This Week's Matchup
UCCS Men's Basketball open their 2021-22 regular season by heading down south to Texas and Oklahoma for a pair of non-conference games. The Mountain Lions' first game will be up against Midwestern State University on Friday, Nov. 12 at 6:30 p.m. (MT) followed by a second 6:30 p.m. (MT) game on Saturday, Nov. 13 against Cameron University.
 
Game Coverage
* Live Stream at Midwestern State 
Live Stats at Midwestern State
* Live Stream at Cameron University
Live Stats at Cameron University
 
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Season Outlook

• The Mountain Lions received 134 points to be selected fourth in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• The 2020-21 Mountain Lions and the rest of the RMAC competed in a conference specific schedule last season as UCCS finished with a 7-9 overall and conference record to place seventh in the RMAC standings. With a 0.5 scoring margin, the Mountain Lions were a top-5 team in the conference as they averaged 75.1 points per game. UCCS also averaged 11.4 offensive rebounds per game to tie for the best average in the conference while holding opponents to the RMAC's third lowest per game average of 29.8 rebounds.

RMAC Preseason Players to Watch

• The Mountain Lions landed two student-athletes on the RMAC Players to Watch list with All-RMAC First Teamer Alijah Comithier and transfer Jon'il Fugett being selected.
• A starter in all 14 of his appearances, Comithier had a breakout season as he averaged 19.1 points (seventh in the RMAC), 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Comithier finished the season with 267 points, 69 rebounds and five blocks as he snatched 14 steals in his route to an All-RMAC First Team selection and RMAC Offensive Player of the Week award on Jan. 25. The 6-foot-5 Texas Native shot 60 percent from the field (third in the RMAC), 37 percent from three and 78 percent from the free throw line. He went on to tab three different games with a steal as he posted a career high 33 points against MSU Denver on Jan. 21.
• A transfer from West Texas A&M University, Fugett Started in all 22 games for the Buffs as a junior averaging 12.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He shot 43.4 percent from the floor, 35.3 percent from 3-point range and 77.3 percent from the charity stripe. On his way to earning All-Lone Star Conference Second Team honors, Fugett scored in the double figures in 16 games while also adding three games with 20-plus points including a career-high 23 points in a win over Western New Mexico on Feb. 9. In WT's Elite Eight victory over Daemen, the Colorado Native scored 22 points with four 3-pointers as he helped the Buffs make a Final Four and National Championship appearance. Fugett also posted a season-high eight rebounds against UT Permian Basin and had seven assists in a win over Angelo State on Feb. 4.

The Series

• UCCS owns a 1-0 all-time record against MSU with the school's first-ever matchup happening back on Nov. 8, 2019 where the Mountain Lions won 69-61.
• The Mountain Lions also hold a perfect 2-0 all-time record over Cameron with the most recent matchup also happening in 2019 where UCCS walked away with a 90-62 win on Nov. 9.

Scouting Midwestern State

• Midwestern State was picked to finish sixth in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll of coaches, after finishing with an 11-8 overall record and 10-7 conference record.
• The Mustangs return 12 letter winners and combination of six players who combined to make all but 10 available starts during the 2020-21 season.
• MSU shot 45 percent from the field as a team while also posting a three-point percentage of 36 percent and shooting 75 percent from the charity line.
• Senior forward Luke Hamilton was the team's third leading scorer at 11.2 points per game. He also ranked fifth on the squad pulling down 5.8 rebounds per game. He connected on 40.4 percent of his shot from the arc and ranked second in the LSC and 16th in NCAA Division II knocking down 3.21 triples per game.
• Junior guard Terrell Wilson led the Mustangs in scoring with 12.8 points per game in 2020-21. Wilson booked four games with at least 20 points while going for double digits on 12 occasions.
• Senior Jermane Carter averaged 10.5 points per game while leading MSU by grabbing 7.6 rebounds a contest to rank fifth in the LSC. Carter was a top rebounder in the nation in NCAA Division II as he led the LSC and ranked seventh nationally collecting 4.47 offensive boards a game.

Scouting Cameron

• Cameron was voted to finish 15th in the LSC with 138 total points. The Aggies are coming off a shortened 2020-21 season where the Aggies won two of their 17 games, all of which were against league opponents.
• After missing the conference postseason for the second straight year, the Aggies brought back just six players from last year's team and brought in eight new additions. Of those returners, CU gets back leading scorer Brock Schreiner, who averaged 17.2 points per game. Freshman Marques Warrior Jr. also returns after averaging 10.0 points, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals his first year on campus.
• Connor Slater is the top returning forward, averaging 8.2 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 48 percent from the floor his second year on campus.

Hot Takes

• UCCS return 12 Mountain Lions from the 2020-21 season including starters Alijah Comithier, Geoff Kelly, Jezza McKenzie, and Wyatt Dolberry who all started over half of last year's games.
• Head Coach Jeff Culver looks to stay undefeated against both Cameron and MSU as he holds a 1-0 record against both teams.
• The Mountain Lions are 4-5 in season openers with Culver at the helm.

UCCS Under Head Coach Jeff Culver

• Jeff Culver, who led UCCS to its first RMAC championship in program history, is in his 10th season as the Head Coach of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's basketball program in 2021-22. He's coached the only NBA Draft pick and the only All-Americans in program history in the past seven years.
• In nine season as head coach, Culver holds a .554 winning percentage with a 138-11 overall record that includes, seven RMAC Tournament appearances, one RMAC Tournament Championship, a 5-6 RMAC Tournament record, two NCAA Tournament appearances, and a 1-2 NCAA Tournament record.

Upcoming Games

• UCCS will make their home debut for the 2021-22 season on Sunday, Nov. 21 as the Mountain Lions battle University of Maine at Fort Kent at 5:30 p.m. inside Gallogly Events Center.

 
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 16 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.