California Baptist University
University of the Incarnate Word
MBB Preview: CBU Basketball is Back with a Pair of Opening Week Matchups
10/30/2024 4:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball
RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist University men's basketball season tips off on Monday, November 4, and Saturday, November 9, as they welcome in Incarnate Word and Kennesaw State to the Dale E. & Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center.
CBU has had success in their home openers in the DI era, posting a 4-2 record, including wins over Jackson State, San Francisco State, and San Diego Christian. Both of the opening week matchups will be new territory for CBU as it will be the first time they have faced either opponent in program history.
Incarnate Word, a member of the Southland Conference, finished last season 8-23 in a highly competitive conference that sent a 30-win McNeese Stats team to the NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals were picked to finish 7th in the Southland this season, and newly-minted transfer Jalin Anderson was named to the preseason All-Conference team. Anderson transferred in from Ball State, averaging nearly 16 points per contest and knocking down 50 triples.
Kennesaw State will be the final matchup of opening week as the Owls visit Riverside on Saturday evening. In the ASUN, the Owls were 15-16 last season and were 6-10 in conference play. The Owls were a very good home team, posting a 9-4 record at the KSU Convocation Center in Kennesaw, Georgia. KSU's season ended in the first round of the ASUN Tournament, where they lost a high-scoring affair with Jacksonville. Kennesaw State is now a member of Conference USA and tied for ninth in the conference preseason coaches poll with Florida International. The Lancers have an extensive history with many opponents in CUSA, including former WAC members New Mexico State and Sam Houston.
CBU is coming off a 16-17 season in which they made it to the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament, where they would ultimately fall to Seattle U. Senior guard Dominique Daniels Jr., who missed 12 games due to a season-ending knee injury, is back in the lineup for CBU after an explosive first season. Daniels Jr. averaged nearly 20 points per contest for the Lancers and was named Second-Team All-Conference. Daniels Jr. set the DI program record for most points in a single contest with 39 points against Southern Utah and was promptly named to the Preseason All-Conference list this year.
Daniels Jr. will be joined by a handful of solid returners, including Kendal Coleman and Brantly Stevenson, along with experienced transfers such as Javonte Johnson from Colorado State and AJ Braun from Wright State. In total, CBU will have ten new faces on the roster and five returners. Head Coach Rick Croy will enter his 12th season as the skipper for CBU and is the program's all-time winningest coach with 233 wins under his belt.
GAME INFORMATION:
CBU vs Incarnate Word:
DATE/TIME: Nov. 4 @7PM PT
LOCATION: Fowler Events Center- Riverside, CA
WATCH: ESPN+
CBU vs. Kennesaw State:
DATE/TIME: Nov. 9 @5PM PT
LOCATION: Fowler Events Center- Riverside, CA
WATCH: ESPN+
TICKETS: HERE
