Aberdeen, S.D. – The No. 12 Northern State University men's basketball team returns to Wachs Arena this weekend for the annual I Hate Winter festivities with games against Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State. Friday's 8 p.m. tip with the Cougars will be aired on MidcoSN as the NSIC Game of the Week. The Wolves will then match-up against the Mustangs at 6 p.m. on Saturday. For a full list of I Hate Winter information click here.
 
The Northern State men enter the I Hate Winter Weekend after a 2-1 week, with wins over Presentation and Minnesota Duluth. The Wolves are currently 20-2 overall and 13-1 in the league, sitting atop both the NSIC North and overall standings. NSU opened the week ranked at No. 12 in the NABC Top-25 Poll, earning 227 total points, after sitting at No. 8 the week prior. DJ Pollard and Ian Smith lead five Wolves in double figures, averaging 13.0 and 12.9 points per game. The Northern 'big men" Logan Doyle and Carter Evans are averaging 11.3 and 10.3 points per game, and shooting a team leading 64.0 and 63.4 percent from the floor. Smith has tallied a team leading 96 assists, averaging 4.4 per game, and 30 steals. Pollard leads the team from the arc shooting 45.5 percent, with 30 made 3-pointers.
 
NSU is shooting 50.4 percent from the floor, 40.4 percent from the 3-point line, and 73.8 percent from the charity stripe, while averaging 79.2 points, 35.8 rebounds, 15.6 assists, 11.9 turnovers, 5.8 steals, and 4.1 blocks per game this season. The Wolves are top-5 in the league in scoring offense (80.4), field goal percentage (50.9), field goal percentage defense (44.5), 3-point field goal percentage (42.0), blocked shots (3.6), assists (15.1), assist/turnover ratio (1.3), and 3-point field goals made (8.8). Northern leads the NSIC in scoring defense (67.7), scoring margin (+12.7), rebounding margin (+6.9), and offensive rebounds (10.5).
 
About the Cougars
• Sioux Falls enters the weekend 13-7 overall and 8-6 in the league sitting third overall in the NSIC South.
• Drew Guebert and Trevon Evans lead the team averaging 20.5 and 20.0 points and 5.9 and 5.3 rebounds per game this season.
• Austin Slater is shooting a team leading 56.5 percent from the floor, while Aaron Rothermund is shooting a team leading 40.4 percent from the 3-point line.
• Evans leads the team with 56 assist and 22 steals this season, while Guebert has knocked down a team leading 42 made 3-pointers.
• The Cougars are shooting 46.6 percent from the floor, 35.8 percent from the arc, and 72.7 percent from the foul line, while averaging 80.5 points, 39.2 rebounds, 13.6 assists, 11.8 turnovers, 5.4 steals, and 4.3 blocks per game this season.
• USF is led by head coach Chris Johnson in his tenth season at the helm.
 
Last Match-Up
• The Wolves defeated the Cougars 86-84 in 2016-17.
• Ian Smith led four Wolves in double figures with 20 points in the win, shooting 58.3 percent.
• Logan Doyle notched a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 71.4 percent.
• Northern is 70-23 all-time against Sioux Falls and currently on an 8-game win streak.
 
About the Mustangs
• Southwest Minnesota State enters the weekend with a 14-6 record overall and 10-4 mark in the league, sitting second in the NSIC South and fourth in the NSIC overall standings.
• Ryan Bruggeman leads three in double figures averaging 16.8 points per game.
• Carter Kirk and KJ Davis are averaging 14.4 and 10.3 points per game, with Kirk notching 9.8 rebounds per game as well.
• Kirk is shooting a team leading 60.0 percent from the floor, while Turner Moen is shooting a team leading 52.9 percent from the 3-point line.
• Bruggeman has dished out a team leading 111 assists, averaging 5.6 per game, and grabbed a team leading 35 steals.
• The Mustangs are shooting 48.6 percent from the floor, 40.3 percent from the 3-point line, and 74.1 percent from the foul line, while averaging 79.8 points, 35.2 rebounds, 14.7 assists, 10.3 turnovers, 6.6 steals, and 2.7 blocks per game.
• Southwest is led by head coach Brad Bigler in his 19th season with the program and ninth at the helm.
 
Last Match-Up
• The Wolves defeated the Mustangs 81-68 in Marshall on November 15th.
• Logan Doyle led five in double figures with 17 points, shooting 63.6 percent from the floor.
• NSU notched 50 points in the paint and shot 55.4 percent as a team in the win.
• Northern is 65-25 all-time against Southwest, with a non-conference victory earlier this season.