Great Lakes Wire

The Northern Michigan University men's basketball team is set to face a challenging weekend as they travel to Duluth, Minnesota. The Wildcats will play against two top-ranked teams in the nation, starting with No. 3 Minnesota State-Moorhead on Friday and followed by No. 6 Minnesota Duluth on Saturday.

Minnesota State-Moorhead and Minnesota Duluth have both secured high positions in national polls, with Moorhead ranked No. 3 in the NABC poll and No. 11 in the D2CSC poll, while Duluth holds the sixth spot in the NABC rankings.

Fans can listen to both games on 100.3 The Point with Casey Ford providing commentary.

Northern Michigan head coach Matt Majkrzak acknowledged the formidable challenge ahead: "[Last weekend] The ball ended up in the hands of one of our best shooters...And the next thing you know, we win the game…[Looking ahead to this weekend] this Duluth team has a real chance to win a national title with their depth."

The Wildcats come off an exhilarating victory over Illinois-Springfield, thanks to Julien Smith's buzzer-beating three-pointer. This win improved their season record to 3-0.

Majkrzak is aiming for a third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance after leading NMU through two successful seasons that included winning their first GLIAC Tournament title since 2000.

The team's roster features several returning players and new additions from the transfer portal and freshman class who have shown potential early in the season.

As they prepare for these key matchups, Northern Michigan aims to test its mettle against strong competition and further establish itself as a contender this season.