The College of Staten Island men’s basketball team has matched a season-long winning streak and are now on a three-game tear, with all of those wins coming on the road last week. Now they will try to continue the run on their home court when they play host to Kean University this afternoon at 1pm. The Cougars roll in having recently had their two-game win streak halted, entering at 5-10 overall.
CSI vs. KEAN UNIVERSITY
Matchup: College of Staten Island (7-7) vs. Kean University (5-10)
Where: The Tank – 2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY
All-Time Series: CSI leads, 11-10
Last Meeting: January 16, 2017 – CSI won 76-66
Players to Watch (CSI): First-year sophomore Adeola Latunji enjoyed a monster week this past week, and is coming off of a big 25-point game against Hunter College of Saturday. look for him to try and stay hot on his home floor, bringing in a 14.1 points per game average with a team best 5.6 rebounds per game. CSI is still being led by Christian Taylor’s 15.2 points per game, and he is shooting a robust 55% from the floor, including a 54% clip from beyond the arc. CSI is also enjoying the three-point sharpshooting of Edin Bracic and Raymond Savage. the duo has combined for 42 three-pointers this season on 107 attempts, good for just a hair under 40%.
Players to Watch (KU): Kean averages just under 70 points per game, and they are being led by pair Adrian Baucum and DeAndre Thomas. Baucum averages a team-best 13.3 per game and has drained 28 three’s, tied for the team lead with Keenan Williams, Jr., in that department. Thomas averages 10.4 points per contest and is third on the team with 17 steals. Alongside his three-point threat, Williams, Jr. usually runs the point, and leads all players in this game with 59 assists heading in. Look for him to want to continue his distribution.
News & Notes: CSI and Kean have been enjoying a great rivalry on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday as today’s matchup marks the 14th time the two teams are meeting during this day. CSI owns the all-time series 11-10, and have certainly enjoyed the better of it recently and here at home. CSI is 8-4 all-time against Kean in Staten Island, and overall have won the last seven meetings in the series after the Cougars dominated the series. Kean’s last win over CSI came back in 2011 in Union, NJ. Their last win over CSI on the road dates back to 2008. So far this season the two teams share two common opponents. Both teams defeated John Jay College on the road but were split against Baruch College. Kean fell to Baruch, 85-67, at home on the opening day of the season, while CSI just recently defeated Baruch on the road by a field goal. Look for the three-pointer to play a critical role today. Kean is averaging a little over nine three’s per game this season while CSI is averaging a little over seven per contest.
