Gorillas to Make Home Debut Against Wonder Boys, Bulldogs

PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will make its 2024-25 season home debut with a pair of games at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court this week. The Gorillas will play host to Arkansas Tech University Wednesday (Nov. 27) at 3 p.m. and return following the Thanksgiving holiday to entertain McPherson College at 3:30 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 30).

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
The Gorillas are off to a 2-3 start to the season. Pitt State dropped an 89-71 non-conference road decision to No. 10 ranked Washburn University in its last action on Nov. 19.

The Gorillas split a pair of games in the Bearcats/Gorillas Invitational on Nov. 14-15 at Kansas City, Mo. The Gorillas dropped a 91-83 decision to the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs last Thursday (Nov. 14) before bouncing back with a 61-60 win over William Jewell College Friday (Nov. 15).

Pitt State also split a pair of games on the opening weekend of play at the Central Region Challenge at Kansas City, Nov. 8-10.

Arkansas Tech is 3-2 on the young season. The Wonder Boys dropped a 69-67 home decision to Missouri Western State University in their last action last Friday (Nov. 22). ATU owns non-conference wins over MIAA squads Missouri Southern State University (61-56) and Newman University (95-64) this season.

McPherson is 2-4 heading into a Tuesday (Nov. 26) road match-up against fellow NAIA member William Woods University. The Bulldogs are riding a three-game losing streak. Saturday's contest against Pitt State will count as an exhibition game for McPherson and a countable game for the Gorillas.

Head Coach Jeff Boschee
Jeff Boschee is in his third year as head basketball coach at Pittsburg State. He guided the Gorillas to a 21-11 record and a berth in the NCAA Division II National Tournament a year ago. Pitt State posted a 15-7 mark in MIAA play and the squad reached the finals of the 2023-24 MIAA Postseason Tournament.

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

He has a 182-120 (.602) career record as a head coach.

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
Wednesday's action will mark the 11th all-time meeting between the Gorillas and the Wonder Boys in a series that dates back to the 1951 season. ATU holds a 6-4 edge in the series but Pitt State claimed a 73-68 win in the last meeting on Dec. 31, 2014, in Pittsburg.

Pitt State leads the all-time series against McPherson, 6-3. The Gorillas defeated the Bulldogs, 75-54, last year on Nov. 21, 2023. Pitt State's Jordan Frison posted 15 points, six rebounds and five assists in the contest

Scouting the Gorillas
The Gorillas have four players scoring in double figures to date: redshirt senior guard R.J. Forney Jr., graduate guard Avery Taggart and junior guard Tanner Mans.

Forney is averaging a team-leading 14.0 points per game thus far. He is shooting .532 from the field (25-47), including .469 from 3-point range (15-32). Forney also is contributing 4.0 rebounds per game. He scored a career best 25 points in the Gorillas win vs. St. Cloud State on Nov. 10.

Forney ranks third in the MIAA in 3-point field goals and percentage.

Forney (Broken Arrow, Okla.) averaged 7.2 points and 3.4 rebounds last year and hit a team-leading 63 3-point field goals. He averaged 2.0 3-point field goals per game, shooting .426 from behind the arc (63-148). Forney was selected to the five-man 2023-24 MIAA All-Defensive Team.

He contributed 8.9 points per game and knocked down 70 3-pointers (2.5 per game) during the 2022-23 campaign. Forney (6-3, 180) scored a career high 19 points against Emporia State on Feb. 23, 2023.

For his career, Forney has started 68 of 103 games played, scoring 645 points (6.3 ppg) and converting 175 3-point field goals. He ranks fifth in program history in 3-point field goals made; and he needs three more treys to move into fourth place on the all-time list.

Forney 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.

Taggart is averaging 13.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in his first five games as a Gorilla.

Taggart (Eureka, Mo.) transferred to Pitt State from MIAA rival Missouri Southern. A two-time honorable mention All-MIAA performer, Taggart started in 71 of 107 career games for the Lions, scoring 1,050 points (9.8 ppg) and making 184 3-point field goals.

He scored a season best 21 points and dished out five assists vs. UCCS on Nov. 14.

Mans has contributed 10.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game thus far.

Mans (6-6, 200) started 14 games in 2023-24 and averaged 8.0 points per game. The Wichita native converted 46 of 102 3-point field goals, shooting .451 from 3-point range. He also shot .900 from the free throw line, making 36 of 40 attempts. Mans had a season-best 16 points in a road game against Central Oklahoma on Feb. 1.

Mans 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 Darrell Washington has chipped in with 9.8 points and a team-leading 4.8 rebounds per game.

Washington (Lake Charles, La.) joined the Gorillas last January, after playing his sophomore season at Lee College in 2022-23. He averaged 6.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 21 games played for the Navigators.

Sophomore guard Jordan Frison is contributing 6.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. He currently leads the MIAA in assists.

Frison (Memphis, Tenn.) returned for his second season in the program following an All-MIAA campaign in which he was selected the 2023-24 MIAA Freshman of the Year. He started all 31 games played a year ago, averaging 11.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Frison finished the season ranked second in the MIAA in assists and 12th in the league in steals.

Frison (6-0, 170) scored a season best 24 points in a road win over Newman on Feb. 3 last year. He also set the all-time Pitt State single game assist record with 13 helpers against Henderson State on Dec. 19. He added 17 points in the game for his first career double-double.

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

Prictor is averaging 5.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots in four games played to date. He posted 13 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots in his season debut vs. St. Cloud State (Nov. 10).

Prictor (Bend, Ore.) started in four of 23 games played in 2023-24, averaging 5.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. He also blocked 34 shots on the season.

Prictor (6-11, 275) posted his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds vs. MSSU on Feb. 11, 2023. He scored a career best 13 points vs. William Jewell last year (Nov. 25) and he recorded six blocked shots vs. Nebraska-Kearney (Jan. 11).

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.

Junior guard Johannes Kirsipuu is contributing 4.6 points, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game. He ranks 11th in the MIAA in steals.

Kirsipuu (Sulu, Estonia) came to Pitt State after two seasons at NCAA Division I Central Arkansas. Kirsipuu (6-2, 185) started 26 of 55 career games for the Bears. He averaged 6.6 points and 4.1 assists per game last year.

Sophomore forward Miles Branch also is averaging 2.4 points and 1.2 rebounds per game.

Branch (Lawrence, Kan.) transferred to Pitt State after two seasons at the University of South Dakota. Branch (6-9, 225) redshirted in 2023-24, after seeing action in 16 games for the Coyotes as a freshman in 2022-23.

Redshirt sophomore Hayden Shanks and redshirt freshman guard/forward Evan Jackson also have seen limited action for the Gorillas.

Shanks (Bentonville, Ark.) saw action in 20 games in a reserve role for the Gorillas last year. He 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.

Jackson (Chicago, Ill.) saw action in six games in 2023-24 before an injury cut short his rookie campaign. He was a McDonald's All-America nominee as a senior at the De La Salle Insitute, where he averaged 14.6 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots per game.

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