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UP NEXT: The Roadrunner men's basketball team concludes its four-game homestand Tuesday night by hosting Pac-10 Conference member Oregon State at Rabobank Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
ON THE AIR: Tuesday's game will be televised locally on Bright House Ch. 26. Roadrunner basketball alumni Vance Palm and Beau Redstone will handle the play-by-play and color duties. As always, you can follow all of the action on the radio at KERN NewsTalk 1410 AM. Corey Costelloe will call the play-by-play.
TICKETS, PLEASE: Tickets to all home Roadrunner men's basketball games may be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com. For ticket package and group ticket information, call the CSUB Athletics Ticket Office at (661) 654-BLUE.
LIVE STATS WEBCAST: If you can't get to the game, follow the action with real-time live stats via the JumpTV Game Watcher at www.gorunners.com. Choose "Live" from the navigation menu on the left side of the page.
BEAVER NOTES: After losing their first 2 games this season, the Beavers have won 4 of 5, with the only loss coming in OT to Iowa State...OSU is coming off a 73?59 win at UC Davis...So. F/G Seth Tarver and Sr. F Marcel Jones are the only Beavers scoring in double figures, averaging 16.1 and 14.6 ppg respectively...Jones chips in a team?best 8.4 rpg...Fr. G Calvin Haynes adds 4.0 apg...Seth Tarver and his brother -- So. G Josh Tarver -- are the cousins of Kelley Tarver, the leading scorer on the Roadrunner women's basketball team.
SERIES HISTORY: This will be the first?ever meeting between the Beavers and the 'Runners in men's basketball.
THIS DATE IN ROADRUNNER HISTORY: December 11 has been a particularly kind to the Roadrunners. The 'Runners are 6?2 all?time in eight men's basketball games played this date.
'RUNNERS vs. THE PAC?10: Tuesday night's game versus Oregon State will be the Roadrunners' sixth crack at taking down a Pac?10 conference foe in men's basketball. Bakersfield previously has played: Arizona (0?1), Cal (0?1), Stanford (0?1) and Washington State (0?2).
DOUBLE FIGURE STREAK ENDS... Junior forward Santwon Latunde (Landover, Md./Cowley County College) has been a model of consistency this season, however, early foul trouble Saturday versus Utah State slowed him down for the first time. Latunde was held scoreless in the game to snap his season?opening run of seven consecutive games in double figures.
...BUT ANOTHER CONTINUES: Even though his streak of double?figure scoring ended Saturday night, Latunde still contributed a team?high six rebounds. He has led the team on the glass for five consecutive games entering the Oregon State showdown on Dec. 11.
GRASMICK MOVES UP CAREER ASSIST LIST: Senior guard Zack Grasmick (Strathmore/Granite Hills HS) passed for a career?high five assists last week versus Utah State. That effort moved him into a tie for the No. 36 spot on the CSUB career assist list with 115.
CLOSING IN ON ANOTHER MILESTONE: In addition to his big assist night, Grasmick nailed three more three?pointers Saturday night, giving him 16 for the season and 123 for his career. Entering the week, he finds himself within shouting distance of another CSUB career milestone. He needs 10 more treys to catch Dwuan Rice for No. 2 on the all?time list (133).
...AND THE LITTLE ONES SHALL LEAD THEM: With an eye towards the future, the Roadrunners continue to play a rotation that leans heavily on their younger players. Freshmen and sophomores account for 16 of CSUB's 40 total starts this season and have played 812 of a possible 1,600 minutes this season (51 percent).
AVERAGING MORE ASSISTS THAN SIDNEY CROSBY: Sidney Crosby isn't the only Canadian youngster dishing the assists this season. CSUB freshman point guard Alex Johnson (Toronto/Vaughan Road Academy) has put his passing proficiency on display more and more as he grows accustomed to the collegiate game. Johnson had five more assists versus Utah State, giving the youngster 25 helpers in his last four games (6.3 apg).
SECOND?HALF BLUES: Given Bakersfield's reliance on youth this season, it probably comes as little surprise that the 'Runners have shot much better earlier in games than late in games as the youngsters make the adjustment to NCAA Division I play. Through the first eight games, Bakersfield is shooting 70 points higher in the first half (.456, 93-of-204) than in the second half (.386, 83-of-215).
Saturday versus Utah State, the 'Runners connected on a healthy 52 percent (14-of-27) in the first half before falling off to 21 percent (6-of-28) in the second half.
WHERE OTHERS HAVE GONE BEFORE: Making the leap from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I play is a big step. It's also a step taken by several Roadrunner rivals over the past few seasons. Bakersfield will be the sixth West Region school to make the jump since 1990. The others are: Cal Poly, Cal State Northridge, Sacramento State, UC Davis and UC Riverside.
In fact, DII and the California Collegiate Athletic Association have been jumping off points for many of the current DI programs in the West. All nine Big West Conference members are former DII schools and all but UC Irvine were formerly in the CCAA. Other former DII and CCAA schools from the West include Fresno State, Pepperdine, San Diego State and San Jose State.
'RUNNERS VS. DI COMPETITION: Although 2007?08 is the first time the Roadrunners take on a full NCAA Division I schedule, it does not mark the first Bakersfield foray into NCAA Division I play. The 'Runners own an all?time mark of 18?51 in 69 games against 35 different Division I opponents. Note that this mark does not include games against current DI teams that were not DI when they met.
36 YEARS OF CSUB BASKETBALL: The 2007?2008 season marks the 37th anniversary of Roadrunner men's basketball at CSUB. Since the program's inception in 1971?72, the Roadrunners have posted an impressive all?time record of 730?313 (.700).
