UIndy Greyhounds vs. Saginaw Valley Cardinals
Friday, Nov. 8, 3 p.m. ET, Knights Hall, Louisville, KY

UIndy Greyhounds vs. Northwood Timberwolves
Saturday, Nov. 9, 3 p.m. ET, Knights Hall, Louisville, KY

ON TAP
The UIndy men's basketball team opens up the 2018-19 regular season down in Louisville, Ky. this weekend with a pair of in-region contests on the campus of Bellarmine University. The Greyhounds tip off against Saginaw Valley on Friday, before concluding the trip with Northwood on Saturday afternoon. 

This season marks the third consecutive year UIndy - along with Bellarmine - will meet up with the GLIAC tandem.

ABOUT SAGINAW VALLEY
The Cardinals return their top four scorers from a season ago, including All-GLIAC Second-Team selection Myles Belyeu. As a rookie, Belyeu averaged a team-best 18.3 points per game to with his 6.2 boards per contest. Darnell Hoskins Jr. (All-GLIAC second team), James Toohey and Fred John Jr. also return in 2019-20. 

Saginaw Valley was selected to finish fifth in the GLIAC South Division by the 12 league coaches.

As a team, SVSU finished last season with a 10-18 record and missed the GLIAC postseason tournament after winning just six games in league action. The Cardinals did pick up a win over No. 18 Ashland on senior day, however, ending the campaign on a high note.

Head coach Randy Baruth enters his eighth season at the helm. The Alpena, S.D., native led the Cardinals to the program's first Elite Eight appearance in March 2016.

ABOUT NORTHWOOD
Similar to its fellow GLIAC member Saginaw Valley, Northwood has three of its top four scorers returning to a program that won 12 games a year ago. Ja"Kavien Lewis begins his second season at Northwood after claiming GLIAC Freshman of the Year honors, as well as All-GLIAC Second-Team accolades in 2018-19. Senior Trey McBride also returns, coming off a junior campaign in which he was rewarded All-Defensive team honors from the GLIAC coaches.

Picked to finish fourth in the GLIAC South Division this season, the Timberwolves faces a tough schedule to team with their conference slate. Along with facing Bellarmine and UIndy, Northwood will take on NCAA tournament mainstay Findlay and other in-region foes Cedarville and Malone. Northwood will also take a trip to the Sunshine State to battle Florida Southern and Eckerd. 

Head coach Jeff Rekeweg enters his ninth season in Midland. A graduate of Nebraska Lincoln, Rekeweg was named the GLIAC Coach of the Year after the 2011-12 season. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Greyhounds hung around in the opening half, inching within five after a deep ball by Trevor Lakes with five minutes left. However, Butler scored seven of the final eight points of the half to lead UIndy, 34-23.
 
The second half proved to be all Bulldogs, with the Big East hosts drilling 61.5 percent of their shots from the floor in the final 20 minutes. Miller Jr. was one of the few bright spots in the second half, scoring 10 of his 13 points after the break.
 
Freshman Ben Nicoson led all Greyhound rookies with nearly 14 minutes of action, hitting his lone field-goal attempt of the night from deep. Josh Bryan joined his classmate in the scoring column late, also nailing a 3-ball with a couple minutes left in the contest.

RAMBLIN' TO VICTORY
Once junior Trevor Lakes drilled a 3-pointer with 18:58 on the clock in the first half to break the scoreless tie, the Greyhounds never looked back in their wire-to-wire victory over Loyola last Tuesday evening. The stout UIndy defense did now allow Loyola to score for the first 5:13 of the game, and again held the Ramblers scoreless for the first 4:24 of the second half. Overall, UIndy forced 17 turnovers with eight steals, while limiting Loyola to 36.7 percent shooting from the field.

LIVING LEGACY
UIndy freshman guard Ben Nicoson is a fourth-generation Greyhound, following in the footsteps of Angus (great grandfather), Dan (grandfather) and Brent (father). Nicoson Hall, home of UIndy basketball, is named after Angus, who is the program's all-time wins leader as a coach with 483 victories.

Brent is the head coach for both golf teams at UIndy, and has won two national titles (2015 and 2018) with the women's squad.

DEEP LAKES
Speaking of Lakes, the Lebanon, Ind., native drained six 3-pointers in last Tuesday's win at Loyola, all while grabbing six boards in 24 minutes of action. Lakes, who led the GLVC in 3-pointers made per game last season, shot 54.5 percent from deep against the Ramblers.

BENCH TIME
Sophomore Jacob Polakovich did not draw a start during UIndy's exhibition schedule, but  logged 70 minutes between the three contests. The Grand Rapids, Mich., native went six of eight from the field, while also recording 16 rebounds. 

DASH TO THE FINISH
Senior Jordache Mavunga tallied a double-double in last Wednesday's loss at Xavier, finishing the game with 13 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes. Mavunga also handed out two assists and recorded one steal.

Mavunga also totaled nine points, three rebounds and two assists against Loyola and Butler.

NEWCOMER LANE
UIndy boasts a high number of newcomers in 2019-20, with eight of the team's 16 players tabbed as newcomers this season. Of the eight, five are freshmen and three are transfers, with Dee Montgomery (Purdue Fort Wayne) and Trevor Banks (Arkansas Pine Bluff) coming in from NCAA DI programs. Cory Miller Jr. was named an All-America First-Team selection his final season at John Wood CC. 

Jesse Bingham was named an Indiana All-Star after his senior season at Warren Central, the lone NCAA DII commit to earn the distinction. Joining Bingham as rookies for UIndy are fellow all-state players Josh Bryan, Frankie Davidson and Kendrick Tchoua, along with Ben Nicoson. 

HOMEGROWN HOUNDS
UIndy has five players from the Indianapolis area, including Jesse Bingham (Warren Central) and Jimmy King (Roncalli). Overall, head coach Stan Gouard has 10 players from the state of Indiana.