Men's Basketball Returns to Detrick Gym to Host LIU on Thursday
The Blue Devils will host three straight home games.
February 11, 2020
The Central Connecticut men's basketball hosts LIU on Thursday night in Northeast Conference action at Detrick Gymnasium. The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. and is being streamed live on www.NECFrontRow.com. Bruce Biel (play-by-play) and Marc Robbins (analyst) will call the action all season long for Blue Devils home games.
CCSU is coming off a four-point loss at Bryant on Saturday, while LIU posted a three-point win in overtime against Merrimack.
Central will be hosting Alumni Day on Saturday for its doubleheader against Bryant. The women's game tips off at 1:00 p.m. and the men follow at 3:30 p.m.
SERIES HISTORY • LIU leads the all-time series, 26-21, and won the first meeting this year, 90-78, on Jan. 9 in Brooklyn. The Sharks have won the last four meetings, CCSU last won in the series on Jan. 20, 2018, 72-63.
Opening Notes
• Central Connecticut returns to Detrick Gymnasium to tip off a stretch of three home games in six days. The Blue Devils play LIU in a 7 p.m. game.
• The Blue Devils will host Alumni Day on Saturday in a doubleheader vs. Bryant.
• Central hosts Bryant on Saturday and then hosts Fairleigh Dickinson on Tuesday for a game to be carried on ESPN3.
WITH A CCSU WIN TODAY...
• Central Connecticut would end its four-game skid in the series vs. LIU.
• The Blue Devils would win their second straight home game.
Quick Hitting Notes
• CCSU had a 24-17 advantage in bench scoring at Bryant. In the last 4 games, CCSU has outscored its opponents 143-61. Central gets nearly 25 ppg from its bench this season.
• Over the past 4 games, Jamir Reed is scoring 13.0 ppg and shooting .606 (20-33) from the field. He has made 5-12 3fg and grabbed 7.5 rpg in that span.
• Central had a +3 turnover margin at Bryant, marking the fourth time in the last five games that the Blue Devils have posted a positive turnover margin.
• In the past 4 games, CCSU is averaging 70.0 ppg, while shooting .431 from the field and .381 from three-point range. Opponents are shooting just .402 overall and .284 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 71.6% of points.
• Newcomers scored 39 of CCSU's 55 points in the 2nd half of a win 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.
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 9 games. He is 6th in NEC play in 3-point shooting accuracy and has made 5+ three-pointers in a game twice this season.
"X" Is On Target
• Xavier Wilson scored a career-high 13 points vs. Sacred Heart on Jan. 23 and has started the past 5 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 swatted a career-high 5 shots in just 13 minutes at Bryant and leads the team with 25 blocked shots on the year.
• Jamir Reed and Myles Baker both play 20+ mpg and average 8.4 and 8.1 ppg, respectively, coming off the bench.
• Reed scored a career-high 19 points and 9 rebounds at Robert Morris. He has 10 double-digit scoring games, including 2 straight.
• Baker has 7 double-figure games, including matching a career-high 16 points at Saint Francis U in 24 minutes.
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
Treys for Tennyson
• Trey Tennyson scored a career-high 15 points in 12 minutes at Saint Francis U on Jan. 30.
• 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 left a hole while missing 10 games to injury.
• He had a career-high 13 vs. Wagner with 7 rebounds, 4 blocks.
• Wallace leads CCSU in field goal percentage (.462) and is per-40 averages are 12.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.6 blocks.
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.
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.
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 154 straight games dating back to Feb. 5, 2015 at St. Francis Brooklyn.
• The Blue Devils rank 3rd in the NEC (.341) in all 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 1,114-976 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.