Winona State Men's Basketball Gameday Program

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL INTEGRATED WELLNESS COMPLEX - 157 W. MARK ST. WINONA, MN 55987

PETE WATKINS, DIRECTOR OF ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS | PWATKINS@WINONA.EDU | 507.450.0681

2021-22 MBB SCHEDULE

NOVEMBER SUN - 7 FRI - 12 SAT - 13 WED - 17 TUE - 23 FRI - 26 SAT - 27

SAINT MARY'S (MINN.) UNIV. (EXH) @ PITTSBURG STATE UNIV.# @ HENDERSON STATE UNIV.# VS. VITERBO UNIVERSITY @ UPPER IOWA UNIVERSITY* @ MINNESOTA STATE - MOORHEAD! @ UMARY!

W, 77-61 W, 79-68 W, 79-62 W, 84-56 L, 72-85 L, 67-76 W, 86-70

DECEMBER THUR - 2 @ CONCORDIA - ST. PAUL* SAT - 4 VS #17 MSU - MANKATO* FRI - 10 @ SOUTHWEST MINN. STATE* SAT - 11 @ UNIV. OF SIOUX FALLS * FRI - 17 VS. WAYNE STATE COLLEGE* SAT - 18 VS. AUGUSTANA UNIV. * MON - 20 @ MICHIGAN TECH

W, 68-63 W, 73-59 L, 49-50 L, 57-71 NO CONTEST NO CONTEST NO CONTEST

Winona State (9-4/5-3) vs. Minnesota Duluth (15-0/8-0) Friday, Jan. 14 | 5:30pm

vs

Winona State (9-4/5-3) vs. St. Cloud State (8-6/4-3) Saturday, Jan. 15 | 3:30pm

vs

JANUARY SUN - 2 VS. #13 UPPER IOWA UNIV.* FRI - 7 @ BEMIDJI STATE* SAT - 8 @ MINNESOTA CROOKSTON* FRI - 14 VS MINNESOTA DULUTH* SAT - 15 VS ST. CLOUD STATE* FRI. - 21 @ MSU- MOORHEAD* SAT- 22 @ NORTHERN STATE * FRI - 28 VS. UMARY * JAN - 29 VS. MINOT STATE*

W, 73-68 OT W, 79-74 W, 70-65 5:30PM 3:30PM 7:30PM 5:30PM 7:30PM 5:30PM

FEBRUARY FRI - 4 @ AUGUSTANA UNIV.* SAT- 5 @ WAYNE STATE COLLEGE* FRI - 11 VS. UNIV. OF SIOUX FALLS* SAT - 12 VS. SOUTHWEST MINN. STATE* THU - 17 VS. CONCORDIA - ST. PAUL* SAT - 19 @ MSU-MANKATO*

7:30PM 5:30PM 7:30PM 5:30PM 7:30PM 7:30PM

NSIC / SANFORD HEALTH TOURNAMENT WED - 23 NSIC FIRST ROUND CAMPUS SITES SAT - 26 NSIC QUARTERFINALS PENTAGON SUN- 27 NSIC SEMIFINALS PENTAGON

TBD TBD TBD

MARCH TUE - 1

NSIC CHAMPIONSHIP

*- NSIC GAME #- CENTRAL REGION CHALLENGE, KANSAS CITY, MO

!- MSUM THANKSGIVING CLASSIC

TBD

Kings of the North Winona State will take on the top two teams in the NSIC North standings this weekend. Minnesota Duluth is in first at 8-0 in the NSIC and SCSU is 4-3 in the league and currently second in the NSIC North.

Home sweet home The Warriors are 3-0 at home this season with two victories over ranked opponents. WSU defeated #17 Minnesota State and #13 Upper Iowa earlier this season. They will look to add another ranked victory to their resume on Friday against #5 Minnesota Duluth.

High-scoring Dogs All five of Minnesota Duluth's starters average more than 10 points/game, with Drew Blair (18.7) and Austin Andrews (17.8) leading the pack. The Bulldogs have the highest-scoring offense in the NSIC averaging 89 points/game.

Huskies on the run St. Cloud State has the top-three individuals in the NSIC for minutes played per game. Expect to see Anthony Roberts (37.2), Caleb Donaldson (37.1), and Ryan Bagley (35.3) on the court for the majority of the game for the Huskies.

