BILLINGS, Mont. – When the Montana State University Billings men's basketball team takes the floor against Cal State University San Marcos and Holy Names this weekend, the 'Jackets will be a completely different team than it was during the last Great Northwest Athletic Conference season in 2019-20.
 
It'll look different than the team that played exhibitions against Yellowstone Christian and Rocky Mountain College this past spring.
 
And, on paper, this year's group has an intriguing mix of transfers, second-year freshman and Division I talent that can get to the GNAC Championships for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
 
"I think this is a team has a good upside and I think it's a team that can grow," Fourth-year head coach Mick Durham said. "We need to go through some battles in order to get better. I like our athletic ability, I like our ability to play defensively – I know that's an area we've been trying to get better at since I've been here."
 
"There's no question that my goal is to get us to the GNAC Tournament," Durham added. "And hopefully we're playing our best basketball by the time we get there in March," Durham said. "I know the guys have some lofty goals, and I'm excited to see how this team can develop and how the guys can fit into their roles."
 
Despite being picked 10^th in the GNAC preseason poll, the cupboard isn't bare at MSUB. Like he has throughout his time in Billings, Durham relied heavily on the transfer portal and junior college players to assemble this year's roster. In fact, only senior forward Sam Elliott has logged minutes in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game.
 
Yet on the eve of the season opener, this isn't cause for concern. Six newcomers, including two Division I transfers (Damen Thacker and Bilal Shabazz) and one with a full season of Division II play under his belt (Malik Brikat) highlight a new-look roster. Durham believes losing three steady scorers knocked MSUB down a peg in the conference pecking order, but this underestimation also gives MSUB an opportunity to surprise teams this season.
 
"I think I saw the 10^th-place finish coming because we lost three experienced guys to the transfer portal, which kind of depleted our roster in some sense," Durham said. "We've had to rebuild it with a different look, and I'm excited to get that going."
 
Losing players is not unique to MSUB, or any program, for that matter – especially after players got a free year of eligibility after the coronavirus pandemic. Look around the conference, and most teams have had key contributors either make the leap to Division I or transfer elsewhere since the last GNAC season. Right now in Alterowitz Gym, the pieces of a sleeper team are there. On paper, each player has intriguing upside – ranging from the dynamics combination of the Damen Thacker-Carrington Wiggins in the backcourt, to the multifaceted frontcourt of 6'10" Emmanuel Ajanaku and 6'9" Malik Brikat, to the one-man mismatch nightmare of Bilal Shabazz, and much more.
 
It'll be up to the team to figure out how to turn that upside into reality.
 
ROSTER RUNDOWN
As far as Durham is concerned, one factor that separates the newcomers is recent experience.
 
Although MSUB's roster has players with several years of college basketball under their belts, some of them haven't had a full season in over two years, either due to injuries, conferences opting out of playing a full 2020-21 season, and the like.
 
Right now, the backcourt has that experience. Newcomers Jaren Fritz and Damen Thacker played close to full seasons in 2020-21, with the latter being a bright spot on a University of Idaho team over the past two seasons. Thacker's reputation as a scorer at Idaho preceded him, as he was the lone conference newcomer on the GNAC All-Preseason team.
 
"From day one, he has definitely shown his leadership," Durham said. "He's always been a scorer. We'll play a little more up-tempo than he did at Idaho, so I think he's trying to find his niche with that – when to speed up and slow down, that type of thing. He'll start at point guard, but I think he can play off the ball too."
 
Carrington Wiggins, Brent Finn, Jaren Fritz and Jo Jones round out MSUB's backcourt, which has been the bulk of the 'Jackets scoring in three exhibition games. Of that group, Durham believes Wiggins benefitted the most from the COVID year: After arriving at MSUB from Mott Community College in 2020, Wiggins' offseason work and familiarity with Durham's program over the past year helped make him take strides as a player. So far, it's shown. Wiggins, who is MSUB's top returning scorer from the pair of 2020-21 exhibitions, has meshed well with Thacker thanks to his midrange game, ability to score off the dribble and finish in transition.
 
