KENOSHA, Wis. – GLIAC play arrives at DeSimone Arena this week as the Parkside men's basketball team opens conference action with a marquee home slate against the two programs picked ahead of the Rangers in the league's preseason poll.
Parkside, coming off an 11-9 GLIAC record and seventh-place finish in 2024-25 before falling in the conference quarterfinals to Lake Superior State, will host Northern Michigan on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. CT and No. 14 Michigan Tech on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 3 p.m. CT. Both contests will serve as the back half of doubleheaders with the Parkside women's team playing immediately beforehand, setting the stage for a premier basketball weekend in Kenosha. The Rangers were picked third in the 2025-26 GLIAC preseason coaches' poll, trailing only Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech.
Parkside enters the week with nearly two weeks between games after its non-conference matchup against Edgewood was canceled due to the winter storm. The Rangers last played on Nov. 22 and earned a 77-70 win over Winona State, a game that featured a breakout performance from senior Paxton Warden, who scored 20 points for the first time as a Ranger. Parkside enters league play at 3-1 and riding a three-game win streak.
Through four games, the Rangers are averaging 84.0 points per game on 49.5 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent from three while holding opponents to 71.5 points on 42 percent shooting. Parkside owns a +5.5 rebounding margin (35.5–30.0) and has shown balance with 14.5 assists, 7.0 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while committing just 12.0 turnovers per contest.
Junior forward Luka Mateski has paced the offense at 19.3 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and better than 97 percent at the free-throw line. Warden follows at 18.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 49 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three. Senior forward Fawaz Surakat anchors the interior with 11.8 points and a team-high 8.0 rebounds per contest on 78 percent shooting while protecting the rim with 13 blocks (fourth in all of NCAA Division II). Graduate guard Josiah Palmer leads the Rangers with 4.8 assists per game, while redshirt sophomore Braden McGlothlin provides steady playmaking and rebounding in the backcourt.
Thursday, December 4
Parkside vs. Northern Michigan
7:30 p.m. CT | DeSimone Arena | Kenosha, Wis.
Saturday, December 6
Parkside vs. No. 14 Michigan Tech
3 p.m. CT | DeSimone Arena | Kenosha, Wis.
SCOUTING NORTHERN MICHIGAN:
Northern Michigan comes to Kenosha riding momentum after its most impressive performance of the season, a 79-53 victory over Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday. The Wildcats shot 50 percent from the field, knocked down 14 three-pointers and placed four players in double figures while receiving 29 points from the bench. Northern Michigan was picked second in the GLIAC preseason coaches' poll and returns as the reigning GLIAC Tournament champion, currently riding the longest NCAA Tournament appearance streak in program history with three straight.
Graduate forward Dylan Kuehl headlines the Wildcats after earning Preseason All-GLIAC First Team honors. A three-time All-GLIAC First Team and All-Defensive Team selection, Kuehl led Northern Michigan in scoring and rebounding a season ago and surpassed 1,000 career points. He paces NMU this year at 21.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Fellow graduate Jackson Dudek, the GLIAC Tournament MVP during last season's championship run, provides interior scoring and balance after earning Preseason All-GLIAC Second Team recognition.
Northern Michigan is averaging over 77 points per game while allowing just 63.0, shooting 47 percent from the field and 37 percent from three while committing fewer than 10 turnovers per contest. Head coach Matt Majkrzak is in his seventh season.
Northern Michigan leads the all-time series 11-5 and has won five straight meetings, including both contests last season. Parkside is 4-2 against the Wildcats inside DeSimone Arena but has not recorded a home win in the series in more than three years.
SCOUTING NO. 14 MICHIGAN TECH:
Michigan Tech closes the weekend after a Thursday night road contest at Roosevelt. The nationally ranked Huskies enter GLIAC play at 6-1 and have won four straight, with five of their seven games played at neutral sites. Michigan Tech made one of the loudest early statements in Division II by defeating then-No. 3 Dallas Baptist and No. 19 Lenoir-Rhyne in overtime on opening weekend before routing Lakeland 92-56 in its home opener this past weekend.
Picked unanimously as the GLIAC favorite in the preseason poll, Michigan Tech returns its entire starting lineup from last season's NCAA Tournament team under reigning GLIAC Coach of the Year Josh Buettner. Senior guard Marcus Tomashek, an All-American and the reigning GLIAC Player of the Year, once again leads the Huskies after averaging more than 23 points per game last season. The Green Bay native is producing nearly 20 points per contest this year while continuing to serve as the focal point of Tech's offense.
The Huskies are allowing just 62.4 points per game while forcing more than 15 turnovers per contest and shooting better than 42 percent from the field. Michigan Tech's depth has been a strength, with steady contributions across the rotation on both ends of the floor.
Michigan Tech leads the all-time series 21-10 and has won five straight meetings against Parkside, including both contests last season. The Rangers are 5-9 against the Huskies inside DeSimone Arena and 2-8 in the last ten meetings overall.
LOOKING AHEAD:
Following the opening weekend of GLIAC play, Parkside will have a week off before returning to action on Saturday, Dec. 13 with a road trip to Missouri–St. Louis. Tipoff in St. Louis is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT.
