014-18)            2,459 pts
2.    Victor Coleman (1980-84)        1,795 pts
3.    David Alvey (1973-77)            1,747 pts
4.    Scott Fleming (1999-2003)        1,727 pts
5.     DeShaun Cooper (2009-14)        1,702 pts
6.    Kelvin Parker (2000-04)            1,692 pts
7.    Hunter Henry (2006-09)            1,592 pts
8.    Joe Hurst (1982-86)            1,580 pts.
9. Ryan Hawkins (2017-pres.)        1,530 pts
10.    Trevor Hudgins (2018-pres.)        1,437 pts
10.    Conner Crooker (2012-16)        1,352 pts
12.    Austin Meyer (2003-06)            1,294 pts
13.    Ellijah Allen (2008-11)            1,289 pts
14.    Zach Schneider (2013-17)        1,282 pts
    Russ Miller (1976-80)            1,282 pts

D.B. ZEROING IN ON 1,000 POINTS, 500 RBS
Junior Diego Bernard will look to become only the 25th Bearcat men's basketball player to reach 1,000 career points in the 2020-21 season.
    Bernard has tallied 938 points and 425 rebounds entering this week's contests. He would become the 14th Bearcat to reach 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.

TREV CLIMBS CAREER ASSIST CHART
Trevor Hudgins ranks No. 7 on Northwest's all-time assist chart with 422 career dimes.
    Hudgins dished out 191 assists last season, which as the second-best season in Bearcat history. Hudgins set the Northwest single-season assist mark with 203 in 2018-19.

Northwest Assists in a Career
1.     Justin Pitts (2014-18)        575
2.     Kelvin Parker (2001-04)        492
3.    DeShaun Cooper (2009-14)    489
4.    Victor Coleman (1981-84)    467
5.    Mark Yager (1979-82)        449
6.    Scott Fleming (2000-03)        435
7.    Trevor Hudgins (2018-pr.)    422
8.    Matt Wallace (2011-15)        410
9.    Gerald Harris (1986-88)        274
10.    Steve Simon (1992-95)        245

Northwest Assists in a Season
1.     Trevor Hudgins (2018-19)    203
2.    Trevor Hudgins (2019-20)    191
3.    Justin Pitts (2016-17)        183
4.    Kelvin Parker (2003-04)        174
5.    Justin Pitts (2015-16)        160
6.    Matt Wallace (2012-13)        151
7.    James Williams (1983-84)    144
8.    Mark Yager (1979-80)        143
9.    Justin Pitts (2017-18)        140
10.    Victor Coleman (1981-82)    136
    DeShaun Cooper (2010-11)    136

HUDGINS HITTING FROM DEEP
Junior Trevor Hudgins ranks No. 3 among all active players in three-point field goal percentage in all NCAA divisions by draining 190-of-378 three-pointers (50.0%).

NCAA D-II Active Career Leaders - 3-Point FG Pct.
1. Mason Stark (Northern State)        .545
2. Trevor Hudgins (Northwest Missouri St.)    .503
3. Will Yoakum (West Liberty)            .488
4. Tobin Karlberg (Alaska Anchorage)    .471
5. Jesus Castillo (Illinois-Springfield)        .465
Minimum 80 3-pt FGs made

NCAA All Active Career Leaders - 3-Point FG Pct.
1. Mason Stark (Northern State)        .545
2. Trevor Hudgins (Northwest Missouri St.)    .503
3. Will Yoakum (West Liberty)            .488
4. Braden Norris (Loyola Chicago)        .477
5. Alex Jacovides (Suffolk)            .474
Minimum 80 3-pt FGs made

HAWKINS, HUDGINS CLIMB 3-POINT CHART
Senior Ryan Hawkins ranks No. 6 on Northwest's all-time three-pointers made chart with 212.
    Junior Trevor Hudgins ranks No. 7 with 190 made three-pointers.

