The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team secured the MIAA's automatic qualifying bid to the 2015 NCAA Division II National Tournament by winning the MIAA Postseason Tournament.
The Gorillas earned the No. 7 seed in the Central Regional to be played at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., Mar. 14-17.

Pitt State will open regional quarterfinal action Saturday (Mar. 14) by facing No. 2 seed Minnesota State University Moorhead at 2:30 p.m. (CDT).

NCAA Central Regional (Saturday, March 14)
Gm 1 – No. 3 Central Missouri (24-6) vs. No. 6 Northern State (23-8), Noon
Gm 2 – No. 2 Minnesota State Moorhead (32-3) vs. No. 7 Pittsburg State (20-11), 2:30 p.m.
Gm 3 – No. 1 Augustana (30-2) vs. No. 8 Arkansas Tech (18-13), 5:30 p.m.
Gm 4 – No. 4 Northwest Missouri (23-6) vs. No. 5 Minnesota State Mankato (24-7), 8 p.m.
NCAA Central Regional (Sunday, March 15)
Gm 5 – Gm 1 winner vs. Gm 2 winner, 5 p.m.
Gm 6 – Gm 3 winner vs. Gm 4 winner, 7:30 p.m.
NCAA Central Regional (Tuesday, March 17)
Gm 7 – Central Regional Championship, 7 p.m.

The Records
Pitt State brings a 20-11 overall record into the Central Regional.  The Gorillas posted four straight wins in the MIAA Championships to claim the tournament title.

Pitt State shared the lead in the MIAA standings with three games remaining in the regular season, but the Gorillas dropped each of those contests to finish up regular season play with a 16-11 overall record and a 12-7 mark in MIAA action.

Pitt State has a 4-3 record against other members of the Central Regional field this year.  The Gorillas dropped decisions to Augustana (86-69) and Northern State (75-68) in the Sanford Pentagon Basketball Showcase Nov. 15-16. Pitt State claimed 76-56 (Nov. 19) and 73-68 (Dec. 31) wins over Arkansas Tech. The Gorillas also were 0-1 against Central Missouri and 2-0 against Northwest Missouri, including a win over the Bearcats in the semifinals of the MIAA Championships.

MSU Moorhead enters the post season with a 32-3 overall record.  The Dragons, ranked No. 4 in the most recent NABC/Division II Top 25 poll, posted a 30-2 record in regular season play, including a 20-2 mark in the NSIC. MSUM advanced to the finals of the NSIC Championships before falling, 98-82, to top-seeded Augustana in the finals.

Head Coach Kevin Muff
Pittsburg State's Kevin Muff is in 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 76-66 (.535) record in his tenure with the Gorillas.

Muff was named the MIAA Co-Coach of the Year on Mar. 2 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.

Gorillas in the NCAA Tournament
Pitt State is making its sixth appearance in the NCAA Division II National Tournament – its first since the 2007 season. The Gorillas have compiled a 4-5 (.444) record in nine NCAA Tournament games.
Pitt State reached the Sweet 16 (regional finals) during the 1997 season, the Gorillas deepest run in the national tournament.

2006-07 – South Central Regional (Warrensburg, Mo.)
    lost to Northwest Missouri, 73-54 (1st round)
2004-05 – South Central Regional (Commerce, Texas)
    defeated St. Mary's, 73-59 (1st round)
    lost to Tarleton State, 65-59, OT (semifinals)
1998-99 – South Central Regional (Wichita Falls, Texas)
    lost to Abilene Christian, 79-59 (semifinals)
1997-98 – South Central Regional (Canyon, Texas)
    defeated Northwest Missouri, 85-70 (1st round)
    lost to West Texas A&M, 90-79 (semifinals)
1996-97 – South Central Regional (Topeka, Kan.)
    defeated Missouri Western, 72-70 (1st round)
    defeated Central Oklahoma, 90-84 (semifinals)
    lost to Texas A&M-Commerce, 89-83 (finals)

Pitt State also made seven trips to the NAIA National Tournament, placing third in 1942 (23-5) and 1956 (27-2) and compiling a 16-7 overall NAIA postseason record.

Series History
Pitt State and Minnesota State Moorhead will meet for the first time in program history Saturday.

The Gorillas are 0-1 all-time against Augustana and Northern State, having met both schools for the first time in ovember.  Pitt State has not previously faced Minnesota State-Mankato.

