ROLLA, Mo. – Although most teams at the NCAA Division II level opened their seasons over the weekend, Missouri S&T's men's basketball team will get its 2016-17 campaign underway on Tuesday – in the first of three home games on the slate during its opening week of play.
The Miners will kick off the season Tuesday when they host Principia in a 7 p.m. game at Billy Key Court, then take the floor again the following night when they take on Lincoln University at 7:30 p.m. The homestand concludes for the Miners on Saturday when they play Calvary University in a 3 p.m. contest.
Missouri S&T is looking to improve on last year's 8-19 season and looks to do with a combination of returners and impact newcomers. Despite losing their top three scorers from last season, the Miners are looking for improved production from returning starters
Rokas Paulauskas (Talsiai, Lithuania/Hamilton Heights Acad.),
Danylo Zuikov (Kiev, Ukraine/LaLumiere School) and
Juwan Miller (Kitchener, Ont./Huron Heights).
Paulauskas had a double-double in S&T's exhibition contest at UMKC on Nov. 5, while Zuikov and Miller both scored in double figures two days later at Southeast Missouri State, where the Miners led for much of the game before falling 84-77.
Miller scored a team-high 17 in the game at Southeast, while Zuikov hit four three-pointers as he finished with 16 in that game.
The Miners are also looking for impacts from three newcomers – forward
Randy Holmes (St. Louis, MO/Soldan International Studies), a transfer from Bethune-Cookman; guard
Jalen Myers (Shorewood, IL/Minooka), a transfer from South Suburban College in Illinois; and
Dulan Scott (Chicago, IL/Farragut Academy), a freshman from Chicago who will play at the guard position.
Tuesday's game will also be the official season opener for Principia, who lost 85-63 in an exhibition game Saturday at Oakland City.
The Panthers return their top three scorers from last season led by Aduku Anumu, who led the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in scoring with an average of 25.4 points per game a year ago. Anumu had 80 three-point baskets last year, while Parker Davidson had 43 as he averaged 15.7 points a contest.
Lincoln is off to a 2-0 start after knocking off the University of Mary and Minnesota Crookston in an opening weekend event at Southwest Baptist. Jaylon Smith averaged 28.5 points in the two Blue Tiger wins, including a 33-point outburst in the opener against U-Mary. Anthony Virdure averaged 15.5 points in the two contests and Rod Ollison is also in double figures at 12 points a game.
Calvary will open its season on Tuesday and will have two games under its belt before arriving in Rolla on Saturday. The Warriors were 1-20 a year ago and will be playing Saturday's game as an exhibition contest. Blake Lamb had 15 points and Hajj Green 12 in an 106-54 exhibition loss for the Warriors at Dordt on Oct. 29.
