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The Grand Valley State men's basketball team kicks off the 2014-15 season with a two-game road trip to Quincy, Ill. this weekend (Nov. 15-16). GVSU will play a pair of games against schools from the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), facing Missouri-St. Louis on Saturday and taking on Quincy on Sunday.
 
Saturday's contest against the UMSL Tritons will be played at 1:00 p.m. ET, while Sunday's game versus the Quincy Hawks is a 3:15 p.m. ET start. The games are part of the Microtel GLIAC/GLVC Challenge, as teams from the two conferences in the Midwest Region compete on opening weekend.
 
There are links above to watch a free live stream (available via Quincy) or to follow along on live stats. Both games will also be aired on WTKG-AM 1230, with longtime GVSU announcer Kent Fisher calling the action.
 
The Lakers are coming off of a 19-8 season in 2013-14 and picked to finish in second place in the GLIAC's North Division, behind only Michigan Tech, last year's regional runner-up. Grand Valley State returns nine letterwinners, eight of its top nine scorers, and six players who started at least 10 games last season.
 
Senior guard Ryan Sabin was an All-GLIAC Preseason First Team North Division selection, while junior forward Ricardo Carbajal was a Preseason Second Team honoree. Sabin is just one of two players in the conference - along with Walsh junior guard Jesse Hardin - who returns this season after being an All-GLIAC First Team choice last year.
 
GVSU also returns several big men who are familiar to the starting lineup, including senior Darren Washington (made 18 starts), Carbajal (17), sophomore Trevin Alexander (11), and senior Chaz Rollins (eight). Sabin started all 27 games last year and was joined in the backcourt by junior Ernijs Ansons (14 times) and sophomore Luke Ryskamp (13).
 
Sabin was the team's leading scorer last season, putting up 14.2 points per game and making a team-best 69 three-pointers. That is the most triples by a Laker since the 2007-08 season. Rollins (5.9) and Alexander (5.0) led GVSU in rebounds per game last season, while junior Darren Kapustka knocked down 39 trifectas. Washington (58.6) and Rollins (57.9) were tops on the team in field goal percentage last year.
 
Saturday's opponent, Missouri-St. Louis, went 16-12 last season and return leading scorer Tylor Wimbish, who averaged 15.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He also shot 60.3 percent from the field. Aareon Smith returns for the Tritons after pulling down a team-high 5.7 boards per contest.
 
The host school, Quincy, looks to build on a 10-18 record in 2013-14 and do so with top player Evan McGaughey. Last year, McGaughey tied for the team-high with 5.2 rebounds per game while adding 11.3 points per contest. He shot 54.5 percent from the floor. Scottie Bruxvoort also pulled down 5.2 rebounds a game, while Nate Des Jardins (75) and Ja'mil Jones (57) led the team in assists. Des Jardins was also second on the team with 30 three-pointers.
 
Ferris State is the other GLIAC school at the weekend tournament and will play Quincy on Saturday and UMSL on Sunday.
 
GVSU is 3-0 all-time against Missouri-St. Louis and owns a 3-2 record versus Quincy.
 
After this weekend trip, Grand Valley State returns to Allendale to play its home opener next Saturday (Nov. 22) against Cedarville in a 3:00 p.m. start.