Jampacked South Heading into the weekend, Winona State is tied for third in the NSIC South standings with a 5-3 NSIC record. Six of the eight NSIC South teams are within two games of each other, ranging from 4-4 to 6-2.

MEDIA INFORMATION WATCH: HBC 25 SPORTS / NSIC NETWORK LISTEN: KQAL 89.5 FM *REGULAR SEASON ONLY

Double-double machine Luke Martens has four double-doubles in his last six games. The 6-3 forward has been a force to reckon with on the glass, and is averaging 8.2 rebounds/game.

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL WARRIOR BASKETBALL 2021-22 SEASON INDIVIDUAL QUICK GLANCE

LEADING SCORER: ALEC ROSNER, 16.7 PTS/GAME LEADING REBOUNDER: LUKE MARTENS, 8.2/GAME FIELD-GOAL %: DEVIN WHITELOW, 50.9% ASSISTS/GAME: DEVIN WHITELOW, 3.8/GAME 3-POINTER/GAME: ALEC ROSNER, 2.0/GAME 3-POINT FG %: ALEC ROSNER, 40.6% MIN / GAME: ALEC ROSNER, 35.2 MIN/GAME AST / TO RATIO: OWEN KING, 3.18 PTS OFF THE BENCH: CONNOR DILLON, 8.4 PTS/GAME FT %: CONNOR DREW, 81.8% STEALS/GAME: DEVIN WHITELOW, 1.4/GAME DOUBLE-DOUBLES: ALEC ROSNER (VS UIU) LUKE MARTENS (VS MSU, USF, UIU, BSU)

WARRIOR BASKETBALL

Winona State University 2021-22 Men's Basketball Roster # 1 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 15 22 24 30 31 33

Name Devin Whitelow Connor Dillon Declan Dillon Alou Dillon Alec Rosner Owen King Luke Martens Dustin Beauprey Carson Arenz Sam Hytinen Nick Klug Drew Adams Connor Drew Carter Lomas Cal Greene

Pos. G G G F G G G G F G G F F F G

STEALS: 10, JONTE FLOWERS V. MINN.-CROOKSTON, 2/23/2008 BLOCKED SHOTS: 9, JOHN SMITH V. NEBRASKA-KEARNY, 3/11/2007 FREE THROWS MADE: 21-22, DAVE MEISER V UIU, 12/4/1966 FIELD GOALS MADE: 19-44, CARTER GLAD, SMSU, 2/17/1989 3-POINTERS MADE: 10-16, JAMIE CARRIER, V UM-MORRIS, 1/26/2002

WARRIOR BASKETBALL

Hometown Peoria, Ill. Peoria, Ill. Peoria, Ill. Wauwatosa, Wis. Appleton, Wis. Caledonia, Minn.

Apple Valley, Minn.

Horizon, Wis. Onalaska, Wis. Delafield, Wis. Burlington, Wis. Woodbury, Minn.

Huxley, Iowa Wauzeka, Wis. Mahtomedi, Minn.

Previous School Washington Peoria Notre Dame Peoria Notre Dame South Dakota State Kimberly South Dakota State Apple Valley Mountain Top Christian Onalaska Arrowhead Union Burlington East Ridge Ballard Wauzeka - Steuben Mahtomedi

2021-22 NSIC STANDINGS

INDIVIDUAL SINGLE GAME RECORDS

ASSISTS: 15, DARREN MILLER V. SMSU, 2/17/1989

Yr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr.

Head Coach: Todd Eisner Associate Head Coach: Zach Malvik Assistant Coach: Jonah Bradley

SOUTH DIVISION

POINTS: 51, HERSCHEL LEWIS V. MICHIGAN TECH, 2/18/1972 REBOUNDS: 32, GUS JOHNSON V. BEMIDJI STATE, 2/22/1975

Ht. 5-9 6-2 6-0 6-8 6-3 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-5 6-4 6-1 6-8 6-7 6-3 6-6

