Next Game: vs. Milwaukee
The University of North Dakota men's basketball team will open the regular season with Milwaukee on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. from the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. Fans can watch all the action on Bally Sports North (formerly FOX Sports North) and Bally Sports Wisconsin, as well as tuning into Paul Ralston's call on the Home of Economy Radio Network (1440 AM/790 AM).

Series History vs. Milwaukee
This will be the seventh meeting between UND and MKE. Milwaukee won the most recent contest, picking up a 79-70 victory over North Dakota in Wisconsin on Nov. 19, 2019. UND's last wins in the series came in 2018 with a 63-60 victory in Milwaukee on Nov. 10, 2018, and then an 82-72 win at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center a month later on Dec. 9, 2018. The Fighting Hawks hold a 4-2 lead in the series and are 2-0 over the Panthers at home.

Last Time Out
North Dakota upended Mayville State by a score of 68-64 in an exhibition at home (Nov. 1). Mitchell Sueker put UND on his back with 28 points, pouring in 22 in the second half alone. Ethan Igbanugo was the second-most productive Hawk with 11 points. UND outscored MSU in points in the paint (40-28), points off turnovers (13-8), fast break points (7-4) and bench scoring (19-17).

A Sense of Normality
After a season that felt similar to the days of Division II for UND in terms of scheduling, the Hawks will open this season with an exhibition against Mayville State on Nov. 1. UND will start its 2021-22 campaign hosting Milwaukee on Nov. 9 and then Montana on Nov. 15 before heading to Boca Raton, Fla. for the Paradise Classic. The entire non-conference slate will include Milwaukee, Montana, Troy, Florida Atlantic, UT-Martin, Florida International, Kansas State, Presentation College, San Jose State, Cal Baptist, Eastern Washington, North Central University (MN) and Dixie State before opening conference play at North Dakota State on Dec. 22.

Home Sweet Home
North Dakota is 11-0 in its last 11 home openers and has not lost a home opener since Nov. 21, 2009 to Kansas City (70-63). UND has yet to lose a home opener as the Fighting Hawks.

Starting Strong
UND has made a habit in its history of getting off to strong starts to open the year, as the Fighting Hawks have won seven of their last eight season openers. In its previous 116 years of history, UND is 84-32 in season openers.

Ballin' with Bentiu
Early last season Bentiu Panoam provided a spark off the bench for the Fighting Hawks and worked his way into a starting role, earning his place as a starter in the final 13 games of the season. He decided to exercise his COVID-19 extra year of eligibility and will play for the Fighting Hawks in 2021-22. 

The Anchorage, Alaska, native has netted double-figure performances in five of his last six starts, recording back-to-back 20+ point games in that stretch. Last season, Panoam recorded a new career-high with 25 points against South Dakota and five rebounds at Omaha. He also set a new career-high in made triples in a single game with five at Omaha.

Nero the Hero
Caleb Nero returns this season after appearing in all 26 games last season and starting 13 of them. The Tulsa, Okla., native proved to be a leader off the bench last season, leading all players off the bench with 8.7 points per game and 22.9 minutes per contest. He also led all guards on the team with a .418 shooting clip and was second on the team in crunch time with an .833 mark from the charity stripe.

In his career, Nero has piled up 20 games where he has netted double digits in points and has three games where has dished out three assists or more. In the season finale last season, Nero poured in 11 points in 21 minutes while grabbing three rebounds against Oral Roberts in the Summit League Quarterfinals.

Let's Go Igbanugo
Senior Ethan Igbanugo returns for his senior season and has the most starts at North Dakota out of everyone on the active roster. The Lakeville North product appeared in every game last season with 16 starts, averaging 27 minutes per game. He was a cool customer from downtown, leading the team in made triples with 40 and hitting a three in every game but one.

Igbanugo knocked down a career-high 18 points against North Dakota State last season, while averaging 8.3 points per game. The Lakeville, Minn., native also went 6-for-6 from the charity stripe against Purdue Fort Wayne during the 2019-20 season.

Sueker Sinks Them
When the game is on the line, you want Mitchell Sueker at the line. Last season, Sueker drained 56-of-67 from the charity stripe to lead the team with a .836 clip at the free throw line. In his career, the Marshall, Minn., native is 172-222 at the stripe, good for a free throw percentage of 77.5 percent.

Sueker averaged 7.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game last year and has career-highs in points (32), rebounds (12) and assists (5). His best free-throw performance came against Kansas City last year when he went 11-for-12 at the line in the 52-45 win.

Brady the Backbone
Junior Brady Danielson has played in more games as a Fighting Hawk than any other player on the active roster, playing in 58 games and starting three of them. Last season, Danielson appeared in 25 games off the bench and averaged 13.0 minutes per game while putting in just under two points per game and just over one rebound a game. He dished out a career-high four assists at Minnesota last year.

In his career, Danielson netted a high of 18 points at Oregon State, while making a career-high six field goals.

Meet the Newbies
UND will welcome nine newcomers in 2021-22, four transfers (Brendan Howard - MSU-Billings, A'Jahni Levias - Central Wyoming College, Matt Norman - Snow College and Tsotne Tsartsidze - Southern Idaho) and five freshman (Jackson Anderson - Hillsboro, N.D., Paul Bruns - Jefferson, S.D., Reid Grant - Johnston, Iowa, Brian Mathews - Chicago, Ill. and Gavin McGrath - Onalaska, Wis.)