With Brevin Walter taking a weekend off to visit his new wife’s nephew, the Pack’s leading scorer last season returns for Matt Hammer’s sixth edition of CSU Pueblo men’s basketball.
Joining graduate student Walter (25, games, 29.4 minutes, 17.4 points a game) as returnees for the ThunderWolves this season are seniorsDe’Shaun Cooper (29, 27.3, 11.2) and Armon Muldrew (29, 33.3, 15.2), juniors Sam Howery (23, 11.4, 1.2) and Aurrion Harris (7, 21.1, 5.0), and sophomores Ty Adams (29, 10.3, 3.4), Corbin Garver (28, 16.6, 7.1), Landen Dvorsky (4, 1.5, 0.0), Shad Levy (17, 4.5, 1.5), and Andon Mindrup (12, 3.7, 1.1).
Cooper and Muldrew joined Walter in the starting lineup last season, while Adams and Garver were two of the top reserves. In the last 11 games last season, Garver averaged 24 minutes and 10.4 points a game.
Newcomers are juniors Kesean Bazil, Denim Johnson, and Victor Lado, sophomores Jaden Kennis, and freshmen Max Howery, Jake Lafferty, and Jordan Blair.
Lead the newcomers are Bazile (West Hills, Calif., CC, 16.9 points and 5.2 assists per game last season), Johnson (Trinity Valley CC, Texas, 8.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists), and Lado (Vincennes, Ind., CC5.8 points and 3.1 rebounds). Johnson and Lado played on teams that played in the junior college national championships in Hutchinson, Kan.
CSU Pueblo posted a 14-15 record last season and finished with a 10-12 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference record. The Pack won five of their last six regular-season games to earn a spot in the league’s post-season tournament for the first time in Hammer’s tenure. CSU Pueblo’s only setback in the stretch was an 82-80 decision at regular-season champion Colorado Mesa.
The seventh-seed ThunderWolves were defeated in the quarterfinals with a 102-96 setback at nationally-ranked Fort Lewis. Walter had 24 points in the game, and Garver had his best game of his freshman season, with a team-high 27 points and five three-points.
After placing second in the RMAC’s regular season standings, Fort Lewis won the post-season tournament in Grand Junction by posting an 87-73 win over Colorado Mines and an 86-75 win over host Colorado Mesa.
CSU Pueblo opens the season with an exhibition game at Utah on October 29. The Pack begin regular season play with a South Central Regional challenge by hosting Cameron and Midwestern State at Massari Arena on November 8 and 10.
The Pack’s first RMAC game is December 5 at Westminster in Salt Lake City. Highlighting the ThunderWolves non-league schedule is an appearance in the Hoops in Hawai’i Classic in Honolulu. CSU Pueblo plays Alaska Anchorage on December 19 and host Hawai’i Pacific on December 20.