"He got stronger, he was able to be around the program and get an idea of what Division II basketball is like," Durham said. "I'm excited because the combination of him and Thacker is a really good guard combo. They seem to really feed off each other. Carrington can score in a variety of ways and he can cause problems defensively with his long arms. I anticipate this will be an exciting season for Carrington – especially given all the work he's put in over the offseason."
 
Brent Finn, one of the few Montanans on the roster, rounds out the upperclassmen in MSUB's backcourt. Finn has taken a circuitous path so far, playing at junior college, Division II and Division I schools before choosing to play closer to home at MSUB two years ago. With Finn's extra year of eligibility, Durham hopes the senior can return to form after a hip injury set him back at Montana State, then last year's shortened season prolonged his return to college basketball.
 
"He's been very consistent and he brings us a lot of experience," Durham said. "Like a lot of guys, he needs to get back into game mode. But he gives us an experienced, physical guard who will be capable of scoring."
 
Another transfer, Jaren Fritz, played a full season of basketball last year at Northwest Community College, where he averaged 13.9 points and 2.8 made threes per game in 17 contests – including a 30-point outburst against Western Nebraska.
 
"He's your prototypical shooting guard who's going to come in and stretch the defense with his range," Durham said. "Jaren is definitely someone who can come in and give us a spark from his scoring. I'm excited to throw Jaren in there and see how he'll develop."
 
Barton College transfer Jo Jones rounds out the group as an explosive, defense-first point guard who has given MSUB a spark off the bench.
 
"He can play fast, he's quick and athletic," Durham said. "We want to play at a good pace, and we want him to attack and settle into being a true point guard where he's looking for other people first and making the smart plays. He definitely gives us energy coming off the bench."
 
Not only that, but Jones has also quickly become one of MSUB's vocal leaders in practice and in games.
 
"You know what you're getting every day with Jo," Durham said. "He comes to practice with enthusiasm and energy. He's always one of the first ones in the gym, and that's what you want from your point guard. You don't have to worry about Jo not showing up, which is a good thing."
 
Both listed at 6'5", Nicholas Sebastiao and true freshman Emmanuel Akpan make up the wings on MSUB's team.
 
"We needed a little wing help, and we have two in Sebastiao and Emmanuel Akpan," Durham said. "[Akpan's] skillset is still developing, but he's got a great knack defensively. I think that is what he'll have to lean on initially to get his minutes: to come in, rebound, get easy baskets and be solid defensively. He's got a great attitude, likes to play and fits in with the older guys.
 
However, Durham has different expectations for Sebastiao, who played key minutes in MSUB's pair of exhibitions last year and has a full offseason as a college basketball player under his belt. Sebastiao was the sixth man in both games in 2020-21, which included a 15-point, four-rebound and two-steal statline against Yellowstone Christian in his Feb. 6 debut.
 
"We need him to come in and be consistent; we don't look at him as a young freshman," Durham said. "He's definitely gotten stronger and added some weight in the offseason, so we need him to not only help us defensively and on the boards, but also on the boards by knocking down open shots."
 
As Durham would put it, a team can't have too many bigs. Right now, MSUB has a five-man frontcourt, each of whom brings something different to the table. Second-year freshman Emmanuel Ajanaku is the only player listed as a center on the roster thanks to his 6'10" frame; Ajanaku started in both exhibition games last year and will be relied on for his ability to run the floor and protect the rim.
 
"He's definitely very athletic; he can run and he's gotten stronger," Durham said. "He's got a nice upside. We just have to be patient with him. He's definitely going to be thrown in and play quality minutes, and I think that will make him get better."
 
Jimmy Brown is in a similar position as Ajanaku, as the 6'9" sophomore averaged 20.5 minutes per game in last season's exhibitions. This season marks the first time Brown has had a full college basketball season since playing at Chandler-Gilbert Community College.
 
"He's a great team guy," Durham said. "He's very consistent and he's very team-oriented. From a leadership standpoint, he excels the best, given his experience. He plays with a little more physicality and he's going to be a coach on the floor as a big. I think he's done a great job leading our young bigs and I'm looking forward to getting Jimmy out there."
 
