PITTSBURG -- The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will put a five-game winning streak on the line Saturday (Jan. 6) when the Gorilla usher in 2024 with an MIAA home match-up against Missouri Southern State University. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. (CST) at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court.

The Pitt State action can be heard on ESPN 100.7 FM radio, online at espn1007.com/ or through the ESPN 100.7 or KSHQ app for phones or mobile devices.

The Record
Pitt State is 7-4 on the season and 3-2 in MIAA play. The Gorillas enter Saturday's action riding a five-game winning streak after pulling away for a 77-60 road win over Lincoln University the last time out on Dec. 30 at Jefferson City, Mo.

Pitt State is currently the hottest team in the MIAA with its five-game win streak. Northwest Missouri State University is seeking its fifth straight win entering a Thursday (Jan. 4) road tilt against Northeastern State University.

A victory over the Lions Saturday would give the Gorillas their first six-game in five seasons. Pitt State won eight consecutive games between Nov. 10 - Dec. 17, 2019.

Missouri Southern is 4-8 overall (2-4 MIAA). The Lions have been idle since Dec. 16 when they wrapped up first semester action with a 76-65 road loss to Lincoln.

Head Coach Jeff Boschee
Jeff Boschee is in his second year as head basketball coach at Pittsburg State. He guided a young Gorillas squad to an 8-20 record in his debut season. Boschee has a 15-24 (.385) mark at Pitt State and a 166-110 (.601) career record as a head coach.

Prior to accepting the Pitt State position, Boschee served as head coach at MIAA rival Missouri Southern State University the previous eight seasons. He compiled a 151-86 (.637) overall record leading the Lions.

Boschee directed MSSU to four 20-win seasons and three consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II National Tournament between the 2017-18 and the 2019-20 campaigns. He was selected the 2017-18 MIAA Coach of the Year and his 2018-19 squad reached the NCAA Sweet 16 while posting a 25-8 record.

As a collegiate player, Boschee was a four-year starter at the University of Kansas under former KU coach Roy Williams from the 1998-99 to 2001-02 seasons.

While at KU he helped the Jayhawks win a Big 12 Conference Championship and a Big 12 Conference Tournament title, and he played in the 2002 NCAA Final Four.

Series History
Pitt State and MSSU will meet for the 113th time in program history Saturday. The Lions hold a 62-50 advantage in the series, but the Gorillas hold a 33-21 edge in games played in Pittsburg.
MSSU swept the season series against Pitt State last year after the Gorillas downed the Lions twice during the 2021-22 campaign.

Scouting the Gorillas
Five Pitt State players – senior guard/forward Jeramy Shaw (24.5 ppg), sophomore guard Max Alexander (20.5 ppg), freshman guard Jordan Frison (14.8 ppg), senior guard/forward Deshaun English II (11.6 ppg) and sophomore guard Tanner Mans (10.0 ppg) – are averaging in double figures on the season.

Shaw returned to the Pitt State lineup for the High Desert Classic in December and he has made a big splash since. The St. Louis, Mo., native is averaging 24.0 points and 2.7 assists per game while shooting .800 from the field (24-30). He earned MIAA Player of the Week honors on Dec. 20.

Shaw (6-6, 205) started 11 of 28 games played last season, averaging 6.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. He shot 51.3 percent from the field on the year, converting 61 of 119 attempts.

Shaw transferred to Pitt State from the University of Detroit Mercy. He played one season for the Titans, after earning second-team NJCAA All-America honors at North Central Missouri College in 2020-21. He averaged 16.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting .559 from the field during his All-America campaign.

Shaw was a two-time Missouri Class 3A All-District performer at St. Louis' Valley Park High School.

Alexander (5-11, 180) is averaging 20.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game. He's shooting .443 from the floor (74-167) and .848 from the free throw line (67-79). Alexander currently leads the MIAA in scoring, ranks third in the conference in steals and eighth in the league in free throw percentage.

He scored a career best 31 points vs. MWSU on Nov. 24 and followed that up with a 24-point game vs. NWMSU on Dec. 2. Alexander earned MIAA Player of the Week honors on Dec. 11 after averaging 29.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in a pair of wins.

Alexander (Buhler, Kan.) battled injury in his initial season in 2022-23, competing in two games for the Gorillas. He earned first-team Kansas All-State All-Class honors as a senior at Buhler High School in 2021, averaging 25 points, six rebounds and four assists per game for the Crusaders.

