Opening Notes
• Central Connecticut begins a three-game road stretch. The Blue Devils will play at Saint Francis U on Thursday night in a 7 p.m. tipoff.
• The Red Flash won the season's first meeting between these teams on Jan. 4.
• Central will travel to Robert Morris on Saturday next. CCSU will then be off until Feb. 8 when it heads to Bryant for an ESPN+ matchup.
WITH A CCSU WIN TODAY...
• Central Connecticut would collect its first road win of the season.
• The Blue Devils would have its first win streak of the season
Quick Hitting Notes
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Ian Krishnan made 5-5 3fg in the first half vs. Wagner. He finished with 18 points.
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Jamir Reed scored a career-high 17 points, matching highs in rebounds (8) and assists (4).
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Karrington Wallace had a career-high 13 points and 4 blocked shots in 28 minutes against Wagner. He added 7 rebounds.
• Central was 18-of-35 (.514) in the second half vs. Wagner and scored a season-high 55 points to erase a halftime deficit for the first time of the season.
• The Blue Devils had 20 assists to just 7 turnovers in the win. It was the fewest turnovers committed since Dec. 8, 2018, when CCSU had just 6 turnovers.
Central Newcomers Lead the Way
• With a roster featuring 10 players in their first year with the program, the Blue Devils have relied on one of the country's youngest rosters this season.
• Six of 8 players playing 20+ minutes are in their first year at CCSU.
• In CCSU's first 12 games, the 10 newcomers contributed 80.9% (550-of-680) of the offense. On the year, the newcomers have accounted for 76.8% of points.
• Newcomers scored 39 of CCSU's 55 points in the 2nd half vs. Wagner.
Jamir Reed (15) and
Tyler Rowe (10) both scored 10+ points to help erase a 5-point halftime deficit.
CCSU Roster Has a Fresh Look
• CCSU is one of only 14 schools nationally with 7 or more freshmen and is the 6th-youngest in terms of D1 experience (0.71 years). The D1 average is 1.68 years.
• The Blue Devils also feature two junior college transfers (Ayangma, Newkirk) and a senior transfer (Rowe) who are in their first season of eligibility with the program.
• Central Connecticut has 11 underclassmen, including 10 players in their first year with the program. CCSU started at least 3 first-year players in the first 14 games of the year, including three freshmen in the opener against Hartford.
Something To Start
• With Thursday's starting 5, CCSU has used 11 different starting lineups, with only one lineup being used in more than 3 games.
"X" Is On Target
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Xavier Wilson has scored in double-figures in two of the past three games, including a career-high 13 points vs. Sacred Heart.
• Wilson went 7-of-11 at the foul line agains the Pioneers in 30 minutes, while also blocking a career-high four shots.
• He has started 3 straight, averaging 11.0 ppg and 3.3 rpg.
Rowe Has a Day
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Tyler Rowe had a career-day against Wagner on Jan. 25.
• In 22 minutes he had 12 points (5-7 fg, 2-2 3fg) and 4 assists (0 turnovers) - all career-bests.
• Rowe has played in 9 games and averages 4.2 ppg, 0.9 rpg.
Coleman Posts Double-Double
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Jamir Coleman posted his 1st of the year, with 17 points, 12 rebounds (a career-high) at LIU on Jan. 9 - it also marked his 2nd straight double-double against the Sharks.
• Coleman scored 10+ in 4 straight (Nov. 23-Dec. 7) and shot .600 (24-of-40) from the field. He had 27 (12-16 fg) at UMass Lowell.
Krishnan Hits the Court Scoring in Return
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Ian Krishnan scored 20+ points in his first two games back for CCSU with 23 vs. Conn College and 20 vs. Robert Morris.
• Krishnan leads CCSU in scoring and has scored double-figures in 7 games. He is 3rd in NEC play in 3-point shooting accuracy and has made 5+ three-pointers in a game twice this season.
Reed & Baker Big Off The Bench
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Jamir Reed and
Myles Baker both play 20+ mpg and average 8.0 and 8.1 ppg, respectively, coming off the bench.
• Reed had a career-high 17 vs. Wagner and powered CCSU in the second half. He scored 15 on 4-5 fg (2-2 3fg) to help CCSU come back from a five-point deficit.
• Baker had 15 points vs. Maine, including 13 after halftime. He scored 11 in the final 4:59 to get CCSU 65-64 with :12 to play.
Outlaw Named NEC Rookie of the Week
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Greg Outlaw was named Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week on Dec. 2 following his play at UMass Lowell.
• He had a career-high 16 points on 7-12 shooting. He scored 5 straight to spark a 9-3 run and give CCSU a late 71-70 lead.
Where's Wallace?
