Bulldog men’s basketball growing into nationally ranked shoes

Last Saturday sophomore forward Austin Andrews and junior guard Jack Middleton combined for 43 points to lift the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) men’s basketball team to a 9-0 record earning their best start in their decades old program’s history.

Head coach Justin Wieck said it’s their strength off the court that’s built the Bulldogs into a dangerous weapon.

"A lot of it is just maturity," Wieck said."We’re not a finished product yet. We’re going to have some ups and downs going forward but we’ve got some really talented, driven guys who are just having fun playing basketball right now."

Andrews, the back-to-back Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) North Division’s Player of the Week, added, "it’s awesome to get off to this great start but we’re really chasing this to add banners to the gym."

Notching two wins last week UMD earned a spot in the national ranks. They now sit 22nd in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II poll.

Wieck said they’re aware adversity is around the corner, so the Bulldogs are staying focused on keeping defense sharp and strengthening a well rounded offense.

They’ll look to go 10-0 on Friday hosting Minot State University. Tip-off is set for 5:30pm at Romano Gym.