PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo men's basketball team will look to continue its hot play to open the 2025-26 season here this weekend as the ThunderWolves conclude a season-long six-game homestand in Massari Arena with back-to-back Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference contests.

CSU Pueblo opens the weekend with a 7:30 p.m. game on Thursday, Dec. 4, against Westminster University and then concludes the weekend with a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Dec. 6, against Western Colorado University.

The Pack comes into this week's first two RMAC games of the 2025-26 season sporting a 5-1 overall record after suffering its first loss of the season, 70-63, this past Saturday against Eastern New Mexico. The loss to the Greyhounds dropped the Pack to 3-1 at home this season.

Before the loss to Eastern New Mexico, the Pack had opened the season with five consecutive wins as they picked up road wins at Cameron (82-74) and Midwestern State (72-60) and home wins over Kansas Christian (91-48), North American (84-63), and UT Permian Basin (78-69).

The Pack has started the season 5-1 for the second consecutive season and just the sixth time since 2005-06 that the Pack has opened a season with five wins in its first six games. The Pack's other 5-1 starts through six games also came in 2005-06, 2006-07, 2009-10, 2014-15, and 2024-25.

ABOUT THE PACK
Leading the way offensively for the ThunderWolves the first six games of the season are sophomore guard/forward Jordan Blair (Keller, Texas/Keller Central) and junior guard Jaden Kennis (Windsor, Colo./MSU Denver).

Blair has become one of the RMAC's most productive two-way players as he enters the weekend averaging 15.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, ranking sixth in the league in scoring and fifth in rebounding. He has scored in double figures in every game this season, including tallying a career-high 21 points last time out against Eastern New Mexico.

Meanwhile, Kennis also had a consistent start to the 2025-26 season as he is averaging 14.5 points. 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He is shooting 43 percent from the field and 33 percent from the 3-point line and is second in the league in free-throw shooting at 90 percent. He is 27-for-30 from the free-throw line this season, including making 18 of his last 19 free throws.

In addition to Blair and Kennis, three other Pack players are averaging between 7.3 and 7.5 points per game as redshirt sophomore guard/forward Corbin Garver (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy) is averaging 7.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game and is shooting 39 percent from the field and 70 percent at the free throw line, while junior guard Dylan Sanders (Aurora, Colo./Pearl River CC) is averaging 7.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game is shooting 38 percent from the field, 38 percent from the 3-point line and 83 percent at the free throw line and freshman guard Bryce Riehl (Colorado Springs, Colo./Mesa Ridge) is averaging 7.3 points per game and is shooting 42 percent from the field, and 36 percent from the 3-point line as he has made a team-leading 11 three-pointers on the season.

As a team, the Pack, who is coached by first-year head coach Zach Ruebesam, enters the weekend as one of the top field goal percentage defense and rebounding teams in Division II men's basketball, as the Pack leads the RMAC and is third nationally in Division II in field goal percentage defense (34.5 percent) and is second in the RMAC and is 33rd nationally in rebounds per game (43.2). In addition, they lead the league and are 21st nationally in scoring defense (64.0). Only two opponents have shot above 35 percent from the field this season, and they have allowed under 65 points in three of six games.

Offensively, the Pack is scoring 78.3 points per game and has scored 80 or more points in three of its six games. The Pack's 14.3 scoring margin is second in the RMAC. In addition, the Pack has a +8.0 rebound margin and has outrebounded five of its first six opponents and is 5-0 when winning the rebound battle this season.

Another strength for the Pack is sharing the basketball as the Pack is third in the league in assists as they are averaging 17.0 assists per game, and has assisted on 62.5 percent of its made field goals. Senior guard Sam Howery (Colorado Springs, Colo./St. Mary's) leads the RMAC and ranks sixth in Division II in assist-to-turnover ratio (6.0), while sophomore guard Mac Terry (Castle Pines, Colo./South Dakota Mines) ranks second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.5). The Pack is fifth in the RMAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.24) entering play this weekend.

ABOUT WESTMINSTER
Westminster comes into Thursday's road game with the Pack having opened the season by winning five of its first six games, with the lone loss being a 79-70 loss to Simon Fraser in a game played at Western Oregon. Since that loss to Simon Fraser, the Griffins picked up back-to-back home wins last weekend against Navajo Tech (142-48 and 125-61).

