KENOSHA, Wis. — Parkside men's basketball returns to De Simone Arena this week for a pivotal two-game GLIAC home stand, beginning Thursday, Jan. 22, when the Rangers host Grand Valley State — a team receiving votes in the national polls — at 7:30 p.m. CT. Parkside will then welcome Davenport to Kenosha on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 3 p.m. CT. The Rangers enter the week 9-7 overall and 3-5 in GLIAC play, tied with three other programs for sixth place in the league standings, and they return home looking to sharpen their conference form after an up-and-down stretch.
Parkside comes in off a confidence-boosting 95-75 win over Division III Edgewood on Monday, a 20-point victory that featured three 20-point scorers. Jack Rose posted a season-high 24 points, Andrew Soenksen delivered a career day with 23 points and 18 rebounds, and Logan Zahour added a career-high 21 points as the Rangers found rhythm offensively. That response mattered after a challenging GLIAC road weekend in which Parkside went 0-2, falling 82-78 at Wayne State on Thursday (despite Luka Mateski's career-high 30 points) before dropping an 82-61 decision at Purdue Northwest on Saturday in a game where the Rangers surrendered 49 second-half points. With the schedule tightening, Parkside now returns to Kenosha with a chance to make a move in a crowded standings picture.
Through 16 games, the Rangers' profile has been defined by scoring balance, shot quality, and an elite ability to win the free-throw line. Parkside is averaging 77 points per game while allowing 73, and offensively the Rangers are shooting 44% from the field and 34% from three while converting 77% at the stripe. The free-throw margin has been one of the defining stats of Parkside's season: the Rangers make 19.7 free throws per game to lead the GLIAC (also top-10 nationally), and that pressure has consistently created separation in close games. The Rangers have multiple players who can put constant strain on defenses, and the production has been spread across the roster — but the headliners have set the tone.
Paxton Warden leads Parkside at 17.7 points per game and ranks fourth in the GLIAC in scoring, pairing downhill force with efficiency (49% shooting) and consistent trips to the line. Mateski has been the conference's most constant free-throw weapon, sitting second in the GLIAC in free-throw percentage at 91% (16th nationally) while leading the league in both free throws made (121) and free throws attempted (133). He also ranks sixth in the GLIAC in scoring, giving Parkside another reliable late-clock option who can close possessions at the stripe.
Josiah Palmer has been the Rangers' primary organizer and one of the league's most efficient perimeter threats, ranking second in the GLIAC in three-point percentage at just under 42% while also sitting third in assists per game. Palmer is also chasing Parkside history — he enters the week five made threes shy of becoming the program's all-time leader in career 3-pointers (record: 259; five more would give him 260).
Thursday, Jan. 22
Grand Valley State at Parkside
7:30 p.m. CT | De Simone Arena | Kenosha, Wis.
Saturday, Jan. 24
Davenport at Parkside
3 p.m. CT | De Simone Arena | Kenosha, Wis.\
SCOUTING (RV) GRAND VALLEY STATE:
Grand Valley State arrives 13-3 overall and 6-2 in GLIAC play, good for sole possession of third place in the league standings. Under fourth-year head coach Cornell Mann, the Lakers were picked fourth in the GLIAC preseason coaches poll, and they have played like a top-tier league team on both ends while rolling into Kenosha on a four-game winning streak. Grand Valley is coming off an 84-80 overtime road win at Ferris State on Monday, clawing back after trailing by seven at halftime and showing the toughness that has defined its recent stretch.
Statistically, the Lakers have been one of the league's most complete units, owning the GLIAC's fourth-best offense and third-best defense, while also separating with depth and disruption: Grand Valley averages 33.4 bench points per game (best in the GLIAC), leads the league in steals per game at 10.1, and forces the second-most turnovers in the conference at just over 15 per night. Individually, the Lakers have multiple high-impact pieces. Mason Docks is the headliner as a defensive disruptor — he leads the GLIAC in steals per game at 2.7 and ranks 12th nationally, setting the tone at the point of attack. Trevor Smith Jr. has been one of the most efficient decision-makers in the country, ranking third nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.7, giving Grand Valley a steady hand that keeps the Lakers' offense clean late in games. In the frontcourt, Shamus Thompson is a consistent presence on the glass and ranks eighth in the GLIAC in rebounding at 6.6 per game, and Grand Valley's returning core — led by senior Jalen Charity (a returning all-league/all-defensive performer) — has continued to provide two-way consistency as the Lakers push for a top-two finish in the conference race.
All-time, Thursday will be the 16th meeting between Parkside and Grand Valley State. The Lakers lead the series 9-6 and are 4-2 when playing in Kenosha. Parkside snapped a three-game losing streak against GVSU in the most recent meeting — an 80-72 Ranger win last season on Feb. 15 behind 23 points from Jack Rose — though the teams split last year's series and the Lakers have taken three of the last four overall.
SCOUTING DAVENPORT:
Davenport comes north to Kenosha on Saturday after a Thursday night matchup at Roosevelt in Chicago. The Panthers enter the week 9-7 overall and 3-5 in GLIAC play — the same records as Parkside — after a major step forward from last season's 5-23 overall finish (1-19 GLIAC). Under 18th-year head coach Burt Paddock, Davenport was picked 10th out of 11 teams in the GLIAC preseason coaches poll, and while the Panthers are still searching for consistency, they have built an identity around rebounding, pace, and guard play. Davenport owns the GLIAC's seventh-best offense and eighth-best defense, but their most consistent advantages have come in transition and on the defensive glass: the Panthers lead the GLIAC in fast-break points at 13.9 per game and pull down more defensive rebounds than any other league team at 29 per night (11th nationally). Davenport enters the week on a three-game slide, including double-figure losses to Grand Valley State (90-50) and Ferris State (82-69) last weekend, but the Panthers have proven they can be dangerous when they control tempo and limit second chances.
Individually, Davenport is led by one of the best scorers in Division II. Ken Walker leads the GLIAC in free-throw percentage at 91.4% and is second in the conference — and 17th nationally — in scoring at 21.5 points per game, making him a constant threat to create points without needing perfect shot-making. Curtis Jackson has been the league's top distributor, leading the GLIAC in assists with 5.6 per game (84 total), and he is the engine for Davenport's pace and early-offense creation. Alden Ritt has been a consistent double-double presence, leading the GLIAC with seven double-doubles while also ranking fourth in the conference in rebounding, and Davenport's rebounding identity is reinforced by Dylan Smith, who has been one of the league's most efficient interior finishers while producing strong numbers on the glass. If Davenport is going to win on the road, it typically starts with defensive rebounding, turning stops into early offense, and getting efficient guard play to unlock Walker and Ritt in scoring spots.
All-time, this will be just the 13th meeting between Parkside and Davenport. The Rangers lead the series 9-3 and have won five straight, including a 71-51 win in Kenosha last season in which four Rangers scored in double figures. Parkside is 4-2 against the Panthers at home.
LOOKING AHEAD:
Following the home weekend, Parkside heads back on the road for its first set of GLIAC rematches, traveling to Saginaw Valley State in University Center, Michigan, on Thursday, Jan. 29, at 6:30 p.m. CT before heading north to Sault Ste. Marie for a matchup with Lake Superior State on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 2 p.m. CT.
To follow the Rangers throughout the season, visit parksiderangers.com/coverage.
