Great Lakes Wire

The Northern Michigan men's basketball team is set to face the Illinois-Springfield Prairie Stars in Wisconsin Dells this weekend. Both teams will enter the game with undefeated records. The Wildcats previously secured victories against Maryville and Missouri-St. Louis, while the Prairie Stars triumphed over Roosevelt and Parkside.

Coach Matt Majkrzak shared his thoughts on the team's performance: "It was such a unique and fun coaching experience playing 10 guys and subbing in and out. We didn't play well at any point, but we won both games and it spoke to their level of how hard they played and how unselfish they were."

The Wildcats' recent success has been attributed to balanced team play. In their last two games, all players contributed points, rebounds, or assists. Brian Parzych and Julien Smith have led scoring efforts early in the season.

Majkrzak aims for a third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance after leading Northern Michigan to significant achievements in recent years. Under his leadership, NMU captured its first GLIAC Tournament title since 2000 and hosted the GLIAC Tournament for the first time since 1992-93.

Dylan Kuehl is expected to be a key player this season after being named to the GLIAC Preseason First Team. He has consistently performed well over his career with Northern Michigan.

The Wildcats have strengthened their backcourt by adding several guards through transfers, including Julien Smith from Missouri S&T, who has scored 1,623 career points.

On Saturday, Northern Michigan will face an Illinois-Springfield team that boasts strong performances from senior guard Max Kunnert and others who are averaging double figures in scoring.

This season marks a new chapter for NMU as they begin playing at Vandament Arena following renovations that expanded facilities for both basketball teams.

In preseason action, NMU faced off against Michigan State in front of a record crowd at Superior Dome Showdown but fell short with a score of 70-53.