FULL GAME NOTES IN PDF (Notes produced by Sports Information Interns, Luke Starkey and Evan Anderson)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio Dominican men's basketball team is set to tip-off the 2021-22 season in Michigan this weekend.

The Panthers begin the new campaign at 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 12, at Ferris State. ODU will stay on the FSU campus for a 5 p.m. date with Drury on Saturday, Nov. 13.

OPENING TIP-OFF

• Ohio Dominican enters its 12th season as a NCAA Division II program and fifth as a member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. 
• The Panthers are coming off a 5-14 season a year ago, including a 5-13 mark in G-MAC play.
• ODU found success though in close games, going 5-5 in contests decided by 10 points or less during the 2020-21 campaign. 
• The Panthers were picked 10th in the Preseason G-MAC Coaches Poll.
• ODU has won two of its last three season openers.
• The Black & Gold are 2-4 in the season-opening crossover event since joining the G-MAC in 2017-18.
• ODU has the luxury of returning a bevy of experienced players this winter, led by 2020-21 G-MAC Freshman of the Year, Zach Szul (Waterville, Ohio). 
• Szul averaged 13.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and a team-high 1.3 steals per game last season.
• Sean Marks (Delaware, Ohio), 14.9, Alex West (Sylvania, Ohio), 13.2, and Ethan Haynes (Florence, Ky.), 11.3, also averaged double figures in the scoring column last year.
• Arius Jones (Lansing, Mich.) returns to the program for the first time since the 2019-20 season and has started 21 of 53 career games played.

ABOUT FERRIS STATE

• Ferris State went 9-11 overall and 8-8 in GLIAC play during a COVID-shortened winter a year ago.
• In its last full season, the Bulldogs were 27-6 overall and qualified for the 2019-20 NCAA Tournament, prior to the event being cancelled.
• Ferris State has won 20-plus games in six of the past seven seasons.
• The Bulldogs are less than five years removed from a national championship run in 2017-18, going 38-1 overall, including a first round win over ODU in the national tournament. 
• FSU has been picked to finish second in the GLIAC North Division.

ABOUT DRURY

• Drury is set to enter the first season of the Chris Foster era this weekend with games against ODU and FSU.
• The Panthers are coming off an exhibition loss to Division I Drake on Nov. 4.
• Drury launches the new campaign as the preseason favorite in the GLVC West Division. 
• Drury's 2021-22 roster features nine returners and five newcomers. 
• The Panthers' shortened season last year saw them go 11-10 overall and 9-9 in GLVC play.
• The Panthers battled through COVID-19 issues to make a run to the GLVC Tournament championship game before falling to Lewis, 76-71.
• Drury has won 20-plus games in three of the past four seasons, highlighted by NCAA Tournament appearances in 2018 and 2019. 

Contact: Tyler Jester

jestert@ohiodominican.edu