The Gorillas have a 4-6 all-time record against Arkansas Tech.  Pitt State is 41-71 all-time against UCM and 68-56 all-time against NWMSU.

All-Time Record
Pitt State has compiled a 1386-1133 record in 106 years of competition. The Gorillas rank 12th on the NCAA Division II All-Time Victories List.

UCM (1639-930) ranks second, while Northern State (1564-892) ranks third on the all-time list.

Pitt State posted its 13th all-time 20-win season in 2014-15.

Scouting the Gorillas
Pitt State has three players scoring in double figures on the season: sophomore guard Josiah Gustafson (15.6 ppg), senior guard Devon Branch (14.1 ppg) and junior guard Trey Starks (12.2 ppg).
Gustafson (6-6, 190) is shooting 46.2 percent from the field (156 of 338), including 48 of 112 (.429) from 3-point range. The Omaha, Neb., native also has made 124 of 148 (.838) free throw attempts. Gustafson, who ranks sixth in the MIAA in scoring, has scored 20 or more points 10 times this season.

Branch (6-6, 180) is shooting 52.2 percent from the floor. The Aberdeen, Md., native also is contributing 3.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Starks (6-0, 190) made his Pitt State debut against Central Oklahoma on Feb. 7.  The Springfield, Mo., native scored 13 points in his debut vs. UCO and added a season-high 24 points vs. Missouri Southern on Mar. 8. He is shooting 55.4 percent from the field (41 of 74), including a 69.4 percent clip (34 of 49) from inside the 3-point line.

Junior forward Lamine Dieng (6-8, 240) has averaged 8.1 points and a team-leading 4.5 rebounds in 25 games played. The Thies, Segegal native redshirted in 2013-14 and missed the Gorillas' first four games this season. Dieng has missed three of Pitt State's last 12 games due to injury and averaged just 14.5 minutes of action in the nine games he's played.

Freshman guard Dakota Jones (5-10, 165) contributes 7.6 points per game, while sophomore forward Trevor Gregory (6-7, 235) chips in with 6.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Junior guard Javis Flynn (5-10, 170) adds 6.2 points and a team-leading 5.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game.  Flynn dished out a PSU record 12 assists in the Gorillas' 59-58 win over Emporia State on Jan. 14. He leads the MIAA in assists and steals.

As a team, Pitt State has averaged 71.5 points per game, shooting 48.4 percent from the floor (750 of 1550), 38.8 percent from 3-point range (158 of 407) and 73.6 percent from the free throw line (560 of 761).

The Gorillas have generated 18.1 points per game from the free throw line.

Pitt State's opposition has averaged 65.8 points per game and shot 44.3 percent from the field (670 of 1511).

All-MIAA Gorillas
Three Pitt State players – sophomore guard Josiah Gustafson, senior guard Devon Branch and junior guard Javis Flynn — received All-MIAA recognition following a vote of the conference coaches.
Gustafson received first-team All-MIAA honors, while Branch garnered third-team All-MIAA recognition for a second straight year.  Flynn was named to the five-man MIAA All-Defensive Team.

Gustafson is the first Pitt State player to earn first-team All-MIAA honors since the 2007-08 season (Cory Abercrombie).

Gustafson was named to the five-man All-MIAA Tournament squad, while junior guard Trey Starks was named the Tournament MVP, after scoring 24 points in the championship game vs. Missouri Southern and averaging 16.0 points in three games in Kansas City.

PSU Record Watch
Junior guard Javis Flynn currently ranks fourth all-time at PSU in single-season assists with 157.  He needs two more helpers to pass Oscar Gonzalez (158, 1998) for third place on the list.  Tony McCoy (1985) is second on the list with 160.

Flynn also ranks third all-time in single-season steals (69).  Cedric Brooks, who ranks second, snared 75 steals in 2003.

Sophomore guard Josiah Gustafson has scored 484 points on the season. He needs 16 more points to become just the 13th player in program history to eclipse 500 points in a season. Gustafson currently ranks in a tie for 19th place on Pitt State's single season scoring chart.

Pitt State Probable Starters
    F    24    Trevor Gregory, 6-7, 235, So., Lee's Summit, Mo.
    F    33    Connor Kjer, 6-6, 218, Sr., La Habra, Calif.
    G    3    Javis Flynn, 5-10, 170, Jr., Watonga, Okla.
    G    4    Josiah Gustafson, 6-6, 190, So., Omaha, Neb.
    G    5    Devon Branch, 6-6, 180, Sr., Aberdeen, Md.