CSU Men's Basketball Heads to UTRGV for WAC Showdown on Thursday

Junior Trayvon Palmer currently ranks third in the WAC in total rebounds, offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds

Chicago State (4-14, 0-2) at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (4-13, 0-2)
Date	Thursday, January 14, 2016
Time	7 p.m.
Location	UTRGV Fieldhouse (2,500) - Edinburg, Texas
Video	WAC Digital Network
Radio	N/A
Live Stats	UTRGV Live Stats
Social Media	@GoUTRGV

UTRGV Game Notes (PDF)

OPENING TIP – Chicago State men's basketball starts a two-game Western Athletic Conference road swing this Thursday night in the state of Texas as it takes on conference rival the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in the WAC Digital Network Game of the Week. The contest will take place at the UTRGV Fieldhouse with the opening tip set for 7 p.m.

SCOUTING CSU – CSU heads into this week's slew of games with a season record of 4-14 that includes a 0-2 mark in WAC play. The Green and White dropped its fifth consecutive game on Monday night to CSU Bakersfield at home by a score of 67-56 as senior guard Kieran Woods (Chicago, Ill./Crane) led the team with 15 points, six assists and three steals. Leading CSU is redshirt sophomore guard Clemmye Owens V (Toledo, Ohio/Rogers) with 12.6 points and 3.1 assists a game, and ranking second in scoring at 10 points per game is freshman guard Fred Sims, Jr. (Chicago, Ill./North Lawndale) Woods leads the Cougars with 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals a game, while junior guard/forward Trayvon Palmer (Milwaukee, Wis./Brown Deer) is the team's top rebounds with an average of 7.8 boards per game.

SCOUTING UTRGV – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley heads into its home conference opener with a 4-13 record and like CSU holds a 0-2 ledger against conference opponents. The Vaqueros fell on the road last week to league-leading Grand Canyon (83-63) and Utah Valley (98-65) in their conference-opening contests. UTRGV has five players averaging double figures this season with senior forward and Chicago native Shaquille Hines leading the pack with 14.2 points per game and 17 steals. Sophomore forward Dan Kimasa is grabbing a team-leading 6.1 rebounds a game with 14 blocked shots, while graduate student guard J.J. Thompson is producing an average of 11.9 points and a team-best 4.7 assists per contest.

SERIES HISTORY – CSU and UTRGV have faced each other 18 times on the hardwood through the Independent, Great West Conference and WAC circuits with each team winning nine times, including last season's series split. The Vaqueros captured a close 64-59 decision in Edinburg on Jan. 10, 2015 with four players scoring in double figures.

NEW ADDITION – The Cougars added a walk-on to the team this week in sophomore forward Charles Dent (Chicago, Ill./Chicago Military Academy - Bronzeville). Dent, a 6-foot-6 forward, played his high school ball in the Chicago Public League at Chicago Military Academy-Bronzeville.

SCORING SIMS – Fred Sims, Jr. (Chicago, Ill./North Lawndale) has been a scoring machine for the Green and White over the last five games as he is averaging 14.8 points per contest while shooting 42 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range.

SUCH THEIVERY - CSU has been one of the most efficient thieves in NCAA Division I this season as it ranks eighth among the national leaders in total steals with 157. The Cougars are also 18th nationally with an average of 8.7 steals a game.

UP NEXT - CSU concludes its weekend road swing on Saturday, Jan. 16 with a WAC showdown at defending conference champion New Mexico State on ESPN 3 with a start time of 7 p.m., Mountain Time.

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Players Mentioned

#15 Trayvon Palmer: G/F; 6' 5"; Junior

#1 Kieran Woods: G; 6' 2"; Senior

#2 Clemmye Owens V: G; 6' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore

#10 Fred Sims, Jr.: G; 6' 4"; Freshman

#23 Charles Dent: F; 6' 6"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#15 Trayvon Palmer
: 6' 5"; Junior
: G/F

#1 Kieran Woods
: 6' 2"; Senior
: G

#2 Clemmye Owens V
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore
: G

#10 Fred Sims, Jr.
: 6' 4"; Freshman
: G

#23 Charles Dent
: 6' 6"; Sophomore
: F

Scoreboard

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned