SHAWNEE – Now for the real thing. The Oklahoma Baptist men's basketball team will open up their highly-anticipated 2021-22 regular season as hosts of the GAC/NSIC Challenge on Friday and Saturday. The Challenge features Northern Sun affiliates Minnesota State-Moorhead and Wayne State College, with the addition of GAC member Southeastern Oklahoma State. The Bison will face off with WSC on Friday at 7:30 PM and MSUM on Saturday at 7:30 PM.
Each game will be on the Bison Sports Network on the OBU YouTube channel featuring Todd Miller on play-by-play and Scott Wanish on color commentary. Saturday's game will also be featured on the Bison Radio Network across the state of Oklahoma and the iHeartRadio app.
The Bison entered the weekend as one of the most highly touted squads in the region after debuting at No. 4 in the D2SIDA Preseason Region Polls. This was the highest preseason recognition in program history. Nationally, Oklahoma Baptist is receiving votes in the D2SIDA Preseason Poll (6) and NABC Preseason Coaches Polls (45) for the first time in school history. The Bison have also been tabbed the favorite in the GAC Preseason Coaches Poll after receiving 116 (6) overall votes. At the end of last season, Oklahoma Baptist made an appearance in the D2SIDA Media National Polls for the first time in the NCAA Division II era, as they checked in No. 24 in the country. This recognition came after the Bison claimed the GAC Western Division Championship and made a second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament.
OBU hopes to make a deeper run as they return all five starters from last season, including All-GAC selections in Harrison Stoddart and Brantly Thompson. Stoddart ranked second on the team in scoring as he averaged 13.9 points per game. Thompson checked in right behind his teammate, averaging 13.8 points each contest.
The most efficient man in the GAC, Nigel Wilcox, returns for the Bison after leading the league with a 64 percent field-goal percentage. Wilcox led the Bison in rebounds, averaging 8.8 per game, to go along with his 8.5 points per game. Jaquan Simms returns as another double-digit scorer, averaging 10.5 points per contest and 3.0 assists per game. Trey Green rounds out the returners, as he chipped in 4.7 points per game. New faces in Valdosta State transfer Burke Putnam and D.J. Freeman are anticipated to make a lot of noise for the Bison this season as well.
Wayne State College is picked to finish first in the South Division of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference this season after going 11-7 overall and 10-4 in the NSIC last season. The Wildcats return all five starters, led by Preseason South Division Player of the Year Jordan Janssen, who averaged 16 points per game last season. Leading WSC into Shawnee is head coach Jeff Kaminsky who has a 66-76 while with the Wildcats.
Minnesota-State Moorhead were picked as the favorite in the North Division of the NSC after posting an 11-5 (9-1 NSIC) record this past season. The Dragons return all five starters, including the NSIC North Division Preseason Player of the Year, Lorenzo McGhee. MSUM has already opened their 2021-22 season, drawing two losses and an upset win over No. 5 Colorado Mesa last week in the D2 Tipoff Classic. The Dragons are lead by head coach Chad Walthall who is in his 12th season with Minnesota State-Moorhead.