TEAM #16 UPPER IOWA

NSIC OVERALL NSIC DIVISION SEASON OVERALL STREAK 8-2 6-2 14-2 W2

#23 AUGUSTANA

6-2

5-2

12-2

W2

WAYNE STATE

5-3

4-3

8-6

W1

WINONA STATE SMSU

5-3

3-3

9-4

W3

5-4

4-4

9-5

W1

MINNESOTA STATE

4-4

4-4

10-4

W2

SIOUX FALLS

4-4

4-4

8-6

W2

CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL

0-9

0-8

1-15

L15

PROGRAM HISTORY

NORTH DIVISION

NCAA DII NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2 | 2006, 2008

TEAM

NSIC OVERALL NSIC DIVISION SEASON OVERALL STREAK 15-0 W15 8-0 7-0

NCAA REGION TITLES: 4 | 2006, 2007, 2008, 2013

#5 MINNESOTA DULUTH

NSIC TOURNAMENT TITLES: '01, 06, '07, '08, '11

4-3

4-3

8-6

W2

NSIC REGULAR SEASON TITLES: 14, MOST RECENT IN

ST. CLOUD STATE MINOT STATE

4-4

4-4

10-4

L1

2007-08.

MSU MOORHEAD

4-4

4-4

9-6

L2

UMARY

4-5

4-4

5-9

L1

NORTHERN STATE

4-6

4-4

10-8

L2

BEMIDJI STATE

3-7

3-5

6-8

L2

MINN. CROOKSTON

1-9

1-7

4-12

L9

NCAA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT OVERALL RECORD - 23-8 | ELITE EIGHT: 8-2

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL # 1 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 15 22 24 30 31 33

Name Pos. Devin Whitelow G Connor Dillon G Declan Dillon G Alou Dillon F Alec Rosner G Owen King G Luke Martens G Dustin Beauprey G Carson Arenz F Sam Hytinen G Nick Klug G Drew Adams F Connor Drew F Carter Lomas F Cal Greene G

Ht. 5-9 6-2 6-0 6-8 6-3 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-5 6-4 6-1 6-8 6-7 6-3 6-6

Yr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr.

Hometown Peoria, Ill. Peoria, Ill. Peoria, Ill. Wauwatosa, Wis. Appleton, Wis. Caledonia, Minn.

Apple Valley, Minn.

Horizon, Wis. Onalaska, Wis. Delafield, Wis. Burlington, Wis. Woodbury, Minn.

Huxley, Iowa Wauzeka, Wis. Mahtomedi, Minn.

Previous School Washington HS Peoria Notre Dame HS Peoria Notre Dame HS South Dakota State Kimberly HS South Dakota State Apple Valley HS Mountain Top Christian HS Onalaska HS Arrowhead Union HS Burlington HS East Ridge HS Ballard HS Wauzeka - Steuben HS Mahtomedi HS

Coaching Staff Head Coach: Todd Eisner Associate Head Coach: Zach Malvik Assistant Coach: Jonah Bradley Winona State Notables

Winona State holds a 9-4 overall record and is 5-3 within the jampacked NSIC South Division. Their current three-game winning streak has WSU tied for fourth overall in the NSIC and tied for third in the NSIC South.

The Warriors traveled north last weekend and defeated two NSIC North opponents, Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston. Each game was decided by five points, and WSU was able to make key plays down the stretch to close out both games.

WSU has the third-best defense in the NSIC, allowing just 66.7 points/game to their opponents this season.

The Warriors average 72 points/game on the offensive end, and hold a 5.3 point scoring margin over their opponents.

The Warriors average the fifth-most threes in the NSIC with 8.4 three pointers per game at a .343 rate.

Devin Whitelow is found in the top-10 in the NSIC in assists (3.8/game), assist/turnover ratio (1.9), and steals (1.4).

Alec Rosner leads the Warriors with 16.7 points/game and 35.2 min/game, both in the top-10 within the NSIC. He is coming off a career-high 29 points in a road win at Minnesota Crookston last weekend.

Luke Martens has garnered four double-doubles this season, and averages 10.2 points/game and 8.2 rebounds/game.

Winona State will host the top two teams in the NSIC North this weekend. Minnesota Duluth is atop the NSIC overall and NSIC North standings at 8-0 in the conference, and St. Cloud State is second in the NSIC North with a conference record of 4-3.