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Karrington Wallace's presence in the interior is a boost for CCSU. He has left a hole in 10 games missed to injury.
• Wallace leads CCSU in field goal percentage (.462) and is per-40 averages are 12.9 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.9 blocks.
Reed Named All-Tournament
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Jamir Reed was named to the Hall of Fame Tip-Off All-Tournament Team for the Springfield Bracket.
• In two games at Mohegan Sun, he averaged 12.5 ppg and 4.0 rpg. He had a career-high 14 points vs. Columbia.
Central and the Three-Point Shot
• CCSU has made a three-pointer in 151 straight games dating back to Feb. 5, 2015 at St. Francis Brooklyn.
• As a team, the Blue Devils rank 5th in the NEC (.340) in three-point accuracy and is coming off a game making 11 vs. Wagner.
Central Comes Up Just Short
• Central's back-to-back two-point losses at UMass Lowell and vs. Maine was the first time since Jan. 21 (at Sacred Heart, 61-62) and Jan. 26, 2012 (Monmouth, 56-58 ot) that CCSU had consecutive losses by two-or-fewer points.
Blue Devils vs. Postseason Participants
• In 2019-20, CCSU will face seven teams that played in the postseason last year. Fairleigh Dickinson, St. John's, Arizona St., Vermont (NCAA); Saint Francis U (NIT); Robert Morris and St. Francis Brooklyn (CIT) all made postseason trips last year.
• CCSU is 0-6 against postseason participants from last year. In 2018-19, the Blue Devils went 1-10 against 8 teams that played in the postseason the previous year.
Working Overtime
• The Blue Devils are 5-4 under Donyell Marshall in overtime games. CCSU was 2-0 in OT during the 2018-19 season.
• CCSU defeated Fairleigh Dickinson in 2OT (1/10/19) - the 7th multi-OT game in the program's D-1 history (1986-87).
Senator Olamuyiwa
• Freshman
Ola Olamuyiwa was sworn in as a student body senator on the CCSU SGA Student Senate on Oct. 9.
• Olamuyiwa was also student government president at The Patrick School prior to coming to Central.
• Olamuyiwa and his teammates had the opportunity to meet with U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) when he visited the CCSU campus earlier in the fall.
• The SGA Student Senate meets weekly on Wednesdays and is seen as a voice for the undergraduate student body.
Marshall Among Former NBA Players Coaching
• CCSU head coach Donyell Marshall enjoyed a 15-year career in the NBA playing with eight teams.
• Marshall, who was the 4th overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, is one of six former Top-10 picks currently coaching.
• Marshall was UConn's first consensus First-Team All-American as a junior in 1994. He is one of eight former consesus First-Team All-Americans now coaching Division I.
An International Roster
• The Blue Devils' roster has student-athletes from 4 countries (including the United States) in 2019-20.
• Central is among a group of 46 schools with student-athletes representing 3 or more foreign countries.
Blue Devils Welcome Alex Inyatkin
• CCSU teamed with Team IMPACT to welcome 12-year-old Alex Inyatkin into the men's basketball program.
• The Blue Devils held a signing ceremony on April 24 in the Athletic Department that included Alex and his family.
• Inyatkin will be with the team for the season and attend games, practices and other team functions.
• Team IMPACT connects children facing serious and chronic illnesses with local college athletic teams, forming life-long bonds with life-changing outcomes.
"All In, Ball Out" Year 2
• The NEC's "All In, Ball Out" branding campaign was launched in 2018-19 and captures the essence and attitude of the NEC's basketball-centric nature, and conveys a host of traits common to student-athletes, teams and the NEC.
• A series of hoops theme nights were announced to take place during league play and enhance the fan experience through coordinated marketing efforts within the conference.
84 Years of CCSU Basketball
• This is the 84th season of men's basketball at Central Connecticut. CCSU is 1,114-973 all-time (.534).
• Bill Detrick is the school's all-time winningest coach, having won 468 games in 29 seasons as head coach.
• CCSU's first year of competition was in 1934-35 under coach Harrison J. Kaiser, the athletic building's namesake.
• CCSU has competed as an NCAA Division I program from 1986 to present.
Northeast Conference Preseason Coaches Poll
• Central was picked 10th in the preseason coaches poll at NEC Social Media Day in Brooklyn, NY, at Barclay's Center on Oct. 23. Complete poll (first place votes):
• The Preseason All-NEC Team included Saint Francis U senior Keith Braxton, the 2018-19 NEC Player of the Year, was a unanimous selection, along with Raiquan Clark (Sr., LIU) and Jahlil Jenkins (Jr., Fairleigh Dickinson). E.J. Anosike (Jr., Sacred Heart) and Adam Grant (Sr., Bryant) rounded out the preseason selections.