Complete Game Notes
Chicago State men's basketball (6-15, 1-1 GWC) hosts Utah Valley (9-11, 1-2 GWC) on Saturday (Jan. 26) at 3:30 p.m. It is homecoming for Chicago State. Note: the 3:30 p.m. CT start is an hour earlier than the originally announced time.
SERIES HISTORY -
Utah Valley leads the all-time series with Chicago State 7-3. The Wolverines took both games against the Cougars last season.
SNEAK ATTACK -
The Chicago State coaching staff will wear gym shoes during Saturday's contest in support of the Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Weekend. It is expected more than 4,000 coaches will don sneakers this weekend. Fans can donate $5 to Coaches vs. Cancer by texting the word “COACH” to 20222.
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.
ALREADY BETTER -
The Cougars have already bested last season's win total of four.
OT TIME -
Chicago State has been on the wrong side of three overtime games this season. The Cougars have a 63-60 loss at Rice (Dec. 19), 83-78 3 OT loss at NJIT (Jan. 12) and fell 66-63 at home to Loyola-Chicago (Jan. 20). The setback at NJIT was Chicago State's longest game since going four overtimes in a 123-121 loss to Utah Valley on Jan. 29, 2009.
BALANCED ATTACK -
The Cougars are the only team in the Great West Conference with five players averaging 8.0 points per game or more.
PERFECT 10 -
Following Sunday's contest to Loyola, now
Matt Ross (Dixon, Ill./Dixon) and
Quinton Pippen (Hamburg, Ark./Hamburg) are averaging exactly 10.0 points per game.
FREE FOR A REASON -
Chicago State leads the Great West Conference in free throw percentage by making 216-of-290 (.745).
FROM BEYOND THE ARC -
Chicago State leads the Great West Conference in 3-pointers per game with 762. The 15 treys Chicago State made against Houston Baptist on Jan. 19 are the most by a GWC 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.
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 has scheduled a challenging 2012-13 slate. 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.
