Saturday (Nov. 14)
2:00 p.m. - Ferris State vs. Missouri-St. Louis | Live Stats
4:00 p.m. - Grand Valley State vs. Quincy | Listen | Watch | Live Stats | Game Notes
 
Sunday (Nov. 15)
2:00 p.m. - Ferris State vs. Quincy | Live Stats
4:00 p.m. - Grand Valley State vs. Missouri-St. Louis | Listen | Watch | Live Stats | Game Notes
 
The 2015-16 men's basketball season gets underway for Grand Valley State this weekend (Nov. 14-15) in Allendale, as the Lakers will host three teams in the GLIAC-GLVC Challenge. GVSU will play a pair of 4:00 games this weekend, taking on Quincy in Saturday's season opener before facing Missouri-St. Louis on Sunday afternoon.
 
There are links above to follow along to the radio broadcast of both games, as well as links to follow the live stats. The GVSU games will be aired on WTKG-AM 1230 and WMUS 107.9 FM, with fifth year play-by-play announcer DJ Foster calling the action.
 
This is the second straight year these teams have competed in the cross-conference challenge. Last year, all four schools - including Ferris State from the GLIAC - played in Quincy, Illinois in the first year of a four-year agreement for the GLIAC/GLVC Challenge. The next two years, these teams will play at Missouri-St. Louis and Ferris State, respectively.
 
At last year's tournament, the Lakers went 1-1 against the same competition. Grand Valley State fell in the opener by a 58-53 score to Missouri-St. Louis, despite the Lakers owning a 34-18 halftime advantage. The next day, GVSU bounced back to defeat Quincy 69-67 on the Hawks' home floor. 
 
Grand Valley State brings back nine players from last year's 13-15 team, which includes three returning starters and Preseason All-GLIAC North Division Second Team honoree Ricardo Carbajal, a senior forward. Carbajal led the Lakers last season with 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
 
Returning in the starting backcourt are senior Aaron Hayes and junior Luke Ryskamp. Battling through an injury-plagued first season in Allendale, Hayes scored 7.9 points in just over 19 minutes per game, while Ryskamp averaged 13.0 points per game, including a 16.1-point per game average over the final 15 contests of the year.
 
The Lakers have good depth in both the backcourt (senior Darren Kapustka, sophomores Sam McClendon and Myles Miller) and in the frontcourt (senior Chaz Rollins, junior Trevin Alexander, sophomore Drake Baar). A six-member recruiting class - five true freshman and a junior college transfer - help fill out the roster.
 
GVSU was picked fourth in the GLIAC Coaches Preseason Poll, finishing behind Saginaw Valley State, Ferris State, and Lake Superior State. Ashland finished one point ahead of Findlay in the South Division standings.
 
The friendly confines of GVSU Fieldhouse Arena will be the location of the Lakers' first seven games this season. That is the longest season-opening homestand in GVSU program history and the second-longest homestand ever by the Laker men. Only one other time in school history - an 11-game midseason stretch during the 1971-72 campaign - has Grand Valley State played more consecutive home games than this year's seven-game streak.
 
GVSU is 4-2 all-time against Quincy and owns a 3-1 record against Missouri-St. Louis.
 
Quincy is coming off a 13-16 overall record, as the Hawks went 7-10 in GLVC action last season. While QU lost in the opening round of the GLVC Tournament, the Hawks bring back all five starters, including All-GLVC Second Team forward Evan McGaughey, who averaged 11.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Quincy was selected to finish third in the GLVC West Division, one point behind second-place Truman State.
 
Slotted right behind Quincy in the GLVC Preseason Poll is Missouri-St. Louis, chosen fourth in the conference's West Division. The Tritons went 19-11 last season and owned a 10-8 mark in the conference, but lost their top two scorers to graduation. Senior guard Brandon Marquardt is the top returning scorer, as he put up 8.2 points per game and knocked down a team-best 54 three-pointers. UMSL brings back seven players and a Cal State Bakersfield transfer in guard Cortez Conners.
 
After hosting Quincy and Missouri-St. Louis this weekend, the Lakers will welcome Olivet (Nov. 20), Grace Bible (Nov. 23), and Salem International (Nov. 28) before beginning GLIAC play at home against Ashland and Lake Erie on Dec. 3-5, respectively.