Mustangs Host CSUN Thursday in Big West Opener

Thursday, December 28

San Luis Obispo, CA

7 p.m.

CSUN

Tickets

Photo by: Owen Main

Mustangs Host CSUN Thursday in Big West Opener

12/27/2023 3:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball

COMPLETE GAME PREVIEW (pdf)

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Playing three of its initial four conference games at home inside Mott Athletics Center, the Cal Poly men's basketball program opens its 28th year of Big West action when hosting CSUN on Thursday, Dec. 28 at 7 p.m. The Mustangs then close 2023 at UC Davis on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+ for Cal Poly (4-8), which – behind a career high 30-point effort from senior guard Kobe Sanders – completed Big West preparations with a 66-53 home victory against Omaha (Dec. 21). CSUN (9-3), owners of the Big West's best non-conference record, enters Thursday's matchup having won four straight – a streak culminating with victories at UCLA (Dec. 19) and versus Montana State (Dec. 22). Meanwhile, UC Davis (5-6) – which has won nine straight home matchups against Cal Poly dating to the 2011-12 season – opens its Big West slate Thursday by hosting UC Santa Barbara.

CAL POLY VERSUS CSUN: The second most frequent opponent in Cal Poly's history after UC Santa Barbara, CSUN trails in the all-time series (58-54), but leads the Division I series (29-22). Having won four of the previous five matchups, CSUN prevailed in the last meeting between the two sides inside The Matadome on Feb. 11, 2023, 64-53.

CAL POLY VERSUS UC DAVS: Cal Poly has prevailed just once against the Aggies in the last 13 matchups dating to the 2016-17 season, winning an 82-74 home decision on Jan. 15, 2022. The Mustangs also look to snap a nine-game slide at UC Davis, last defeating the Aggies on the road on Jan. 28, 2012 (67-65). Cal Poly leads the all-time series (36-32) while UC Davis leads the Division I series (25-15).

SANDERS UPS THE SCORING PACE: After missing Cal Poly's final six games last season through injury, senior guard Kobe Sanders has scored in double digits in all 12 games this year – including a career best 30-point performance against Omaha (Dec. 21) and 22-point effort against San Jose State (Nov. 29) – and ranks fourth among Big West players with a team leading 18.4 points per game. Having also scored 20 points against both Portland State (Nov. 18) and Idaho (Dec. 2) and 19 at Oregon State (Dec. 4), Sanders ranks 44th among NCAA Division I players with an 89.2 (66-for-74) percent free throw mark. Having led Cal Poly in scoring nine times this season, Sanders – now with a 28 career double-digit scoring games – is averaging 8.0 points per 83 collegiate outings.

THE GRADUATE: Playing for the first time in two years after missing last season through injury, graduate guard Jarred Hyder – having scored in double digits seven times this year – ranks second in the lineup with 10.7 points per game. Second in the Big West averaging a team leading 33.1 minutes per game, Hyder most recently scored 14 points against Omaha (Dec. 21) and enjoyed a 25-point effort at Wyoming (Nov. 9) – a performance one point shy of his career best 26 while a freshman at Fresno State on Nov. 10, 2019. An offseason transfer from California, Hyder – a starter in all 12 games – also scored 15 points at Denver.

Q-BALL: A career best 21-point performance at Oregon State (Dec. 4) marked the fourth double-digit scoring performance for freshman guard Quentin Jones in Cal Poly's last nine outings. A starter in 11 of 12 matchups, Jones remains third in Cal Poly's lineup with 9.4 points per game while ranking sixth among Big West performers with 1.6 steals per game and 32.3 minutes played per appearance.

BACK IN THE GREEN: A 49.3 (198-for-402) percent career shooter and ranked 10th in program history with 59 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. Having appeared in 11 of 12 matchups this year with four starts, Jaakkola scored a season best 11 points against Eastern Washington (Dec. 18) to chalk up his first double-digit scoring performance since a 10-point outing against Cal State Fullerton on March 9, 2021. He's also grabbed nine rebounds in each of Cal Poly's last two games. With 115 career games played for Cal Poly, Jaakkola needs just 14 more appearances to surpass guard Jamal Johnson's program record of 128 (2010-14).

LOOKING AHEAD (JAN. 4/6): Cal Poly's first Big West home stand comes when hosting Long Beach State (Thursday, Jan. 4) and UC Santa Barbara (Saturday, Jan. 6). Tip time is 7 p.m. on ESPN+ both nights for Cal Poly, which defeated Long Beach State in the opening round of last year's Big West Championship (88-68) before being eliminated by UC Santa Barbara (64-54).

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 … Cal Poly's Nov. 9 matchup at Denver marked the programs first all-time matchup with the Pioneers with the Mustangs having now faced all nine current Summit League members … Cal Poly played the program's first all-time game in the state of Wyoming and the first game ever against Wyoming while having now faced all 11 current Mountain West Conference programs during a Nov. 11 visit to Laramie … Cal Poly has now faced all nine current Summit League members in its program history following a 61-60 victory against first-time opponent St. Thomas (Nov. 17) … senior guard Kobe Sanders was named to California Baptist's Lancer Joust all-tournament team (Nov. 17-19) after averaging 16.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and shooting 51.3 percent in three matchups … Cal Poly's double-overtime matchup at Oregon State (Dec. 4) marked the program's lengthiest game since a two-overtime setback versus CSUN (Feb. 10, 2022).