PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo men's basketball team will look to continue its hot play to open the 2024-25 season here this weekend as the ThunderWolves will open the home portion of its Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schedule with games against Chadron State and South Dakota Mines.
 
CSU Pueblo opens its two-game homestand on Thursday, Dec. 12 with a 7:30 p.m. game against Chadron State, before hosting South Dakota Mines for a 3 p.m. contest on Saturday, Dec. 14. The Pack are 5-0 at home this season and the five-game homecourt win streak is the longest active streak among RMAC schools.
 
The Pack, who received seven votes in this week's latest NABC Division II Coaches Poll, comes into its first two home games in RMAC play this season sporting a 7-1 overall record and a 2-0 mark in RMAC play after opening its league schedule with wins last weekend at Westminster (72-62) and Western Colorado (69-56). Those two wins last weekend extended the Pack's win streak to three straight games since suffering its lone loss of the season on Nov. 23 at New Mexico Highlands (85-63).
 
The 7-1 start to the season is the Pack's best eight-game start to a season since also starting the 2003-04 season with a 7-1 record. Since becoming a four-year school in 1963-64, the Pack have won seven of its first eight games to open a season just six times as they also opened 7-1 in 1966-67, 1972-73, 1998-99, 1999-00, and 2002-03. The all-time best start to open a season for the Pack was 11-1 in 1966-67.
 
Along with opening the season with a 7-1 record, the Pack have also started 2-0 in the league play for the first time since 2015-16, while the last time the Pack opened RMAC play by winning its first three conference games was in 2013-14 when they opened 3-0 before losing 94-92 at Metro State.
 
ABOUT THE PACK
Leading the way offensively for the ThunderWolves through the first eight games of the 2024-25 season is senior forward De'Shaun Cooper (San Diego, Calif./Balboa School), who is averaging 11.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and is shooting 65 percent from the field, which is second-best in the RMAC. Cooper has scored in double figures in five of the Pack's eight games, including tallying a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds against Barclay. He comes into the week just 144 points shy of becoming the 28th player in school history to score 1,000 career points as he has scored 856 career points.
 
In addition to Cooper, two other Pack players are averaging in double figures on the season as senior guard Armon Muldrew (Perris, Calif./San Bernardino Valley) is second in scoring at 11.4 points per game and is also averaging 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game and is shooting 42 percent from the field and 83 percent from the free throw line. Muldrew opened the season with three straight double-digit scoring games and has reached double figures in each of his last two games.
 
The third double-digit scorer is fifth-year senior guard Brevin Walter (Las Vegas, Nev./South Dakota Mines) as he is averaging 10.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, and is shooting 39 percent from the field, 36 percent from the 3-point line and 76 percent from the free throw line. Walter, who is the No. 3 active career scorer in Division II with 1,782 points, has reached double figures in two straight games and five times overall on the season.  
 
Three other Pack players are averaging over 8.0 points per game this season as junior forward Victor Lado (Louisville, Ky./Vincennes University) is averaging 9.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots per game and is shooting 68 percent from the field, while redshirt sophomore guard Jaden Kennis (Windsor, Colo./MSU Denver) is averaging 8.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and is fresh off a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds performance at Western Colorado and freshman forward Jake Lafferty (Bruner, Mo./Sparta) is averaging 8.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 62 percent from the field.
 
As a team, the Pack, who is coached by sixth-year head coach Matt Hammer, enters this week's action as one of the top scoring teams in the RMAC as they are fourth in the league in scoring at 81.3 points per game and lead the league and are in the Top 10 nationally in scoring defense as they are allowing 62.1 points per game and are outscoring its opponents by 19.1 points per game. The Pack have scored over 80 points in all five of its seven wins, including tallying 109 points in a win over Barclay, and have allowed only two foes – Bethany and New Mexico Highlands – to score 65 or more points in a game as Bethany scored 65 in an 87-65 loss to the Pack, while Highlands scored 85 in its 85-63 win over the Pack.
 
While being one of the top scoring offensive and defensive teams in the RMAC, the Pack come into the week leading the league and ranking in the Top 5 nationally in both field goal percentage defense and three-point field goal defense. The Pack's opponents are shooting 36.8 percent from the field and 24 percent from the 3-point line. The Pack is fourth nationally in field goal defense and second nationally in 3-point field goal defense.
 
Another strength for Pack this season has been their ability to shoot the ball effectively from the floor as the Pack is fifth in the RMAC in field goal percentage as they are shooting 48.1 percent from the field. The Pack has shot over 50 percent from the field in three games and has shot under 40 percent from the field in just one game this season.
 
Junior guard Denim Johnson (Omaha, Neb./Trinity Valley CC) is one of the league leaders in assists as he is averaging 3.0 assists per game, which is ninth in the league, and is also averaging 5.0 rebounds and 7.3 points per game and tallied a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds last Thursday at Westminster. As a team, the Pack is second in the league in assists as she is averaging 17.0 per game and has recorded 136 assists, and has assisted on 56 percent of its made field goals. Seven players have tallied 10 or more assists on the year as along with Johnson's 21 assists, Walter is second with 19 assists (2.4 per game) and Muldrew is third with 15 (1.9 per game).
 
