It’s hard to believe, but college basketball season is almost here. This week, we’ll preview Michigan’s nine Division II schools.

By Patrick Hayes

At a glance

• Coach: Steve Hettinga, sixth season
• Last year: 6-13, 11-15 GLIAC
• Conference: Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC)
• Key losses: Kyle Hunt, Quay Wilson, Lucas Holt, Mike Boylan
• Key additions: Chance Hallas (freshman from Canada), Michael Smutney (freshman from Saline), Devin Daly (freshman from Belize), Rashaun Carroll (freshman from Lansing Waverly)
• Team website
• Team roster
• LSSU news on BallinMichigan

Overview

Lake Superior State returns one of the top scorers in the GLIAC as the Lakers try to move up in the standings.

Strengths

Lake Superior State finished just 6-13 in the GLIAC, but with Derek Billing returning, LSSU has a chance to improve. Billing averaged 17.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game last season. He shot 46 percent overall and 43 percent from 3-point range.

Derek Kinney, who was third on the team at 11.7 points per game and led the team in rebounding at 6.9 per game, is also back. Khalid Wells, Alex Williams and Cameron Metz all started games last season and are all also back.

LSSU was a solid rebounding team last season and took good care of the ball and was a solid 3-point shooting squad at 34 percent as a team.

Weaknesses

The biggest thing for Lake Superior State will be closing the season better. The Lakers entered February with a 9-9 record last season, but finished the season with just two wins in their final eight games. They showed they could be competitive with most teams in the conference last season, it will be important for them to sustain that consistency all season.

The team also loses Hunt, their second leading scorer and a solid all-around player, from last season’s squad.

Circle these dates …

• Nov. 7 – LSSU gets to test itself against Division I Central Michigan.
• Jan. 26 and Feb. 23 – If LSSU wants to make a big step forward this season, they’ll have to go through Michigan Tech. They’ll get two more chances to beat them in 2013.

Outlook

Not many teams have a returning player as good as Billing, so that’s a huge advantage for the Lakers.

Previously

• Northern Michigan hopes transfers can make immediate impact
• Michigan Tech returns reigning GLIAC Player of the Year in quest for league title
• New coach hoping to change the fortunes of Saginaw Valley State
• Northwood has to replace production of Bobby Lewis to repeat last season’s success

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