PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will travel to Denver, Colo., Friday and Saturday (Nov. 27-28) to take part in the Hilton Garden Inn Classic.

The Gorillas will face Regis University and Metro State University from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Pitt State will take the court each night at 8 p.m. (CST) at the Auraria Event Center.

The Records
Pitt State is off to a 3-1 start to the season. The Gorillas opened the 2015-16 campaign with a pair of victories in the MIAA/NSIC Challenge at Joplin, Mo. on Nov. 13-14. Pitt State posted a 62-59 win over Minnesota State University, Mankato in the season opener, before rolling to an 85-69 victory over St. Cloud State University the next day.
The Gorillas dropped a 98-89 decision to Newman University on Nov. 17, before rebounding with a 100-97 win over William Jewell College in their home debut two days later on Nov. 19.

Regis is 1-2 on the young season heading into a Tuesday (Nov. 24) match-up against Colorado College. The Rangers went 0-2 to open the season at the RMAC/Heartland Challenge at Golden, Colo., falling to Lubbock Christian (72-54) and St. Mary's (67-64). Regis defeated Johnson & Wales, 76-71, in its most recent action on Nov. 18.

Metro State is 2-2 overall heading into a Friday match-up in the Hilton Garden Inn Classic against Southwest Minnesota State. The Roadrunners bounced back from an 0-2 start to the season by beating Eastern Oregon (78-59) and the College of Idaho (55-45) last weekend at Caldwell, Idaho.

Head Coach Kevin Muff
Pittsburg State's Kevin Muff is in 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 79-68 (.537) 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 fourth all-time meeting between Pitt State and Regis. The Gorillas hold a 3-0 edge in the series, which dates back to the 1970 season. Pitt State defeated Regis, 60-44, in the last meeting on Dec. 8, 1986.

Pitt State and Metro State will meet for the second time Saturday. The Gorillas defeated the Roadrunners, 78-68, in the only previous meeting on Dec. 21, 1991, when Pitt State head coach Kevin Muff was a graduate assistant on the Gorillas staff.

Scouting the Gorillas
The Gorillas have three players averaging in double figures early in the season: junior guard Josiah Gustafson and senior guards Trey Starks and Javis Flynn.

Gustafson (6-6, 180) is averaging a team-leading 18.5 points per game thus far.  The Omaha, Neb., native has coverted 26 of 48 shots (.542) from the field in 33.5 minutes of action per game. He also is averaging 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game and shooting 81.3 percent from the free throw line (13-16).

Gustafson scored a career-high 34 points in the Gorillas 100-97 victory over William Jewell the last time out on Nov. 19.

He started all 32 games as a sophomore in 2014-15 in the Pitt State program, averaging 15.5 points per game. Gustafson ranked eighth in the MIAA in scoring and fifth in the league in free throw percentage (.838, 124-148).

For his career, Gustafson has scored 780 points in 62 games, averaging 12.6 points per game.

Starks (6-0, 190) is averaging 11.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game on the year.

The Springfield, Mo., native is shooting 44.1 percent from the field (15-of-34) andhe's made 13 of 19 free throw attempts (.684) on the season.

Starks 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.

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.

Flynn is averaging 10.3 points and a team-leading 5.8 assists per game. The Watonga, Okla., native scored a career-high 19 points in the Gorillas' last gmae vs. William Jewell (Nov. 19); and he dished out 10 helpers in the win vs. St. Cloud State (Nov. 14).

Flynn 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.

Additionally, five Pitt State players are averaging between 6.8 and 9.5 points on the year:  senior forward Lamine Dieng (9.5 ppg), sophomore guards Dakota Jones (9.0 ppg) and Jaxon Holden (8.0 ppg), freshman guard Chris Owens (7.0 ppg) and senior forward Denton Hays (6.8 ppg).

Dieng is averaging 9.5 points and a team-leading 6.0 rebounds per game on the season, while shooting a team-high 58.1 percent from the field (18-of-31).

The Thies, Senegal native logged his first career double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds against Newman last Tuesday (Nov. 17).

Jones is averaging 9.0 points and 2.8 assists per game. The Warrensburg, Mo., native tallied a season-high 16 points vs. St. Cloud State on Nov. 14.

Holden (6-1, 185) scored 19 points in his Pitt State debut on Nov. 13 vs. Minnesota State. The Flower Mound, Texas native is averaging 8.0 points on the young season and shooting 57.1 percent from the field (8-of-14). He suffered an injury five minutes into the Newman game on Nov. 17. He did not return to the lineup the remainder of that game and he missed the Nov. 19 match-up against William Jewell.

Holden came to Pitt State after one season at Stephen F. Austin University where he played in 17 games for the Lumberjacks as a freshman in 2014-15 and helped SFA to a 29-5 record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Hays is contributing 6.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 57.1 percent from the field (8-of-14). The Tulsa, Okla., native also is shooting 78.6 percent from the free throw line (11-of-14). He posted a season-high 11 points in the win vs. St. Cloud State on Nov. 14.

Senior forward Denton Hays is averaging 8.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. The Tulsa, Okla., native has made six of nine shots from the field (.667) on the season and he's blocked two shots.

As a team, the Gorillas are averaging 84.0 points per game and shooting 52.0 percent from the field (118-of-227). Pitt State also is shooting 40.3 percent from 3-point range (27-of-67) and the Gorillas are +9.0 in the rebounding margin department.

Defensively, Pitt State is allowing 80.8 points per game while its opponents are shooting 47.7 percent from the field (103-216) and 45.1 percent from 3-point range (37-82).

Pitt State Probable Starters
    F    4    Josiah Gustafson, 6-6, 190, Jr., Omaha, Neb.
    F    20    Lamine Dieng, 6-8, 230, Sr., Thies, Senegal
    G    3    Javis Flynn, 5-10, 170, Sr., Watonga, Okla.
    G    11    Trey Starks, 6-0, 190, Sr., Springfield, Mo.
    G    32    Dakota Jones, 5-11, 175, So., Warrensburg, Mo.