Complete PDF Notes
Upcoming in Gray Wolves Basketball: Following an eight day layoff, Lourdes University's men's basketball team returns to the hardwood for three straight games Sunday through Tuesday at the Saint Xavier Midwest Tournament.  The Gray Wolves will face Cincinnati Christian and Marian over the first two days of the event against either Davenport, Saint Xavier, or Saint Ambrose, which will be determined based upon the first two game results.

Head Coach Andre Smith: In his fifth season both on the Lourdes bench and overall as a men's collegiate head coach, Andre Smith has a 77-62 (.547) record.  He is the only head coach in Lourdes program's history.  Smith was the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2012-2013.

Series Notes: Lourdes won the only previous meeting against Cincinnati Christian 74-53 as part of the Red Roof Inn Roundball Classic in Columbus, Ohio on Nov. 20, 2010.  Marian defeated the Gray Wolves in the only previous meeting between the two schools 57-50 on Dec. 20, 2012 as part of the Saint Xavier Midwest Tournament in Chicago, Ill.  Against Lourdes' potential opponents for the final game of the tournament, the Gray Wolves are 2-6 all-time against WHAC foe Davenport, 0-1 against Saint Ambrose, and have never met tournament host Saint Xavier.

Wrapping Up Last Week: Lourdes jumped out to a 34-2 lead on Wednesday night against Akron Wayne on the way to a 96-38 victory.  Aaron Ashley scored 31 points, E.J. Blackwell added 20 points while Jake DuPree had a double-double with 13 points and 10 assists.  On Saturday, Zach Steinmetz put Lourdes ahead for good with 30 seconds remaining as the Gray Wolves defeated Madonna 63-61.  Steinmetz finished the game with 24 points while Ashley added 18 more.

Scouting Cincinnati Christian: The Eagles enter the tournament having won four straight games following an 84-66 victory at Great Lakes Christian on Dec. 13.  Willie McKinney leads four players averaging in double figures, scoring 14.0 points per game, while Mitch McLeish adds 13.2 points per night.  

Scouting Marian: The Knights enter the tournament having posted three straight wins following an 86-32 triumph over Lincoln Christian on Monday.  Dion Smith is scoring a team-high 16.8 points per game while grabbing 7.8 rebounds per night.  Caleb Begle adds 13.0 points per game.  Marian faces Saint Ambrose in the first round of the tournament.  

The Saint Xavier Midwest Classic: This marks the fourth straight season in which Lourdes has participated in the Saint Xavier Midwest Classic.  The Gray Wolves are 3-4 in the three previous years.  Lourdes participated in just one game in 2011, falling to Columbia (Mo.).  The Gray Wolves went 2-1 in 2012 and 1-2 last year.

Among the Nation's Top Defenses: Lourdes has given up just 54.9 points per game this season, a mark that ranks third in NAIA Division II.  The Gray Wolves finished in the top-five nationally in scoring defense each of the last three seasons as well.  Lourdes has also limited the opposition to just 37.7% shooting from the floor this season, the third best mark in the country.

Dishing the Rock: Senior Jake DuPree has handed out 19 assists in the two games last weekend while committing just one turnover.  In fact, the one turnover is his only miscue in his last five games, dating back to Nov. 25.  DuPree has 26 assists during the 169 minutes of action in which he has played.  The 10 assists against Akron Wayne and the nine helpers at Madonna mark his highest two tallies of his collegiate career.

Filling the Cylinder: Aaron Ashley tallied 31 points against Akron Wayne, the highest scoring output for a Gray Wolf this season.  He drained six three-pointers in the contest before making four of his five attempts on Saturday against Madonna on his way to 18 points.  Ashley is averaging 20.8 points per game in the month of December.

Lots of Steals: Jake DuPree has already tallied 45 steals for the Gray Wolves this season after recording nine thefts in the two games last week.  His 3.75 swipes per contest lead all of NAIA Division II.  DuPree has four or more steals in seven of his last nine games.

Cleaning Up the Glass: Lourdes limited Madonna to just 19 rebounds on Saturday afternoon, outboarding the Crusaders by 14 for the game.  The Gray Wolves are outrebounding the opposition by 8.6 rebounds per game while Zach Steinmetz ranks 15th in the country pulling down 9.0 caroms per night.  His 4.0 offensive boards per game rank fifth nationally.

Captains Named: Lourdes has two captains on the roster this season.  Serving in the leadership role for 2014-2015 are Jake DuPree and Zach Steinmetz.  DuPree is a two-time team captain while Steinmetz is serving as a captain for the first time.

This and That: Lourdes forced 35 turnovers from Akron Wayne last Wednesday leading to 60 points ... Jake DuPree had his first collegiate double-double against Akron Wayne with 13 points and 10 assists ... Brillon Pritchett scored a season-high 10 points against Madonna ... as a team Lourdes ranks seventh nationally shooting 41.8% from three-point range ... Lourdes is 8-0 this season when shooting a better percentage from the floor than the opposition ... Akron Wayne failed to make a free throw in Wednesday's game.