Men's Basketball Takes on Bryant on ESPN+ Saturday
The Blue Devils and Bulldogs will meet twice over the next week.
February 7, 2020
The Central Connecticut men's basketball team travels to Bryant on Saturday for a Northeast Conference doubleheader. The men's game tips off at 4:00 p.m., following the women's game. Both contests will be carried live on ESPN+.
CCSU will be looking to bounce back from a pair of losses in Pennsylvania last weekend. The Blue Devils led at halftime of both contests before falling by seven points in each. Bryant ended a three-game losing skid with a win on Thursday against St. Francis Brooklyn.
Following Saturday, Central will return to action at home on Feb. 13 against LIU.
SERIES HISTORY • The series is tied, 17-17. The teams split last year's meetings, with CCSU winning at Bryant, 64-59, on Feb. 2, 2019.
Opening Notes
• Central Connecticut wraps up a three-game Northeast Conference road swing playing at Bryant on Saturday. The game will be carried on ESPN+ at 4:00 p.m.
• The Blue Devils did not play on Thursday and last played at RMJ on Feb. 1..
• Central will play the next three games at home beginning on Thursday against LIU. CCSU will host basketball Alumni Day on Feb. 15.
WITH A CCSU WIN TODAY...
• Central Connecticut would collect its first road win of the season.
• The Blue Devils would win at Bryant for the third straight season.
Quick Hitting Notes
• CCSU had a 39-29 advantage in bench scoring at Robert Morris. In the last 3 games, CCSU has outscored its opponents 119-44. Central reserves are averaging 25.2 ppg on the year.
• Jamir Reed averaged team-highs of 12.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg and shot 52.6% last week. He had a career-high 19 points, 9 rebounds at RMU shooting 7-12 from the field.
• Central had just 10 turnovers at Robert Morris, marking the 5th game this season the Blue Devils have committed 10 or fewer turnovers.
• The Blue Devils had 49 points in the first half at Saint Francis U - a season-high. The Blue Devils were 19-of-32 (.594) from the field (9-of-12 from the 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 79.4% 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.
"X" Is On Target
• Xavier Wilson scored a career-high 13 points vs. Sacred Heart on Jan. 23 and has started the past 4 games.
• 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 a team-high 20 blocked shots on the year.
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 had career-highs of 4 steals and 4 assists at Robert Morris
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 7th 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 8.3 and 8.4 ppg, respectively, coming off the bench.
• Reed is coming off a game at RMU with a career-high 19 points and 9 rebounds. In the second half he scored 11 points with 7 rebounds on 4-6 shooting.
• 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 scored 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 .400 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 (.458) and is per-40 averages are 11.8 ppg, 7.1 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 153 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 2 of the last 3 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 1,114-975 all-time (.533).
• 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.