January 29, 2020
Men's Basketball Goes to Saint Francis U on Thursday Night
The Blue Devils play on the road for the next three games.
The Central Connecticut men's basketball team will play its next three Northeast Conference games on the road, beginning Thursday night at Saint Francis U. The contest tips off at 7:00 p.m. The game is being streamed live on www.NECFrontRow.com.
CCSU will be looking to continue its winning ways coming off of Saturday's triumph. The Red Flash, meanwhile, have dropped three straight game in conference play
Following Thursday's game, the Blue Devils will travel to Robert Morris for a meeting on Saturday.
SERIES HISTORY • The all-time series is tied, 22-22. The Red Flash have won four straight meetings, including on Jan. 4 this season.
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
• Ian Krishnan made 5-5 3fg in the first half vs. Wagner. He finished with 18 points.
• Jamir Reed scored a career-high 17 points, matching highs in rebounds (8) and assists (4).
• 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.
• Zach Newkirk is the only Blue Devil to start every game.
"X" Is On Target
• 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
• 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
• 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 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
• 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
• 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?
• 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
• 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.
• 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 1,114-973 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.
