PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo men's basketball team opens the home portion of its 2023-24 schedule here this weekend by hosting Alaska-Fairbanks in back-to-back games as part of its annual Al Kaly Shrine Classic at Massari Arena.

The ThunderWolves will open the weekend with a 7 p.m. game against the Nanooks on Friday, Nov. 17 and then conclude the two-game set on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 4 p.m. This year will mark the 39th annual edition of the Al Kaly Shine Classic. 

CSU Pueblo comes into this weekend's action still seeking its first win of the young season as they are sporting an 0-2 record after dropping both games last weekend at the South Central Regional Crossover. The Pack opened the season with a hard fought 80-74 double overtime loss last Friday at Midwestern State, before suffering a 70-63 setback on Saturday at Cameron (Okla.) University.

ABOUT THE PACK
Leading the way offensively for the ThunderWolves through the first two games of the season is junior guard Daeyon James (Stockbridge, Ga./Seward County CC), who is averaging 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and is shooting just 35 percent from the field and 41 percent from the 3-point line. James has made a team-best nine treys this season.

In addition to James, junior guard Armon Muldrew (Perris, Calif./San Bernardino Valley) and senior guard Makiah Morris (San Diego, Calif./San Diego City College) are each averaging 15.0 points per game. Muldrew is also averaging 5.0 rebounds and is shooting 39 percent from the field and 43 percent from the 3-point line and opened his Pack career with 24 points in the double-overtime loss to Midwestern State, while Morris is pulling down 9.0 rebounds and dishing out 5.0 assists per game and is shooting 50 percent from the field and 71 percent at the free throw. He tallied a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds against Midwestern State.

Two other Pack players are averaging over seven points per game on the season as junior guard Aurrion Harris (Merced, Calif./Columbia College) is averaging 8.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and is shooting 40 percent from the field and junior forward De'Shaun Cooper (Poway, Calif./Balboa School) is averaging 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

As a team, the Pack, who is coached by Matt Hammer, enters the weekend averaging 68.5 points per game and is shooting 38 percent from the field, 37 percent from the 3-point line and 65 percent at the free throw line. The Pack are also averaging 41.5 rebounds per game, but have struggled to take care of the ball as they are averaging 19.0 turnovers per game. Defensively, the Pack are allowing 75.0 points per game and their opponents are shooting 41 percent from the field, 26 percent from the 3-point line and 87 percent at the line.

The Pack played last weekend without one of its top impact newcomers as senior guard Brevin Walter (Las Vegas, Nev./South Dakota Mines), who was a two-time All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference performer at South Dakota Mines, missed both games with an injured hand, but he returned to practice earlier this season and might be cleared to make his season debut this weekend.

ABOUT ALASKA-FAIRBANKS
Alaska-Fairbanks, who is a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), comes into the weekend sporting a 1-1 record after splitting games last weekend at home in the GNAC/Pac West Challenge. At the two-day event to open the season, the Nanooks picked up a 69-64 win in its season opener against Hawai'i Pacific and then fell 80-72 to Chaminade to conclude the event.

Through two games, senior 6-foot-10 forward Abdullahi Mohamed is leading the way offensively as the Eastern Washington transfer is averaging 16.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and is shooting 48 percent from the field and 92 percent at the free throw line. Mohamed was a unanimous selection by the GNAC Coaches on the Preseason All-GNAC Team after averaging 13.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game a season ago.

In addition to Mohamed, sophomore guard Tyriq Luke is averaging 11.5 points per game and is shooting 59 percent from the field, while junior guard Paul Johnson is the third double-digit scorer as he is averaging 11.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game and is shooting 50 percent from the field, 38 percent from the 3-point line and 75 percent at the free throw line.

As a team, the Nanooks are averaging 70.5 points per game and are shooting 45 percent from the field, 33 percent from the 3-point line and 78 percent at the free throw line and are outrebounding foes by 7.0 boards per game, but are averaging 15.0 turnovers per game. Defensively, UAF is allowing 72 points per game and their foes are shooting 43 percent from the field, 35 percent from the 3-point line and 77 percent at the free throw line.

In the Preseason GNAC Coaches' Poll, the Nanooks were tabbed to finish ninth as they received 31 points after posting an 11-15 overall record and a 6-12 mark in the GNAC during the 2022-23 campaign.

UAF is coached by Greg Sparling, who is his sixth season with the Nanooks in 2023-24. He has compiled a 26-71 record at Alaska-Fairbanks and is 411-324-1 in his 30 season as a collegiate head coach as spent 24 years as the head coach at his alma mater, Central Washington, before joining the Nanooks prior to the 2018-19 season. He led the program to its first NCAA West Regional appearance since 2005 in 2022, where the Nanooks advanced to the regional final before losing to Chico State.

SERIES HISTORY
This weekend's two game with Alaska-Fairbanks will mark just the second and third-ever meetings between the two schools and the first since the two teams squared off in Anchorage, Alaska, on Nov. 9, 2012. In that game, the Nanooks defeated the Pack in overtime, 80-76. J.J. Mina led the Pack in scoring in that game with 22 points and added nine rebounds, while Wendell Lee added 13 points and Bryse Velasquez tallied 11 points in the loss.
 
AL KALY SHRINE CLASSIC HISTORY
This weekend's Al Kaly Shrine Classic marks the 39th annual event. Since the 2005-06 season, the Pack are 18-10 in the event and have won seven straight games in the classic since suffering a 92-66 loss to Midwestern State in the first game of the 2018 event. At last year's Al Kaly Shrine Classic, the Pack collected wins over both Spurgeon College (113-68) and Bacone College (103-35).

UP NEXT
Following this weekend's two games in the Al Kaly Classic, the Pack will remain home as they host two games over Thanksgiving weekend in Massari Arena. The Pack will host Multnomah on Friday, Nov. 24 at 7:30 p.m. and then entertain Oklahoma Panhandle State on Sunday, Nov. 26 at 2 p.m.