| GAME 2: Northern Arizona (0-1) vs SAGU American Indian College |
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NAU MBB GAME NOTES - vs. SAGU AIC (PDF)
NAU Probable Starters
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No. Player Pos. Elg. Hgt. Hometown PPG RPG FG% FT% Min.
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10 Bernie Andre F Jr. 6-6 N. Miami Beach, Fla. 4.0 3.0 .100 .500 24.0 |
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* - reigning Big Sky Newcomer of the Year, 10th-highest rebound total in program history w/263 in 2018-19
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* - 239 points last season was eighth-most ever by NAU freshman, 13 games with double-figure pts
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* - ranked 5th-best nationally, led Big Sky in three-point percentage (.493), 12 games w/ double digit pts
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* - 3rd player in program history to be honored as an Academic All-America, 478 career rebounds
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34 Ted McCree G Sr. 6-5 Detroit, Mich. 6.0 0.0 .400 --- 17.0 |
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* - started 17 games, 15 double-figure scoring efforts, made 51 treys in 2018-19
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NAU OPENS HOME SLATE ON FRIDAY NIGHT AT ROLLE
The Lumberjacks will open the 2019-20 home schedule on Friday, Nov. 15 in a 6 p.m. MST tip against SAGU American University at the Rolle Activity Center.
Friday's meeting with the Warriors will be aired live on Pluto TV (channel 539) and the Lumberjack Radio Network with the voice of the Lumberjacks
Mitch Strohman on the call.
The game will also mark the first of five consecutive non-conference home games for the Lumberjacks - who will follow Friday's clash with match ups against Benedictine University Mesa (Nov. 20), South Dakota (Nov. 30) and UC Davis (Dec. 4) at the Rolle Activity Center before heading to Prescott Valley to host Omaha at the Findlay Toyota Center on Dec. 8.
Overall, the 'Jacks will play five of nine non-conference games at home (including the Omaha match up) before facing a Big Sky slate that sees them playing five of their first seven conference games on the road.
NAU is 3-3 over the last three seasons in games played at the Rolle Activity Center.
LUMBERJACKS IN HOME OPENERS SINCE 2003-04
NAU will be looking to win home openers in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2014 (Fresno State) and 2015 (San Diego Christian) when it faces SAGU Indian College on Friday at the Rolle Activity Center.
The Lumberjacks defeated Jacksonville by a 97-82 count in the 2018-19 home opener as
Bernie Andre scored 20 to lead a total of five NAU players who finished in double figures in the victory,
The 'Jacks have a 13-3 record in home openers since the 2003-04 season.
ABOUT SAGU AMERICAN INDIAN COLLEGE
The SAGU (Southwestern Assemblies of God University) American Indian College Warriors play in the National Christian College Athletic Association's Division II level.
Friday's tilt will mark the first-ever meeting time that the Lumberjacks have faced SAGU AIC in any sport.
SAGU AIC is the nation's only Christian college campus serving primarily Native American students.
DEBISSCHOP EYEING 500 REBOUNDS
Senior
Brooks DeBisschop enters Friday's game vs. SAGU AIC with 478 career rebounds.
22 shy of 500 for his career and 121 shy of cracking the NAU top-10 career board list.
THREE-POINT STREAK
NAU has connected on at least one 3-pointer in 193 consecutive games.
The last time NAU did not make a 3-pointer was on Nov. 29, 2013, versus CSU Bakersfield.
The Lumberjacks finished that game 0-for-11 from beyond the arc.
SHELTON SHINES IN OPENING LOSS AT ARIZONA
Sophomore guard
Cameron Shelton posted a career-high 17 points and added seven rebounds in the Lumberjacks season-opening loss at Arizona on Nov. 6.
Shelton scored the eighth-most points ever by an NAU freshman last season with 239 - he also is the top returner from last season in assists after handing out 76 helpers as a rookie.
