This Week in Men’s Basketball...

Upper Iowa opens the 2011 calendar year this weekend with a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference contests inside Dorman Gym.  On Saturday, January 1, the Peacocks celebrate the start of a new year by welcoming the Wolves of Northern State to Fayette before the Marauders of U-Mary visit Doc’s Palace on Sunday, January 2.  Both matchups are scheduled for 8 p.m. starts.

Scouting the Wolves

The Wolves of Northern State enter Saturday’s matchup with a 5-5 record overall and a 1-5 mark in NSIC play after dropping their last five games to end the 2010 calendar year.  The Wolves currently find themselves in last place in the league standings.

The Wolves boast a potent offense which is second in the NSIC as they score 82.6 points per outing which trails #16-ranked Minnesota State by just over a point per game.

NSU leads the league in rebounding (39.4 boards per game) and rank fourth in the league in steals (7.70 per game) and assists (14.30 per game).

Sophomore forward Collin Pryor leads the squad with 16.6 points per game and is converting 56.9% of his shot attempts this season.

Scouting the Marauders

U-Mary enters Saturday’s contest at Winona State with a 7-3 record which includes a 3-3 clip in league matchups and won their last two contests of the 2010 year.  The Marauders defeated Minnesota Duluth, 68-54, on Dec. 17 and Bemidji State, 78-56 a night later.

U-Mary is led by senior guard Anthony Moody’s 18.9 points per game and enter the weekend as the league leader in scoring defense (63.1 points per game).

The Marauders also lead the conference in three-point shooting (42.9%) while allowing their opponents to shoot just 41.8% from the field (second-best in the NSIC) and  just 30.4% from beyond the three-point arc (also second-best).

Series History

Since transitioning to NCAA Division II, the Peacocks are 0-10 when playing Northern State and 3-5 against the Marauders of U-Mary.

The Last Meeting

The Peacocks and Wolves last met on February 6, 2010 in Fayette.  NSU won the matchup 72-64. 

The day before, on February 5, the Peacocks defeated U-Mary, 71-65.

Sharing the Rock

The Peacocks lead the NSIC in assists per game by handing out nearly 16 per contest (15.89).  Sophomore guard Jake Hughes ranks eighth in the league individually by recording 3.6 per game.

Live Stats and Web Cast

Live stats and a free webcast will be available for this weekend’s games.  Visit upperiowaathletics.com for further details.

Looking Ahead

Upper Iowa hits the road next weekend as they make one of their shorter trips of the 2010-11 season. 

On Friday, UIU visits Halenbeck Hall in St. Cloud, Minn. to battle the Huskies of St. Cloud State.  Then on Saturday, UIU visits St. Paul, Minn. to take on the Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears.  Tipoff for Friday’s matchup is set for 8 p.m. while Saturday’s game is set for 6 p.m.