Thursday's game with the Pack will be just the Griffins' third road game this season, as they are 1-1 on the road this season, and Thursday's game will be just the second this season on an opponent's home court for the Griffins.

Westminster, which was tabbed to finish 10th in the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll as they earned 60 points from the league's head coaches, has three players averaging in double figures. Graduate student guard Cole Kadoguchi leads the Griffins in scoring at 14.5 points per game and is shooting 59 percent from the field and 53 percent from the 3-point line. He leads the RMAC in 3-pointers made (24) and 3-pointers per game (4.0) and has scored in double figures in four straight games, including two games with 20-plus points.

In addition to Kadoguchi, graduate student forward Michael Frazier is averaging 13.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game and is shooting 59 percent from the field and 90 percent at the free throw line, while junior guard Colin Hayes is averaging 10.8 points per game and is shooting 58 percent from the field, 75 percent from the 3-point line and 87 percent at the free throw line.

As a team, Westminster has one of the most potent offenses in the league as they are averaging 96 points per game and are shooting 52.9 percent from the field, 41.9 percent from the 3-point line, and have a staggering +29.8 scoring margin, which ranks fourth in NCAA Division II men's basketball. They are also making a league-best 11.7 treys per game and lead the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.16). Defensively, the Griffins are second in the league in field goal percentage defense (37.8 percent).

The Griffins are coached by Norm Parrish, who is in his 11th season at Westminster and has compiled a 137-131 overall record with the Griffins.

Thursday's game with Westminster marks the first of two meetings this season between the two schools as the Pack will travel to Salt Lake City, Utah, to play at Westminster on Jan. 31. Thursday's game marks the 27th all-time meeting between the two schools, with CSU Pueblo holding a 16-10 edge in the series. The Pack has won three of the last four games in the series and is 6-4 in the last 10 games against the Griffins. The Pack split last year's match-up as the Pack won 72-62 at Westminster and fell 72-66 at home to the Griffins.

ABOUT WESTERN COLORADO
Western Colorado, which plays at Colorado Christian on Thursday before facing the Pack on Saturday, comes into this week's action sporting a 2-4 overall record with its two wins coming at home against Midwestern State (82-78) and against Texas A&M-International (84-78) last weekend in Grand Junction, Colo. The Mountaineers opened the season by losing their first three games, including a 90-83 home loss to Cameron, but are 2-1 in their last three games heading into league play.

The Mountaineers have played four of their first six games on the road and are 1-3 away from home, including being 0-2 on opponents' home courts. WCU is 1-1 at home this season.

Western Colorado, which was tabbed to finish 13th in the Preseason RMAC Coaches' poll as they earned 56 points, has three players averaging in double figures, led by sophomore guard Aidan McDowell, who is a transfer from Fort Hays State. McDowell, who has won the last three RMAC Offensive Player of the Week honors, is second in Division II in scoring as he is averaging 30.0 points per game and is shooting 52 percent from the field, 35 percent from the 3-point line, and 96 percent (46-for-48) from the free throw line. He has scored 30 or more points in three games, including a high of 37 points in the season opener against Angelo State.

In addition to McDowell, junior forward Tyler Halligan (16.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and junior guard Jordan Kuac (10.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg) are the other Mountaineers averaging in double figures this season.

As a team, Western Colorado is averaging 78.5 points per game and is allowing 85.0 points per game. The Mountaineers are shooting 49 percent from the field, 34 percent from the 3-point line, and 79.4 percent from the free throw line. Defensively, WCU's opponents are shooting 47 percent from the field and 39 percent from the 3-point line, and is sixth in the league in blocks per game (3.0). 

The Mountaineers are coached by Zac Claus, who is in his third season at WCU and has compiled a 21-40 record in Gunnison and is 49-128 in his seventh season as a collegiate head coach, as he spent four seasons as the head coach at Idaho before coming to Western Colorado.

Saturday's game marks the only meeting this season between the two schools as the Pack leads the all-time series 70-31, including collecting a 69-56 win last season in Gunnison. The Pack is 41-10 at home in the series, and both teams have won five games each in the last 10 meetings.

UP NEXT
Following this weekend's two home games, the Pack will hit the road for the first time in RMAC play as they travel to Chadron State for a 1 p.m. game on Thursday, Dec. 11, and a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Dec. 13, in Rapid City, S.D., against South Dakota Mines.