PITTSBURG -- The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team is set to host the 10-team Central Region Challenge at John Lance Arena Friday and Saturday. As part of the two-day, 10-game schedule, the Gorillas will face the University of Sioux Falls at 5 p.m. (CST) Friday (Nov. 14) and Minnesota State University-Moorhead at 7 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 15).

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The Record
Pitt State will bring a 1-1 record into the weekend action. The Gorillas opened the 2025-26 campaign Nov. 1-2 by competing in the D2CCA Tip-Off Challenge at St. Joseph, Mo.

The Gorillas dropped a 76-70 to West Texas A&M University in the season opener on Nov. 1, before Pitt State bounced back with a 75-53 victory over Minnesota State University the next day. 
The Gorillas posted an 18-12 overall record a year ago. Pitt State advanced to the semifinals of the 2024-25 MIAA Postseason Tournament.

Sioux Falls and MSU-Moorhead will both make their season debuts in the Central Region Challenge. The Cougars posted a 16-13 overall record last year, while the Dragons went 25-9, claimed the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Postseason Tournament title and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

Head Coach Jeff Boschee
Jeff Boschee is in his fourth year as head basketball coach at Pittsburg State and his 12th season as a collegiate head coach. He has a 199-130 (.605) career record, including a 48-44 (.522) mark leading the Gorillas.

Boschee guided the Gorillas to a 21-11 record and a berth in the NCAA Division II National Tournament in 2023-24. Pitt State posted a 15-7 mark in MIAA play and the squad reached the finals of the 2023-24 MIAA Postseason Tournament.

Last year, the Gorillas posted an 18-12 overall record (13-6 MIAA) and reached the semifinals of the 2024-25 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.

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. Including four seasons as an assistant, MSSU compiled a 237-118 (.668) record during Boschee's time on the Lions' staff.

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 Sioux Falls will meet for the fourth time in program history Friday. The Gorillas are 3-0 all-time against the Cougars. The two squads last met on Nov. 12, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo., with Pitt State pulling out a 67-66 decision.

Pitt State will seek its first victory against MSU-Moorhead Saturday. The Gorillas and Dragons have met twice previously – both times in the NCAA Division II National Tournament. MSU-Moorhead claimed a 73-55 on Mar. 16, 2024 in the first round national tournament action at Mankato, Minn. 

Scouting the Gorillas
The Gorillas have four players scoring in double figures early in the season: redshirt junior forward Ben Coats, junior guard Connor Rogers, sophomore forward/center Alijah Curry and freshman guard Mason English.

Coats is averaging a team-leading 13.0 points per game and shooting .643 from the field (9-14).

Coats (Chicago) began his collegiate career at MIAA rival Missouri Southern before spending two seasons at Parkland Community College. He spent the 2024-25 season at MIAA rival Emporia State, averaging 7.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game before an injury cut short his season. Coats (6-7, 218) contributed 11.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore at PCC in 2023-24.

Rogers is contributing 11.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He scored a team-leading 20 points in Pitt State's win vs. Minnesota State.

Rogers (Starkville, Miss.) came to Pitt State from East Central (Miss.) Community College. He garnered second-team All-Conference honors a year ago after contributing 19 points, five rebounds and four assists a game. Rogers (5-11, 185) prepped at Starkville High School.

Curry is averaging 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game to date. He's also made eight of 13 shots from the field (.533).

Curry (6-9, 215) transferred to Pitt State from Manhattan University where he saw action in reserve role last year. The Memphis, Tenn. native prepped at Camden High School in New Jersey where he averaged 18.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game while helping the team to a 30-2 record and a state championship.

English is contributing 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds 6.5 assists per game following his first two collegiate games. The Pittsburg native scored 10 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out nine assists in the season opener against West Texas A&M.

English (6-2, 192) was a three-time Kansas Class 5A All-State performer at Pittsburg High School. He averaged 33.4 points, six rebounds and eight assists per game his senior year. English attended Link Year Prep Academy during the 2024-25 season.

The Gorillas also have three players scoring eight or more points to date:  freshman guard/forward Ethan Sage, redshirt junior guard Hayden Shanks and senior center Tane Prictor.

Sage is averaging 9.5 points, a team-leading 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 blocked shots following his first two games for the Gorillas. The Weatherford, Okla. native posted six points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots in the win against MSU.

Sage (6-7, 200) helped Weatherford High School to the Oklahoma Class 5A state championship during his senior season, when he averaged 12.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.
 Shanks has contributed 8.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game on the young season.

Shanks (6-2, 185) played in 22 games in a reserve role in 2024-25. He scored a career best 15 points against McPherson College last year. Shanks garnered Arkansas Class 6A All-State honors at Bentonville High School, averaging 12 points and five rebounds per game during his senior campaign.

Prictor is contributing 8.0 points and 5.0 after two games played this year. He has converted four of six field goal attempts (.667).

Prictor (Bend, Ore.) averaged 7.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and a block a game while shooting .620 from the field a year ago. Against Central Oklahoma (Mar. 8, 2025) in the MIAA Tournament Semifinals. He recorded a 16-point, 17-rebounds double-double performance. He has recorded 81 blocked shots in 74 career games, ranking sixth in Pitt State history heading into his final campaign. 

Prictor joined the Pitt State program from Mountain View (Ore.) High School. An Oregon Class 6A All-State performer as a senior at MVHS, he averaged 16 points, eight rebounds and 2.1 blocks a game, lead the state in block shots that season.
Redshirt sophomore Evan Jackson also is contributing 3.0 points per game to date.

The Chicago native is looking to build upon a breakthrough redshirt freshman season in 2024-25 in which he averaged 7.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Jackson (6-7, 200) started a pair of games last year and posted double-doubles against Central Oklahoma (Dec. 4) and Rogers State (Jan. 15). 

Sophomore guard David Cobin Jr. and freshman guard Landon Short also saw reserve action in Pitt State's first two outings, with both players contributing 1.5 points per game so far.

Cobin (5-11, 170) saw action in 23 games in a reserve role as a true freshman in 2024-25. He averaged 19.6 points, 5.3 rebound, 4.9 assists and 4.2 steals during his senior campaign at De Soto High School.

Redshirt junior center Darrell Washington (Lake Charles, La.) also is back for his second full season in the Pitt State program. He missed last week's action due to injury.

Washington averaged 9.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in nine games last year before being sidelined due to injury. He shot .538 from the field on the year and posted a season-best 18-point output against Colorado-Colorado Springs (Nov. 14). Washington came to Pitt State from Lee College in Texas.