#10/19 Mines (18-3, 12-1) at #4/15 Fort Lewis (17-2, 12-1) – 7 p.m. - Durango, Colo. [Live Stats] [FLC YouTube]
#10/19 Mines (18-3, 12-1) at Adams State (6-12, 4-8) – Saturday, 7:30 p.m.– Alamosa, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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BIG WEEKEND AWAITS
Coming off a perfect 4-4 stint at home over the last two weeks, the #10/19 Colorado School of Mines men's basketball team returns to the road this weekend for two key matchups that could go a long way in determining the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season title, starting Friday night in Durango against #4/15 Fort Lewis before heading to Alamosa Saturday to take on Adams State.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Coverage of this weekend's games will be available on YouTube Friday night and the RMAC Network Saturday and have live stats available at minesathletics.com.
 
AT THE HELM
The 2023-24 season will be the 23rd for the Orediggers under the guidance of head coach Pryor Orser. Already the winningest coach in program history, he eclipsed the 400-win mark in November of last season and has a career record of 439-221 overall and a mark of 312-151 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play, and is now the all-time leader in conference wins in league history and is closing in on the all-time record of 441 total wins while coaching in the RMAC, set by legendary Fort Lewis and Western Colorado head coach Bob Hofman, who recorded 309 conference wins and 441 overall wins during his time in the league while leading the Skyhawks and Mountaineers. Under Orser, Mines has won five RMAC regular-season championships and two RMAC Tournament titles and qualified for 12 NCAA Tournaments including two Elite Eight trips. 
 
THE CAPTAINS
Second-year graduate transfer Sam Beskind and redshirt sophomore guard Cade Mankle will serve as captains for the Orediggers in 2023-24. Beskind burst onto the RMAC scene last year, averaging 9.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while also shooting .481/.338/.835 on the season and ranking second in the conference in total assists with 120 and leading the league in assist to turnover ratio at 2.2. Mankle split time between the starting five and the bench rotation in his first season of action last year, averaging 4.4 points and 1.6 assists per game while shooting .397/.310/.542 for the year.
 
IN THE POLLS
Mines was on the move again this week as they rose to #10 in the country this week. West Texas A&M (18-1) remained atop the poll for the Top 25 for the second week in a row followed by Minnesota State (19-1), Nova Southeastern (15-2), Fort Lewis (17-2) and Dallas Baptist (16-2) with Colorado Mesa (16-3) dropping to #13. The latest D2CSC Media Poll also featured an appearance by the Orediggers this week at #19 and saw Minnesota State remain at #1, followed by West Texas A&M, Nova Southeastern, Saint Martin's and East Stroudsberg (16-2) in the top five with FLC at #15 and CMU at #23.
 
Looking at the RMAC, Mines earned a trio of first place votes and was picked to finish third in the league season behind Colorado Mesa, who earned eight first place votes, and Fort Lewis who earned four. Black Hills State and Chadron State rounded out the rest of the top five.
 
WEEK 11 RECAP
The Orediggers capped a four-game home stretch with a pair of hard-earned wins over MSU Denver and Western Colorado by scores of 67-65 and 77-72. Last Tuesday against the Roadrunners, Majok Deng led Mines with 18 points including an 8-10 night from the free throw line while Alex Romack chipped in two points with two steals while Sam Beskind added eight with 12 rebounds and going 5-5 from the line himself. Friday night against the Mountaineers, Mines saw Deng erupt for 29 points on 8-18 shooting including four three-pointers and a 9-12 night from the stripe with seven rebounds while Romack again finished in double figures with 14 while Cade Mankle went for 10 on 3-5 shooting and 4-4 at the line. Beskind hauled down another dozen rebounds while scoring nine points, all coming from the free throw line and dishing out seven assists in the winning effort.
 
UNRIVALED EXCELLENCE
Currently in his 23rd season leading the Orediggers, head coach Pryor Orser has seen a thing or two and is subsequently no stranger to milestone moments and record-setting success. On Saturday night against UCCS, the legendary coach added another to his list of accomplishments, becoming the winningest coach in terms of conference wins in the history of the RMAC with 310, surpassing the mark set by former Fort Lewis and Western Colorado great Bob Hofman. With seemingly no plans to hang it up anytime soon and enjoying another successful season this year, Orser has the potential to set a record that could stand for just as long, if not longer, than the previous mark as another point on an already remarkable resume in a coaching career matched by only a few.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
After capping a four-game home stand with a perfect record, Mines is back on the road this week, a place they've spent quite a bit of time this season. In 12 games away from Lockridge Arena this year, the Orediggers have gone 10-2 including 8-1 in true road games with their only loss coming back on November 11 to St. Mary's (TX) in regional crossover action. In those true road games, Mines has averaged 77.2 PPG and held opponents to 70.4 PPG. In order to pick up two more wins this weekend against two tough clubs in Fort Lewis and Adams State, the Orediggers will definitely need to continue to follow those trends.
 