Frison (5-11, 165) is off to a hot start to his Pitt State career. He's averaging  14.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game through 10 games played. The Memphis, Tenn., native also is shooting .485 from the field (50-103). He currently ranks third in the MIAA in assists and 12th in the league in scoring.

Frison broke the Pitt State single game record by dishing out 13 assists against Henderson State on Dec. 19. He added 17 points to post his first career double-double for the Gorillas.

Frison averaged 28 points, six assists and four rebounds per game at Overton High School. He helped OHS to the 2023 Tennessee Class 4A state championship, while garnering Class 4A MVP honors.

English (6-6, 220) is contributing 11.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. He has made 44 of 88 (.500) shots from the floor. English ranks second in the MIAA in rebounding. He posted 20 points and 16 rebounds in a win vs. Newman on Dec. 7.

English (Pittsburg, Kan.) returned following an All-MIAA junior campaign for the Gorillas. He started all 27 games played for the season, averaging a team-leading 14.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game and posting 12 double-doubles on the year. English ranked 10th in the MIAA in scoring, second in the conference in rebounding and third in the league in blocked shots.

English enjoyed a record setting game vs. Lincoln (Nov. 28) last year, scoring 17 points and tying a 56-year-old school record with 23 rebounds.

English joined the Gorillas from Butler Community College. He was a two-time All-Jayhawk Conference performer for the Grizzlies, earning third-team All-Conference honors as a sophomore in 2021-22 and honorable mention All-Conference recognition as a freshman in 2019-20. He played at NCAA Division I University of Northern Colorado during the 2020-21 season.

The 2018 Kansas Class 5A Player of the Year, English averaged 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists per game his senior year at Pittsburg High School.

Mans also made his season debut at Las Vegas; and he's averaging 10.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in his first three games for the Gorillas. He has hit eight 3-pointers to date, shooting .444 (8-18) from behind the arc.

Mans (Wichita, Kan.) came to Pitt State from Virginia Military Institute, where he averaged 5.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game during the 2021-22 season. He was a Kansas Class 5A All-State performer as a senior at Bishop Carroll High School.

Junior center Braydon Redd is contributing 8.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in nine games played. He's shooting .490 from the field (25-51) to date.

Redd (6-10, 260) averaged 13 points and nine rebounds per game at Seminole State College. The Houston native was a TABCA All-America selection at Cypress Falls High School.

Redshirt junior guard R.J. Forney Jr. is averaging 7.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. He matched his career high by scoring 17 points in the Gorillas' upset win over No. 3 UCO on Dec. 9. Forney currently ranks 13th in the MIAA in 3-point field goals (1.9 pg).

Forney (Broken Arrow, Okla.) averaged 8.9 points and 2.8 rebounds last year and hit a team-leading 70 3-point field goals. He averaged 2.5 3-point field goals per game, shooting .417 from behind the arc (70-168).

Forney (6-3, 180) scored a career best 17 points and hit five 3-pointers vs. MWSU (Dec. 1) and vs. MSSU (Feb. 11) last season.  He ranked second in the MIAA in 3-point field goal percentage.

Forney has started 43 of 78 career games for the Gorillas, compiling 429 points (5.5 ppg), 173 rebounds (2.2 rpg) and 118 3-point field goals.

He came to Pitt State from Tulsa's Union High School, where he averaged 10.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists his senior year.

Sophomore center Tane Prictor is averaging 6.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots in nine games played. He ranks fourth in the MIAA in blocked shots.

Prictor (Bend, Ore.) started in five of 21 games played in his debut season in 2022-23, averaging 3.7 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. He also blocked 18 shots on the season.

Prictor (6-11, 275) posted his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds vs. MSSU (Feb. 11) last year.

Prictor signed with Pitt State out of Mountain View (Ore.) High School where he was an honorable mention Oregon Class 6A All-State performer as a senior for the Cougars. He averaged 16 points, eight rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots per game, leading the state of Oregon in blocked shots.

Redshirt freshman Hayden Shanks also returns for his second year in the Pitt State program. Shanks (Bentonville, Ark.) garnered Arkansas Class 6A All-State honors as a senior at Bentonville High School, averaging 12 points and five rebounds a game his senior season.

Freshmen guards Evan Jackson and Carter Hjelmstad have seen significant action for the Gorillas.

Jackson has contributed 4.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in six games played to date.

Jackson (6-7, 195) averaged 14.6 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots per game as a senior at Chicago's De La Salle Institute.

Hjelmstad (6-5, 205) earned All-State honors at Edmond (Okla.) Memorial High School last year.