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SETTING THE SCENE
The University of Missouri-St. Louis men's basketball team begins its 49th season of intercollegiate play when it opens the 2014-15 campaign this weekend at the GLVC-GLIAC Challenge in Quincy, Ill. The Tritons face Grand Valley State on Saturday before meeting Ferris State on Sunday. Both games are set for a 12 p.m. tip.

LAST TIME OUT
UMSL opened its season last Saturday with a 77-54 loss at NCAA Division I Missouri in the Tritons' lone exhibition game. UMSL led by as many as 11 points midway through the first half before the host Tigers began coming to life and took a 39-34 halftime lead. Missouri did not pull away until under the 10 minute mark in the second half when an 11-0 run helped the Tigers to their first double-digit lead. Offensively, UMSL was led by a pair of newcomers, including junior Kevin Swanson, who finished with 15 points and junior Tre Ogles, who followed with 13 points.

UMSL IN SEASON OPENERS
In the previous 48 season openers, the Tritons have posted a record of 29-19. UMSL lost a 76-72 decision at Lake Superior State in last year's lid lifter.

THE SERIES
UMSL and Grand Valley State meet for just the fourth time and the first since the two tipped off the 2007-08 season in Allendale, Mich. The Lakers have won all three previous meetings.

UMSL and Ferris State have never met before.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Grand Valley State returns an experienced team in 2014-15, as the Lakers returning nine letterwinners and six players who started in at least 10 games last year. The Lakers went 19-8 overall and finished 15-7 in league play. Eight of the top nine scorers return, including  leading scorer Ryan Sabin. The senior guard was a Preseason All-GLIAC North Division First Team pick, as he averaged 14.2 points per game and knocked down 69 three-pointers last season.

Ferris State returns 10 letterwinners from last year's 10-16 team, which also posted a 9-13 GLIAC mark. The Bulldogs return six players who all started at least nine games a year ago, including leading scorer Drew Lehman, who averaged 14.0 points per game.

SIZING UP THE TRITONS
UMSL is coming off a 16-12 record in 2013-14 and returns four players from that squad. The Tritons secured the program's fourth straight winning season – something that hadn't been done since the first four seasons of the program. UMSL also recorded a 9-9 mark in the GLVC and hosted the program's first-ever GLVC Tournament game and were tabbed to finish second in the GLVC West Division in the preseason coaches' poll.

HEAD COACH BOB SUNDVOLD
UMSL is under the direction of second-year head coach Bob Sundvold. In nine years as a head coach at the collegiate level, Sundvold owns a 141-120 (.540) record with stops at Central Missouri and Missouri-Kansas City.
 
THE RETURNERS
The Tritons will be led by four seniors, including All-GLVC honoree Tylor Wimbish. Wimbish averaged 15.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season, while shooting 60.3 percent from the field.
 
Aareon Smith also returns after leading the team with 5.7 rebounds per game and averaging 9.3 points per game. The other two seniors are Neil Branham (3.0 ppg, 2.0 apg) and Derek Shouse (6.2 ppg, 32 three-pointers, 41.0 3FG%).
 
Three redshirt freshmen also return including Drew Skaggs, Danilo Radenkovic and Andreas Kefalas.
 
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
The roster also features three true freshmen and five transfers, including three from the junior college ranks and two from four-year programs.
 
Sophomore forward Alex Majewski comes to UMSL from Texas-Pan American, where he played in 32 games, earning four starts, while averaging 3.2 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. Junior guard Brandon Marquardt played two seasons at Lindenwood University, averaging 9.2 points per game last season, while connecting on 60 three-pointers and shooting 44.8 percent from the arc.
 
Junior guard Tre Ogles played two seasons at Mesa Community College where he averaged 12.8 points and 1.3 assists per game last season, while junior guard Derek Williams played two seasons at Des Moines Area Community College and was a two-time all-conference selection. He averaged 10 points and 5.1 assists per game last year. Junior forward Kevin Swanson played two seasons at Kaskaskia College and averaged 13.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last year.
 
Freshman Max Cook prepped at Lincoln (Ill.) averaged 9.2 points, four assists and three steals per game, while helping his team to a 34-3 overall record. Freshman forward Deamonte Sykes, played for Sumner Academy (Mo.), where he earned first team all-conference honors as a senior, while freshman guard Joshua Webster prepped at Christian Brothers College (Mo.) and averaged 11 points per game as a senior, while helping his team to the state championship.

A LOOK AT OUR SCHEDULE
UMSL will play a 28-game schedule with 14 of those games at home and 19 games in the GLVC. The Tritons will open the home portion of its schedule on November 22, hosting Robert Morris of Springfield in the start of a four-game homestand. UMSL will wrap up non-conference play in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Dec. 20-21 against West Texas A&M and Nova Southeastern and begins GLVC play at home on Jan. 2 against Illinois Springfield.  

UP NEXT
UMSL will host Robert Morris Springfield on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 5:30 p.m. in its home opener.