The Ferris State men’s basketball team will be making its first road trip of the season this weekend, where they will take on Northwood University on Friday, Nov. 14 and Lake Erie College on Saturday, Nov 15.
The Bulldogs have a solid roster this season, welcoming back eight squad members, including senior forward Mykel Bingham and senior guard Tyler Hamilton, while also bringing eight new players into the mix.
Two incoming freshmen, Elijah Langston and Keashaun Johnson, both from Muskegon, have also been added to the mix, along with redshirt freshmen Quron Williams and Carter Meerman.
Over the offseason the Bulldogs also had some shifts in coaching, as newest head coach Bobby Pietrack, stepped down a little over a month before the start of the regular season. Pietrack is currenlty working through a serious personal health issue and has returned home to Colorado, to be closer with his family.
This sudden change in leadership will undoubtedly shake things up for the team, requiring players and staff to quickly adapt to new direction and maintain focus on the challenges ahead with the season underway.
The Bulldogs’ first game will be against Northwood University, with whom Ferris has maintained a dominant record over. In there most recent matcup during the 2024-25 season, Ferris won by 27 points, defeating the Timberwolves 85-58.
This road game will serve as a test of the Bulldogs’ strength, as they are taking on a young squad with tons of new faces.
One of the Timberwolves’ key returning players, sophomore guard Brayden Szamrej, will pose a threat to the Bulldogs if left unattended. During his freshman season, he averaged 9.5 points per game and will be taking on more of a key role this season with the number of transfers and graduates over the offseason.
By taking care of the ball offensively and isolating the lane, the Bulldogs should be able to come out with a win. Taking advantage of mismatches will be crucial for both teams in this matchup.
This could be an opportunity for one of Ferris’ newest players to join, junior center Hussein Elmaraghy, to show off his playmaking abilities.
The Bulldogs will also be playing their second game of the season the following day, against Lake Erie College. Ferris has won all nine of their matchups against the Storm between 2011 and 2024.
The Storm is looking to establish some of their role players still, so Ferris once again needs to use this as an opportunity to showcase the skills of their veteran players.
Interim head coach Alex Fodness has expressed how thrilled the team is to get back out on the court, and how the same can be said for the coaching staff. He spoke about how the team has been taking the transition and how they have adapted to his coaching style.
“It has been an adjustment for everybody. Obviously, this was not the circumstance or the situation that we were all preparing for when the season started, but as far as philosophy, I don’t think a lot has really changed,” Fodness said. “We still want to play very similarly to the same way. I think guys appreciate that I am a little tougher on them and hold guys accountable. The guys have bought into what we are doing and that’s only continuing to get better as we get further along.”
The Bulldogs will begin their season Friday taking on the Northwood University Timberwolves at Northwood, with tip off set for 7 p.m. and will take on the Lake Erie College Storm in Midland, on Saturday at 3 p.m.