Northwest 3-Pointers Made in a Career
1.     Zach Schneider (2013-17)        370
2.    Justin Pitts (2014-18)        271
3.    Ryan Welty (2016-20)        238
4.    Austin Meyer (2003-06)        215
5.    Ryan Hawkins (2017-pres.)    212
6.    Conner Crooker (2013-16)        205
7.    Trevor Hudgins (2018-pres.)    190
8.    Scott Fleming (2000-03)        173
9.    Joey Witthus (2017-19)        172
10.    DeShaun Cooper (2009-14)    170

ROAD DOMINANCE
Northwest has gone 41-4 over the last four-plus seasons on the road in the MIAA.
    The Bearcats have won at least eight road games in each of the previous four seasons.
    Northwest has won its last 10 away games for the MIAA's best active unbeaten streak in road contests.

Active Div. II Road Win Streaks
Lincoln Memorial – 14
Valdosta State – 11
Northwest Mo. St. – 10
West Texas A&M – 10
Florida Southern – 9
Jefferson – 9
Azusa Pacific – 9
Point Loma – 8
Colorado School of Mines – 8

MCCOLLUM RINGS IN THE NEW YEAR IN STYLE
Northwest head coach Ben McCollum has registered a 8-0 mark in games played on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day in his tenure.

'CATS, MCCOLLUM ROLLING IN BIG VICTORIES
Under head coach Ben McCollum the Bearcats are 107-2 in games decided by 20 points or more.
    Northwest has won 105 consecutive games when the final scoring margin is 20 or more points. The last time the Bearcats lost a game by 20 points or more came Jan. 20, 2010, when Missouri Southern posted an 88-63 win in Joplin, Missouri.

HAWKINS TABBED MIAA ATHLETE OF WEEK
Northwest Missouri State University senior forward Ryan Hawkins has been named the MIAA men's basketball athlete of the week.
    Hawkins (Atlantic, Iowa/Atlantic HS) averaged 29.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and shot 56.4% from the floor in leading No. 1-ranked Northwest to a pair of home victories over Central Missouri and Lincoln.
    Hawkins buried a team-best 10 three-pointers in the two contests, while shooting 50% from beyond the three-point arc. He scored a game-high 25 points against Central Missouri. Hawkins went 9-of-18 from the field against the Mules, including 4-of-10 from 3-point range. He also secured six rebounds and handed out two assists.
    Hawkins came back Saturday with his seventh career 30-point game by pouring in a game-high 34 points against the Blue Tigers. Hawkins was 13-of-21 from the field and he sank 6-of-10 from 3-point range. Hawkins tallied a game-high nine rebounds, while accruing two steals and two assists.
    It is the fourth time that Hawkins has earned the MIAA's athlete of the week award.

HUDGINS HONORED AS MIAA'S ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Junior guard Trevor Hudgins was selected as the week's MIAA men's basketball athlete of the week.
    Hudgins (Manhattan, Kansas) scored a game-high 27 points in leading Northwest to a season-opening 86-78 road victory over Rogers State. Hudgins also grabbed five rebounds, handed out four assists, tallied three steals and did not turn the ball over in 38:23 minutes of action. Hudgins was 6-of-10 from the field and 13-of-15 at the free throw line. Hudgins sank 2-of-4 from three-point land in helping Northwest to its 24th consecutive victory.
    It is the fifth time Hudgins's career that has earned the MIAA's top weekly honor.

HALFTIME DEFICITS = WINS
Northwest trailed 39-38 to Rogers State at the half but recovered to score an 86-78 victory.
    The Bearcats have won nine straight games when trailing at the intermission. Northwest went 6-0 when trailing at the break in the 2019-20 season. The Bearcats also secured two victories in 2018-19 when behind the half.
It marked the ninth straight time that Northwest trailed at the half and went on to record a victory.
    The last time Northwest did not recover from a halftime deficit came March 10, 2018. Minnesota State held a 22-21 lead and went to defeat the Bearcats 60-50 in the opening round of the 2018 NCAA Division II Tournament.