ABOUT CHADRON STATE
Chadron State comes into Thursday's road contest with the Pack having won two of its last three games with its lone loss being an 89-69 setback last Saturday at Black Hills State. The BHSU loss came nearly 48 hours after the Eagles opened RMAC play with an 84-56 home win over South Dakota Mines. The Eagles are sporting a 4-5 overall record and a 1-1 mark in the RMAC.
 
The Eagles are 2-4 away from home this season, including 1-3 on opponents' home courts. The Eagles have lost two straight games on the road as along with the loss at Black Hills State, the Eagles also lost at Colorado Christian (76-60) on Nov. 26.
 
Chadron State, who was tabbed to finish 15th in the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll as they earned 32 points from the league's head coaches, has just one player – graduate student guard Jalen Thomas averaging in double figures this season. Thomas is averaging 12.0 points and 6.4 rebounds per game and is shooting 48 percent from the field, 50 percent from the 3-point line and 82 percent at the free throw line. He has scored in double figures in five of nine games.
 
In addition to Thomas, junior forward Darrius Miles is averaging 9.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game and is shooting 45 percent from the field, while senior guard Trey Ballard is averaging 9.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game and is shooting 39 percent from the field and is second on the team in made treys with 13.
 
As a team, Chadron State is averaging 73.2 points per game and is allowing 73.5 points per game. The Eagles are shooting 42 percent from the field, 31 percent from the 3-point line, and an RMAC-leading 77.9 percent from the free throw line. They are outrebounding their foes by 1.6 boards per game and are averaging 14.1 turnovers per game and blocking 3.0 shots per game. Defensively, Chadron State's opponents are shooting 43 percent from the field and 31 percent from the 3-point line.
 
The Eagles are coached by first-year head coach Chris Francis. Francis comes to Chadron State after spending nine seasons as the head coach at University of Sciences and Arts of Oklahoma. In his time at USAO, Francis compiled a 175-95 record and led the program to five NAIA National Tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight berth in 2020, along with winning both a regular season and tournament title in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
 
Thursday's game with Chadron State marks the first of two meetings this season between the two schools as the Pack will travel to Chadron, Neb., for a 3 p.m. game on Feb. 8. Thursday's game marks the 28th all-time meeting between the two schools with CSU Pueblo holding a 16-11 edge in the series. The Pack have lost seven of the last 10 games in the series, but the Pack won the most recent meeting, 80-75, at Chadron on Feb. 17, 2024. The Pack is 9-3 in the series at home, while Chadron State leads 8-7 on its home court.
 
ABOUT SOUTH DAKOTA MINES
South Dakota Mines, who plays at Colorado Christian on Thursday before facing the Pack on Saturday, comes into this week's action sporting a 1-9 overall record and a 1-1 mark in the RMAC after opening RMAC play with a 58-50 home win last Tuesday over Black Hills State and suffering an 84-56 loss on Thursday at Chadron State. Prior to the win over Black Hills State, the Hardrockers had opened the 2024-24 season by losing its first eight games, including scoring just 31 points in its season opening 54-31 loss at Texas A&M-Kingsville.     
 
The Hardrockers will be playing their seventh and eighth road games of the season this week as they are 0-6 away from home, including being 0-4 on opponents home courts this seaon. In fact, the Hardrockers have lost seven straight road games since earning an 83-81 win last season at Adams State. 
 
South Dakota Mines, who was tabbed to finish 10th in the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll as they earned 85 points, have three players averaging over 8.0 points per game on the season with senior forward Keagen Smith leading the way as he is averaging 10.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game and is tied for ninth in the RMAC in steals per game at 1.4. Smith is shooting 42 percent from the field and 35 percent from the 3-point line and has reached double figures in four straight games.
 
In addition to Smith, freshman guard Tre Dowdell is averaging 8.8 points per game and is shooting 44 perent from the field and 85 percent at the free throw line, while redshirt sophomore guard Abel Hutchinson is averaging 8.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 36 percent from the field and 35 percent from downtown.     
       
As a team, South Dakota Mines is averaging 53.2 points per game and is allowing 66.7 points per game. The Hardrockers are shooting 39 percent from the field and 30 percent from the 3-point line and are getting outrebounded by 2.0 boards per contest. Defensively, the Hardrockers' foes are shooting 49 percent from the floor and 35 percent from the 3-point line.
 
The Hardrockers are coached by Eric Glenn is in his seventh season at South Dakota Mines and has compiled a 69-103 record at the school. Prior to becoming the head coach, he spent 13 years (2005-18) as an assistant coach with the program.
 
Saturday's game with South Dakota Mines marks the only meeting this season between the two schools. Saturday's game also marks the 14th all-time meeting between the two schools with the Hardrockers holding a 9-4 edge in the series. The Pack have lost eight of the last 10 games to the Hardrockers, including being swept by them last season. The Pack leads the series 4-3 on its home court, while South Dakota Mines leads 6-0 on its home court.
 
UP NEXT
Following this week's home games against Chadron State and South Dakota Mines, the Pack will travel to Honolulu, Hawai'i next week (Dec. 19-20) to compete in the Hoops in Hawai'i Holiday Classic. At the event, the Pack will play Alaska-Anchorage on Dec. 19 at 11 p.m. MT and then faces Hawai'i Pacific on Dec. 20 at 11 p.m. MT.