MINNESOTA DULUTH MEN'S BASKETBALL # 0 1 2 3 4 10 11 12 14 22 23 24 32 34 40

Name Pos. Joshua Strong G Joshua Brown G Zach Lea G Jack Middleton G Jacob Shields F Henry Shannon F Charles Gorres G Mattie Thompson F Isaiah Watts G Drew Blair G Mason Steffon G Charlie Katona F Austin Andrews F Noah Paulson F Lincoln Meister F

Ht. 6-0 6-4 6-4 6-5 6-6 6-6 6-6 6-7 6-3 6-5 6-3 6-6 6-6 6-8 6-9

Yr. Fr. So. So. Jr. Gr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Jr. R-Jr. Sr. So. So. Fr. So.

Hometown Brooklyn Park, Minn.

Minneapolis, Minn.

Chaska, Minn.

Edina, Minn.

Houston, Texas Apple Valley, Minn.

Cottage Grove, Minn.

Duluth, Minn.

Bloomington, Minn.

Stevens Point, Wis. Waunakee, Wis. Shakopee, Minn.

Eden Prairie, Minn.

Duluth, Minn.

Rochester, Minn.

Coaching Staff Head Coach: Justin Wieck Assistant Coaches: Casey Bruggeman, Jordan Ashton

Previous School Champlin Park HS Park Center HS Chaska HS Edina HS Concordia-St. Paul Eastview HS Park HS Duluth East HS Jefferson HS Stevens Point Area HS Waunakee Community HS Shakopee HS Eden Prairie HS Duluth East HS John Marshall HS

ST. CLOUD STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL # 1 4 10 12 20 22 24 30 34 40 42 52

Name Pos. Ht. Daniel Geistler F 6-5 Joe Mutimer G 6-0 Ryan Bagley G 6-3 Cameron Alexander G 6-2 Caleb Donaldson G 6-4 Anthony Roberts G 6-4 Matthew Willert F 6-6 Gunnar Steinthorsson G 6-3 Sam Rex G 6-3 Josh Tomasi F 6-10 Luke Taylor F 6-6 Tony Tahl G 6-4

Yr. R-Jr. So. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. Fr. Fr. So. Jr. R-Fr.

Coaching Staff Head Coach: Matt Reimer Associate Head Coach: Chad Welk Assistant Coaches: Drew Wichers, Trevon Marshall

Hometown Norwalk, Iowa Melbourne, Australia Pocatello, Idaho Hazelhurst, Miss.

Bloomington, Ill. Chicago, Ill. Buffalo, Minn.

Seltjarnarnes, Iceland San Diego, Calif.

Melbourne, Australia Germantown, Wis. Buffalo, Minn.

Previous School Norwalk Blackburn South Burley Hazelhurst Bloomington Oak Park Buffalo Selfoss Rancho Bernardo Box Hill Senior College Germantown Buffal

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL: LAST TIME OUT Warriors win key road game over Bemidji State The Winona State men's basketball team used a quick start and a strong finish to come away with a warm road victory over Bemidji State, 79-74.

The Warriors were able to jump out to a 10-point lead 10 minutes into the first half, behind strong play from Luke Martens who extended several WSU possessions by grabbing four of his six offensive rebounds early in the game.

Bemidji State bounced right back with several three-pointers and found themselves ahead 35-28 with just under four minutes to play in the first half. Winona State then went on a 10-3 run, including five straight WSU points from Connor Dillon, to tie the score at 38 apiece heading into the break.

The second half was neck-and-neck, with both teams staying within single digits of each other. Late in the game, Alec Rosner drove the into lane and found the bottom of the net to put the Warriors up by five points with just over a minute to go. Winona State was able to knock in free throws down the stretch to come away with a 79-74 victory.

Winona State shot 45.9% from the floor and 88.9% from the charity stripe, including sinking seven of eight free throws in the final minute to close out the game. The Warriors held a slight 35-31 rebounding edge, and outscored the Beavers by 11 points off the bench.

Martens had another productive all-around game, leading WSU with 21 points and 12 boards, to earn his fourth double-double of the season, and his third straight.

Connor Dillon's return to the court for the first time since Nov. 17th did not go unnoticed, as he was crucial to the Warrior offense, scoring 13 points in 14 minutes of action.

Rosner scored 11 points and corralled four rebounds in his team-leading 37 minutes of action. Carson Arenz (9), Connor Drew (8), Owen King (7), and Devin Whitelow (7) all contributed to a balanced scoring effort for the Warriors.

