SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State men's basketball team will play its second exhibition game of the 2021-22 season as the team travels to Rochester, Mich. for a contest against the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies on Friday, Nov. 5. The game, which is set for a 7:00 p.m. tipoff, will be played at the Athletics Center O'Rena.
2020-21 Recap
Last season, the Lakers played a conference-only schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the abbreviated schedule, the Lakers combined for an 8-11 record, which led the team to an eighth place finish in the GLIAC. LSSU averaged 73.8 points per game on a 45.4 field goal percentage. The team finished the season with 34.6 three-point percentage, and averaged 32.4 rebounds per game during the 19 game season.
For their play during the 2020-21 season, junior forward Kemon Bassett was named First Team All-GLIAC, redshirt senior guard Malek Adams was named Second Team All-GLIAC and junior guard C.J. Robinson was named to the All-GLIAC Defensive Team.
Preparing for the New Season
The Lakers are led by Steve Hettinga, the all-time winningest coach in Laker Basketball history, who enters his 15th season in the role. Assistant coach Ted Stowe returns for his fifth season in the role on Hettinga's staff.
The Lakers will be led by a strong senior class which includes returners Kemon Bassett, Malek Adams, C.J. Robinson, David Wren, Justin Fischer and transfer Caden Ebeling, who joins the Lakers after a solid career at Albion College. Hettinga will look to this group's leadership on-and-off the court this season.
Lake Superior State will also be returning a junior class of Dan Few and Xander Okerlund as well as sophomores Blake Cassidy and Andy Soma.
Hettinga's squad will welcome a large freshman class this season with seven student-athletes joining the Lakers. The freshman class includes three players from Ann Arbor Huron High School (Tyson Edmondson, Kingsley Perkins and Devin Womack) who will look to build on their chemistry and success from their high school careers at the collegiate level. The remaining first-year players include Drew Hess, a 6-2 guard from Oscoda, Mich., Ben Patrick, a 6-2 guard from Oklahoma City, Okla., Kendall Smith, a 6-8 forward from Muskegon, Mich., and Hunter Soper, a 6-6 forward/guard from Lexington, Mich.
Last Game Recap
The Lakers are coming off an impressive 88-51 win over Alma College last Sunday in the team's first exhibition game of the season. A number of players made their Laker debut as this year's roster has a large incoming class.
Redshirt senior Malek Adams, who will be a key contributor for the Lakers this season, led the team with 16 points in the game as he went 7-for-15 against the Scots. In his debut as a Laker, Caden Ebeling, a redshirt senior transfer from Albion College, scored 14 points as he went 7-for-12 in the game. Ebeling, who will be relied on heavily this season by Hettinga, led the team with 26 minutes on the floor. The Lakers finished the opening game with a 53.0 shooting percentage and a 38.1 percent mark from three.
Scouting the Golden Grizzlies
Oakland University, a Division I team that competes in the Horizon League, will also play in their second exhibition game of the season tomorrow night. The Golden Grizzlies took on Eastern Michigan last Thursday in an exhibition charity game.
The Golden Grizzlies are coming off a 12-18 overall record during the 2020-21 season, and went 10-10 in conference play. Oakland's season came to a close in the Horizon League Championship title game last season. The team is coached by Greg Kampe, who begins his 38th season in the role at Oakland in 2021-22.
Oakland will be led by junior guard Jalen Moore, who was named to the Horizon League's preseason all-conference first team. Last season, Moore averaged 17.9 points, 8.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.7 steals. The guard was named to the Horizon League First Team last season as well as the NABC All-District First Team. Moore led all NCAA DI players in assists per game and total assists last season.
Up Next
Following the exhibition at Oakland, the Lakers will travel to Rolla, Mo. to compete in the Missouri S&T Crossover tournament next weekend. Lake Superior State will open with a game against Southwest Baptist at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 12 and play the host, Missouri S&T, on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 4:00 p.m.
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