SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State men's basketball team will open the 2021 season against the Wayne State Warriors with a two-game home series on Friday, Jan. 8 at 3:00 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 9 at 1:00 p.m. in the Bud Cooper Gymnasium in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Due to COVID-19 related changes in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) scheduling process for the 2021 season, teams will play a pair of games against the same opponent each weekend.
The Lakers
The Lake Superior State men's basketball team is primed for a strong return in 2021, following a 12-16 overall record during the 2019-20 season. The Lakers are led by Head Coach Steve Hettinga, the all-time winningest coach in LSSU men's basketball program history, who enters his 14th season in the role this year.
One key addition to this year's Lakers roster is the return of Malek Adams to the lineup. Adams, who was named First Team All-Conference as a junior in 2018-19, was out for the entire 2019-20 season due to a knee injury. As a junior, Adams averaged 16.0 points per game with a 49.0 shooting percentage and a 40.9 percentage from outside the circle.
Among the other key returners for the Lakers this season are junior guard C.J. Robinson, sophomore guard Nigel Colvin, and junior guard Justin Fischer. Robinson is the only returning player to have started all 28 games for the Lakers last season and ranked second on the team in assists (87). Colvin, who was a top freshman in the GLIAC last season, had the most points among all returning players on the Lakers last season with 307 and 11.0 points per game. Fischer led the team last season with a 51.0 shooting percentage, 97 assists and his 124 rebounds is the most among returning players.
The Lakers will add four players to this year's roster with two freshmen and two transfers joining the team. The freshmen class consists of a pair of guards, Andy Soma (Traverse City, Mich.) and guard Blake Cassidy (Pellston, Mich.) while the transfers are both joining the Lakers from Schoolcraft Community College. Kemon Bassett, a 6-6 forward, and David Wren, a 6-2 guard, will continue their collegiate careers together at LSSU this season.
Preseason Poll
The Lake Superior State men's basketball team was ranked third in the 2020-21 GLIAC North Division Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll as announced by the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) on Wednesday, Dec. 16. The Lakers received 40 points, which included one first place vote to earn the third spot in the rankings.
Senior Malek Adams was named to the 2020-21 GLIAC Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team for the North Division. Adams was a First Team All-GLIAC honoree as a junior in 2018-19 and missed the 2019-20 season with a knee injury.
Scouting the Warriors
The Warriors finished the 2019-20 season with a 7-17 overall record, a result of a depleted lineup.
Wayne State's Head Coach, David Greer, who is set to begin his 20th season as the Warriors bench boss, will look to lead the team back to the top of the GLIAC standings. A healthy Darian Owens-White returns to the active roster, and joins First Team All-GLIAC honoree Brailen Neely giving Wayne State a formidable backcourt tandem. Owens-White was a Second Team All-GLIAC selection in 2018-19.
The lineup will be bolstered by redshirt sophomore Avery Lewis, who missed all of 2019-20 due to GLIAC transfer rules, plus the addition of transfers Jackie Harris and Kenny Pittman, Jr., from Oakland University.
Two-year letter winners Antonio Marshall and LJ DeWolf are also back in the fold, along with a quartet of players who earned their first WSU letter a season ago. Graduate student James Gordon IV and sophomores Nate Talbot and Kylin Grant all saw significant playing time last year. Junior Kris Garrett and junior college transfer Cortez Jackson add depth to the roster.
Two true freshmen in Mike Robinson and Ray Williams, Jr., will be joined by redshirt freshmen Cadin Augustine (108 minutes played a year ago) and Ryan Webb.
Follow the Lakers
Due to State of Michigan, GLIAC and Lake Superior State University mandates, fans are not currently permitted to attend any Laker sporting events. Even though spectators cannot currently attend Laker home games, there are still a number of ways that fans will be able to follow the game action. All Laker home games during the 2021 season will be available to watch live on Stretch TV. For more information or to sign up for a subscription, visit https://portal.stretchinternet.com/lssu/. Fans can also tune in to the radio broadcast on ESPN 1400, the official radio station of Laker basketball.
For more information, visit lssulakers.com
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