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The Winona State University men’s basketball team hosts Grinnell (Iowa) at 11 a.m. today in a game that’s certain to be fast-paced and filled with points.
Grinnell, an NCAA Division III program, has garnered national attention for its run-and-gun style of play.
The Pioneers use a constant full-court press, shoot an obscene number of 3-pointers and run players in and out with frequency — think line changes in hockey.
The Warriors have heard about it — some even watched Grinnell play Beloit (Wis.) on ESPN in 2005 — but aren’t sure exactly what to expect.
“It should be interesting,” WSU senior guard Jonte Flowers said. “We’ll see what happens.”
It’s unlikely Grinnell has played many teams the caliber of WSU, which is ranked No. 1 in Division II to start this season. The Warriors, of course, won the DII national title in 2006 and were the runners-up last season.
WSU certainly has the athletes to run with the Pioneers, but it also has a very solid defensive team that could force problems for Grinnell.
“We’re going to play defense on them and if they don’t play defense on us, we’re going to have a lot of points,” said WSU senior center John Smith, one of the players who watched the Pioneers on television.
“Some people mock that style, but when James Naismith invented the game he didn’t say there was only one way to play. That’s their style and they’ve been successful doing it.”
Grinnell has put up impressive offensive numbers during David Arseneault’s 19 seasons as coach. The Pioneers set a then-NCAA record in 2003-04 when they averaged 126.2 points per game.
Arseneault’s teams have led the country is 3-point shooting in 10 of the past 13 seasons. A year ago, they took nearly 50 3-pointers per game (WSU took about 18) and made 35.7 percent.
Grinnell and its players are all over the NCAA record books. Perhaps the biggest name from the program’s history is Jeff Clement, a homegrown kid who shined in the system in the late 1990s.
Clement holds the DIII record with 77 points in a game, a mark he set against Illinois College in 1998. In that game, Clement set all-division NCAA records for 3-pointers made (19), 3-pointers attempted (52) and total shots (68).
Clement also holds the single-season and career NCAA records for 3-pointers made and attempted. He made 186 of 511 in 1998 and 516 of 1,532 in his career.
“It’s mind boggling to look at some of their stats,” WSU coach Mike Leaf said. “What we know is we’re playing a team that plays a different style. They really push the ball up the floor and they shoot a lot of 3s. It should be interesting.”
n In other team news, redshirt freshman Brad Meyer did not play in the exhibition opener Thursday against UW-La Crosse and is expected to be out until late this month.
Meyer, a graduate of Winona Senior High School, has a pair of small stress fractures in his left fibula.
Mike Muller, a 6-foot-10 forward from La Crosse, Wis., will miss the season with a knee injury. Leaf said the team plans to file for a medical redshirt.
Shane Neiss, meanwhile, a 6-5 senior guard/forward, has missed the start of the season with a shoulder injury. Leaf said he wasn’t sure how long Neiss would be sidelined.
Leaf said Thursday night the program plans to redshirt four players this season, including Ryan Gargaro, the team’s backup center the past three seasons.
Also redshirting will be freshmen Jon Walburg, Luke Doedens and Max Hintz.
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