CHICAGO -Â
OPENING TIP: Chicago State men's basketball embarks on a two-game road swing this week which begins Thursday night with a trip to Indiana to face 13th-ranked Notre Dame at Purcell Pavilion in a live broadcast on ACC Network Extra and the CSU Radio Network with a start time of 6 p.m.
SCOUTING CSU: The Cougars head to Notre Dame with a 1-2 record following Tuesday night's 101-53 victory over Silver Lake College in their home opener behind a pair of 19-point efforts from junior guards Fred Sims, Jr. and Anthony Harris. Sims leads CSU with averages of 13 points and four rebounds per game, while Harris has produced a team-leading three steals a game and is second on the team with 9.3 points per contest. Junior guard Rob Shaw leads the Green and White in assists with an average of four per game.
SCOUTING ND: Ranked 13th in this week's Associated Press national poll and 14th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll, Notre Dame is amassed a 2-0 record after claiming an 88-62 home win over Mount St. Mary's on Monday. Senior forward Bonzie Colson, a Preseason All-American, leads ND with 22.5 points and 12 rebounds a game in addition to shooting 59 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line. Sophomore guard T.J. Gibbs is second on the team with 15 points a game, while senior guard Matt Farrell is averaging 14 points and a team-best 3.5 assists per game for the Fighting Irish.
SERIES HISTORY: Thursday's contest marks the sixth all-time meeting between CSU and Notre Dame on the court with each game taking place at Purcell Pavilion. ND holds a 5-0 advantage in the series that includes a 91-60 win in the teams' last meeting on Nov. 26, 2016. Trayvon Palmer paced the Cougars with 15 points and nine rebounds in the contest, while Sims contributed 11 points.
SUCH THIEVERY: Harris proved to be a defensive force for CSU in Tuesday's game against Silver Lake as he recorded a WAC-best seven steals. He is tied for the league lead in steals with an average of three thefts per game.
GUNNING FOR A GRAND: Sims, Jr. is looking to become the 14th member of CSU's prestigious 1,000-point club as he enters the SLC contest with 942 career points and is 58 points away from setting that mark.
UP NEXT: CSU concludes its weekend road swing on Saturday with a trip to Cedar Falls, Iowa to battle host Northern Iowa with a start time of 11 a.m. in a live broadcast on ESPN 3.
