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Jayce McCain
Greg Siller

Men's Basketball

CSUSM Opens 2021-22 Men's Basketball Season This Weekend

SAN MARCOS, Calif. – Playing in its first game since February 2020, the Cal State San Marcos men’s basketball will open its 2021-22 season by hosting the CSUSM Hoops Classic on Friday and Saturday before playing a single game on Monday at The Sports Center.

On Friday, the Cougars will open the season by playing Montana State Billings at 6 p.m. The Cougars will conclude the CSUSM Hoops Classic with a 3 p.m. game against Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

After a day off, the Cougars will once again host Montana State Billings in a 7 p.m. matchup on Monday.

LAST TIME OUT

  • CSUSM did not play during the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Friday’s game will be the Cougars’ first since Feb. 29, 2020.
  • The Cougars ended the 2019-20 season with a 12-16 overall record and an 8-14 record in CCAA play.
  • Returner Blake Seits earned an All-CCAA honorable mention nod to conclude the 2019-20 season after making the fourth-most 3-point field goals in the program history with 80.

COUGARS BY THE NUMBERS

  • In 2019-20, Jayce McCain posted the seventh-best assist-turnover ratio in all of Division II at 3.50.
  • McCain led the CCAA and ranked 18th nationally in steals per game at 2.18.
  • Seits’ 80 3-pointers ranked fifth in the CCAA while his 3-point field-goal percentage of 41.5 ranked third in the league.
  • The Cougars had the third-fewest turnovers per game in the CCAA in 2019-20 with 12.1 per game.
  • At 25.89 defensive rebounds per game, CSUSM ranked fourth in the league.
  • The Cougars had the fifth-best scoring offense in the conference at 75.4 points per game in 2019-20.
  • CSUSM committed the second-fewest fouls in the CCAA in 2019-20 at 449.
Alex Gil-Fernandez
GAME 1 | MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
DateFriday, Nov. 12,  2021
Time6 p.m.
LocationSan Marcos, Calif.
VenueThe Sports Center
RecordsCSUSM (0-0)
MSUB (0-0)
Live StatsSidearm Stats
Live VideoCCAA Network
TicketsHometown Ticketing
COVID-19 PolicyMasks are to be worn at all times regardless of vaccination status.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEASON OPENER AGAINST THE YELLOWJACKETS

  • Like CSUSM, MSUB will be playing its first game since the end of the 2019-20 season on Friday night.
  • Center Sam Elliott is the Yellowjackets’ lone returner from that team, averaging 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in 14 games.
  • MSUB finished the 2019-20 season 11-17 overall with a 6-14 record in GNAC play.
  • Of the 10 teams in the GNAC, the Yellowjackets were picked to finish last in the 2021-22 GNAC Preseason Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.
  • Senior guard Damen Thacker was the lone MSUB player on the GNAC Preseason All-Conference team.
  • Friday’s game will be the first-ever meeting between the Cougars and Yellowjackets.
  • The Cougars last faced a team from Montana during the 2014-15 season as CSUSM took on Rocky Mountain, Montana Tech, Montana State Northern and Great Falls (now University of Providence).

SATURDAY AGAINST THE SAINTS

  • SMU played a shortened 2020-21 season and finished with a 2-10 record.
  • Leading scorer Alex Schumacher returns for the Saints after averaging 15.3 points per game and leading the GNAC in steals per game at 1.75.
  • Leading shot blocker Marky Adams is back for the Saints after leading the GNAC and ranking 14th in the Division II at 1.78 per game.
  • Top rebounder Tyke Thompson also returns for SMU after ranking second in the GNAC with 6.4 rebounds per game.
  • The Saints were picked to finish ninth in the 2021-22 GNAC Preseason Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.
  • Adams was the lone Saint to be recognized on the GNAC Preseason All-Conference Team.
  • Saturday will be the first-ever meeting between CSUSM and SMU.
  • On Friday, Saint Martin’s will face Holy Names in the first game of the CSUSM Hoops Classic.
GAME 2 | SAINT MARTIN'S
DateSaturday, Nov. 13, 2021
Times3 p.m. 
LocationSan Marcos, Calif.
VenueThe Sports Center
RecordsCSUSM (0-0)
SMU (0-0)
Live StatsSidearm Stats
Live VideoCCAA Network
TicketsHometown Ticketing
COVID-19 PolicyMasks are to be worn at all times regardless of vaccination status.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GAME 3 | MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
DateMonday, Nov. 15,  2021
Time7 p.m.
LocationSan Marcos, Calif.
VenueThe Sports Center
RecordsCSUSM (0-0)
MSUB (0-0)
Live StatsSidearm Stats
Live VideoCCAA Network
TicketsHometown Ticketing
COVID-19 PolicyMasks are to be worn at all times regardless of vaccination status.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MONDAY REMATCH AGAINST THE YELLOWJACKETS

  • After the conclusion of the CSUSM Hoops Classic, MSUB will stay in town to face CSUSM again on Monday night.
  • MSUB will face Holy Names in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader at The Sports Center.
  • This will be the first time in the NCAA era that CSUSM has faced the same opponent twice in non-conference play.

COUGAR OUTLOOK

  • After sitting out the 2020-21 season, CSUSM returns five student-athletes from the 2019-20 season in Jayce McCain, Blake Seits, Alex Gil-Fernandez, Chase Bowsher and Sean Dunn.
  • Nine Cougars will be hitting the court in Cougar blue for the first time, including Division-I transfers Lyle Sutton (Idaho State), Tyrone Nesby IV (Wagner), Joel Mensah (James Madison and San Diego State) and Greg Milton III (Wyoming).
  • Joining the team in 2020-21, redshirt freshmen Ethan Barnella, Jack Schultz and Garrett Hall will finally get the opportunity to suit up for CSUSM this season while true freshmen Max Lonneker and Donovan Watkins joined the roster this season.
  • CSUSM was picked to finished seventh in the 2021-22 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll.

THE FOSTER FILE

  • Head coach B.J. Foster enters his sixth season in charge of the CSUSM Men's Basketball program after taking over the head position in 2016.
  • Under his leadership, the Cougars advanced to the CCAA Tournament for the first time in 2017-18 after finishing the season with a 15-7 conference record and a 20-9 overall record.
  • Prior to becoming head coach of the Cougars, Foster was an assistant coach with the team from 2013 to 2016.
  • Foster has tallied a career record of 59-54 (.522).