Complete Game Notes
Chicago State men's basketball (2-8) hosts Alabama State (0-5) on Saturday (Dec. 8) at 2:05 p.m. It will be the Cougars' final home game for more than a month before returning home on Jan. 14.
SERIES HISTORY -
Saturday's contest will be the first ever meeting between Alabama State and Chicago State.
DESTINATION: WAC 2013-14 -
Chicago State has accepted an invitation to join the Western Athletic Conference. The Cougars will join the WAC for the 2013-14 season.
DOUBLE TROUBLE -
Junior
Matt Ross (Dixon, Ill./Dixon) enters Saturday's contest with two consecutive double-doubles. He went for 20 points and 10 rebounds against DePaul on Wednesday and 10 points with 12 rebounds at SIUE.
SWAC ATTACK -
Alabama State will be Chicago State's first game against a SWAC opponent since falling at Southern 67-60 Dec. 30, 2009. The last time a SWAC school came to the Jones Convocation Center was a year earlier when Chicago State bested Southern Dec. 17, 2008.
TIME TO REBOUND -
The Cougars' 48 rebounds at SIUE were the most by Chicago State in a single game since grabbing 49 at DePaul on Dec. 2010, 2012.
TURN, TURN, TURN -
Chicago State forced 30 UW-Green Bay turnovers in the season opener, the most during the
Tracy Dildy era at Chicago State. The Cougars then forced 25 turnovers against Concordia Chicago on Tuesday.
HELPING HAND -
Chicago State's 24 assists Concordia Chicago (Nov. 13) marked the most during the
Tracy Dildy era. It also stands as the most by a Great West Conference team this year.
RELATIVE GREATNESS -
Junior
Quinton Pippen (Hamburg, Ark./Hamburg) is the nephew of former Chicago Bull Scottie Pippen. Not surprising, Quinton wears No. 33.
RELATIVE GREATNESS X2-
Junior
Mashawn Chamberlain (Chicago, Ill./De La Salle)'s cousin is New Orleans Hornets forward Anthony Davis. The No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft Davis was in the stands to see Chamberlain when the Cougars played at Tulane on Nov. 18.
NEW AND IMPROVED -
Senior
Jeremy Robinson (Decatur, Ill./Eisenhower) was named the 2011-12 Great West Conference Newcomer of the Year last season.
HE'S BACK -
Senior
Jeremy Robinson (Decatur, Ill./Eisenhower) is the Great West Conference's leading returning scorer (13.6 last season).
PRESEASON ACCOLADES -
CollegeBasketballTalk.com and CollegeSportsMadness.com each pegged senior
Jeremy Robinson (Decatur, Ill./Eisenhower) as their 2012-13 Preseason Great West Conference Player of the Year Selection. The GWC head coaches picked Robinson as a 2012-13 All-Preseason First Team selection.
BRAINS AND BRAWN -
In the classroom,
Jeremy Robinson (Decatur, Ill./Eisenhower) was a CSU Athletic Director's Honor Roll choice last year for a GPA over 3.50.
Nate Henry (Chicago, Ill./Farragut) was named a Cougar Scholar Athlete for a GPA between 3.00 and 3.49
HOMEGROWN TALENT -
The Chicago State roster features 12 Illinois natives.
UP FOR THE CHALLENGE -
Chicago State's non-conference opponents posted a combined record of 321-315 last season. The Cougars' Division I non-conference foes averaged 16.5 victories last season.
MAJOR AWARDS AT JUNIOR COLLEGE -
Junior
Jamere Dismukes (Park Forest, Ill./Rich East) earned First Team All-NJCAA Region IV Division II honors at BlackHawk College.
Nate Duhon (Lansing, Mich./Sexton) picked up Second Team NJCAA Division II All-American and Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) Player of the Year honors at Lansing CC.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN -
The 2012-13 slate features road games in 11 different states.
OUR HOUSE -
Thanks to visits by DePaul and Loyola to the Jones Convocation Center this year, 2012-13 will be the first time Chicago State won't play a road game at DePaul, Loyola, UIC or Northwestern since 2007-08.
TV TIME -
The Cougars' home contests with DePaul, Loyola and Eastern Illinois will be aired live on Lakeshore Public Television.