WSU men's basketball completes NSIC weekend road sweep The Winona State men's basketball team completed a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) road weekend sweep after a 70-65 victory over Minnesota Crookston on Saturday, January 8th.

The Warriors came out firing in the first half, shooting 50% from the field and knocking down 10 of 21 three-pointers to jump out to a 44-30 halftime lead.

Minnesota Crookston crawled their way back into the game, getting within six points at the under-10 media timeout. WSU then scored on three straight possessions after the timeout to create another comfortable lead. UMC battled back once again, closing the game down to a single possession with less than a minute to go.

The Warriors were able to seal the victory with free throws for the second-straight game, winning by a final score of 70-65.

Winona State shot 42.6% from the floor and 34.5% from three, compared to Minnesota Crookston's 45.1% shooting from the field and 28.6% from deep. WSU's defense was a key difference in the game, forcing 15 turnovers and capitalizing for 18 points off turnovers.

Alec Rosner led the Warriors with a career-high 29 points, while Owen King contributed across the board with 15 points, four assists, two steals, and two rebounds. Connor Drew rounded out the Warriors in double-figures with 11 points on 4-7 shooting.

For UMC, Leonard Dixon scored 16 points and grabbed eight boards to lead the Golden Eagles.

Nathaniel Powell (12) and Zach Westphal (10) were the other leading scorers for Minnesota Crookston.

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL STATISTICS

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL Todd Eisner Seasons as Head Coach: 24th season Seasons at Winona State: 7th season Record at Winona State: 78-68 (.534) Hometown: Chilton, Wisconsin College: Creighton University, 1991

The 2021-22 basketball season marks the seventh year that Todd Eisner has been the head coach of the Warrior men's basketball program and his 24th season overall as a head coach at the collegiate level. Eisner reached a monumental coaching milestone during the pandemic shortened 202021 season, winning his 500th career game on February 13 with a 77-58 victory over Concordia-St. Paul. His career head coaching record is now an impressive 501-240, with stops at Viterbo University, Bellevue University, Benedictine College and Midland University, prior to arriving at Winona State University in August 2015.

Eisner has been instrumental in developing championship level basketball programs, both on and off the court, throughout his career. He is the only coach in NAIA Division II history to lead three different programs to the Elite Eight of the national tournament - Viterbo, Bellevue and Midland with two of those programs advancing to the national championship game (Bellevue, Midland) on three separate occasions (2004, 2008, 2014). The success of the Midland program during their 2013-14 national runner-up campaign earned Eisner the 2014 NAIA Division II Rawlings National Coach of the Year Award.

During his first six seasons in charge of Winona State basketball, Eisner has an overall record of 85-74, with three third place finishes in the always competitive NSIC South and two appearances in the NSIC Tournament semi-finals. Building an offensive philosophy with a mantra of wanting all five players on the court to be a threat behind the three-point line, the 2019-2020 Warrior squad set an NSIC record for most three-point field goals made (248) and attempted (656) in conference play. The Warriors also set a NSIC record for an individual game during the shortened pandemic season in 2020-2021 with 47 three-point field goal attempts at Augustana.

The Warriors have had at least one player gain NSIC All-Conference recognition in each of Eisner’s first six seasons. Kevion Taylor was named allconference three times, including two first team nods in 2020 and 2021. Caleb Wagner was also named all-conference multiple times, with 1st team recognition in 2020 and 2nd team status in 2018. Tommy Gathje, Riley Bambenek and Kyle Bauman each were named to the NSIC All-Conference team during Eisner’s time on the Warrior sideline. With current senior, Devin Whitelow, orchestrating the Winona State offense, the Warriors finished first overall in NCAA Division II for the Fewest Turnovers Per Game in 2020, only turning the ball over 8.7 times per game. And Whitelow received national recognition in 2019 when he broke the NCAA record at any level by producing the best Assist to Turnover Ratio for a season with 5.96 assists for every turnover committed.

