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THIS WEEK: Minot State University plays its second straight – albeit the last of the season – homestand as MSU welcomes future Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference team the University of Sioux Falls to the MSU Dome Friday (7:30 p.m.) and Saturday (6 p.m.).

TRADITION IN TRANSITION: Minot State is in its third season of a four-year transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II. MSU advanced to Year Three Provisional status in July and is expected to complete the transition in July 2012. Minot State was selected to join the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in 2012-13.

RECORDS: Minot State is 3-15 on the season and does not have a conference record due its independent status. Sioux Falls enters the weekend at 10-7 overall and also doesn't have a conference mark due to the move to NCAA DII.

COACHES CORNER: Minot State's head coach is Peter Stewart, who is in his second season with the Beavers. Stewart is 16-33 overall. Chris Johnson is 79-42 in four seasons at USF.

FOLLOW THE BEAVERS: The game is broadcast locally on KCJB 910-AM with Scott Kittell calling the play-by-play. Live audio can be accessed online at (www.kcjb.com). MSU provides live video and live stats as well as links to live audio and a MSU photo gallery all at msubeavers.com.

RANKINGS: Neither of the teams was ranked in the latest NABC Division II Coaches' Top 25 poll.

RECENT HISTORY: Minot State split a pair of games at the MSU Dome two weeks ago as the Beavers fell to South Dakota Mines on Jan. 13 before topping Black Hills State Jan. 14. USF swept the two games – SDM and BHSU – last weekend at home.
OVERALL SERIES: This is the first meeting in men's basketball between the two schools.

NOTING THE COUGARS:  The University of Sioux Falls has two former Minot State assistant coaches on its staff including head coach Chris Johnson. Johnson was an assistant from 2001-04, while his assistant Taro Fujimoto spent just one season with the Beavers, helping MSU to a school-record 23 wins in 2004-05… Skyler Bloch has done just about everything for the Cougars as the 6-foot-8 senior center leads the team in points per game (15.6), rebounding average (6.3), free throw percentage (87.0) and 3-point percentage (50.0)… USF is allowing opponents just 28.2 rebounds per game, while pulling down 36.4 per game… Derek Brown has missed a total of 83 shots taken combining field goals and free throws. He is shooting a respectable 45.8 from the floor and is second – to Bloch – in free throw shooting percentage at 84.6.

SHORT TIME AT THE DOME: Minot State plays its final home games of the year – just a week after its first homestand. The Beavers traveled for the first 16 games of the regular season and will be on the road the entire month of February along with a season-ending tournament at Spearfish, S.D., the first week in March.

KORF'S CONTRIBUTIONS: Redshirt freshman Thomas Korf (F, St. Cloud, Minn.) has been asked to play multiple roles from shooting guard to power forward this season. Despite the inexperience, Korf has done a solid job filling those roles. He has hit a team-leading 39 3-pointers on the season and has pushed his percentage up to 37.5 from beyond the arc. Korf leads the team in steals with 22, is second in assists with 33, tied for second in blocked shots with six and is fifth in scoring at 8.6.

TOUGH LOSS AT A TOUGH TIME: Minot State's lone senior Jonas Pollard (G, Mesa, Ariz.) may not play this weekend due to an injury suffered in practice last week. The loss would leave the Beavers without his senior leadership not to mention the Beavers' third leading scorer at 11.1 points per game during MSU's senior night on Saturday.  

PAGE MAKING MOST OF HIS MINUTES: Four months ago, MSU freshman Easton Page (G, Carrington, N.D.) was probably thinking he would have a full year to learn the speed and physicality of the college game during an apparent redshirt season. But Page did not redshirt and instead has played key minutes as a true freshman at the point guard position. Page has been solid throughout his time, hitting 40 percent of his 3-pointers, 45 percent of field goals and 60 percent of his foul shots.