PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will travel to Joplin, Mo., Friday and Saturday (Nov. 13-14) to open the 2015-16 season in the MIAA/NSIC Challenge.

The Gorillas will take on Minnesota State University Mankato at 5 p.m. (CST) Friday at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center on the Missouri Southern State University campus. Pitt State then will face off against St. Cloud State University at 3 p.m. Saturday.

The Records
Pitt State is coming off a 20-12 campaign during the 2014-15 season. The Gorillas captured the MIAA Postseason Tournament Championship for the first time in school history and qualified for the NCAA Division II National Tournament for the sixth time in program history. Pitt State finished the year with a 20-12 overall record.

The Gorillas return four starters and eight letterwinners from last year's squad, including junior guard Josiah Gustafson – a first-team All-MIAA selection who averaged 15.5 points and 3.6 rebounds a year ago.

MSU posted a 24-8 overall record in 2014-15 and qualified for the NCAA Division II National Tournament.  The Mavericks return two starters from last year's squad.

SCSU posted an 18-12 overall record in 2014-15.  The Huskies return a pair of starters from last year's squad and SCSU added three Division I transfers among seven newcomers for this season.

Head Coach Kevin Muff
Pittsburg State's Kevin Muff enters his sixth 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 76-67 (.531) record in his tenure with the Gorillas.

Muff was named the 2015 MIAA Co-Coach of the Year after leading the Gorillas to a 16-11 regular season record and a tie for third-place in the MIAA standings. Pitt State was picked to finish 10th in the 14-team league in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll after posting an 8-18 (4-15 MIAA) mark a year ago.

He then guided the Gorillas to a perfect 4-0 record in the MIAA Postseason Tournament, helping the Gorillas become the first No. 5 seed to claim the championship. Pitt State earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II National Tournament and finished the 2014-15 campaign with a 20-12 overall record.

Series History
Friday's action will be the first meeting between the Gorillas and Mavericks.

Pitt State will meet St. Cloud State for the second time in school history Saturday – the first time in nearly 50 years. The Huskies defeated the Gorillas, 88-55, on Dec. 28, 1966, in day two of a three-day tournament at St. Cloud, Minn.

Scouting the Gorillas
Pitt State returns seven players who started three or more games during the 2014-15 campaign, including a first-team All-MIAA selection in junior guard Josiah Gustafson.

Gustafson (6-6, 180) started all 32 games in his second season in the Pitt State program, averaging 15.5 points per game. He ranked eighth in the MIAA in scoring and the Omaha, Neb., native also ranked fifth in the league in free throw percentage (.838, 124-148).

Gustafson – the only Pitt State player to start all 32 games in 2014-15 – converted 162 of 349 shots from the floor, making 46.4 percent of his attempts last year. He also shot 83.8 percent from the free throw line, making 124 of 148 charity shots. He also averaged a 3.6 rebounds per game and dished out 40 assists (1.3 apg).

Gustafson scored in double figures 26 times, including 10 games with 20 or more points. He also made a team-leading 48 3-pointers, shootin 42.5 percent from behind the arc (48 of 113).

For his career, Gustafson has scored 706 points in 58 games, averaging 12.2 points per game.

Senior guard Javis Flynn also returns for his second year in the Pitt State program.  Flynn (5-10, 170) started 31 games for the Gorillas in 2014-15, averaging 6.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.4 steals per game.
The Watonga, Okla., native led the MIAA in assists and steals last season. He also converted 17 of 45 3-point field goal attempts (.378) on the year.

His 76 steals and his 160 assists both ranked as the second highest single season totals in school history.  Flynn set the Pitt State single game assist record with 12 helpers vs. Emporia State on Jan. 14. He twice made a season-high seven steals, including vs. Minnesota State-Moorhead in the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

Senior forward Lamine Dieng averaged 8.3 points and a team-leading 4.5 rebounds per game in his first season on the court for the Gorillas. The Thies, Senegal native shot 57.3 percent from the field, making 90 of 157 shots. He also posted 21 blocked shots in 26 games played.