Excelling in the classroom will always be a priority for any program that Eisner is involved with, and the Warriors have done an outstanding job being true student-athletes during this time. The team has finished with a cumulative GPA of over 3.0 in all six seasons. The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) has recognized the Winona State men’s basketball program after each of these six school years with the prestigious NABC Team Academic Excellence Award. Also, this past school year, the Warriors placed seven student-athletes on the NABC Honors Court for academic excellence, which was the highest total of players in the NSIC. Eisner resides in Winona with his wife, Andrea, who is an administrator in the Arcadia (Wis.) School District.

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL

Associate Head Coach

Zach Malvik

Former Warrior standout Zach Malvik is entering his eighth year on the coaching staff for the Winona State men’s basketball team in 2021-22. He was promoted to the position of Associate Head Coach prior to the start of the 2019-20 season.

With more than a decade of Division II experience as both a player and a coach, Malvik brings extensive experience to the Warrior bench. The Holmen, Wisconsin native previously served as an assistant at Saint Mary’s University (SMU) in Winona and also spent three seasons playing professional basketball in Australia.

He has coached eight All-NSIC players during his tenure at Winona State, including a pair of 2019-20 First Team All-NSIC selections in Kevion Taylor and Caleb Wagner. During the 201314 season as an assistant coach at SMU, Malvik helped coach Will Swiggum to All-Conference honors.

Prior to his season at SMU, Malvik played professionally for three seasons in Australia. He also spent time as a graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas.

One of the greatest basketball players in Winona State history, Malvik was the cornerstone of a team that went 32-4 during the 2005-06 season, culminating with the program’s first National Championship. He led the Warriors to a 35-1 record the next year, helping the team earn their way back to the NCAA Division II National Championship game.

Malvik was an All-American selection during his senior season while being named the MVP of the NCAA Regional Tournament. The point guard was an All-NSIC selection in each of his four years with the program. Malvik ended his career as the program’s all-time assist leader (549) and graduated second on the school’s scoring charts (1,971).

The legendary Warrior is a two-time Winona State Hall of Famer – being inducted in 2018 with his teammates who comprised WSU's historic "Run" from 2005-08, and once again in 2019 as an individual athlete.

He graduated with a business administration degree in 2007 and received a Master’s Degree in educational leadership and sports management from WSU in 2016. Malvik and his wife, Callie, have a son, Zander, and daughter, Zoey.

Assistant Coach

Jonah Bradley

Jonah Bradley joined the Winona State men's basketball staff on Aug. 1, 2020.

Bradley comes to the Warriors after serving as the head coach of the boys basketball program Lincoln Southeast High School, where he led to the team to a 14-11 record in his final season, advancing to the district tournament final. In addition to coaching at Lincoln Southeast, the Norfok, Neb. native has coached within the AAU ranks, leading OSA adidas Gauntley and Lincoln Supreme 16U teams.

Collegiately, Bradley excelled as a four-year starter at Nebraska Wesleyan University from 2010 to 2014, and his career marks in 3-point field goals and career free throw percentage both still reside in the NWU Top 10.

Bradley was a standout in basketball at Norfolk High, where he helped lead the Panthers to the Nebraska Class A state final in 2010. He also lettered four times in cross country and track and field.

Bradley earned his Bachelor's degree in chemistry and is pursuing his masters degree while coaching at Winona State University.

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL Whitelow named NSIC Player to Watch; WSU voted sixth in NSIC South The Winona State University men’s basketball team is ready to hit the floor in their 2021-22 campaign, led by Devin Whitelow who has been named a player to watch in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

The NSIC released their Preseason Coaches’ Poll today and the Warriors were picked to finish sixth in the south division and 11th overall. Wayne State and Minnesota State were tied for first in votes within the south division, and MSU Moorhead was voted first in the north division and in the conference overall.

For Winona State, senior point guard Devin Whitelow (Peoria, Ill.) tabbed the WSU Player-to-Watch, will lead his team onto the floor with an exciting mix of returning talent and new faces. In 2018-19, Whitelow led the nation with the best assist-to-turnover ratio in NCAA men's basketball ranks, and in 2021-22, Winona State will turn to Whitelow for his leadership and poise running the Warrior offense.

