Cal Poly Visits San Jose State Tuesday, Hosts San Diego Christian Thursday

Tuesday, December 20

San Jose, CA

7 p.m.

San Jose State

Photo by: Owen Main

Cal Poly Visits San Jose State Tuesday, Hosts San Diego Christian Thursday

12/19/2022 2:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball

COMPLETE WEEKLY PREVIEW

SAN LUIS OBISPO – The Cal Poly men's basketball program completes preparations for Big West Conference play when visiting San Jose State on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. and hosting NAIA San Diego Christian inside Mott Athletics Center on Thursday, Dec. 22 at 4 p.m. Looking to snap a two-game slide at San Jose State following recent setbacks at Washington (Dec. 13) and to Weber State (Dec. 16), Cal Poly – with two victories this week – can finish non-conference play with an above .500 winning percentage for the first time since the 2014-15 season. San Jose State (8-4), which closes its non-conference stretch Tuesday against Cal Poly, most recently saw a two-game win streak snapped with a 59-58 loss at Pacific (Dec. 17). Members of the 10-school Golden State Athletic Conference, San Diego Christian (2-5) visits fellow Big West opponent Cal State Fullerton (Dec. 19) before heading to Cal Poly.

FOLLOW CAL POLY THIS WEEK: Chris Sylvester provides the audio play-by-play call for ESPN 1280 (San Luis Obispo County) and GoPoly.com of Tuesday's matchup at San Jose State and Thursday home game with San Diego Christian HERE … video will be available from Tuesday's game at San Jose State as will live stats from both matchups via GoPoly.com HERE.

CAL POLY VERSUS SAN JOSE STATE: Including a 73-71 home victory on Dec. 13, 2020, Cal Poly has won its last three matchups with San Jose State. The Mustangs also captured the last road matchup with the Spartans, prevailing at San Jose State on Dec. 10, 2011 (47-40). San Jose State leads the all-time series (15-5) dating the first meeting on Feb. 14, 1947, while Cal Poly leads the Division I (4-3) series.

CAL POLY VERSUS SAN DIEGO CHRISTIAN AND NON-DIVISION I OPPONENTS: Cal Poly and San Diego Christian have never previously met. Since transitioning to the Division I level prior to the 1994-95 season, Cal Poly is 46-1 against non-Division I programs.

MUSTANG 1K CLUB: Two Mustangs have the opportunity this season to reach 1,000 career points. Graduate guard Chance Hunter will have the first opportunity with 941 career points scored at Cal Poly (2022-), California Baptist (2021-22) and Long Beach State (2019-21). Next, senior forward Alimamy Koroma – currently with 928 points – can become the 25th four-year Mustang to reach 1,000 in a career this season.

KOROMA REMAINS CAL POLY'S OFFENSIVE CATALYST: One of Cal Poly's top two scorers for a third successive season, forward Alimamy Koroma once again leads the program with 12.6 points per game following a season high 23-point performance versus Idaho (Nov. 23) and 19-point effort against California Baptist (Dec. 3). With a Big West leading 54.9 (45-for-82) percent field goal mark, Koroma also ranks 71st among NCAA Division I shooters. With 43 career double-digit scoring games (including seven this season), Koroma is averaging 10.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 50.7 (345-for-680) percent through 86 collegiate outings and 57 starts. He requires 72 more points to become just the 25th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. Koroma also ranks seventh in program history with 68 career blocks.

TAYLOR MADE OUTPUT: Cal Poly's second leading scorer at 10.6 points per game and with a season best 17-point performance against Mount St. Mary's (Nov. 20), senior guard Trevon Taylor completed a second career double-double with 10 rebounds versus The Mount. The only Mustang to start all 10 games this season, Taylor – who has produced six double-digit scoring games in his last eight outings – also leads Cal Poly with 5.5 rebounds per game.

STEVENSON'S CAREER DAYS: Forward Brantly Stevenson had never scored more than 17 points in a collegiate game entering his junior season, but has bettered the total in two of Cal Poly's last five outings, finishing with a career best 23 points at Pacific (Nov. 28) and 20 versus Portland State (Dec. 10). The Dec. 5 Big West Player of the Week honoree, Stevenson now ranks second in Cal Poly's lineup with a 50.0 (36-for-72) percent field goal mark and third with 9.5 points per game. Averaging 4.4 rebounds per night, he also leads Cal Poly with an 83.3 (15-for-18) percent free throw mark.

CHANCE THE SCORER: A 13-point performance during Cal Poly's 74-68 road setback at Washington (Dec. 13) marked graduate guard Chance Hunter's fourth double-digit scoring game as a Mustang. Cal Poly's leading three-point shooter at 40.0 (18-for-45) percent, Hunter scored a Cal Poly-best 18 points against Mount St. Mary's (Nov. 20) before adding 15 versus California Baptist (Dec. 3). A starter in nine of 10 matchups, Hunter is Cal Poly's fourth leading scorer with 8.7 points per game.

THE SMITHS: With the addition of Jamal Smith – son of fourth-year head coach John Smith – as director of operations, Cal Poly is one of only three Division I programs with that familial distinction. Louisiana Monroe features head coach Keith Richard and director of operations Luke while North Florida counts head coach Matthew Driscoll alongside operations director and son, Chase.

LOOKING AHEAD (THURSDAY, DEC. 29): Cal Poly opens its 27th season of Big West Conference competition when hosting CSUN on Thursday, Dec. 29. Tip time is 7 p.m. for Cal Poly, which looks to open Big West play with a win for the first time since the 2017-18 season.

ETC.: Cal Poly is in its 79th season as a four-year program and 29th at the Division I level … since transitioning to the Division I level prior to the 1994-95 season, Cal Poly improved to 45-1 against non-Division I programs with a 94-59 home win against NCCAA Bethesda University (Nov. 7) … Cal Poly's 73-68 home setback versus Mount St. Mary's (Nov. 18) marked the program's first all-time matchup versus The Mount and just the fourth all-time game against a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opponent … forward Alimamy Koroma and guard Trevon Taylor earned spots on the California Thanksgiving Jam all-tournament team (Nov. 20, 23) … Cal Poly's 58.3 (30-for-51) percent field goal mark in an 82-71 home victory against Idaho (Nov. 23) marked the highest single game total under fourth-year head coach John Smith … Cal Poly's seven turnovers versus Idaho were the fewest amount since finishing with seven against UC Riverside on Jan. 16, 2021 … due to health and safety protocols with Pepperdine, Cal Poly's Nov. 30 road matchup with the Waves was cancelled … Cal Poly held Portland State to its lowest scoring output in eight seasons during a 72-49 victory (Dec. 10).