ISAIAH LEWIS RISES IN COLLEGIATE DEBUT
Freshman guard
Isaiah Lewis wasn't intimidated by the bright lights and sellout crowd facing him in his first-ever collegiate game - much less the nationally ranked opponent - as he dropped home 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting in the season-opening loss at No. 21/17 Arizona on Nov. 6.
Lewis also added six rebounds and exhibited a solid mid-range offensive game while totaling double-figure points for the first time as a collegiate player.
BURCAR TAKES OVER THE TOP SEAT
NAU will be led this season by interim head coach
Shane Burcar, who replaces current Arizona Associate head coach Jack Murphy, who served as the Lumberjacks' boss for seven seasons.
Burcar spent last season as an assistant on the NAU staff and spent the previous 12 seasons as the head coach at Mesa High School, leading the Jackrabbits to a 237-103 record during that span, including the 2016 Arizona Class 6A State Championship.
Burcar was honored on six different occasions as the region's coach of the year. His teams qualified for the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) State Playoffs in 10 of his 12 seasons at Mesa and captured seven region titles.
WHAT'S BACK
The Lumberjacks returns 72.1 percent of their scoring from last season five of the team's top six scorers.
Overall, NAU welcomes back a total of seven letterwinners and a pair of redshirts while also adding a total of six newcomers to the 2019-20 roster.
Among the top returners for the 'Jacks include reigning Big Sky Newcomer of the Year
Bernie Andre, who led the 'Jacks in both scoring and rebounding, as well as sophomore
Luke Avdalovic, who ranked fifth nationally in three-point percentage, hitting at a 49.3 percent clip.
Andre pulled down 263 rebounds during his sophomore campaign, which ranked as the 10th-highest single-season total in Lumberjack history.
PRESEASON TUNE-UP
The Lumberjacks lit up Embry-Riddle with 18 three-pointers and led by as many as 42 points in a 109-75 exhibition victory on Oct. 28 in Flagstaff.
Bernie Andre posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while five other NAU players finished with double-figure points.
Chris Bowling led all players with 16 points and was 5-of-9 from beyond the three-point arc.
NEW FACES ON THE BENCH
The Lumberjacks will feature a brand new look on the bench this season with head coach
Shane Burcar adding some fresh and some familiar faces to the NAU staff.
Tyler Ojanen was named as an assistant coach and arrives at NAU after serving for one year as the Assistant Athletic Director of Men's Basketball at Saint Mary's College.
Prior to his administrative role at St. Mary's, Ojanen was an assistant coach on the men's basketball staff at San Jose State for three seasons (2014-17).
Justin McLean joins as an assistant coach following a four-year stint at Arizona State (2016-19) as a video coordinator under head coaches Herb Sendek and Bobby Hurley, after serving as a graduate manager for the Sun Devils from 2013-15.
Prior to his tenure with Arizona State, McLean was a student manager for four seasons under Steve Lavin and Norm Roberts during a time when the Red Storm produced a pair of Big East Rookies of the Year.
A former NAU standout and graduate assistant coach,
Gaellan Bewernick, was elevated to a full-time assistant coach role on
Shane Burcar's staff.
Bewernick served as a graduate assistant coach on NAU's staff for the past two seasons (2017-19). During his time as a graduate assistant coach, he helped with on-court situations as well as player development.
A two-year team captain, he helped the Lumberjacks to a record-setting season for wins as a senior, as well as the programs first-ever post-season win in the College Insider Tournament (2015) and currently is ranked among the program's top-five leaders in games played (129), minutes (3,329) and finished as the program's sixth-leading rebounder (704).
Andrew Ludwig will handle all basketball operations duties for the Lumberjacks including practice preparation, travel planning and overall logistics.
He brings three years of previous experience in collegiate sports operations after serving as the assistant director of football operation at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (2017-19) and as the director of football operations at Arizona Christian University (2016-17).
NAU men's basketball ticket packages are currently on sale for the 2019-20 season. Fans can purchase tickets online at nauathletics.com/tickets or by calling the Lumberjack Ticket Office at 928-523-0639.