MAJOK MAGIC
Majok Deng was a key part in both of the Orediggers' wins at home last week and was subsequently named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts, becoming the third mines player this season to earn a weekly award joining Sam Beskind (Offensive, Jan. 15) and Alex Romack (Defensive, Dec. 18).
 
The Pepperdine transfer in his first season with the Orediggers was a pivotal part in helping #14/22 Mines cap off a 4-0 home stand with 67-65 and 77-72 wins over MSU Denver and Western Colorado respectively and as a result, now stand tied for first in the RMAC standings. Tuesday night against the Roadrunners, Deng led Mines with 18 points that included an 8-10 night at the free throw line that included a go-ahead make in the final minute while also adding two rebounds and a steal in 24 minutes. Friday night against the Mountaineers, Deng finished two points shy of his season high in scoring and one rebound short of his season high in that category, ending the night with 29 and seven that included an 8-18 night shooting with four three-pointers and another busy night at the free throw line where he went 9-12. He also added three assists and a block in 38 minutes of action. For the weekend, Deng averaged 23.5 PPG on 12-27 (.444) shooting from the field and 17-22 (.773) from the free throw line with 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game while logging an average of 31 minutes per night in the two games.
 
THEY CALL THAT A WINNING STREAK
After being dealt a tough 86-79 loss by preseason RMAC favorite and then #18 Colorado Mesa to start the month of December, the Orediggers have done nothing but find ways to win. Currently on a 14-game winning streak, Mines has averaged 78.7 PPG and won by an average of 12.5 points during that span. They've proven they can win close games and proven they can win by 20 or more just as easily. They've established the first double-digit winning streak since the 2020-21 season and now have the longest streak since a 22-game run in the 2018-19 season. While the remaining schedule certainly isn't easy by any stretch, Mines will have a chance this week and possibly beyond to keep the train rolling.
 
LEAGUE LEADERS
Several Orediggers find themselves at or near the top of the RMAC in several statistical categories. Freshman Alex Romack is tied for the conference lead in total rebounds with 159 while his average of 7.6 per game ranks fourth. Majok Deng's 15.6 PPG finds him among the top 10 in the league, while his 50 made three-pointers are good for second with his .424 three-point percentage tops in the RMAC. Sam Beskind leads the conference with 100 assists and is averaging close to five dimes per game while he alongside Cade Mankle are the top two in the league in assist to turnover ratio with the latter at 2.7 and the former at 2.1, making them the only two players in the league with an ATO above 2.0. Riley Schroeder remains near the top in blocked shots list with 22, while Romack's 17 have him inside the top 10 in a tie for eighth. In addition to leading the conference in blocks (75) and rebounds (818) as a team, the Orediggers are also second in assists at 343.
 
LOCKDOWN DEFENSE
As is no surprise when it comes to Pryor Orser coached teams, defense plays a big part in the success of the team and how the year will go. With nine games to go the season, Mines leads the RMAC in scoring defense at 67.0 PPG and is the only team in the conference holding opponents under 70 per night. The Orediggers are also limiting teams to a .410 shooting percentage which ranks in the second in the RMAC. When it comes to rebounding, Mines leads the RMAC with 818 for an average of 39.0 RPG and have held opposing clubs to just 647 on the season, an average of 30.8 per game. Additionally, Mines leads the RMAC in blocked shots with 75, averaging 3.57 per game and has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.39 which is the top mark in the league.
 
