PITTSBURG -- The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will open Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association play with home games against the University of Central Oklahoma Thursday (Dec. 4) and Rogers State University Saturday (Dec. 6).

The Gorillas will entertain the Bronchos at 7:30 p.m. (CST) Thursday at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court and play host to the Hillcats at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Record
Pitt State is 5-3 on the season. The Gorillas split a pair of games last week, falling to Quincy University (80-74) on Nov. 24 and defeating Bethany College (101-58) last Sunday (Nov. 30).

Pitt State also split a pair of games in the Pitt State Classic on Nov. 20-21. The Gorillas  posted a 93-66 victory over Maryville University and dropped a 76-72 decision to Oklahoma Baptist University. Pitt State posted a 2-0 record in the Central Region Challenge Nov. 14-15 at John Lance Arena. The Gorillas recorded a 91-76 win over the University of Sioux Falls and a 94-74 victory over Minnesota State University-Moorhead in the 10-team, two-day tournament hosted by Pitt State.

UCO will bring a 6-3 record into Thursday's action. The Bronchos have won two straight games, including a lopsided 107-46 victory over Champion Christian the last time out on Sunday (Nov. 30).

RSU is 4-2 on the season heading into a Thursday (Dec. 4) road match-up against Missouri Southern State University. The Hillcats dropped a 67-65 decision to Southern Nazarene University in their last action last Saturday (Nov. 29).

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 203-132 (.606) career record, including a 52-46 (.531) mark leading the Gorillas. Boschee recorded his 200th all-time coaching victory in the Gorillas win vs. Sioux Falls on Nov. 14.

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 UCO will meet for the 47^th time in program history Thursday. The Bronchos hold a 25-21 edge in the series. UCO posted a 93-81 victory over the Gorillas the last time out in the semifinals of the 2024-25 MIAA Postseason Tournament.

RSU holds a 6-4 advantage in its series against Pitt State, but the Gorillas scored an 86-73 victory in the last meeting on Jan. 15, 2025. 

Scouting the Gorillas
The Gorillas have three players scoring in double figures early in the season: junior guard Connor Rogers (22.0 ppg), freshman guard Mason English (12.8 ppg) and redshirt junior forward Ben Coats (10.3 ppg). 

Rogers is contributing 22.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He currently ranks second in the MIAA in scoring. Rogers posted a career best 39 points in the Gorillas win over Sioux Falls last Friday (Nov. 14). His scoring output ranks in a tie for eighth place on Pitt State's single game scoring list.

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.

English is contributing 12.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and an MIAA-leading 6.6 assists per game following his first eight 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. He posted a 22-point scoring night against MSU-Crookston on Nov. 15.

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.

Coats is averaging 10.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and shooting .509 from the field (28-55).

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.

The Gorillas also have five players scoring between 5.4 and 9.3 points per game:  freshman guard/forward Ethan Sage (9.3 ppg), sophomore forward/center Alijah Curry (7.6 ppg), freshman guard Landon Short (7.5 ppg), redshirt sophomore forward Evan Jackson (6.0 ppg) and redshirt junior guard Hayden Shanks (5.4 ppg).

Sage is averaging 9.3 points, a team-leading 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 blocked shots in four games played. The Weatherford, Okla. native scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the season opener against WTAMU. He has missed the Gorillas last four games.

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.

Curry is averaging 7.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game to date. He's also made 25 of 49 shots from the field (.510).

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.

Short is scoring 7.5 points per game and made 14 3-point field goals (14-42). Short (6-2, 165) scored a season best 16 points and hit four 3-point field goals against MSU-Moorhead.

The Austin, Texas native was an All-District performer as a senior at Stony Point High School, where he averaged 16 points and six rebounds per game last year.
Redshirt sophomore Evan Jackson also is averaging 6.0 points and 2.4 rebounds 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). 
Shanks has contributed 5.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game on the 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.

Sophomore guard David Cobin Jr. also has seen reserve action in Pitt State's first six outings, contributing 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds 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.

Prictor is averaging 3.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in four games played this year. He has converted five of 10 field goal attempts (.500).

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, Prictor 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.