SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos men's basketball team sits a game out of first place heading into the first full weekend of California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play of 2016. CSUSM hosts Cal State East Bay and Cal State Monterey to kick off a six-game home stand.

The Schedule
Game 12
Thursday, January 7 – 7:30 p.m.
Cal State East Bay (5-7, 1-4 CCAA) at CSUSM (6-5, 4-2 CCAA)
Oceanside, Calif. – MiraCosta College
Live Stats | Live Video

Game 13
Saturday, January 9 – 7:30 p.m.
Cal State Monterey Bay (4-7, 2-3 CCAA) at CSUSM (6-5, 4-2 CCAA)
Oceanside, Calif. – MiraCosta College
Live Stats | Live Video

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Probable Cougar Starters
G - #1 Akachi Okugo (Sr., 6-1/180): 9.8 ppg, 1.7 apg, 1.6 rpg, 29.2 mpg
G - #23 Darnell Taylor (Sr., 6-4/205): 21.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.1 apg, 35.8 mpg
G - #33 Tanner Waldrip (Jr., 5-10/165): 6.3 mpg, 1.7 apg, 1.5 apg, 19.8 mpg
F - #35 Taran Brown (Sr., 6-8/215): 12.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 46.4 fg%, 26.5 mpg
F - #42 Declan Daly (Sr., 6-8/240): 9.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 58.1 fg%, 29.2 mpg

Home Stand to Start 2016
After four straight road contests and six road games over their last eight, the Cougars will be at home for six straight to start 2016. After two CCAA games this week, CSUSM hosts Benedictine (Ariz.) and Bristol next Monday and Saturday, respectively. On Jan. 21, CSUSM hosts a rematch against No. 21 Chico State, which took down the Cougars on Dec. 12 on a brutal buzzer-beater. The home stand ends on Jan. 23 against Stanislaus State.

CCAA Standings (through 1/6)
1. No. 5 Cal Poly Pomona (5-1, 12-1)
1. Humboldt State (5-1, 11-1)
1. No. 21 Chico State (5-1, 11-2)
1. No. 13 UC San Diego (5-1, 10-2
5. Cal State San Marcos (4-2, 6-5)
5. Stanislaus State (4-2, 5-6)
7. Sonoma State (2-3, 7-4)
7. Cal State Monterey Bay (2-3, 4-7)
9. San Francisco State (1-4, 7-4)
9. Cal State Dominguez Hills (1-4, 7-6)
9. Cal State East Bay (1-4, 5-7)
9. Cal State L.A. (1-4, 3-10)
13. Cal State San Bernardino (0-6, 3-7)

In The CCAA Ranks
Team, league games, top three
1. Blocked shots (4.5)
2. Scoring (76.8)
2. 3FG made (8.7)
2. Turnover margin (2.83)
2. Assist/turnover ratio (1.17)
3. Free throw percentage (71.2)
3. Assists (14.67)

Individual, league games, top three
1. Scoring average – Darnell Taylor (20.8)
1. Blocks – Declan Daly (18)
1. Blocks per game – Declan Daly (3.0)
2. Minutes per game – Darnell Taylor (34.8)

Cal State East Bay Preview
All-time vs. CSUEB: The Cougars and Pioneers meet for the first time on Thursday.

CSUEB Breakdown: The Pioneers come into town after losing three of their last four. East Bay sits in a tie for ninth place in the CCAA standings and has only beaten winless CSUSB in conference play. CSUEB ranks 12^th in scoring offense (62.4) and sixth in scoring defense (67.0) in the CCAA.

Cal State Monterey Bay Preview
All-time vs. CSUMB: CSUSM and CSUMB meet for the first time on Saturday night.

CSUMB Breakdown: The Otters have split their last four contests and opened 2016 with a one-point victory over San Francisco State on Jan. 2. CSUMB ranks in the bottom half of the CCAA in most scoring categories, but rank fourth in 3-pointers made per game (8.2) and third in assist/turnover ratio (1.11).

Notes
Taylor was named a Star of the Month for December by the San Diego Hall of Champions … Okugo had a season high 19 points, hitting 5-of-8 3-pointers in the win over CSUDH … Taran Brown shot 62.5 percent (10-of-16) from the field last weekend.
 
The Jim Saia File
Jim Saia is in his fifth season at the helm of Cal State San Marcos, a program he has built from the ground up since arriving on campus in 2010. Saia holds a 110-30 (.786) on-court record at CSUSM and a 180-59 (.753) on-court record during his previous seven years as a collegiate head coach. He spent three seasons at Fresno Pacific (2007-10) prior to coming to CSUSM.

New Conference
Cal State San Marcos is in its first season of CCAA competition after spending its first four seasons as an independent program in the NAIA. CSUSM was picked to finish fifth in the preseason CCAA coaches' poll. The CCAA is made up of 12 CSU institutions and UC San Diego. The CCAA is one of the premier NCAA Division II leagues in the nation. Its teams have won more national championships (153) than any other conference.

New Territory
After four seasons of competition in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the Cougars enter their first season of NCAA Division II competition in 2015-16. CSUSM is currently in the second year of a three-year transition to full NCAA Division II membership. As a part of the transition, the Cougars will be ineligible for postseason play in 2015-16 and 2016-17.

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