Fort Hays State Men's Basketball opens the 2017-18 season this weekend in Emporia, Kansas. The Tigers will be playing two neutral site games to open the year, taking on 15^th-ranked Southwest Minnesota State on Friday (Nov. 10), then Sioux Falls on Saturday (Nov. 11). Both games start at 5:30 pm.
 
The Tigers are coming off an 18-11 season in 2016-17. The Tigers finished fourth in the MIAA for the second straight year. FHSU enters its 17^th season under Mark Johnson's guidance, who owns a career record of 322-149 (.684). He is the all-time leader in coaching wins in the program's storied history.

 

The Tigers wrapped up exhibition play at the University of Kansas on Tuesday night (Nov. 7). The Tigers held tough with the Jayhawks for the first 20 minutes, leading as late as the 4:01 in the first half at 29-28, and tying the score at 33-33 with just over two minutes to play before the break. Kansas led by just five (38-33) at the half before going on two big second half runs to win 86-57.
 
In exhibition play, Brady Werth was the only Tiger to score in double figures against both Kansas State and Kansas. He had 14 against KU and 10 against K-State. Hadley Gillum had 14 against KU, and Marcus Cooper had the highest-scoring game among Tigers in the exhibition with 15 against K-State. Gillum is the top returning scorer and rebounder for the Tigers after averaging 13.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last year. Kyler Kinnamon and Trey O'Neil join Gillum as returning starters from last year's team. Overall, FHSU has nine returners (which includes two redshirts) and four newcomers.
 
FHSU vs. No. 15 Southwest Minnesota State – Friday (Nov. 10), 5:30 pm
Fort Hays State plays Southwest Minnesota State in its season-opening game for the fourth time in the last five years. The all-time series is knotted at 2-2, with FHSU winning two of the three meetings that have occurred since 2013-14. The Mustangs won last year's match-up by 24 points in Sioux Falls, another neutral site. SMSU went on to play in the Central Regional Final of the NCAA Tournament last year, falling just short of the Elite Eight with a three-point loss to eventual national champion Northwest Missouri State. The Mustangs have several key players from last year's team back.
 
FHSU vs. Sioux Falls – Saturday (Nov. 11), 5:30 pm
The Tigers close out the two-day weekend in Emporia by meeting Sioux Falls for the third consecutive season. The Tigers have won both meetings in the brief series history with the Cougars, winning by two points both times on last-second baskets. In 2015-16, Kenny Enoch drained a long jumper from the wing in Hays to lift the Tigers to a 62-60 win. Last year, All-American Rob Davis hit a last-second runner in the lane on Sioux Falls' home floor to lift the Tigers to another two-point win, 80-78. The Cougars finished 15-17 overall last year.