4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29
vs. Bethel (Kan.)
8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30
at McPherson (Kan.)
McPherson Sport Center | McPherson, Kan.

THE MATCHUP

• Oklahoma City University sees its first action in 2021-22 in the McPherson Classic at McPherson (Kan.)
• The Stars open the season with a matchup against Bethel (Kan.), ranked in the top 10 in the preseason national poll
• Bethel and McPherson are members of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
• Mark Berokoff will lead the Stars for the first time as head coach

ABOUT THE STARS

• Rashaun Coleman, a 6-foot senior from Houston, tallied 14.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.38 steals a game last season. In 2020-21, Coleman hauled in all-Sooner Athletic Conference honors
• Kori Guest, a 6-6 junior from Tulsa, Okla., supplied the Stars with 13.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.13 thefts per game this past season. He also took an all-conference nod
• The Stars took the eighth spot in the preseason SAC coaches poll. OCU owns 13 SAC regular-season championships and 10 SAC Tournament titles. Oklahoma City has advanced to the NAIA Division I Championship Tournament 25 times all-time and has won six national championships in 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2007 and 2008
• Oklahoma City owns a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series against Bethel. In the last meeting, OCU sank Bethel 88-75 on Nov. 9, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas, in the Champions Classic
• OCU meets McPherson for the first time in men's basketball
 
ABOUT THE THRESHERS

• Bethel boasted of its finest season in a decade, going 21-7 with the KCAC regular-season and tournament championships
• Jaylon Scott, a 6-5 senior, averaged 16.5 points and 12.0 rebounds a game last season. Scott picked up first-team all-American honors from the NAIA and National Association of Basketball Coaches as well as KCAC player of the year and defensive player of the year in 2020-21
• Bethel opens the season as the preseason favorite to win the KCAC
 
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS

• McPherson went 16-10 with an appearance in the KCAC Tournament
• The Bulldogs took the fifth spot in the KCAC preseason poll
 
ABOUT THE COACHES

Mark Berokoff (first season with OCU)
• Mark Berokoff guided Randall to three national championships and a national runner-up finish in nine years as head coach of the Saints. Berokoff's record with Randall was 147-122. Randall regularly challenged SAC squads and defeated OCU twice during that time

• Berokoff coached five national player of the year honorees, 16 all-Americans, three national tournament outstanding player award winners and one scholar all-American with Randall. Berkoff was two-time national coach of the year

• Berokoff's coaching career includes experience on the high school, college and professional levels. His combined head-coaching record over 19 years in the college and prep ranks is 372-199
 
Jason Artaz (58-32, fourth season with Bethel)
 
• Artaz collected KCAC coach of the year and Kansas Basketball Coaches Association coach of the year for 2020-21
• Has coached an All-American, one KCAC player of the year, six All-KCAC Performers, two All-KCAC defensive Team selections, three All-KCAC Freshmen team selections and one Freshman of the year
• Artaz has the best overall win percentage in Bethel History
 
T.J. Eskildsen (37-21, third season with McPherson)
 
• Directed McPherson to a nine-game win streak last season from Jan. 6-27
• Led McPherson to 21-11 mark in his first season as Bulldogs boss for the program's most victories since 2011-12
 
ON THE AIR
• McPherson will offer a live video broadcast of all games in the McPherson Classic