MIAA/NSIC Classic At A Glance 
• The Lindenwood men's basketball team opens up its 2016-17 regular season this weekend at the MIAA/NSIC Classic. The Lions will play two important regional contests, starting with Friday's game against Bemidji State. Lindenwood follows that on Saturday with a contest versus Minnesota Duluth. The games will all take place at JustAgame Fieldhouse in Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
 
• The Lions faced NCAA Division I UAB last Thursday in an exhibition contest. Lindenwood lost by a score of 92-69, but was outscored by the defending Conference USA Champions by just two points in the second half.
 
• Lindenwood will enter the season with a very young roster. The starting lineup is expected to consist of two freshmen and two sophomores, and seven of the team's 10 players are freshmen or sophomores.
 
• Lindenwood has never faced Bemidji State nor Minnesota Duluth in men's basketball before. The Lions are 0-3 against NSIC teams since moving to the NCAA, but every game has been decided by single digits.
 
• Lindenwood is coming off a 16-14 season in which it tied for fifth in the MIAA. The Lions set a school record with 16 wins against NCAA Division II programs, and also won their first MIAA Tournament game.
 
Lindenwood Notes
• Lindenwood begins its second season under head coach Lance Randall. Randall is in his ninth season as a collegiate head coach, and has a 137-93 all-time record. He has 277 all-time wins as a head coach counting his years at the high school and professional levels.
 
• The Lions were one of the top defensive teams in NCAA Division II last season. Lindenwood was eighth in the nation in scoring defense (65.4 ppg). The Lions also ranked in the top-20 nationally in blocked shots (11th) and field-goal percentage defense (20th). The team led the MIAA in blocks, field-goal percentage defense, and rebounding.
 
• Lindenwood had balanced scoring against UAB, with three players in double-figure scoring, and eight players having five or more points.
 
• The balanced scoring for the Lions is a good sign as the team looks to spread the offense out more this season. Last year, its leading scorer accounted for 35.2 percent of the team's points. Lindenwood also needs more people to step up as it has to replace 84.7 percent of its points from 2015-16.
 
• Lindenwood's top two returning players, Chandler Diekvoss and LJ McIntosh, led the team against UAB. Diekvoss had a team-high 13 points, and McIntosh tied for second with 12 points.
• The Lions outrebounded UAB in the second half by six boards. In that period, Dominique Dobbs had seven rebounds, and Chandler Diekvoss had six.
 
• Lindenwood hit 16 three-pointers in the exhibition contest against UAB. That total would have been the second-highest in school history if it was a non-exhibition contest. Its 35 three-point attempts would have set a new school record.
 
• Eight of the ten Lions who played against UAB made at least one three-pointer. LJ McIntosh made four long-distance shots, which would have been a personal career high. True freshman Zac Haese was a perfect four-for-four from three-point range.
 
• Lindenwood recorded assists on 65.2 percent of its made field goals versus the Blazers. Last season, the Lions had assists on just 46.3 percent of their made field goals. Adam Pohlman led the team with six assists, and he turned the ball over just twice.
 
• The Lions are 4-2 in their last six season openers. Last season, the team started the season with two wins at the Southwestern Oklahoma State University Classic, including a 77-68 win over the host school in the first game of the year.
 
• The Lions will have their home opener on Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. against Truman State.
 
A Look At The Opponents 
• Bemidji State is coming off a 10-17 season last year. The Beavers have lost two exhibition games this season to Northern Iowa (71-48) and Minnesota (83-59).
 
• Bemidji State returns five players from last year's squad, including four that saw starts last season. Ben Best is the top returning scorer with 11.8 points a game, and William Harvey averaged 10.4 points a contest in 2015-16.
 
• Minnesota Duluth had a record of 15-14 last season. The Bulldogs have taken the court once this season, losing to Wisconsin-River Falls by a 97-93 score.
 
• Minnesota Duluth returns one starter from last year in Kyle Schalow. Schalow averaged 5.3 points and 2.1 rebounds a game.