Last winter, Warrior fans got their first look at Owen King at the collegiate level, as the local standout from nearby Caledonia, Minn. featured prominently in the Winona State lineup. King, who earned All-State honors in both football and basketball while playing for Caledonia, brings a versatility and shooting range to the WSU offense that also creates opportunities for his teammates. King honed his craft in two seasons at South Dakota State, where he appeared in 40 games over a two-year span for the NCAA Division I program. Last winter, his first season at Winona State, King appeared in all 13 WSU contests, racking up 372 minutes and averaging 8.9 points per game. King hauled in 40 boards, while notching 27 assists and 13 steals.

Luke Martens also saw action in every Winona State game last year and brings significant experience to Winona State this year, with over 70 career games under his belt. Last season, Martens collected ten rebounds against Concordia - St. Paul on 02/13 and notched a season-high 19 points against Upper Iowa on 02/20. Martens had 22 contents in which he logged 30 minutes or more.

Nick Klug saw action in all 13 WSU contests last season, one of four Warriors to earn that distinction. Connor Dillon, a freshman from Peoria Notre Dame High School, turned some heads with several hot hand shooting outing last season, including a season-best 22 points in a win over Upper Iowa. Alec Rosner saw the injury bug impact his 2020-21 season, but the Appleton, Wis. product was a key contributor in the 2019-20 Warrior season in which he played in every contest, with a season-high 18 points against Viterbo on 11/26. Rosner had 22 games in which he logged 30 minutes or more.

Joining Whitelow, King, Klug and Martens will be a collection of relatively new faces in the paint for the Warriors, including 6'5" Carson Arenz, 6'8" Drew Adams and 6'7" Connor Drew. Arenz, a Onalaska, Wis. product, saw the floor in nine contests last fall, while Drew and Adams arrived on campus this fall. Cal Greene, a 6'6' freshman from Mahtomedi, Minn. looks to feature in multiple roles for Winona State as well, giving head coach Todd Eisner and his staff multiple options for players listed at 6'6" and taller.

WSU enjoys depth on the roster due to Carter Lomas, who saw action in four games in 2021-22, while Declan Dillon appeared in seven games, including a season high six points against Minnesota-Duluth in the season opener.

Head coach, Todd Eisner believes that the work put in by his team in the offseason, combined with a strong nonconference schedule, will help the Warriors succeed in the NSIC. Winona State will have their eyes set on making the NSIC Tournament after missing it in 2021.

Devin Whitelow 5'9" Guard Senior Peoria, Ill. Washington HS

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION Dr. Scott R. Olson was appointed the 15th president of Winona State University on May 16, 2012.

Prior to joining Winona State, Dr. Olson served as Provost, Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, and Professor of Communication Studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato. During his time at Minnesota State Mankato, it saw significant growth in enrollment, diversity, innovation, industry partnerships, international programs, system collaboration, and applied research.

He served as Dean of the College of Communication, Information, and Media at Ball State University and as a faculty member at Central Connecticut State University. He also served for one year as Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

He has published two books, 30 book chapters, and 22 journal articles in publications in the United States, Canada, China, Korea, Poland, Russia, and India. He has delivered over 100 papers at conferences in Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Korea, Poland, Taiwan, and the United States.

Through a $20 million gift from the Lilly Endowment he was able to create the Global Media Network (which won a national award from the American Council on Education) and the Center for Media Design.

Olson has served on 21 different international, national, and local boards, including current service on the Great River Shakespeare Festival Board of Directors, the Higher Learning Commission Institutional Actions Council, the Winona State University Foundation Board, and as Chair of the Executive Alliance of HealthForce Minnesota.

He won an Emmy Award and a Cine Golden Eagle Award in 2004 as Executive Producer of a documentary film about digital learning.

His Ph.D. is from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He grew up in suburban Minneapolis.

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION Eric Schoh started with the Warriors on June 11, 2012. He has almost three decades of athletics experience in Division II, 17 as an athletic director in the NSIC, and is in his tenth year as the director of athletics at Winona State.

During his time as an AD, Schoh has served on the Division II Management Council from 2016-2020, serving as Vice Chair of the Council in 2018. Also during that time, he served on the DII Identity Subcommittee, and acted as chairperson in 2019. Other NCAA committee involvement included Championships Committee, Planning and Finance, DII Administrative Committee, DII Membership Committee, and the DII Committee for Legislative Relief. Schoh is the Past President of the Division II Athletic Directors Association and previously served on the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics’ (NACDA) executive committee. He currently serves on the DII Nominating Committee and Women’s Basketball Central Region Advisory Committee. Previously, he served on numerous sport committees, most recently the Central Region Softball Committee. He served on the DII Men's Basketball National Committee from 2010-2014, serving as the national chairperson the final two years. Schoh served on NACDA's Learfield Sports Directors' Cup Committee for several years, and stays involved with the D2ADA through its Mentoring Program, serving both as a mentor and faculty presenter over the past 11 years. Schoh was the recipient of the Under Armor Athletics Director of the Year award in 2015.

