Cal Poly Faces First-Time Foes Denver and Wyoming

Thursday, November 9

Denver, CO

6 p.m.

Denver

Photo by: Owen Main

Cal Poly Faces First-Time Foes Denver and Wyoming

11/8/2023 1:47:00 PM | Men's Basketball

COMPLETE WEEKLY PREVIEW (pdf)

SAN LUIS OBISPO – The Cal Poly men's basketball program's 2023-24 schedule features three first-time opponents, two of which occur with visits to Denver (Thursday, Nov. 9) and Wyoming (Saturday, Nov. 11). Tip time is 6 p.m. PT (7 p.m. MT) both evenings for Cal Poly, which begins a five-game road trip Thursday evening. With two of only four scheduled games outside of the Pacific Time Zone coming this week, Cal Poly resumes action following an 80-62, season-opening victory against Division III La Verne (Nov. 6). Denver (0-1) also opened its season Monday, falling at fellow Big West for UC San Diego, 95-87. Wyoming (1-0), meanwhile, began its year with a 104-56 home victory against NAIA Northern New Mexico (Nov. 7).

CAL POLY VERSUS DENVER AND THE SUMMIT LEAGUE: With Thursday's game at Denver – and a Nov. 17 matchup with St. Thomas – Cal Poly will have faced all nine current Summit League members in its program history. Cal Poly's last matchup with a Summit League opponent came on Nov. 12, 2021 as the Mustangs dropped a 60-57 home decision to North Dakota State. Cal Poly's last victory against a Summit League program was a 70-43 decision against North Dakota (Nov. 29, 2013) in Eugene, Ore.

CAL POLY VERSUS WYOMING AND THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE: Wyoming remains the last current Mountain West program Cal Poly has yet to play in program history. Having faced at least one Mountain West program for 14 successive seasons, Cal Poly's last victory against a conference member was a 73-71 home win versus San Jose State (Dec. 13, 2020).

FROM LONDON WITH BLOCKS: An offseason transfer from two-year College of Southern Idaho, junior center Joel Armotrading's Division I debut against La Verne (Nov. 6) comprised team highs for points (21), rebounds (eight) and blocks (five). With the highest block total by a Mustang in 48 games, Armotrading also finished 8-for-12 from the floor.

SANDERS RETURNS TO SCORING COLUMN: After missing Cal Poly's final six games of last season through injury, guard Kobe Sanders – the only senior in the lineup – returned with a 16-point performance against La Verne (Nov. 6). For Sanders, the offensive output marked the 15th double-digit scoring performance of his career.

BACK IN THE GREEN: A 49.0 (172-for-351) percent career shooter and ranked 10th in program history with 55 career blocks, graduate forward Tuukka Jaakkola – after performing for Cal Poly from 2018-22, earning his bachelors degree and departing the university – has returned to utilize his renewable 2020-21 season. As one of a handful, if not the only Division I player in this situation, Jaakkola appeared in all 28 of Cal Poly's games during his 2021-22 senior season.

LOOKING AHEAD (NOV. 17-19): Following a six-day break, Cal Poly resumes action at California Baptist's Lancer Joust, opening the tournament on Friday, Nov. 17 against a third straight first-time opponent in St. Thomas. The Mustangs then face Portland State (Saturday, Nov. 18) before closing play against California Baptist (Sunday, Nov. 19).

ETC.: Cal Poly is its 30th Division I season this year and 80th as a four-year program … Cal Poly improved to 48-1 all-time against non-Division I opposition with an 80-62 home victory against Division III La Verne (Nov. 6) … against La Verne, Cal Poly also prevailed in a season opener for the fourth straight year.