ALLENDALE, Mich. – The Grand Valley State men's basketball team begins their Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Southern Division title defense Saturday (Jan. 9) at 1:00 PM when they host the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals to open the 2021 basketball season. The COVID-shortened campaign will feature 18 conference games. The Lakers will host the Cardinals on Saturday and again Sunday at 3 PM.
 
The Lakers have a plethora of returning talent, headlined by reigning NABC All-American Jake Van Tubbergen and All-GLIAC Defensive Team member Christian Negron. Add in the team's leading three-point shooter a year ago, Isaac Gassman, and extremely talented transfers Deleon Brown and Jordan Harris in the backcourt and this team has serious firepower on both ends of the floor. (GLIAC SEASON PREVIEW)
 
Van Tubbergen won't be the only All-American on the floor this weekend, facing off against junior Myles Belyeu for the Cardinals. He averaged 21 points per game last season to lead a Saginaw Valley team that also returns key seniors Malik Ellison, Delano Smith and Darnell Hoskins Jr. The team also features three players that stand at least seven feet tall, adding another dimension of difficulty to the Lakers' task.
 
The Lakers ranked second in the GLIAC in field goal percentage last season, led by two of the most efficient scorers in the conference with Negron's .630 field goal percentage leading the league and Van Tubbergen ranking fifth with a .541 percentage. The Cardinals, meanwhile, struggled from the field with a .430 team percentage, the second-worst in the conference. They made up for it; however, by leading the conference in free throw percentage.
 
With two veteran teams, picked to finish first (GVSU) and second (SVSU) in the GLIAC South in the preseason coaches' poll, this is a fun matchup right out of the gates. With no fan attendance, you can follow the action live with a pay-per-view video broadcast on the Grand Valley Sports Network, listen free on ESPN 96.1 or the iHeart app, or follow live stats on www.gvsulakers.com. @GVSUBasketball on Instagram and Twitter will also have live updates throughout the game.