FOUR DEBUTS AT ROGERS STATE
A quartet of Bearcats saw their first collegiate action in Northwest's 86-78 road win at Rogers State.
    Redshirt freshman Mitch Mascari played 6 1/2 minutes and missed a field goal attempt.
    Freshman Byron Alexander played nearly 20 minutes and scored two points and grabbed a pair of rebounds.
    Freshman Daniel Abreu clocked 18-plus minutes and scored six points, including a three-pointer.
    Freshman Isaiah Jackson played the final minute and a half but did not record a statistic.

100-POINT MARK
Northwest has scored 100 or more points 14 times under head coach Ben McCollum.
    Northwest reached 100 or more points four times last season.

100-Point Games under McCollum
105-55 vs. Manhattan Christian (11/16/09)
104-67 vs. Graceland (11/28/09)
105-59 vs. Waldorf (12/16/13)
104-69 at Southwest Baptist (1/16/14)
103-58 vs. Missouri Valley (12/13/16)
100-86 vs. Ferris State (11/3/18)
100-66 vs. Midland (12/1/18)
108-58 vs. Simpson (12/30/18)
105-70 at Northeastern State (1/3/19)
111-83 vs. Pittsburg State (1/31/19)
100-88 vs. Southern Nazarene (11/2/19)
102-59 vs. William Jewell (11/21/19)
110-66 vs. Central Methodist (12/16/19)
101-66 vs. Simpson (1/1/20)

NO. 1 IN THE NATION
Northwest remains at No. 1 in the NABC's Division II Top 25 poll. Northwest has been ranked No. 1 in the nation in five consecutive seasons.
    Northwest has spent 38 weeks ranked No. 1 in the nation in the NABC poll. Northwest was first ranked No. 1 on Jan. 13, 2004.

Most weeks ranked No. 1
52, Kentucky Wesleyan
46, West Liberty
38, Northwest Missouri State
33, Virginia Union
26, Evansville
25, Cal State-Bakersfield
22, Bellarmine
22, Florida Southern
20, MSU Denver
18, Kentucky State

36 STRAIGHT WEEKS IN TOP 5
The Jan. 4, 2021, NABC preseason Division II Top 25 poll marks the 36th straight week that Northwest has been ranked in the top five.

39 WINS IN A ROW ON NEUTRAL COURTS
Northwest has won 39 straight games on neutral floors. It is the longest active win streak among all NCAA Div. I, II and III schools.
    Gonzaga holds the current Div. I mark with seven consecutive neutral floor victories.
    Washington University in St. Louis owns the active Div. III mark with 16 straight neutral floor wins.
    Northwest's last loss on a neutral floor came Nov. 13, 2015, vs. Upper Iowa (L, 76-72).

Current Neutral Court Win Streaks (All NCAA Divisions)
Northwest Missouri State (II) – 39
WashU (III) – 16
Claremont-M-S (III) – 10
Wittenberg (III) – 10
Gonzaga (I) – 7
Adelphi (II) – 7
Scranton (III) – 7
Trinity (III) – 7
Wisconsin-Oshkosh (III) – 7
Last loss - 11/13/15 vs. Upper Iowa (L, 76-72)

20TH NCAA APPEARANCE
Northwest earned its 20th NCAA Tournament bid in 2019-20 before the season was canceled as a result of COVID-19. It was the Bearcats's eighth trip to the NCAA Tournament under 12th-year head coach Ben McCollum.
    Northwest is 29-20 all-time in the NCAA Tournament with four appearances in the Elite Eight (2002, 2004, 2017, 2019).
    The Bearcats have claimed two national championships with titles in 2017 and 2019.

MIAA REIGN CONTINUES
In 2019-20, Northwest became the first school in MIAA history to win seven consecutive MIAA regular season titles. The Bearcats also became the first MIAA program to win five consecutive league tournament titles.

