THIS WEEK IN PEACOCK MEN'S HOOPS… Upper Iowa is on the road for one more week with three games away from the friendly confines of Dorman Memorial Gymnasium. The Peacocks will open their 2022-23 Northern Sun Conference run at Winona State University on Tuesday, Nov. 22 at 5:30 p.m. Following their tilt with the Warriors, UIU will spend Thanksgiving Weekend in Daytona Beach, Florida at the Bahama House Shootout. The Peacocks will step on the floor against Wingate University and Elizabeth City State University on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 25-26. Both games are scheduled to tip at 7:30 p.m. ET.
 
LIVE OPTIONS... Fans can follow all the action with live options for all three games. The NSIC opener at Winona State will feature live stats and a webcast that can be viewed both online or through your favorite streaming device using the NSIC Network app. The games at the Bahama House Shootout will also have live stats and a webcast for fans to follow along. Links for all the live options can be found above or at UIUPeacocks.com/Live.
 
DUBUQUE DYNAMO… Lucas Duax is off to a tremendous start this season averaging 21.5 points (3^rd NSIC), 3.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals (11^th NSIC) per game. The Dubuque, Iowa product is knocking down 59.3% (5^th NSIC) of his attempts from the field and 82.6% (11^th NSIC) of his shots at the free throw line. Last week, Duax dropped 50 points in a pair of games including a career-high 29 at Maryville, the 29 points mark the third-highest total in the conference this season.
 
JAKE'S JUKES… Jake Hilmer, who was named the NSIC South Division Preseason Player of the Year, is averaging 18.8 points (10^th NSIC), 4.3 assists (10^th NSIC) and 3.5 rebounds per game for the Peacocks. The UIU guard is shooting 41.4% (17^th NSIC) from the floor and 28.6% from three in the early going, but has converted 23 of his 28 shots (12^th NSIC) at the charity stripe. Hilmer posted a 26-point performance at Truman State with a season-high five rebounds; the point total is tied for the seventh-best output this season in the NSIC.
 
ABOUT THE PEACOCKS… Upper Iowa is currently 1-3 on the year averaging 76 points per game while allowing 82.3. The Peacocks are shooting 43.4% as a team from the field including 30.6% from deep. Opponents have been able to record better shooting numbers from the floor (50.2%) and the three-point line (41.9%) through the opening four games. The four foes have also scored a 36.3 to 34.5 advantage in rebounding and held the Peacocks to just 10 assists per game. In addition to Duax and Hilmer, UIU is getting 11.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game from Nick Reid and 7.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game from Dylan Jones.
 
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS... Winona State is 4-0 on the young season with wins over Pittsburg State University, Missouri Southern State University, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Purdue University, Northwest. The average margin of victory for the Warriors is 5.5 points per game. As a team, WSU averages 68.3 points while shooting 38.6% from the field, 33.3% from deep and 67.7% from the free throw line. Winona State battles hard on the glass and has posted a 42.0-33.3 advantage in rebounds per game for a margin of +8.7. Connor Dillon (19.0 points, 4.2 rebounds), Connor Drew (14.8 points, 7.0 rebounds) and Luke Martens (10.8 points, 7.5 rebounds) lead the Warriors through the first four games.
 
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS... Wingate is 2-1 heading into the Bahama House Shootout thanks to wins over Belmont Abbey College and Converse University and a loss to Lander University. The Bulldogs average 83.7 points per game and are shooting 46.9% from the field, but 32.4% from deep. On the free throw line, Wingate is converting 76.6% of their attempts. Andreas Wilson leads the team with a 17.3 points per game average, while four other players average double digits in scoring. Donell Nixon II leads the quartet with 15.0 points and 4.6 assists per contest, but Jarren Cottingham (14.3), Destin Clark (11.7) and Josh Massey (11.0) follow closely. Wingate is a member of the South Atlantic Conference.

SCOUTING THE VIKINGS... Elizabeth City State is 2-2 after the first two weeks of the season with a pair of wins over Kutztown University and Chowan University surrounding two losses to West Chester University and the University of Charleston. The Vikings are averaging 78.3 points per game while shooting 47.5% from the field, 37.5% from three and 70.9% from the free throw line. ECSU turns the ball over 13.8 times per game and is only grabbing 29.5 rebounds per contest. Jaden Flournoy (15.3 points, 3.8 rebounds), Tre Richardson (13.8 points), and Eric Butler (12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds) lead the team on offense, while Amadou Faye has grabbed a team-high 6.0 rebounds per game. Elizabeth City State competes in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
 
PRESEASON LOVE… The Peacocks were ranked No. 22 in the NABC Preseason Top 25. Upper Iowa spent 14 weeks in the NABC Top 25 last season and finished the year ranked No. 17 after a five-point loss, 65-60, to No. 8 Augustana in the NCAA Division II Championships round of 32. UIU also grabbed a spot in the D2SIDA Top 25 for 12 weeks a season ago, but was not part of the D2SIDA Preseason Top 25.
 
LOOKING AHEAD… After the busy week on the road, the Peacocks will finally come home for a Northern Sun Conference game in Fayette. Upper Iowa will host the Golden Bears of Concordia University, St. Paul on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. UIU will then head to Minnesota State University, Mankato on Saturday, Dec. 3 for a 4 p.m. tip against the Mavericks.