STANDINGS RESET
There will be no perfect season in RMAC play this year after Fort Lewis tripped up the lone remaining unbeaten in league play Colorado Mesa Friday night. As the calendar turns to February, FLC, Mines and CMU all sit tied atop the standings at 12-1 following the Mavericks' 67-45 win in Gunnison Tuesday night. The top three teams reside almost on an island as there's a sizeable gap back to the rest of the field, which is quite congested to say the least. Black Hills State finds themselves in fourth at 7-5, followed by Chadron State and Regis who are tied for fifth at 7-6. MSU Denver and South Dakota Mines are tied for seventh at 6-6 and currently hold the final two spots in the postseason if things ended today, while UCCS is currently the first team out in ninth at 6-8 followed by CSU Pueblo at 5-8. Adams State is next at 4-8 with Colorado Christian and New Mexico Highlands each at 4-9 in 12th while Western Colorado is 14th at 3-10 with Westminster bringing up the rear at 1-12. Five weeks remain in the regular season and the fight for the top eight is sure to be entertaining.
 
LOOKING AT THE STATS
Majok Deng remains the Mines leader in scoring at 15.6 PPG and is shooting .411/.424/.778 on the season and leading the team with 50 three-pointers this season. Cade Mankle continues to emerge as a leader on this year's team as well, scoring 11.3 PPG and shooting .494/.383/.750 while dishing out 56 assists. Freshman standout, Alex Romack, was recently highlighted by the NCAA's Wayne Cavadi as one of the top freshmen in Division II this season and for good reason; the Hoosier is scoring 9.0 PPG, pulling down 7.6 RPG which ranks second in the country among freshmen this season, shooting .661 from the floor and has 17 blocks along with 13 steals and has five double-doubles on the season.
 
Sam Beskind, the RMAC assist leader, enters the week with an even 100 to his name this season and is scoring at a clip of 8.7 PPG and is second on the team in rebounding at 6.5 per night while shooting .404 from the field while also finding himself in double figures in blocks (12) and steals (14). Riley Schroeder continues to be a steady hand night in and night out on both ends of the floor, scoring 8.6 PPG and pulling down almost four rebounds per game while shooting .445/.320/.818 with a team and is second in the RMAC with 22 blocks while also adding 1132 steals.
 
Adam Krasovec had two double-doubles in January and is scoring 8.4 PPG and shooting .526 from the floor while JUCO transfer Juani Dassie remains a lethal three-point threat off the bench, shooting .524 from downtown with 22 of his 30 made field goals this season being of the three-point variety to elevate his total field goal percentage to .566. Markus Pastorcic-Straun has been electric the last several games, scoring in double-digits twice two weeks ago and is averaging 5.9 PPG with 17 steals on the defensive end with 28 assists going the other way while shooting .489 as a dribble-drive guard. Reagan Koch also has 13 steals on the season while Grant Pressly has got 26 dimes this year.
 
Collectively, the Orediggers are +8.6 in scoring margin at 75.6 PPG and shooting .472/.366/.700 on the season. They average an even 39 rebounds per night and are +8.2 in rebounding margin while also averageing 16.3 per night while working to lower their turnover number to 11.8 per game, but still find themselves -1.5 in that category while registering 5.2 steals and 3.6 blocks per contest. Comparatively, the opposition this season scores at a clip of 67.0 PPG and shoots .410/.321/.760 with 30.8 rebounds, 10.1 assists, 10.3 turnovers,6.1 steals and 2.5 blocks per game.
 
SCOUTING FORT LEWIS
The Skyhawks are coming off a big weekend on the road that saw them extend their winning streak to five behind an 87-79 win over then #7/11 Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction and an 85-66 win over Westminster in Salt Lake City and in doing so, ensuring there will not be an unbeaten team in RMAC play this season and finding themselves tied atop the standings with Mines ahead of Friday night's matchup.
 
Despite losing all five starters from a year ago including standouts Akuel Kot, who transferred to Division I Wyoming, and JaQuaylon Mays who is now playing professionally in Mexico, FLC hasn't missed a beat in large part to group of four that are all scoring better than 10 points per game. Leading the way is returner Obi Agbim who came almost exclusively off the bench last season but now finds himself leading the team in scoring at 14.2 PPG and is also tops in assists with 59 along with steals and three-pointers with 28 of each while shooting .453/.329/.825. West Virginia State transfer guard Malik Whitaker follows at 11.8 PPG and is second on the team in rebounding at 4.9 per game and steals with 25 while shooting .503 from the floor while Regis transfer Brayden Carter has taken his success from Denver to Durango, scoring 10.8 PPG and shooting .629 on the season while leading FLC in rebounding at 5.8 per game and blocks with 21 to rank third in the league. Fifth-year returner Junior Garbrah rounds out the group and after appearing exclusively as a reserve the last three seasons, has started all 19 games this season and is scoring 10.2 PPG and is shooting .500/.491/.795 with 27 three-pointers, 24 assists and 14 steals.
 
