PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will travel to Russellville, Ark., Wednesday (Nov. 19) to face Arkansas Tech University in a non-conference match-up. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (CST) at Tucker Coliseum.

The Records
Pitt State brings an 0-2 record into Wednesday's action. The Gorillas dropped a pair of games to Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) foes at the Sanford Pentagon Basketball Showcase at Sioux Falls, S.D., last weekend.

Pitt State dropped an 86-69 decision to Augustana (S.D.) in the season opener last Saturday (Nov. 15). The Gorillas then dropped a hard-fought battle to Northern State, 75-68, Sunday (Nov. 16).

Arkansas Tech is 1-1 on the young season. The Wonder Boys split a pair of games against NSIC foes at Bartlesville, Okla., last weekend. ATU opened the season with a 69-62 win over Wayne (Neb.) State Friday (Nov. 14), before dropping a 93-78 decision to Southwest Minnesota State Saturday (Nov. 15).

The Coaches
Pittsburg State's Kevin Muff begins his fifth season leading the Gorillas. Muff (Kansas State, '86) became the Gorillas' 14th all-time head coach on Apr. 5, 2010, after spending 12 seasons at Cloud County Community College, where he helped the Thunderbirds to an average of 21 wins in each of the last five seasons.

He has a 56-57 (.496) record in his tenure with the Gorillas.  This will be his first meeting vs. ATU.

Chad Kline is in his first year as ATU's head coach, after serving for three years as the Wonder Boys' assistant.  Prior to ATU, he spent seven seasons at Frank Phillips College in Borger, Texas, including five years as head coach.

Series History
Pitt State has faced Arkansas Tech eight times between 1950 and 1999, compiling an 2-6 record against the Wonder Boys.  The Gorillas dropped a 67-61 decision in the last meeting on Dec. 4, 1999, at Joplin, Mo.

Scouting the Gorillas
Early in the season, sophomore guard Josiah Gustafson leads Pitt State in scoring. The Omaha, Neb., native averaged 23.0 points per game in the Gorillas' debut contests at the Sanford Pentagon Showcase last weekend at Sioux Falls, S.D. Gustafson shot 45.5 percent from the field (15 of 33), 83.6 percent from the free throw line (11 of 13) and averaged 4.5 rebounds per game. He scored a career-high 26 points in the season opener vs. Augustana before posting a 20-point game against Northern State the next night.

Senior guard Devon Branch also is averaging 17.0 points and a team-leading 5.0 rebounds per game. The Aberdeen, Md., native made 50 percent of his shots from the floor. Junior guard Jake Bullard also chipped in with a 12.5 points per game average. Junior point guard Javis Flynn contributed 5.0 points and 4.0 assists per game.

As a team, Pitt State has averaged 68.5 points per game, shooting 40.7 percent from the floor (48 of 118), 42.3 percent from 3-point range (11 of 26) and 73.2 percent from the free throw line (30 of 41). The Gorillas have forced nine more turnovers than their opponents (28 to 19), but Pitt State has been outrebounded by 10 boards a game. The opposition has averaged 80.5 points per game and shot 53.1 percent from the field (51 of 96).

Pitt State Probable Starters
    F    5    Devon Branch, 6-6, 180, Sr., Aberdeen, Md.
    F    32    Trevor Gregory, 6-7, 235, So., Lee's Summit, Mo.
    G    1    Jake Bullard, 6-6, 190, Jr., Cleora, Okla.
    G    3    Javis Flynn, 5-10, 170, Jr., Watonga, Okla.
    G    4    Josiah Gustafson, 6-6, 290, So., Omaha, Neb.