About Lakeland: The Muskies open their 2022-23 with a home-heavy early stretch with five of their first seven games at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium. Lakeland is coming off a 10-14 overall record last year that included a 6-10 mark in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. The Muskies struggled late, losing six of their final seven games, including falling to Benedictine in the first round of the NACC Tournament, which was expanded to include all teams due during a season still affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Lakeland brings back three starters from last year's squad, including top two scorers Cam Jaeger and Aiden Polzin, who combined to average 30 points per game. Kai Buliox also worked his way into the rotation and eventually the starting lineup and averaged 9.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, and in all six players reutrn who averaged at least 13 minutes per game. Head coach Sam Schroeder is in his sixth year in charge of the Muskies, who last year again were among the NCAA Division III leaders in three-pointers made per game (10.3). 

About Lake Forest: The Foresters posted a record similar to Lakeland's a year ago, finishing 10-15 overall. Lake Forest did play .500 ball after a 0-5 start that included losses to two top-10 teams and finished with a 9-7 record in the Midwest Conference, tying for fifth in the league but finishing one game out of a spot in the four-team conference tournament. The Foresters must replace Sean Espinosa, who averaged 20.0 points and 4.6 assists per game, but does return Johnny Roeser, who averaged a double-double with 14.1 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. LFC is coached by Ryan Davis, a graduate of the University of Chicago in his second year as head coach and eight year overall at the school.

Muskies in openers: Lakeland is beginning its 90th season of men's basketball and has had mixed success in season openers. The Muskies are 46-43 all-time in the first game of the season, including a loss to Crown (Minn.) on the road last season. The record is better in home openers, with Lakeland boasting a 55-34 mark in its first home games of the campaign, including a 119-71 blowout of Finlandia (Mich.) in last year's home debut.

Getting a jump on the season: The Nov. 8 start marks one of the earliest opening games in Lakeland men's basketball history. The earliest came Nov. 5, 1977, when the Muskies won 85-59 at MSOE, and was duplicated last year when Lakeland lost at Crown (Minn.) in its opener. Lakeland also has opened on Nov. 6 once (a 99-37 win over Northland Baptist Bible College in 1982) and played its first game three times on Nov. 8 from 1980-87. NCAA Division III teams are allowed an earlier start now as the first date of competition has been moved up in recent years.