The University of Minnesota Duluth men's basketball team is preparing to continue their success from last year on the shoulders of an experienced team. 

The Bulldogs are off to a hot start, as they are currently ranked 12 in the NABC DII rankings. This is due to the team’s seven wins to one loss to start off this season.

The Bulldogs have won 25 or more games over the last two full seasons, and in their last three full seasons they have eclipsed a 70% win rate. The team had 12 wins to 18 losses 6 years ago - when they didn’t have the same roster and coach.

“To be a part of the turnaround from where this program was 5 or 6 years ago, to where we are now, is definitely super cool,” said Drew Blair, graduate student guard. 

Blair is from Stevens Point, Wisconsin. He has led the team in scoring every year over the last 4 years. This has ultimately led to him taking over the all time scoring record for UMD, as he currently has 2,170 points. This has been based on solid efficiency, where he shoots 45% from the field and a little under 37% from behind the 3-point line. 

Another skill that has helped him become so successful is his basketball IQ, “Really just understanding the game, trying to see things before they happen and just use my basketball knowledge to be better,”Blair said.

The Bulldogs secured their first ever Elite Eight appearance last season, an experience for the whole team. 

“The Southern Nazarene game when we won to go to the Elite Eight was probably my number one favorite memory,” Blair said. “It was just kind of awesome and surreal.”

The rest of the starting lineup features 3 seniors and 1 graduate student. The team has had the same coach, Justin Wieck, for the last 5 years. Wieck recently passed 100 career wins here for the Bulldogs. All of this has culminated into a really tight knit group that wants to win.

“We’ve been with the same guys for so long which is obviously super nice- to get used to each other and kind of know everybody's tendencies and just even know how to act around the guys,” Blair  said.

Continuity and experience are going to be an important role in the team going far in their season. The team is poised to continue their exceptional play and have another chance at a deep run in the NCAA playoffs. 

“It’s a new year, it’s a new team, so we just gotta kind of remember how we got there and use that to our advantage,” Blair said.