Men's Basketball Returns to Action at Robert Morris on Saturday
Following Saturday, Central will not play again until Saturday, Feb. 8 when it heads to Bryant for an ESPN+ matchup at 4:00 p.m.
January 31, 2020
The Central Connecticut men's basketball team is in the midst of a three-game Northeast Conference road swing and plays at Robert Morris on Saturday. The contest tips off at 1:00 p.m. and is being streamed live on www.NECFrontRow.com.
CCSU will be looking to bounce back from Thursday's loss at Saint Francis U. The Blue Devils led by double-figures in the second half before the Red Flash rallied. The Colonials are in second in the NEC and coming off a win over Bryant on Thursday night.
Following Saturday, Central will not play again until Saturday, Feb. 8 when it heads to Bryant for an ESPN+ matchup at 4:00 p.m.
SERIES HISTORY • Robert Morris leads the all-time series, 24-18, and won the season's first meeting. CCSU has won two straight at RMU.
Opening Notes
• Central Connecticut plays the middle game of a three-game road swing, travelling to Robert Morris on Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. start.
• The Colonials won the season's first meeting to open Northeast Conference play on Jan. 2.
• Central will not play again until Saturday, Feb. 8 when it heads to Bryant for an ESPN+ matchup at 4:00 p.m.
WITH A CCSU WIN TODAY...
• Central Connecticut would collect its first road win of the season.
• The Blue Devils would have its 3rd straight win at Robert Morris.
Quick Hitting Notes
• CCSU scored 49 points in the first half at SFU - a season-high. The Blue Devils were 19-of-32 (.594) from the field (9-of-12 from the arc).
• Ian Krishnan has made 9-of-10 three-pointers in the first half in the last two games. He was 4-of-5 at SFU and made all 5 three-point attempts in the first half vs. Wagner.
• Central's bench outscored SFU's, 39-4, with Myles Baker (16) and Trey Tennyson (15) both scoring double-figures. In the last 2 games, CCSU's bench holds an 80-15 scoring edge.
• The Blue Devils have hit 11 three-pointers in each of the last two games. In those contests, CCSU is shooting 22-of-49 (.449) from the three-point arc.
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
• 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 72.0% 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.
"X" Is On Target
• Xavier Wilson has scored double-figures twice in four 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 4 straight, averaging 9.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.3 bpg.
Rowe Has a Day
• 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 10 games and averages 3.8 ppg, 0.9 rpg.
Coleman Posts Double-Double
• 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
• 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 8 games. He is 4th 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
• Jamir Reed and Myles Baker both play 20+ mpg and average 7.9 and 8.2 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 has 8 double-figure games, including matching a career-high 16 points at Saint Francis U in 24 minutes.
Outlaw Named NEC Rookie of the Week
• 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.
Treys for Tennyson
• Trey Tennyson poured in a career-high 15 points in 12 minutes at Saint Francis U.
• Tennyson made 3-4 from three-point range, 5-7 overall, and is 4-9 from the arc in the past two games.
• Tennyson is 2nd on the team, shooting .410 from the arc.
Where's Wallace?
• 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 (.466) and is per-40 averages are 12.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.9 blocks.
Reed Named All-Tournament
• 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 152 straight games dating back to Feb. 5, 2015 at St. Francis Brooklyn.
• As a team, the Blue Devils rank 3rd in the NEC (.346) in three-point accuracy and has 11 made treys in each of the last 2 games.
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 0-7 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.
• CCSU has 12 players from 9 states and England (Thai Segwai), Cameroon (Stephane Ayungma) and Nigeria (Ola Olamuyiwa).
• 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 1,114-974 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.