With a strong commitment to the student athlete experience, Warrior student athletes have continued to excel in the classroom and give back to the Winona area through community service. During spring 2021, the average student athlete term GPA was 3.43 (compared to 3.28 for the general student body) and the second highest on record. The average student athlete cumulative GPA through spring 2021 was 3.37 (compared to 3.22 for the general student body). There were 101 Warriors with perfect 4.0 GPAs in spring 2021, with 196 making the Dean’s List. The latest NCAA Federal Graduation Rate for the Warriors is 78%, which ranks first in the NSIC and 22nd out of 316 institutions in Division II. During the pandemic, the community service hours for the Warriors decreased dramatically. However, normally the Warriors log more than 3,000 hours of community service each academic year.

Over the past nine years, Warrior Athletic facilities have seen many improvements, including a complete renovation of McCown Gymnasium; installation of new turf and state-of-the-art video board at Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium; construction of a new gymnastics practice facility and locker room; an indoor training facility for men’s and women’s golf; new batting cages and practice mounds at softball; new infield, mound and scoreboard at baseball; complete renovation of Talbot Gymnasium, including a multi-purpose synthetic floor; remodeled W Room for home volleyball and basketball games; and the installation of a film room for all teams. A comprehensive facility master plan for Warrior Athletics was completed in 2017 and the department continues to make strides toward completing the facilities outlined in the master plan.

In the field of play, the Warriors continue to be known as a conference, regional and national contender, winning numerous regular season and conference championships over the past nine years. Several teams have advanced to NCAA post season play during Schoh’s tenure as well, including football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, volleyball, soccer, cross country, track and field, softball, gymnastics, men’s golf, and women’s golf. WSU hosted a football playoff game in 2017 and women’s softball regionals in 2014 and 2017.

Schoh served as athletic director at Wayne State College from 2004-12. At Wayne State, Schoh helped build Wildcat Athletics into a consistent presence on both the regional and national level. Wayne State won 13 NSIC regular season championships and six more conference tournament titles. The WSC women’s basketball team advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 2012 and ended the season ranked fourth in the nation. More than 20 teams advanced to NCAA Tournament play under Schoh’s leadership.

A native of La Crescent, Minn., Schoh holds both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Iowa State University. Schoh also has worked as the Associate Athletic Director for Development at California State University, Bakersfield (2002-04); the Associate Athletic Director at the University of South Dakota (1999-2002); and as an Assistant Athletic Director at Montana State University, Billings (1995-97).

Schoh and his wife Stephanie have three children and one grandson: Paige (31) and River (5), Eric (26) and Tyler (25).

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION

Melanie was named Associate Athletic Director on May 17, 2018 and assumed her new role with the Warriors in July.

Previously, Brunsdon spent the past five years as the Assistant Athletic Director at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky where she oversaw compliance along with direct supervision over the men's and women's golf programs. At Bellarmine, she was a member and chair of the Staff Council, served on the Strategic Planning Advisory Committee and the Title IX Committee.

Brunsdon is also a member of the National Association for Athletics Compliance (NAAC) Division II Committee.

Prior to her time at Bellarmine, she served as the Associate Athletic Director/Director of Compliance at Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois from 2012-13.

Brunsdon's connection with the NSIC includes roles as the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance and Student Life/Senior Woman Administrator at Minot State University from 2009-12 and serving as the Director of Athletic Recruiting at Upper Iowa University from 2008-09.

Her wealth of experience also includes previous positions at Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois and the Horizon League in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Brunsdon earned a pair of bachelor's degrees in sport management (with a coaching endorsement) and psychology at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa.

The Brandon, Wisconsin native will reside in Winona with her husband, Paul, daughter, Madeline, and twin boys, Cade and Graham.

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION