Wildcats With Texas-Sized Challenges To Open Season

Daemen to play three games at D2CCA Tip-Off Classic this weekend, including two against top-five teams

10/27/2021 5:15:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for Communications/Operations

D2CCA TIP-OFF CLASSIC PRESENTED BY SUDDENLINK
Oct. 29-31 | First United Center | Canyon, Texas
Tournament Central
Live Stream - All Games Via Lone Star Digital Network (with $10 daily subscription fee)
Tickets
Game Notes (PDF)

Friday, Oct. 29 - 6:30 PM (CDT)
(RV) Daemen (0-0, 0-0 ECC) vs. (RV) Minnesota State Moorhead (0-0, 0-0 NSIC)
Live Stats

Saturday, Oct. 30 - 6:30 PM (CDT)
(RV) Daemen vs. #4 Colorado Mesa (0-0, 0-0 RMAC)
Live Stats

Sunday, Oct. 31 - 6:30 PM (CDT)
(RV) Daemen vs. #3 West Texas A&M (0-0, 0-0 LSC)
Live Stats

FASTBREAK POINTS

1. TEXAS-SIZED CHALLENGES
Daemen opens the 2021-22 season with three games at the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic in Canyon, Texas. All three of Daemen's opponents were NCAA tournament qualifiers last season, and the slate includes a rematch of Daemen's first-ever NCAA Division II Elite Eight game vs. West Texas A&M. Friday's opponent, Minnesota State Moorhead, is receiving votes for the NABC top-25, while Colorado Mesa (No. 4) and West Texas A&M (No. 3) open the season with top-five national rankings.

2. RELOADED
Daemen is set to return 11 players, including all five starters, from their regional championship team – players responsible for 98% of scoring, 99% of rebounding and assists from a season ago. None is bigger, both literally and figuratively, than center Andrew Sischo who returns for a fifth collegiate season after averaging 26.9 points and 13.0 rebounds per game last season. Fellow All-ECC picks Sean Fasoyiro (13.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.9 apg) and Kyle Harris (12.5 ppg, 39% 3PT) also return, along with Ryan Salzberg (8.6 ppg, 36% 3PT) and Andrew Mason (12.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 49% 3PT).

3. A MAGICAL RUN
The Wildcats earned their third consecutive NCAA tournament berth and captured their first regional title last March. After entering the tournament as the No. 2 seed in the East Regional, the Wildcats ran to an 81-69 win over third-seeded Bloomfield in the regional semifinals, marking the program's first-ever NCAA tournament victory. The Wildcats followed up with a 71-70 defeat of top-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas in the regional final, avenging a loss just nine days prior in the ECC Championship final. Andrew Sischo was named the Most Outstanding Player of the East Regional after netting 25 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in the final. The Wildcats' run came to an end just over a week later in Evansville, Indiana where they suffered a 97-83 loss in the Elite Eight to top-seeded and eventual national runner-up West Texas A&M. The Wildcats finished with a 10-6 overall record and were ranked ninth in the final D2SIDA national media poll.

4. BIG MAN ON CAMPUS
Graduate student Andrew Sischo is arguably the most decorated Daemen student-athlete of all-time. He enters his final collegiate season as the active scoring (2,223) and rebounding (1,101) leader among all NCAA Division II players. A two-time consensus All-American, Sischo is coming off his finest season to date as he averaged career-highs in scoring (26.9 ppg – a Daemen single season record) and rebounding (13.0 rpg). Sischo Conference Preseason Player of the Year for an unprecedented fourth time earlier this month.

5. MILESTONE CHASE
Andrew Sischo is closing in on a pair of milestones. He needs just three rebounds to supplant Alex Nwora '93 as Daemen's all-time leading rebounder. He also stands just 25 points shy of chasing down former St. Thomas Aquinas star Justin Reyes to become to the all-time leading scorer in East Coast Conference history. Sischo is already Daemen's all-time scoring leader and the first player in program history to reach 2,000 points. He is only the second player in ECC history (Reyes) with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, and he already holds Daemen and ECC records for career field goals (882).

6. RETURN OF THE MAC
Mike MacDonald returns for his eighth season on Daemen's bench and his 25^th overall as a collegiate head coach. The veteran mentor has led Daemen to a 139-57 record since taking the reins in 2014. The Wildcats rank second in victories among all East Coast Conference and New York State Division II teams in that span. MacDonald is among an elite fraternity of coaches to have achieved 100 victories across all three NCAA divisions, and he enters the season just four wins shy of 400 for his career.

7. DO IT LIKE DAD SAYS
Daemen's most high profile roster addition came in the form of 6-foot-5 guard Nick MacDonald, the son of head coach Mike MacDonald, who elected to transfer after two seasons at Division I Niagara. The younger MacDonald provides another three-point shooting option to an already potent team. The Wildcats ranked second in the ECC and 32^nd nationally last season by averaging 9.6 made three-pointers per game. MacDonald shot 35% from deep and connected on 50 three-pointers in his two seasons with the Purple Eagles.

8. IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Guards Sean Fasoyiro and Andrew Mason each made immediate contributions during their first season with the program in 2020-21. Fasoyiro was a first-team All-ECC and NABC All-District selection after finishing second on the team in scoring (13.9) and rebounding (7.1) while leading the squad in assists (3.9). Fasoyiro, a graduate transfer from Franklin Pierce, is competing in a fifth collegiate season and holds 97 games of playing experience under his belt. Mason burst on the scene as a freshman and started all 16 contests. He averaged 12.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while leading the ECC in three-point field goal accuracy (.487).

SCOUTING MINNESOTA STATE MOORHEAD
MSU Moorhead is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, and the Dragons are led by veteran head coach Chad Walthall. Now entering his 12^th season on the MSU Moorhead sidelines, Walthall has led them to a 221-107 record and ranks second in program history for career wins. All five of the Dragons' NCAA tournament berths have happened under Walthall's guidance.

The Dragons return 12 players, including all five starters, from their 2020-21 team that finished 11-5 overall while returning to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017. The returning players accounted for 95% of scoring, 91% of rebounding and 97% of assists last season.

Junior guard Lorenzo McGhee headlines the MSUM returners after earning First Team All-NSIC North Division honors last season. McGhee was also named the NSIC North Division Newcomer of the Year as he averaged a team-high 13.4 points per game. Junior guard Gavin Baumgartner (13.3 ppg), junior guard Bryce Irsfeld (11.1 ppg, team-high 46 assists), sophomore forward Dane Zimmer (10.7 ppg, team-high 5.4 rpg) and senior forward Gatdoar Kueth (10.4 ppg) round out the Dragons' returning starters.

The Dragons ranked 35^thnationally and second in the NSIC for scoring offense (80.8 ppg) last season. They enter the 2021-22 season receiving votes in the NABC top-25 national poll.

SERIES HISTORY VS. MSU MOORHEAD
All-Time Series: 0-0

SCOUTING COLORADO MESA
Colorado Mesa is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, and the Mavericks are led by head coach Mike DeGeorge who enters his fourth season with the program. After spending 17 seasons as a Division III head coach (Eureka, Rhodes, Cornell College), DeGeorge's ascent to the Division II level has produced stellar results as he's led the Mavericks to a 61-22 record and two NCAA tournament berths.

The Mavericks are set to return 10 players, including four starters, from their 2020-21 team that finished 21-2 overall and 18-1 in RMAC play. After claiming their second straight RMAC tournament championship, the Mavericks entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 ranked team in the NABC top-25 poll, but were upset in the semifinal round of the West Regional by Colorado School of Mines.

Double-figure scorers Ethan Menzies (15.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg) and Georgie Dancer (12.6 ppg, 3.2 apg) headline the Colorado Mesa returners. Both players earned First Team All-RMAC honors last season. Menzies, a 6-foot-7 sophomore forward, was also named to the NABC All-America Team. Key contributors Reece Johnson (9.2 ppg), Blaise Threatt (8.9 ppg) and Christopher Speller (8.7 ppg) also return. All together, the Mavericks returns players responsible for 93% of scoring and assists, and 91% of rebounding from a season ago.

Colorado Mesa has been picked first in the RMAC preseason coaches' poll, and they enter the season ranked No. 4 in the NABC top-25 national poll. The Mavericks face No. 3 West Texas A&M Friday before taking on Daemen in Saturday's nightcap.

SERIES HISTORY VS. COLORADO MESA
All-Time Series: 0-0

SCOUTING WEST TEXAS A&M
West Texas A&M is a member of the Lone Star Conference, and the Buffs are led by veteran mentor Tom Brown. Entering his eighth season with the program, Brown has led the Buffs to a 181-41 overall record and four straight LSC championships.

Despite returning just seven letter-winners and absorbing the transfers of their three leading scorers, the Buffs enter the season ranked No. 3 in the NABC top-25 poll. Gone from last season are guards Joel Murray (Long Beach St.), Qua Grant (Wichita State) and Jon'il Fugett (Colorado-Colorado Springs) who powered the Buffs to a 19-3 record and a national runner-up finish. Returning players accounted for just 28% of scoring, 39% of rebounding, 20% of assists and 40% of available minutes last season.

Sophomore guards Zach Toussaint and Kavon Booker headline the West Texas returners after combining to make 24 starts last season. Toussaint averaged 10.0 points per game and shot 44% from three-point range with a team-high 61 three-point field goals. Booker chipped in 5.0 points in just under 16 minutes per contest. Guards JT Warren, Hayden Blankley and Cameron Bell also return after seeing double-figure minutes per contest.

The Buffs have been selected second in the LSC preseason poll. They'll face Colorado Mesa (Oct. 29) and MSU Moorhead (Oct. 30) before wrapping up the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic Sunday vs. Daemen.

SERIES HISTORY VS. WEST TEXAS A&M
All-Time Series: 0-1
At West Texas A&M: 0-0
Current Streak: Lost 1
Last Meeting: West Texas A&M 97, Daemen 83 | March 24, 2021 | at Evansville, Ind. | NCAA Division II Elite Eight

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