2016-17 Roster | 2016-17 Schedule | 2015-16 Final Statistics

WINONA, Minn. — A quick-hit, by-the-numbers look at the 2016-17 Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's basketball team:

Head coach:
• Jamison Rusthoven (4th season)
 
A Year Ago:
• 7-13 MIAC (9^th) | 9-16 Overall
 
Top Returners:
• Wylie Ferron (6-6, 210, Sr., F | 25 GP, 8.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 23 assists, 9 blocks, 10 steals … 2015-16 H-M All-MIAC)
• Quashingm Smith-Pugh (6-3, 195, Sr., G | 25 GP, 11.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 62 assists, 12 steals … Team-leader in PPG and assists … 2015-16 H-M All-MIAC)
• Aaron Romportl (6-1, 185, Sr., G | 17 GP, 6.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 21 3-pointers, 28 assists, 2 blocks, 13 steals. … .781 FT %)
• Bradley Hill (6-1, 175, So, G | 15 GP, 4.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 10 assists, .545 3-FG %—18-for-33 … Scored career-high 14 points vs. St. Olaf on Feb. 13, 2016).
• Kevin Gleason (5-11, 170, So., G | 25 GP, 6.5 ppg, ,1.7 rpg, 36 assists, 11 steals. … Scored career-high 20 points vs. Augsburg on Dec. 9, 2015).
 
Key Losses:
• Will Swiggum (25 GP, 8.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 34 assists, 3 steals … 2-time H-M All-MIAC, 2012-13 MIAC All-First Year Team)
• Connor Kaiser (21 GP, 11.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 42 assists, 15 steals, team-high 35 3-pointers).
• Mark Schumacher (25 GP, 4.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 15 assists, career-high 21 blocks, 14 steals)
 
By The Numbers:
• 8: The Cardinals boasted eight players who recorded a single-game career-high of 10 or more points last season—Quashingm Smith-Pugh (24), Connor Kaiser (22), Aaron Romportl (20), Wylie Ferron (22), Kevin Gleason (20), Braden Walbeck (14), Bradley Hill (14), and Kai Endahl (13).
• 9: The Cardinals closed out the season with nine wins—the most since the 2010-11 campaign, when Saint Mary's finished 9-16. The Saint Mary's seven conference wins, meanwhile, were the most since going 7-13 in 2009-10.
• 17: Quashingm Smith-Pugh (St. Paul, Minn.) scored 10 or more points in 17 of the team's 25 games—including a season- and career-high 24 points against Saint John's on Feb. 6.
• 24/22: Will Swiggum (St. Charles, Minn.) equaled his career high with 24 points against Martin Luther on Jan. 26, while Connor Kaiser (Rockland, Wis.) chipped in a career-best 22 points. The efforts marked the first time Saint Mary's has boasted two players scoring 20 or more points in the same game since Jan. 21, 2013.
  
Did You Know?:
• Will Swiggum became the 26^th player in program history to eclipse the 1,000 career-point mark. The Cardinal senior finished his four years in a Cardinal uniform with 1,037 points.
 
Off The Court:
• The Cardinals are active in the community—volunteering for several youth events, including the YMCA's March Madness event each spring—but the most prominent activity is the Saint Mary's Buddies program. The Buddies program is a group of 15-18 developmentally disabled young adults who are passionate about playing basketball. The Cardinal players and coaches spend time teaching and working with these special players. Several of the Buddies are regulars at the Saint Mary's basketball games.
 
Off The Court II:
• Mark Schumacher—named Saint Mary's Outstanding Male Senior in 2015-16—led five players named to the NABC Honors Court. Schumacher was joined by Wylie Ferron (Waconia, Minn.), Connor Kaiser (Rockland, Wis.), Aaron Romportl (Stillwater, Minn.), and Chad Schlosser (Stillwater, Minn.). … Schumacher and Romportl also represented the Caridnals on the MIAC All-Academic Team a year ago.
 
This and That:
• Quashingm Smith-Pugh (St. Paul, Minn.), Wylie Ferron (Waconia, Minn.), and Will Swiggum (St. Charles, Minn.) were all named honorable-mention All-MIAC a year ago. … Smith-Pugh and Connor Kaiser (Rockland, Wis.) both closed out the season averaging in double figures at 11.9 ppg and 11.0 ppg, respectively. … Swiggum was the team's rebounding leader with 175 (7.0 rpg), while Ferron also eclipsed the 100-rebound plateau with 140. … Swiggum, who recorded 100 or more rebounds in all four of his seasons as a Cardinal, had 10 or more rebounds in a game four times last season—including a season- and career-best 16-rebound effort against Martin Luther on Nov. 24. … Ferron and Swiggum shared the team lead with two double-doubles each. … Ferron hauled in a career-high 13 rebounds against St. Olaf on Feb. 13 en route to double-double No. 2. … Swiggum closed out his collegiate career with 10 double-doubles. … Smith-Pugh recorded his first collegiate double-double against Macalester on Jan. 23, scoring 16 points and adding a career-high 12 rebounds. … Smith-Pugh scored a career-high 24 points to lead four players in double figures against Saint John's on Feb. 6. … Smith-Pugh's 24 points were the most by a Cardinal last season, and marked the eighth time Saint Mary's had a player score 20 or more points in a game. … Swiggum finished with seven career games of 20 or more points. … Saint Mary's had seven different players lead the team in scoring this season. … The Cardinals netted a season-high 11 3-pointers against Saint John's on Feb. 6.… Kaiser owned a team-high 35 3-pointers—including a season-high five in the team's first meeting against Saint John's on Jan. 2. In meeting No. 2 vs. the Johnnies, Kaiser drained four treys. … Smith-Pugh led the team in assists with 62 and Mark Schumacher (Perham, Minn.) was the team-leader in blocks with 21. … Saint Mary's boasted seven players with 10 or more steals, led by Kaiser with 15. … Saint Mary's equaled its season high with 24 made free throws against Hamline on Jan. 20. The Cardinals also drained 24 free throws against St. Olaf on Jan. 9. … Saint Mary's put a season-high with five players in double figures in a game twice this season—vs. St. Olaf on Feb. 13 and against Macalester on Dec. 5. … Saint Mary's scored 80 or more points five times a year ago—including a season-high 85-point effort in its 85-70 win over Macalester on Dec. 5. … The Cardinals' 85 points vs. the Scots marked the highest offensive output since Saint Mary's tossed in 87 in an 87-80 victory over Macalester on Dec. 4, 2010. … The Cardinals put an end to three lengthy MIAC streaks last season. Saint Mary's snapped a nine-game losing streak with its 56-55 win over Concordia on Feb. 8, while ending a six-game drought against Carleton with their 57-52 win on Jan. 30, and stopping an 11-game losing streak against Augsburg with their 68-65 victory on Dec. 9.