NINE STRAIGHT 20-WIN YEARS
Northwest eclipsed the 20-win mark for the ninth straight year.
    Northwest is one of five NCAA Division II schools to have won 20 or more games in nine straight seasons. Northwest (9), West Liberty (16), Bellarmine (11), Indiana Pa. (12) and Lincoln Memorial (11) extended their steak of 20-win seasons in 2019-2020.
    It marks the 26th 20-win season in program history and ninth under head coach Ben McCollum.

Northwest Coaching 20-Win Seasons
Steve Tappmeyer - 10
Ben McCollum - 9
Hank Iba - 3
Lionel Sinn - 3
Sparky Stalcup - 1

MIAA PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
Northwest was picked at the top of the 2020-21 preseason MIAA coaches' poll.

2020-21 MIAA Coaches Poll
1.     Northwest Missouri (13) - 169
2.     Missouri Southern (1) - 147
3.     Washburn - 140
4.    Rogers State - 123
5.    Missouri Western - 122
6.    Central Oklahoma - 106
T7.    Fort Hays State - 75
    Pittsburg State - 75
9.    Lincoln - 67
10.    Nebraska-Kearney - 64
11.    Central Missouri - 60
12.    Emporia State - 56
13.    Northeastern State - 55
14.     Newman - 17

A TOP 20 PROGRAM THAT INSPIRES
The Northwest Missouri State University Bearcat men's basketball program has been recognized by College Athletic Advisor in its Top 20 Programs That Inspire.
    These holistic program rankings are open to all 4-year U.S. collegiate level programs sponsoring each sport outside of NCAA Division I (so this is a top 20 out of over 1,500 colleges & universities that could potentially sponsor a given sport). Rankings are based on a subjective assessment of student experience in four areas:
• Holistic development of student-athletes in the institution
• Academic achievement & support for the academic success of student-athletes
• Overall college experience for participants within the program
• Affordability/Graduation Rates/Student Satisfaction
    These rankings are meant to highlight programs that may not be widely publicized despite having achieved consistent elite status in competition and in elevating the lives of participating student-athletes. While this is a subjective list, we believe these rankings present an informed starting point for a discussion about where student-athletes can excel as "triple-threat" competitors (academics, athletics, and socially) in college and in their future lives.

BASKETBALL TIMES TABS NORTHWEST AT #1
The Basketball Times has pegged the Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team at No. 1 in its 2020-2021 preseason rankings.
    The Basketball Times also lists senior Ryan Hawkins and junior Trevor Hudgins as preseason All-America selections. Both players are contenders for National Player of the Year honors.

SCHNEIDER IS AN IMPACTFUL ASSISTANT
Silver Waves Media presented its 50 most impactful Division II men's basketball assistant coaches and the list contained Northwest Missouri State University's Zach Schneider.
    Silver Waves Media said: Schneider is a young and hard working individual that has made a positive impact on the program from the start. Despite only being an assistant for two seasons, Schneider has already helped lead the team to a perfect 38-0 record and become the NCAA Division II Tournament Champions. He is an unbelievable 69-1 (.986) in two seasons as an assistant coach after spending one season as a graduate assistant coach. Schneider also played four years under Ben McCollum. During his four year career, Schneider was part of four MIAA regular season championships, two MIAA Tournament championships, four NCAA Sweet 16 appearances, and the 2017 NCAA Div. II national championship team.

NOVEMBER BRINGS WINS
Northwest has won its last 30 games it has played in the month of November.
    The Bearcats went 7-0 in November in 2019-20. The Bearcats went 7-0 in November in 2018-19. Northwest was 7-0 in the month of November in 2017-18. The Bearcats were a perfect 7-0 in November in its run to the national championship in the 2016-17 season.
    Northwest's last loss in November came Nov. 19, 2015 at Augustana. The Vikings scored a 79-77 win over the Bearcats in Sioux Falls, S.D.