PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo men's basketball team will be away from Massari Arena for the first time in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play this week as the ThunderWolves travel to Chadron State and South Dakota Mines for a pair of league road contests.

CSU Pueblo opens the week with an afternoon matinee game on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 1 p.m. in Chadron, Neb., against Chadron State, before traveling north to Rapid City, S.D., for a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Dec. 13 against South Dakota Mines. This weekend's road games will mark the first for the Pack in RMAC play and their first overall road games since opening the 2025-26 season with back-to-back road victories at Cameron (82-74) and Midwestern State (72-60).

Due to the early tip-off times on Thursday at Chadron State (11 a.m. for the women and 1 p.m. for the men), those games will not be aired on Fox Sports Pueblo (1350 AM), but will instead be aired on Facebook Live through the CSU Pueblo Athletics Facebook page and Jim Brooks' Facebook Fan Page. Saturday's games at South Dakota Mines will be aired on Fox Sports Pueblo with the pregame show for the women beginning at 12:45 p.m.

The ThunderWolves enter the week sporting a 6-2 overall record and a 1-1 record in the RMAC after splitting their RMAC-opening homestand last weekend with a 65-56 win over Westminster and suffering a 62-60 loss this past Saturday against Western Colorado. After opening the season with a 5-0 record, the Pack has lost two of its last three games as its other loss along with Western Colorado being against Eastern New Mexico (70-63).

The 6-2 start to the season is the 15th in the program's four-year school history (1963-present) and the first since opening the 2015-16 season by winning six of its first eight games. In addition to 2025-26 and 2015-16, the Pack also opened the season 6-2 in 1965-66, 1970-71, 1973-74, 1976-77, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1994-95, 1996-97, 1997-98, 2000-01, 2005-06, 2006-07, and 2009-10.

ABOUT THE PACK
CSU Pueblo's impressive start to the season has been fueled by a defense that leads the RMAC and is second in Division II in field goal percentage defense, as they are holding opponents to just 35.9 percent shooting from the field. Only three of the Pack's first eight foes are shooting better than 36 percent from the field this season.

In addition, the ThunderWolves, coached by first-year head coach Zach Ruebesam, continue to lead the RMAC in scoring defense, allowing 62.8 points per game. Meanwhile, the Pack has allowed 70 or more points only twice this season. Additionally, the Pack leads the league in rebounds per game, averaging 42.0 rebounds and boasting a +7.0 rebound margin, which ranks fourth in the RMAC.

Offensively, the Pack is averaging 74.4 points per game and shooting 42.7 percent from the field, 31.4 percent from the 3-point line, and is last in the league in free throw shooting at 65.8 percent. In addition, the Pack is third in the league in assists per game (16.8) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.34), and turnover margin (+2.1).

Two of the biggest strengths for the Pack are sharing the basketball and assist-to-turnover ratio, as they are third in the RMAC in assists per game, averaging 16.8 per game, and are third in the league assist-to-turnover ratio (1.34). Sophomore guard Mac Terry (Castle Pines, Colo./South Dakota Mines) is averaging 3.4 assists per game and is second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.86), while senior guard Sam Howery (Colorado Springs, Colo./St. Mary's) leads Division II in assist-to-turnover ratio (8.67) and is 11th in the RMAC in assists as he averages 3.3 per game.

Sophomore guard/forward Jordan Blair (Keller, Texas/Keller Central) anchors the Pack offense as he leads the team in both scoring (13.8 points) and rebounding (7.8 boards), and is shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from the 3-point line. Blair has scored in double figures in six of eight games, including a career-high and Pack season-high 21 points against Eastern New Mexico.

Along with Blair, redshirt junior guard Jaden Kennis (Windsor, Colo./MSU Denver) is averaging 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game and is shooting 40 percent from the field, 31 percent from the 3-point line, and 76.3 percent from the free throw line. Kennis has tallied double figures in scoring in seven of eight games, including tallying 35 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists over his last three games.

Junior guard Dylan Sanders (Aurora, Colo./Pearl River CC) and redshirt sophomore forward Ty Adam (Severance, Colo./Severance) are averaging 8.4 and 8.2 points per game, respectively. In addition, Sanders is also averaging 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game and has reached double figures in four games, including a career-high 14 points last Saturday against Western Colorado, while Adam is averaging 2.8 rebounds and is shooting 50 percent from the field and 67 percent from the 3-point line and tallied a career-high 13 points last Thursday against Westminster.

ABOUT CHADRON STATE
Chadron State comes into play this week having lost three straight games and five of its last six games overall with the lone win being a 74-73 home victory over Northern State on Nov. 29. The Eagles are sporting a 2-7 overall record and are 0-2 in RMAC play after league play with a road loss at Black Hills State (90-67) and at home to South Dakota Mines (82-78). The Eagles' other win this season came at home against Mary (83-82) on Nov. 19. 

Four of the Eagles' first nine games have been played at home as they is 2-2 at home, but have lost two straight at home since that win over Northern State. CSC is 0-1 at home in RMAC play after its loss last weekend to South Dakota Mines.

