ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Concordia-St. Paul men's basketball team tips off the 2022-23 season this weekend as they travel south to the Holiday Inn Express Regional Challenge on the campus of Rogers State. CSP will face Newman on Friday at 4 p.m. and Rogers State on Saturday at 2 p.m.

BUY TICKETS TO HOME GAMES ONLINE
Fans are encouraged to buy tickets in advance and bring your QR code to the gates to skip the line! Friends and families who utilize the pass list will also be utilizing the online ticketing service while all students, faculty & staff will access their free CSP tickets through the service. Fans do not need to create a login, remember a username or password or download an app to purchase tickets, and tickets can still be purchased with cash at the gates. Find out more in the partnership announcement between CSP Athletics and HomeTown Ticketing.
 
WATCH ONLINE – NSIC NETWORK
All Golden Bear NSIC men's and women's basketball games will be available to watch online, free of charge, powered by the NSIC Network, supported by BlueFrame Technology. Visit nsicnetwork.com/cspbears on a laptop or desktop computer, download the NSIC Network app on your mobile device or watch on your supported OTT provider such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV. Search "NSIC Network" and download the app for the league's full sport and team lineups. NSIC NETWORK FAQ
 
DOWNLOAD THE APP
Fans can download the CSP Bears fan app, free of charge and available in the App Store or on Google Play. The app contains rosters, schedules, scores, stats, news, social media and more! Customize your options to get notifications to your favorite teams, as well. Search "CSP Bears" in the app store to stay up-to-date on Golden Bear athletics.
 
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS REGIONAL CHALLENGE
A year after hosting Newman and Rogers State at Gangelhoff Center, the Golden Bears are heading south for a pair of rematches against the MIAA foes.
 
The Golden Bears will open competition on Friday afternoon with a 4 p.m. tip-off against Newman before RSU hosts Southwest Minnesota State at 6 p.m. in Claremore, Okla. SMSU and Newman resume play at noon on Saturday before CSP and Rogers State close out the weekend with a 2 p.m. start.
 
Last year, the Golden Bears met both schools for the first time ever as they held off Newman for a 73-70 win before dropping a closely contested matchup by a score of 66-63 to Rogers State.
 
For the second year in a row under Matt Fletcher, CSP grabbed a season-opening victory with the win over NU. The Golden Bears got off to a strong start and didn't look back as they led for 36:56 of the 40 minutes of action on the night.
 
Concordia led in nearly every statistical category as they held a 15-4 edge in fast break points, a 44-32 edge in points in the paint, a 20-11 edge in points off turnovers, a 30-24 edge in bench scoring and a 14-10 edge in second chance points while also claiming a 39-37 edge on the glass. The Golden Bears also connected on 51.9% (14-27) after the break to finish at 43.9% (25-57) while the Jets shot 43.3% (26-60) in the loss.
 
Marcus Skeete finished in double figures off the bench as he tallied 11 points on 5-8 shooting to go along with six boards while Sunday John knocked down 3-5 from the floor to finish with eight points and three assists.
 
Against RSU, Concordia saw their second straight game go down to the wire as they had a pair of game-tying three-point attempts rim out in the closing seconds of a 66-63 loss.
 
There was very little that separated the two teams on the day as there were 11 ties and 11 lead changes throughout the contest while neither team led by more than eight. Concordia led for 21:55 in the game, including virtually the entire first half, but it was Devin Pullum that gave the Hillcats the lead for good with a go-ahead bucket with 44 seconds to play. Jack Stensgard and Matt Johns each had a look with a chance to tie it up in the final 11 seconds, but RSU managed to cling to their lead to finish the weekend with a pair of wins.
 
Concordia's bench provided the squad with a major spark in the contest as CSP's reserves combined for 33 of the team's 63 points, compared to just nine bench points for the Hillcats. Roy Grigsby, Marcus Skeete and Reid Patterson paced the group as Grigsby scored 11 points, Skeete had 10 and Patterson had eight. Grigsby and Patterson each connected on 4-7 from the floor as Grigsby connected on 3-5 from deep and Skeete chipped in six boards.
 
NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
Following the region crossover to start the season, CSP rounds out the non-conference schedule with three more contests against quality DII competition, facing Bemidji State, Northern Michigan and Lincoln, as well as a matchup with DIII Northland. Concordia's home opener is schedule for Nov. 15 against BSU while the Golden Bears will also host Northland on Nov. 27.
 
Speaking of the early season schedule, head coach Matt Fletcher said, "I was taught early in my coaching career that you never know when your team is going to be special. Everybody thinks their team has a chance to be good every year and it's up to the coach to schedule games to expose areas of weakness and face adversity that you wouldn't face against weaker competition. Having as many quality early season opponents as you can will set you up for the most success in January and February."
 
NSIC AT A GLANCE
The schedule doesn't lighten up much after some challenging non-conference contests as CSP begin NSIC action at Minnesota State on Nov. 22 before traveling to Upper Iowa on Dec. 1 and returning home to host Winona State on Dec. 3.
 
Speaking of the level of competition in the conference, Fletcher pointed out, "It's not easy in the NSIC. The league is so talented from top to bottom. Every night is a toss up between two quality teams, so you have to find ways to separate yourself and you have to play very well to give yourself a chance to win. There are no nights off in the NSIC."
 
In a tight NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll, The Golden Bears earned 48 points to slot in at 14th, putting them 15 behind St. Cloud State in 13th and one ahead of Bemidji State in 15th. Minnesota Duluth was selected by the league coaches as the preseason favorite in the NSIC. The Bulldogs received 222 points, garnering 13 first places votes to sit 16 points ahead of second place MSU Moorhead. The Dragons had 206 points and a first-place vote. Wayne State was third with 197 points and the final two first place votes.
 
PRESEASON UPDATE
Since the start of practice in the fall, the Golden Bears have been working hard to integrate a solid mix of returners and newcomers in preparation for the start of the regular season. Early indications have been positive as the group has started to gel. "I think we've come a long way in trying to figure out roles as we piece together eight returners with eight new faces, seeing where everyone fits together and what each guy brings to the table," said Fletcher.
 
One of the big reasons for the smooth transition has been strong team camaraderie and solid leadership, starting with three team captains, Caden Hoffman, Marcus Skeete and Roy Grigsby. Fletcher said of the group as a whole, "Overall, our attitude and ability in the gym have been really fun to see. I don't know if I've ever been around a team with better chemistry. The way that they challenge each other while knowing they are doing it in the best interest of each other has been great to watch."
 
In addition to the improvements off the court, the Golden Bears are hoping to take a step forward. When asked about areas of strength for the 2022-23 squad, Fletcher said, "I truly believe that we have guys that can shoot it from all over the place at all five positions. I also believe this team will play extremely, extremely hard. They fight like crazy every single day at practice and we know that will carry over into the games as well."
 
When asked what he hopes to see from the team early in the year, he added, "The biggest areas of focus for our team right now is focusing on finishing plays and not giving the other teams extra opportunities on the offensive glass. We're excited to see where we can get in the month of November."
 
MEET THE GOLDEN BEARS
The 2022-23 edition of the Golden Bears features an exciting mix of eight newcomers, including five tansfers, as well as eight returners. The group includes several quality options at each position as CSP enters the year with depth and competition across the board.
 
One area of strength is expected to be the point guard position as DI transfer Antwan Kimmons is joined by a pair of redshirt freshmen in Sean Mathieu and DJ Akpati as well as true freshman James Jacobs.
 
Kimmons enters the fold after three productive seasons at Northern Iowa. In his last year with the Panthers, the St. Paul native and Tartan High School grad appeared in 28 games, scoring 70 points while collecting 34 rebounds, 11 steals and 10 assists. Fletcher said of Kimmons, "He's a local kid that always has a smile on his face. He's a competitor that has changed the dynamic of our offense with his speed and athleticism."
 
