• 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.
Reed & Baker Big Off The Bench
•
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.
• 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.