SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Drury men's basketball wraps up a four-game home stand, as well as its November schedule this week when it hosts the DoubleTree by Hilton Thanksgiving Classic at O'Reilly Family Event Center.
The Panthers (4-0) will take on (RV) Concordia-St. Paul at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 25) and Central Missouri at 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday (Nov. 26), as part of the four-team event.
The complete DoubleTree by Hilton Thanksgiving Classic schedule is listed below:
Tuesday, Nov. 25
3:15 p.m. -- McKendree vs. Central Missouri
7:45 p.m. -- Drury vs. Concordia-St. Paul
Wednesday, Nov. 26
3:15 p.m. -- Concordia-St. Paul vs. McKendree
7:45 p.m. -- Drury vs. Central Missouri
Drury has gone 19-7 in the Thanksgiving Classic, an event it has hosted continuously since 2011 (with the exception of 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic). DU has won its last four contests in the Classic dating back to 2023, averaging 81.0 points per game over the course of the win streak.
Additionally, Drury women's basketball will host the Oasis Hotel and Convention Center Thanksgiving Classic concurrently at O'Reilly Family Event Center, Tuesday and Wednesday. For more information about the Lady Panthers' tournament schedule, please visit the DruryPanthers.com.
Fans may follow the action through the GLVC Sports Network (subscription required), where tournament games will be streamed live throughout the weekend. New for the 2025-26 academic year, viewing access to live broadcasts from GLVC regular season and postseason contests will be available via monthly subscription ($30) or annual subscription ($140). Single-event access can also be purchased for $15.
Audio broadcasts for all Drury men's basketball games in 2025-26 will be streamed online through the DU All-Access button via DruryPanthers.com. Fans may access the audio streams by visiting the 2025-26 schedule page for the Panthers and selecting the "Listen" link, or via the DU All Access button located on the home page.
SERIES AND TOURNAMENT HISTORIES
- The Panthers are a combined 19-7 in the DoubleTree by Hilton Thanksgiving Classic since 2011, including four-straight wins over the last two seasons.
- DU has gone 2-0 in the Classic a total of eight times and have gone 0-2 only twice.
- Tuesday's meeting will mark the first in the series for Drury and Concordia-St. Paul.
- Drury brings a 2-6 all-time mark against Central Missouri into Wednesday's matchup.
- In the most recent matchup in the series, the Panthers topped the Mules by a 66-49 score in last year's Classic on Nov. 27, 2024.
OPENING STORYLINES
- Drury has won its first four games for the first time since 2019-20, thanks in large part to a balanced and consistent offensive attack that has averaged 84.8 points per game.
- On the defensive end, DU has permitted just 63.5 points per outing, which ranks 16th in the nation.
- DU has started 4-0 a total of nine times as a Division II program (since 1994); the Panthers have started 5-0 on seven occasions since becoming a full D-II member, most recently in 2019-20.
- Drury picked up wins in its first two games at the GLVC/G-MAC Conference Challenge (Nov. 14-15), marking the third time in four years under head coach Chris Foster the Panthers have accomplished the feat.
- The Panthers have enjoyed balanced contributions from up and down their roster, highlighted by a combined total of 15 different double-digit scoring performances through four games.
- Additionally, seven different newcomers have combined to score 162 points in the four games, led by freshman KeShaun Thomas's 15.0 ppg average.
- Drury topped the century mark in scoring with last Wednesday's 108-68 win over Ecclesia, marking the first time the Panthers have done so since a 106-point effort vs. University of the Ozarks on Dec. 5, 2023.
- DU's 4-0 start has continued a recent string of success in the season's first month, with the Panthers going a combined 13-3 in November since the start of the 2023-24 season.
ABOUT CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL
- Concordia-St. Paul was picked to finish fourth in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference's preseason poll and is receiving votes in the NABC's Preseason Division II Coaches Poll.
- Last season, the Golden Bears logged the best season in program history, finishing 22-9 with a 16-6 mark in Northern Sun play to claim their first-ever NSIC regular-season title.
- The Golden Bears enter the week a perfect 3-0 on the season following victories over Nebraska-Kearney, Fort Hayes State and Winona State.
- CSP is averaging 86.7 points per contest and shooting .478 from the floor as a team, including a blistering .458 from beyond the arc.
