JAMESTOWN, ND. (NewsDakota.com) – The No. 9 University of Jamestown men’s basketball team opens up the regular season tonight at Newman Arena with tipoff set for 8:00 PM against Dickinson State.

Jimmie Head Coach Danny Neville enters his eighth season at the helm of the men’s basketball program with high expectations once again for this year. UJ has picked up its intensity throughout the offseason inside of Newman Arean with tough practices thanks to a strong returning group.

Cole Woodford, Will Cordes, Marc Kjos, and Mason Walters have all gone through the grind of a full season multiple times. There are some new faces on the roster this year that are expected to make an immediate impact, but one returner continues to stand out.

Ketchum played big in his role off the bench a season ago. Looking back to last year, coach Neville talked about the impact of the pressure and the high expectations Jamestown had going into the opener a season ago.

The pressure from a season ago has created some confidence for the Jimmies leading into a new year as the #9 team in the NAIA. Replacing Devon Schultz and Brady Birch is a tough task for Jamestown, but it may allow the Jimmies to be a little more dynamic on defense.

As far as this season goes, the Jimmies are focused on taking everything one game at a time, knowing the potential for a deep run in the National Touranment is still a possibility.

Tipoff is set for 8:00 PM this evening from Newman Arena. Full coverage of UJ basketball versus Dickinson State can be heard on Jamestown 1071/1400, online at newsdakota.com, and on the Jamestown 107.1 app.

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