THIS WEEK
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's basketball team will continue their four-game road trip this weekend when they travel to Kearney, Neb. and Hays, Kan.  The Mountain Lions will play at the University of Nebraska at Kearney on Saturday at 11 a.m. (MT), and at Fort Hays State University on Sunday at 3 p.m. (MT).
 
ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN LIONS
The Mountain Lions opened the first week of the season with a split at the Tarleton State University Classic.  UCCS defeated TSU on their home court on Friday, 87-77, but fell to Angelo State University on Saturday, 84-74.
 
Elijah Ross leads the Mountain Lions in scoring, averaging 20 points per game.  He is shooting at a 62.5 percent clip from the floor (15-24) and 60 percent from long range (3-5).
 
Brandon Malone, DaRaun Clark and Padiet Wang are also averaging double figures in scoring.  Malone and Clark have netted 23 points each after the opening weekend, while Wang has scored 22 points.
 
Wang was named the season's first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week honors.  Wang stole the ball four times and blocked two shots in Stephenville, Texas.  He registered two steals and a blocked shot in each game, while contributing 15 rebounds (12 defensive), 22 points and four assists.  Sixteen of his 22 points came in the season opening game at TSU, while nine of his 15 caroms came against ASU.

SCOUTING NEBRASKA-KEARNEY
The Lopers enter the weekend with a 1-2 record.  UNK lost their season opener at Southern Nazarene, 88-69, but earned a two-point win the following day against Oklahoma Baptist.  UNK lost a 15-point decision to in-state rival Chadron State College on Nov. 15.  Saturday's game against UCCS will be the Lopers first home game of the season.
 
Kanon Koster leads the Lopers offense with 17.7 points per game, followed by Carter Burns' 11.7 scoring average.  UNK is shooting 40.8 percent from the floor but only 59.6 percent from the free throw line (31-of-52).
 
SCOUTING FORT HAYS STATE
The Tigers are off to an 0-2 start the season.  FHSU travelled to Marshall, Minn. where they fell to Sioux Falls (89-70) and Southwest Minnesota State (96-85).
 
Three Tigers are scoring in double figures led by Marcus Cooper's 18 points per game. The Tigers
 
HEAD COACH JEFF CULVER
Jeff Culver, who led UCCS to its first RMAC championship in program history, is in his seventh season as the Head Coach at UCCS in 2018-19. He's coached the only NBA Draft pick and the only All-Americans in program history in the past six years.

Culver was the only four-year head coach to offer Derrick White a scholarship out of high school, and he would become a two-time All-American and the No. 29 pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2017 NBA Draft. White played with Alex Welsh, the other All-American in program history, and the two hold the top spots in the UCCS career scoring records.

Culver came to UCCS after a seven-year career at Johnson & Wales, where he also doubled as athletic director for the final six years. As athletic director at Johnson & Wales, Culver led a $7 million renovation to campus athletic facilities.
 
UP NEXT
The Mountain Lions will open their home season on Monday, Nov. 26 against cross-town opponent, Colorado College.  Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. in Gallogly Events Center.