PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo men's basketball team will look to continue its strong start to the 2026 calendar year here this week as the ThunderWolves host a pair of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opponents at Massari Arena.
CSU Pueblo will open the week on Thursday, Jan. 15 with a 7:30 p.m. game against Colorado School of Mines, before concluding the three-game homestand on Saturday, Jan. 17 against Regis University at 3 p.m. This week's two games are the fourth and fifth games in the New Year for the Pack as they are sporting a 3-0 record in the New Year.
The ThunderWolves enter the week sporting a 10-4 overall record and a 4-2 in the RMAC after picking up an 82-73 win last Thursday at UCCS and a 70-49 home win last Saturday against Colorado Christian to extend its win streak to three consecutive victories.
This week's two games mark the ninth and 10th home games in Massari Arena for the Pack as the Pack is sporting a 6-2 record at home and is 2-1 at home in RMAC play. Since its 62-60 loss to Western Colorado on Dec. 6, the Pack have reeled off two straight home wins to open the New Year as along with the win over Colorado Christian, the Pack opened 2026 with a 70-57 non-conference victory over New Mexico Highlands.
ABOUT THE PACK
CSU Pueblo continues to be one of the top defense teams in Division II men's basketball as the Pack enters this week's action leading the RMAC and ranking 19th nationally in Division II in scoring defense, allowing just 64.3 points per game. The Pack has held nine of its 14 opponents under 70 points and they also lead the RMAC in field goal percentage defense (39.0 percent) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (29.2 percent), which rank 16th and 29th nationally in Division II, respectively. Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Pack is 19-2 when holding opponents under 60 points, including a perfect 4-0 mark this season.
Additionally, the ThunderWolves, coached by first-year head coach
Zach Ruebesam, are sixth in the league in rebounding as they are averaging 37.7 boards per game and are fourth in the league in rebound margin at +5.3, and are second in the league in scoring margin at +9.9.
Offensively, the Pack is averaging 74.1 points per game and is shooting 44.1 percent from the field, 34.7 percent from the 3-point line, and is 10th in the league in free throw shooting at 71.5 percent. Additionally, the Pack is fourth in the league in assists per game (15.5), fifth in steals per game (7.4), and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.21). Sophomore guard
Mac Terry (Castle Pines, Colo./South Dakota Mines) leads the RMAC and is second nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.64 as he has had 51 assists and just 14 turnovers in 14 games and senior guard
Sam Howery (Colorado Springs, Colo./St. Mary's) is second in the RMAC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.93 as he has had 41 assists and 14 turnovers on the season.
Along with leading the league in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense and 3-point field goal percentage defense, the Pack is also among the league leaders in both turnovers forced per game and turnover margin. The Pack is seventh in the RMAC in turnovers forced per game (13.4) and fifth in turnover margin (+0.6) as the Pack is committing just 12.9 turnovers per game as a team. In RMAC play, the Pack is averaging 10.5 turnovers per game and have a +2.2 turnover margin as their six league foes have averaged 12.7 turnovers per game.
Through 14 games this season, the Pack has two players – sophomore guard/forward
Jordan Blair (Keller, Texas/Keller Central) and redshirt junior guard
Jaden Kennis (Windsor, Colo./MSU Denver) – averaging in double figures this season. Those two players have combined to score 390 of the Pack's 1,038 points and have scored 37.6 percent of the Pack's points this season. Blair has scored 205 points and is averaging 14.6 points per game, while Kennis has scored 185 points and is averaging 13.2 points per game.
Along with averaging a team-leading 14.6 points per game, Blair is also the team's leading rebounder as he is averaging 7.0 boards per game and is shooting 48 percent from the field, 46 percent from the 3-point line, and 68 percent from the free throw line and has scored in double figures in 11 of 14 games this season, including tallying double figures in scoring in three straight games.
In addition to scoring 13.2 points per game, Kennis is averaging 5.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game and is shooting 42 percent from the field, 32 percent from the 3-point line and 81 percent at the free throw line and has scored in double figures in 11 of 14 games and has pulled down six or more rebounds in game 10 times, including pulling down eight rebounds each in three of his last four games.
Two other Pack players are averaging over 7.0 points per game this season – junior guard
Dylan Sanders (Aurora, Colo./Pearl River CC) and redshirt sophomore forward
Ty Adam (Severance, Colo./Severance). Sanders, who has scored in double figures in three straight games, is averaging 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game and is shooting 40 percent from the field, 31.5 percent (17-for-54) from the 3-point line and a team-leading 82.6 percent (38-for-46) at the free throw line, which is 11th in the RMAC. He leads the team in steals with 19 and his 17 made 3-pointers are second-most on the team. Meanwhile, Adam is averaging 7.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game and is shooting 48 percent from the field, 50 percent (7-for-14) from the 3-point line and 72.7 percent (24-for-33) at the free throw line. Adam has tallied double figures in three of his last five games and five times overall this season, including a career-high 13 points in the Pack's 65-56 home win over Westminster.
ABOUT COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
Colorado School of Mines comes into this week's action as one of the hottest teams in the league as the Orediggers have won four straight and seven of its last 10 games overall after collecting home wins last weekend over Chadron State (74-60) and South Dakota Mines (88-72). Mines is sporting an 8-9 overall record and is tied for third in the RMAC standings with a 4-2 league record. Mines, who are the defending RMAC Champions, opened the season losing its first five games and went 1-6 in its first seven games, before winning seven of its next 10 games.
The Orediggers, who have played one of the toughest schedules in Division II this season as their previous Division II opponents have posted a 117-99 overall record, are playing their 11th game away from home this season on Thursday as Mines is just 2-8 on the road, including being 1-4 on opponents' home courts. In addition, Mines is 0-2 on the road in RMAC play as they lost at Colorado Mesa (81-73) and at Westminster (87-70).
Mines, who was tabbed second in the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll as they earned 167 points and three first place votes, has four players averaging in double figures with junior guard Markus Pastorcic-Straun leading the way as he is averaging 19.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game and is shooting 53 percent from the field and 47 percent from the 3-point line and has tallied 12 double-digit scoring games, including seven games with 20 or more points.
In addition to Pastorcic-Straun, junior forward Jonathan Moore is averaging 13.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game and is shooting 47 percent from the field, 48 percent from the 3-point line and 90 percent at the line, while junior forward Alex Romack is averaging 13.1 points per game and is second in the league in rebounding at 8.9 boards per game and is shooting 52 percent from the field and has had 10 double-doubles, including three straight double-doubles and freshman guard Kasen Lehman is averaging 13.0 points per game and is shooting 53 percent from the field.
As a team, Mines is averaging 78.1 points and is allowing 76.6 points per game and they have scored over 80 points in seven games. In addition, Mines is shooting 44 percent from the field and 34 percent from the 3-point line and is second in the league in rebounding at 39.1 rebounds per game and offensive rebounding (14.1) and is third in the RMAC in both assists (16.4) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2). Defensively, the Orediggers are second in the league in blocked shots (4.3) and third in 3-point field goal defense (32.2 percent) and their foes are shooting 45 percent from the field.
Mines is coached by Pryor Orser, who is in his 25th season with the Orediggers and has compiled a 482-241 overall record and is 339-159 in RMAC play. Orser is the winningest coach in RMAC history and has led Mines to six regular season RMAC titles, three RMAC Tournament title, 14 NCAA Tournament appearances and two Division II Elite Eight appearances.
Thursday's game marks the first of two meetings this season between the team schools as the Pack holds a slight 35-34 all-time edge in the series. The Pack leads 20-16 in Pueblo, but Mines leads the series, 18-14 in Golden, Colo. The Orediggers, though, have won 11 straight games in the series as the last time the Pack defeated Mines was on Jan. 20, 2018 as the Pack collected an 83-79 win in Golden. Last season, Mines earned a 96-75 win on its home court and then picked up a 76-71 win in Pueblo. The teams will play in Golden on Feb. 21.
ABOUT REGIS
Regis, who plays on Thursday at UCCS before traveling to Pueblo on Saturday, comes into this week's action sporting a 1-11 overall record and has an 0-6 record in the RMAC. The Rangers have lost eight straight games since picking up a 97-93 win at home against UT-Dallas on Nov. 22. The win over UT-Dallas has been Regis' only win of the 2025-26 season.
The Rangers are 0-5 on the road this season, including being 0-2 on the road in RMAC with the losses coming at Western Colorado (98-72) and Colorado Mesa (90-62). In addition, the Rangers are 1-6 at home overall, including being 0-3 at home in RMAC play.
Regis, who was tabbed to finish 14th in the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll as they earned 46 points from the league's head coaches, has three players averaging in double figures as freshman guard Luke Soden leads the way as he is averaging 16.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and is shooting 47 percent from the field and 42 percent from the 3-point line and has scored in double figures in three straight games and five games overall.
In addition to Soden, junior guard Cooper Firth is averaging 15.7 points and 2.1 assists per game and is shooting 43 percent from the field, 37 percent at the 3-point line and 86 percent at the free throw line, while senior guard Gunner Walters is averaging 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and an RMAC-best 6.7 assists per game and is shooting 47 percent from the field, 33 percent from the 3-point line and 78 percent at the free throw line.
As a team, Regis is averaging 65 points per game and is allowing 88 points per game and is shooting 45 percent from the field, 36 percent from the 3-point line and 72 percent from the free throw line. Defensively, Regis' foes are shooting 50 percent from the field and 43 percent from the 3-point line.
Regis is coached by former NBA player Rex Walters, who played collegiately at both Northwestern and Kansas, is in his first season with the Rangers. Prior to coaching at Regis, Walters, who was the head coach at both Florida Atlantic (2006-08) and San Francisco (2008-16), coached in both the NBA G-League (Grand Rapids) and the NBA (Hornets and Pelicans).
Saturday's game with Regis, which is the only meeting this season between the two schools, marks the 82nd all-time meeting in the series with the Pack holding a 49-32 lead in the series. The Pack is 28-11 at home in the series, while Regis leads 21-20 in Denver. The Rangers have won six of the last 10 games in the series, including collecting a 92-59 win in last season's lone meeting at Regis on Jan. 18.
UP NEXT
Following this week's action, the Pack will hit the road for the first time in the New Year as they begin a two-week, four-game road trip on Thursday, Jan. 22 at Adams State for a 7:30 p.m. game and then travel to Las Vegas, N.M., for a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Jan. 24 at New Mexico Highlands. The Pack earned a 70-57 win over the Cowboys in its non-conference finale on Jan. 3 at Massari Arena.