- Ben Kopetzki leads the offense with his 24.7 ppg average; the junior guard is shooting .468 from the field and .957 (22-of-23) from the foul line.
ABOUT CENTRAL MISSOURI
- Central Missouri entered the 2025-26 campaign as the third-winningest program in NCAA Division II with 1,778 victories.
- UCM returns four players from last year's 15-15 squad, including MIAA Freshman of the Year Kyran Tilley, as well as sophomore guard Jake Fritz, junior forward Noah Martin and sophomore forward Kyree Polk.
- The Mules bring a 4-2 season record into Tuesday's action, including wins over No. 10 Colorado School of Mines, New Mexico Highlands, Sioux Falls and GLVC member Upper Iowa.
- As a team, UCM is averaging 79.7 points, while allowing 79.2 points per outing through its first six games.
- The Mules are shooting .487 as a team, led by Lazerek Houston's .506 mark and 21.3 ppg average.
ABOUT DRURY
- Drury is coming off back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2019-21 after going 14-13 a year ago and 15-13 in 2023-24.
- Now in his fifth season as head coach of the Panthers, Chris Foster brings a 52-61 record as DU's bench boss into Tuesday's contest.
- The Ironton, Mo., native has compiled a 169-141 overall record in his 12 seasons as a collegiate head coach -- all at the NCAA Division II level within the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
- The Panthers are off to their first 4-0 start in six years, paced by an offense that features four double-figure scorers, led by junior guard Zach Howell (16.5 ppg/5.8 rpg/4.0 apg) and sophomore guard Colin Hardrick (16.3 ppg/8.0 rpg/2.8 apg).
- Howell is DU's leading returning scorer, while Hardrick earned GLVC All-Freshman and All-Defensive team honors last winter after averaging 10.2 points, 6.7 boards and 2.0 steals per outing.
- Drury also benefits from the return of junior guard Luke Stubbs, who missed all but three games a year ago due to injury, as well as senior forward Aladji Gassama and senior guard Ethan Whatley.
NEW PANTHERS PROVIDE A LIFT
- Drury's talented eight-man 2025 recruiting class has made an immediate impact for the Panthers over the first four games.
- Most notably, junior guard Avante Nichols has been a stalwart on both ends of the floor for the Panthers, scoring in double figures in three of DU's four games, while shooting a GLVC-best .769 from the floor.
- Nichols also leads the Panthers with eight dunks and has pulled down an average of 6.0 rebounds per game.
- Freshman forward KeShaun Thomas has asserted himself early in the season as well, starting his DU career with four straight double-digit point totals in the Panthers four wins; on Saturday, the Quincy, Ill., native logged his first double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds vs. Ozark Christian.
- Finally, the freshman duo of Isaiah Otyaluk and Kevin Sargeant have each turned in memorable contributions over the first two weeks of their Drury careers; Otyaluk scored 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting vs. Ecclesia (Nov. 19), while Sargeant is averaging 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks to date.
DRURY AMONG GLVC'S ELITE
- Drury rates among the top clubs in the GLVC in a number of statistical categories, including scoring offense and scoring defense, ranking second and fourth, respectively.
- The Panthers also rank second in the circuit in rebounding (43.5 rpg) and lead the league in blocked shots (4.75 bpg).
- Zach Howell has hit the ground running in the first two weeks of the new season, bringing a team-leading 16.5 ppg average into Tuesday's game; his 66 points scored is the sixth-best in the conference.
- The junior from Springfield tallied a season-best 21-point performance vs. Ecclesia (Nov. 19), then added a game-high 19 points in Saturday's win over Ozark Christian, going 5-of-9 from three-point range.
- So far in 2025-26, Howell ranks among the top 10 GLVC players in scoring, assists (4.0), steals (2.8), assist-turnover ratio (3.2), field goals made (22), three-point field goals made (12) and three-point shooting percentage (.444).
- Additionally, Avante Nichols leads the league in field goal percentage (.769) and ranks ninth in offensive rebounding (2.25 rpg).
- Colin Hardrick ranks fourth in overall rebounding (8.0) and eighth in points scored (65).
LOOKING AHEAD
The Panthers will open GLVC play next Monday (Dec. 1) with a 7:30 p.m., road matchup against Southwest Baptist in Bolivar, Mo.
For all the latest information on Drury men's basketball, visit DruryPanthers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Panthers on X and Instagram.
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