Chadron State, who was tabbed to finish seventh in the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll as they earned 102 points from the league's head coaches, has two players averaging in double figures.

Senior guard Isaiah Randolph leads the way as he is averaging 12.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game and is shooting 62 percent from the field, 43 percent from the 3-point line, and 87 percent at the free throw line. In two RMAC games, he is averaging 18.0 points per game and is shooting 63 percent from the field, 50 percent from long distance, and is 4-for-4 at the free throw line.

In addition to Randolph, junior guard Jadon Cool is averaging 11.1 points per game as he is shooting 36 percent from the field, 33 percent from the 3-point line, and 73 percent at the free-throw line. Cool has taken 42 three-pointers (14 makes) and has tallied double-digits in five games.

As a team, Chadron State is averaging 69.7 points per game and is allowing 85.4 points per game. The Eagles are shooting 42 percent from the field, 29 percent from the 3-point line, and are fifth in the RMAC in free-throw shooting at 73.4 percent. The Eagles are making 6.3 treys per game, but are averaging 14.6 turnovers per game and are getting outrebounded by nearly seven boards per game.

Defensively, CSC's foes are shooting 45 percent from the field, 35 percent from the 3-point line, and 77 percent at the free throw line, and have allowed 90 points four times, and their foes have exceeded 40 rebounds in five games. 

Chadron State is coached by Chris Francis, who is in his second season with the Eagles and has compiled a 17-21 record. Francis came to CSC after nine years as the head coach at the University of Sciences and Arts of Oklahoma, where he posted a 17694 record and led the program to five NAIA National Tournament appearances, including an NAIA Elite Eight berth in 2020.

Thursday's game with Chadron State marks the first of two meetings this season between the two schools as the Pack will host the Eagles on Feb. 7 in Massari Arena. Thursday's match-up is the 44th all-time meeting in the series as the Pack holds a 25-18 all-time lead in the series. The Pack, though, has lost two straight games in the series as they were swept last season by the Eagles, as they fell 81-65 at Chadron State and 66-62 at home. The Pack is just 11-12 all-time at Chadron and leads the series 14-6 at home.

SOUTH DAKOTA MINES
South Dakota Mines, who hosts Colorado Christian on Thursday before hosting the Pack on Saturday, comes into this week's action sporting a 3-6 overall record and is 1-1 in the RMAC after splitting its first two RMAC games last week as they fell 104-76 at home to No. 21 Black Hills State and earned an 82-78 road win over Chadron State. After opening the season 1-5, the Hardrockers have won two of its last three games.  

The Hardrockers have played four of their first nine games at home and are 1-3 at home, including being 0-1 in RMAC play. South Dakota Mines is 1-2 on the road and 1-1 on neutral courts.

South Dakota Mines, who was tabbed to finish 15th in the Preseason RMAC Coaches' poll as they earned 41 points, has four players averaging in double figures led by junior guard Jason Lee, who is averaging 18.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game and is shooting 37 percent from the field and 83 percent from the free throw line. Lee, who was named this week's RMAC Offensive Player of the Week, is the No. 3 scorer and is No. 2 in assists in the RMAC and has scored in double figures in seven of nine games, including tallying 42 points against Black Hills State in its RMAC opener.

In addition to Lee, the other double-digit scorers for the Hardrockers are junior guard Ryan Sweeney, who is averaging 11.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 51.4 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from the three-point line, while junior guard Gray Thompson is averaging 11.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game and is shooting 86.2 percent from the free throw line and sophomore guard Gavin Soukop is averaging 11.0 points per game and is shooting 47.1 percent from the three-point line and 84.6 percent at the free throw line.

As a team, South Dakota Mines is averaging 74.8 points per game and is allowing 81.1 points per game. The Hardrockers are shooting 41 percent from the field, 36 percent from the 3-point line, and an RMAC-leading 79.2 percent at the free throw line. In addition, they are making 9.4 treys per game and are blocking 2.7 shots per game.

Defensively, South Dakota Mines' foes are shooting 47 percent from the field, 36 percent from the 3-point line, and 65 percent at the line. 

The Hardrockers are coached by Michael Iseman, who is in his first season at South Dakota Mines and his first season as a collegiate head coach. Iseman came to Rapid City after serving as an assistant coach at Missouri S&T. Iseman has compiled a 3-6 record with the Hardrockers.

Saturday's game marks the only meeting this season between the two schools as South Dakota Mines leads the all-time series, 9-5, including having won seven of the last 10 games in the series. The Pack, though, last season's lone meeting as they collected a 69-59 win at home over the Hardrockers. The Pack has never won at South Dakota Mines, as they are 0-6 in Rapid City and hold a 5-3 lead at home in the series.

UP NEXT
Following this weekend's two RMAC road games, the Pack will close out the 2025 calendar year with a 1 p.m. MT non-conference, South Central region contest on Saturday, Dec. 20, in Laredo, Texas, against Texas A&M-International University.