GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The stage could not get any bigger for the Davenport men's basketball team as they welcome a pair of top-10 teams to the DU Student Center this week. On Thursday, the sixth-ranked Huskies of Michigan Tech will square off with the Panthers at 7:30 pm. On Saturday, the 10th-ranked Wildcats of Northern Michigan make the trip to West Michigan.

Let's dive into the numbers to see where these Davenport could gain an advantage. Davenport has had success defending the rim as they are tops in the GLIAC at 4.2 blocks per game. They also lead the conference and are seventh in NCAA Division II in defensive rebounds per game (29.1). Curtis Jackson has made a case as one of the top point guards in the conference and region. He currently leads the GLIAC and is 17th in NCAA Division II in assists per game (5.5). He stands at 93 assists and needs 17 more to crack the top-10 in a single season at Davenport. His 5.5 per game average currently is third-highest in a season at DU behind Nick Gamble (5.7, 2016-17) and Lonnie Fairfax (6.0, 2011-12). Alden Ritt still is tied for the league lead with seven doubles, but has not recorded one since Dec. 15 against Grace Christian. Ken Walker has been one of the best pick-ups in the portal in NCAA Division II. He ranks tied for first in the league and eighth nationally with 22.1 points per game. He needs just 48 points to reach 1,500 career points with his first two seasons at Earlham College. His 22.1 points per game is currently second-best in a season in Panther history. Walker is also leading the GLIAC with 34 minutes played per game. He was named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season on Monday. He is the only Panther to win that specific award three times in a season.

Scouting the Opponents
#6 Michigan Tech (18-2, 9-1 GLIAC)
• The Huskies are enjoying another standout season at 18-2 overall and are tied with Northern Michigan at 9-1 in the conference. Michigan Tech has won seven straight games heading into this week's action and are a perfect 6-0 on the road. The Huskies just wrapped up a home week schedule on Thursday against Wayne State (75-74) and Saturday against Purdue Northwest (83-65). The Warriors put a scare into MTU as they trailed 74-66 with 1:40 left before the narrow one-point loss. Michigan Tech struggled from the free throw line going 11-of-19, but did shoot 52.9 percent (27-of-51) from the floor. Marcus Tomashek scored 35 points and made 6-of-11 from beyond the arc.

• The first meeting between MTU and DU in Houghton back on Jan. 3 was a 77-68 win for the Huskies. The Panthers scored 30 points in the paint compared to 18 for Michigan Tech. MTU did their damage from the outside with 11 three-pointers and also went 18-of-22 at the charity stripe. DU held Tomashek to 13 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Curtis Jackson had a career-high 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting to go with six rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Dylan Smith contributed 11 points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes before fouling out.

#10 Northern Michigan (18-2, 9-1 GLIAC)
• The Wildcats have risen to No. 10 in this week's NABC Division II poll with an overall record of 18-2. They are currently tied with Michigan Tech at 9-1 in the GLIAC and have won five straight contests. The Wildcats are also 4-1 on the road this season. NMU dispatched off Purdue Northwest last Thursday (82-75) and Wayne State on Saturday (83-62) in Marquette. The Pride actually had a 41-37 halftime lead before the Wildcats outscored them 45-34 in the second half. Dylan Kuehl led his team with 28 points and three blocked shots in 33 minutes. Jackson Dudek and Bennett Basich each recorded 11 boards and Dudek had a double-double with 14 points.

• Northern Michigan hit the century mark in the first meeting between the teams back on Jan. 2 in Marquette (101-65). The Wildcats started off their 2026 by shooting 55.7 percent from the floor, including 21-of-37 from beyond the arc. The 21 made three's set a new program record. Kuehl finished with 33 points and was 5-of-5 from deep. Cal Klesmit added 24 points and was 7-of-10 from behind the arc. Six different players connected on at least two triples in the contest. DU put up respectable numbers, but just ran into a hot team. The Panthers shot 42.9 percent overall, including 8-of-19 from the arc. Jackson had 13 points to lead the squad. DU committed just eight turnovers,  a season low to date.

Live Coverage
Thursday, Jan. 29 - Michigan Tech - 7:30 PM (Live Video - Live Stats)
Saturday, Jan. 31 - Northern Michigan - 3:00 PM (Live Video - Live Stats)