Dieng (6-8, 230) missed the first three games of the 2014-15 season after exercising a medical redshirt the previous year due to a knee injury.  He posted his season totals despite averaging just 18.7 minutes of court time per game as he battled complications from the knee surgery.

Junior forward Trevor Gregory also started 26 of 31 games played last season.  Gregory (6-7, 235) contributed 6.5 points and 4.1 rebounds, while shooting a team-leading 60.8 percent (79 of 130) from the field.  The Lee's Summit, Mo., native has scored 332 points in 57 career games (5.8 ppg) and shot 61.3 percent from the field (122 of 199).

Sophomore guard Dakota Jones returns after starting three of 32 games during his freshman campaign.  Jones (5-11, 175) averaged 7.6 points, while shooting 43.8 percent from the floor (81 of 185) and making 29 3-pointers. The Warrensburg, Mo., native scored in double figures 11 times, including a season-high 16 points in the MIAA Tournament Finals vs. Missouri Southern (Mar. 8). He averaged 11.3 points per game in the Gorillas' four MIAA Tournament contests.

Senior guard Trey Starks is back for his second season in the Pitt State program. Starks (6-0, 190) averaged 12.3 points in Pitt State's final 12 games after taking the court for the first time with the Gorillas on Feb. 7. The Springfield, Mo., native shot 53.6 percent from the field (45 of 84). He scored a season-high 24 points in the finals of the MIAA Tournament against Missouri Southern (Mar. 8) to help the Gorillas claim the tournament title.

Starks was named the MIAA Tournament Most Valuable Player, averaging 15.3 points per game in Pitt State's four victories.

Senior forward Denton Hays averaged 3.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while starting six games last season. Hays (6-7, 225) also blocked 12 shots on the season.

The Tulsa, Okla., native has scored 209 points in 78 career games (2.7 ppg).

As a team, Pitt State shot 48.3 percent from the field in 2014-15 while its opponents converted 44.7 percent of their shots.  The Gorillas averaged 71.4 points per game while limiting their opposition to 66.2 points per game.

Pitt State's 2015-16 recruiting class includes two transfers and one freshman who all figure to be key players for the Gorillas this winter.

Junior forward Creighton Brinker transferred to Pitt State from Cloud County Community College. Brinker (6-8, 220) averaged 10.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game for the Thunderbirds last season. The Seneca, Kan., native shot 50 percent from the field and made 27 3-pointers on the year.

Sophomore guard Jaxon Holden came to Pitt State after one season at Stephen F. Austin University. Holden (6-1, 185) played in 17 games for the Lumberjacks as a freshman in 2014-15, helping SFA to a 29-5 record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Freshman guard Chris Owens joined the Gorillas from Springdale (Ark.) High School. Owens (6-4, 180) was a two-time first-team Arkansas Class 7A All-State performer. He averaged 20.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game as a senior and he helped Springdale to a 24-6 record and the Class 7A state runner-up finish his junior season.

Exhibition Opener
Pitt State made its season debut in an exhibition game against the University of Kansas on Nov. 4 at Allen Fieldhouse. The fourth-ranked Jayhawks posted an 89-66 victory over the Gorillas.

Pitt State trailed KU, 25-23, with 5:01 to play in the first half before the Jayhawks used a 21-5 run to gain separation. Josiah Gustafson scored a team-leading 20 points for the Gorillas, while Jaxon Holden connected on four of seven 3-point field goals to finish with 12 points. Lamine Dieng and Chris Owens added nine points apiece.

Pitt State Probable Starters
    F    4    Josiah Gustafson, 6-6, 190, Jr., Omaha, Neb.
    F    24    Trevor Gregory, 6-7, 235, Jr., Lee's Summit, Mo.
    G    3    Javis Flynn, 5-10, 170, Sr., Watonga, Okla.
    G    21    Jaxon Holden, 6-1, 185, So., Flower Mound, Texas
    G    32    Dakota Jones, 5-11, 175, So., Warrensburg, Mo.