Mathieu and Akpati return after getting a year under their belts as redshirts in 2021-22. Both will be counted on to step into key roles this season. Speaking of Mathieu, Fletcher said, "He's one of the best passers we have. He's unselfish and extremely shifty with the ball." About Akpati he added, "He might be the best on-ball defender I've ever coached. He's a great kid who brings a lot of energy."
 
James Jacobs joins after twice earning All-Conference honors as a standout performer at Stevens Point High School. "His ability to compete at practice as someone who shares the ball and shoots it has been a great addition," said Fletcher.
 
At the two guard, Concordia will also feature a deep stable of options with returners in Jacob Everson, Caden Hoffman and Ian Sluice as well as freshman Will Boser all expected to compete for playing time.
 
Everson took a big step forward last season as he was the team's third-leading scorer with 8.4 points per game, knocking down an incredibly efficient 50.3% from the floor and 51.9% from beyond the arc. Fletcher said, "He's Mr. Reliable for us. Everybody knows what we're going to get out of Jake. He shoots the crap out of the ball, defends, rebounds and plays together with his teammates."
 
Hoffman has been a key leader for the Golden Bears since joining from South Dakota prior to the 2020-21 season. Last year, Hoffman averaged 23.5 minutes a night over 26 games, including 17 starts, while averaging 3.7 points, 2.9 assists and 2.3 rebounds. "Caden has kind of been the leader of the pack, the backbone of the team. He shoots it well and passes it well and is a great leader for us," said Fletcher of Hoffman.
 
Sluice, a sharpshooter from Oklahoma, got his feet wet last year as he averaged 5.5 points over 23 games in his first season on campus. Fletcher said of Sluice, "He has the potential to be one of the best shooters in the league. He's continuing to find ways to get himself open as a shooter."
 
Boser, a First Team All-State pick for Eau Claire High School last year, gives the Golden Bears some new blood at the position. "I don't think he misses at practice. He's going to have a special career for us," said Fletcher of the freshman.
 
At the three, CSP's leading scorer among returners, Marcus Skeete, is joined by Sunday John to give the Golden Bears a high-powered duo at the position.
 
Skeete has been a key contributor in each of his first two years at Concordia and put up a career-best 12.8 points to go along with 5.6 boards and 3.4 assists in 27.5 minutes a game. Speaking of the third-year wing, Fletcher said, "He's Mr. Utility Guy for us. He kind of does it all and provides energy for the group."
 
High-flying John returns after collecting 4.5 points per game in 12.0 minutes of action over 23 games last year. "He's one of the most athletic guys you'll see at the Division II level. He's finding ways to be effective within our system as a defender and a threat in transition," said Fletcher.
 
At the four spot, a pair of transfers in Emad Elniel and Cal Greene are expected to soak up most of the minutes.
 
Elniel spent last season at Utah Tech where he tallied 30 minutes of action over 17 games. Fletcher said of the Phoenix, Ariz. native, "Emad is a lights out shooter who rebounds the ball really well. He'll continue to grow in our system and will continue to get better."
 
Greene spent the 2021-22 season at Winona State where he redshirted for the Warriors. Prior to his time at WSU, he helped his team claim a AAA State title in Tennessee. Fletcher said of Greene, "He's 6'6" and can jump out of the gym. He's extremely physical and we're continuing to find ways to use him."
 
Down low at the five, the Grigsby brothers, Roy and John, are joined by Jared Perry.
 
Roy is the lone returner of the group as he appeared in all 28 games, including a start, as he averaged 9.5 minutes a night. John joins the group after spending the previous two years at Wyoming. Speaking of the two brothers, Fletcher said, "They both shoot it really well with Roy being a little more of a hustle guy and John being a little more crafty with the ball."
 
Perry spent last year with Eastern New Mexico where he put up 4.0 points per game in his lone season with the squad. Fletcher saif of the big man, "Jared is a back-to-the-basket, physical big man. He is more of a finish at the rim guy who can hang out in the dunker spot."
 
Check back throughout the season to cspbears.com for game previews and recaps as well as statistics and schedule information.