Another WVSU transfer, Samier Kinsler, is tied for Agbim with the team lead in 28 three-pointers and averages 7.9 PPG with 21 steals and 17 steals while Jhei-R Jones has 6.7 PPG and is tied with Whitaker in steals with 25. CSU Pueblo transfer Isaiah Thompson (6.4 PPG, 20 AST), Sekou Dembele (5.9 PPG, 12 STL) and Amondo Miller, Jr. (5.8 PPG, 32 AST, 15 STL) are also all ones to keep an eye on in the matchup.
 
For the season, the Skyhawks are scoring 85.7 PPG to lead the RMAC and are +15.6 in scoring margin, shooting .487/.384/.745. They average 37.1 rebounds per game and are +4.7 in rebounding margin, 12.5 assists, 11.8 turnovers, 8.6 steals and 3.1 blocks per game. Opponents meanwhile are scoring just 70.1 PPG, second the RMAC behind only Mines, and shooting .425/.357/.737 with 32.4 rebounds, 15.2 assists, 17.5 turnovers, 6.1 steals and 2.7 blocks per game.
 
SCOUTING ADAMS STATE
The Grizzlies played just once last weekend, posting a 92-81 win over Westminster on the road to win back-to-back games for the first time since early November as they posted a blowout 104-77 win over Chadron State on January 20 to snap a three-game losing streak. Before Mines comes to Plachy Hall Saturday, ASU will host MSU Denver in what will be just their sixth home game of the 2023-24 season.
 
Currently two players are averaging double figure scoring for Adams State with a third not too far behind. Veteran guard Destan Williams, who has been playing college basketball since the 2017-18 season and is on his third career school and in second stint with Adams State leads the team in scoring at 16.6 PPG with 66 assists and 33 steals, all marks which rank in the top 10 in the RMAC while shooting .497/.364/.874. Austin Fadal is next at 14.1 PPG and has 26 assists and 15 steals while shooting .492 and is second on the team in rebounding at 4.1 per contest while Isaiah Sampson is just shy of joining them at 9.8 PPG and leads the team in rebounding at 5.1 per night and has a team-best 17 blocks while shooting .596.
 
Jude Tapia has split time between the starting rotation and coming off the bench this year, scoring 8.9 PPG and shooting .447 with a team-high 27 three-pointers and has 27 assists along with 21 steals while John Harge is shooting .468 and scoring 6.9 PPG with 3.4 RPG with 27 assists, 13 steals and six blocks. Others to keep an eye on include Kolby Walker (6.2 PPG) who has 20 made three-pointers coming almost exclusively off the bench this season with 11 steals and Alex Hurr (4.3 PPG) who has 12 treys and nine steals to his name.
 
On the year, Adams State is averaging 78.1 PPG, the fifth-best mark in the RMAC, but is still -4.6 in scoring margin. They are shooting .467/.330/.787 on the season and average 31.6 rebounds, 12.8 assists, 13.6 turnovers, 7.9 steals and 2.3 blocks per game and find themselves -4.5 in rebounding margin but +0.8 in turnover margin. Opponents this season have been scoring 82.7 PPG and shooting .475/.357/.744 with 36.1 rebounds,15.2 assists, 14.4 turnovers,6.7 steals and 2.5 blocks per game.
 
SERIES HISTORY
All-time against the Skyhawks, the Orediggers are 38-58 after going 1-2 against FLC last season with each team winning on the other's home court before meeting in Grand Junction for the RMAC Tournament championship that saw Fort Lewis win 82-76. In their last trip to Durango, Mines picked up a 75-64 win to improve to 18-30 on the road in the series and have won four of their last five games when playing as the road time in the series going back to 2017. Looking at the series with Adams State, Mines trails 75-90 all-time but has won nine in a row dating back to 2019 and 14 of the last 15 meetings going back to 2015. Last season saw a 92-60 win in Alamosa to improve to 24-53 all-time on the road in the series and win their fourth game in a row away from Lockridge Arena.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
After braving the elements on the road this week, the Orediggers will be back at Lockridge Arena February 9-10 when they play host to Black Hills State and South Dakota Mines.

Fans can keep up with Mines men's basketball on X and Instagram at @minesmbb. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, X and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.