Bilal Shabazz might have the highest upside out of the group, as the 6'7" Montana State transfer has been knocking down threes, rebounding well and giving MSUB valuable minutes as an athletic stretch forward so far.
 
"He's got a really good feel for the game, he's unselfish and he'll hopefully either be close to or be our leading rebounder," Durham said. "He's definitely got a high ceiling and we're pushing him hard so he can reach it. He's got a calming influence on the court – if not verbal, it's by how he remains calm. He doesn't get too high or too low."
 
Joining him will be Texas Permian-Basin transfer Malik Brikat, who is one of the few players with Division II experience last season. Brikat was the Falcons' third-leading scorer at 10.4 points per game while leading the team in field goal percentage (56.7%) and blocks (15).
 
"He gives us a different dimension at the center spot because he can face up a little bit and play," Durham said. "If he plays the four, he's long and I think he can go out on the perimeter and guard stretch forwards. I'm very intrigued to see his upside."
 
As not only the lone returner with not only GNAC minutes, but also someone who redshirted during MSUB's last GNAC Championship appearance, Sam Elliott is the elder statesman in the frontcourt. The 6'7" Kalispell native will be in the mix for frontcourt minutes because of this experience.
 
"More than anything, he's someone we can trust," Durham said. "He's going to be solid when he comes in – and you need guys like that who can give you a lift. He accepts his role and I think he's enjoyed his experience in his fourth season with us."
 
Anders Epperly, Tyler Neary and Grant Tully round out the roster, although each of the three players could see playing time early in the season as the team is figuring out its roles.
 
"They're getting a great experience in practice every day and they've made great strides," Durham said of the trio. "We saw Tyler come in and give us solid minutes in the three exhibitions – especially the last one. Grant also came in and was very efficient. Anders is the one who we're still figuring out. He understands how we play and what we want, so I could see Anders definitely get some minutes for us at point guard."
 

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CAL STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS COUGARS
Record: 0-0 (0-0 CCAA)
Head coach: B.J. Foster (4^th season)
Head-to-head record: 0-0
 
The host team Cal State San Marcos Cougars did not play during the 2020-21 season, yet they return two of their top five scorers from 2019-20 in Jayce McCain (11.3 PPG) and Alex Gil Fernandez (10.2 PPG). Additionally, the Cougars boast four Division I transfers, highlighted by Tyrone Nesby IV, who averaged 8.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Wagner in 2019-20.
 
CSUSM was picked seventh out of 12 teams in the 2021-22 CCAA preseason coach's poll on Oct. 26. MSUB will play its first-ever games against the Cougars this weekend, as CSUSM's men's basketball program has only been in existence since 2011-12.
 
HOLY NAMES UNIVERSITY HAWKS
Record: 0-0 (0-0 PacWest Conference)
Head coach: Daniel Eberhardt (1^st season)
Head-to-head record: 1-0
Last meeting: Nov. 12, 2016 (88-80, MSUB)
 
Like CSUSM, Holy Names University hasn't taken the court since the end of the 2019-20 season, when the Hawks finished with an 8-20 record. In May 2020, Cal State East Bay associate head coach Daniel Eberhardt was hired to take over at Holy Names. This weekend marks his first games as a head coach; he'll guide a team picked 11^th out of 11 schools in the PacWest Preseason Poll.
 
Eberhardt has had to essentially start from scratch. No current Holy Names players were on the 2019-20 roster, so the team includes a bevy of junior college transfers and true freshman. Amongst all the newcomers is graduate transfer forward Babacar Thiombane, who played with Damen Thacker at the University of Idaho for the past two seasons. Thiombane averaged 3.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while starting 11 games from 2019-21.
 
UP NEXT: The 'Jackets travel to Cal State University San Marcos for the CSUSM Hoops Classic this Friday. The official start to the season is against the Cal State San Marcos Cougars at 7 p.m. MT, then MSUB takes on Holy Names on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 2 p.m. MT. MSUB plays CSUSM for a second time next Monday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. MT before returning to Billings.
 
All games will be broadcasted on the CCAA Network. Livestream and live stat links can be found on the men's basketball schedule page at msubsports.com.