PREVIEW: Men's Basketball vs. Colorado College (12/16) | Hendrix College (12/19) | MacMurray College (12/20)
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
(12/16 vs. Colorado College)
(12/19 vs. Hendrix College)
(12/20 vs. MacMurray College)
SOCIAL MEDIA
UD Twitter: @UDallasSports
UD Men's Basketball Twitter: @UDallasMBB
UD Facebook: University of Dallas Athletics
UD Men's Basketball Facebook: University of Dallas Basketball
UD Instagram: udallasathletics
FIRST TIP
The University of Dallas men's basketball team resumes a season-long, five-game homestand this Saturday versus Colorado College at 1 p.m. Dallas plays three games in five days to wrap up the home stretch in 2017. After its Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) opener, the Crusaders host Hendrix College on December 19th and MacMurray College (IL) on Dec. 20th. The pair of non-conference tips are at 7:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively.
The Crusaders are off to one of their hottest starts with a 5-1 record that has them atop the SCAC right now. This includes a 3-0 showing at the Maher Center, which was improved to start the month off 1-0 on Dec. 2nd in an 82-65 victory against Johnson & Wales University. Head Coach Jarred Samples notched his 100th career win with his alma mater.
FRESHMAN STANDOUT
Spencer Levi (St. Louis, Mo.) has emerged as one of the freshmen to watch in the early stages of this campaign. His phenomenal performances in both games to start the home stretch netted him D3Hoops.com Team of the Week, SCAC Player of the Week, and United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Player of the Week.
Levi in those two contests at home secured 50 points with a career-high 25 points in both. The forward shot 22-for-24 (91.7%), secured double-doubles in both with 11 and 14 (career-high) in rebounds those respective games, and swatted 13 blocks. This included setting the individual blocks record (9) in the most recent outing. He ranked top-three in NCAA DIII for field goal percentage and is first in the latest rankings with an 81.0-clip.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
- Photos vs. University of the Ozarks
- Photos vs. Johnson & Wales (CO)
- Levi SCAC Player of the Week Interview
UD NOTABLES
- Levi and Michael Wambsganss (Denver, Colo.) are top two in the SCAC with 81.0 and 59.4 field goal percentages. The freshmen tandem are atop the league in respective categories, rebounds-per-game (11.2) and three-point field goal percentage (51.4).
- Levi is first in the USCAA for his successful field goal percentage and second in rebounding average. Wambsganss checks in at second for three-point field goal percentage.
- A trio of players are averaging double figures for the Crusaders with Levi pacing the group with 19.0. Darrius Colvin (Waco, Texas) follows at 16.7 and Wambsganss rounds out the three with 12.8. John Russell (Bossier City, La.) and Prince Giadolor (Rockwall, Texas) are two players just below the double-digit plateau with 9.5 and 9.0 points-per-game (ppg), respectively.
- Dallas as a team continues to shoot well at 50.7 percent on the year and have tallied 82.0 ppg.
- The Crusaders have dished 106 assists compared to 86 by their opponents. Emmanuel Calton (Keller, Texas) leads that category on the team with 26. Four other players have shared the ball just as well, as Colvin (17), Giadolor (13), Wambsganss (12), and Levi (11) complete the quintet of players in dimes double figures.
- Dallas is tied with Trinity University and Centenary College for the league's top 3 in assists/turnover ratio with a 1.2 mark.
- The most recent UD basketball team to post an exact 5-1 record through six games was the 2006-07 team, which won five in a row after falling in the season opener.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Colorado College Season Stats
- Hendrix College Season Stats
- MacMurray College Season Stats
PREVIOUS MATCHUPS
- Dallas is 12-19 overall against the Tigers. UD is seeking its first win against them since winning the program's first ever SCAC Tournament game in 2014-15 (50-47). The Crusaders won twice in the Maher Center that season.
- Last year, the Crusaders fell 65-60 in Irving. Colvin poured 25 points with 11-for-19 shooting from the floor.
- UD has won all three home matchups in just as many years against the Warriors. This includes a 101-98 overtime victory last season.
- In an earlier meeting this season at Conway, the Crusaders prevailed 90-76. Wambsganss drained six field goals – all from downtown – and finished with a personal-best 20 points. Levi chipped in 18, while Solomon Berezin (League City, Texas) achieved a career-high 15.
- The Crusaders are 0-1 against MacMurray. That matchup as on the road in 2013-14.
OPPONENT NOTABLES
(Colorado College)
- The Tigers are 4-3 on the season and won their last outing Wednesday in an 88-74 decision over Caltech. CC is 1-2 on the road.
- Colorado College was selected by coaches as the SCAC preseason favorite with seven first place votes.
- Eric Houska is averaging 15.1 points to lead the team. Also scoring double figures a game are: Chris Martin (13.2), CooXooEii Black (13.1), John Hatch (12.9), and Bobby Roth (10.5). These five are the primary scorers that have contributed to the team's 72.6 ppg.
- Black is the top rebounder, while Ryan Young and Martin each have soared up for 41 boards.
- Houska has dished a team-high 40 assists. The next highest on the squad is 11.
(Hendrix College)
-The Warriors are 1-6 on the season. They played an Exhibition against Arkansas Tech on Wednesday. They will be at East Texas Baptist University on Monday prior to making the trip over to the Maher Center the next night.
- Hendrix is 0-3 away from the home confines.
- Marcis Hall is the top scorer with 102 points and 14.6 ppg. Kam Brasfield is averaging 13.4, while Trey Rouse has registered a 13.0-clip. The trio are tops on the team with at least 90 points.
- Sean Criswell is first in rebounds with 44. Hall has snatched 40 from the glass. Kam and Michael Calamese have amassed a combined 54 assists with 28 and 26. The team has 87 overall.
(MacMurray College)
-The Highlanders are 1-5 currently this season. They have dropped the past four games and are 0-3 in away matchups.
- MacMurray will be home versus Spalding University this Saturday, before making a Texas trip through Dallas and University of Texas at Dallas next week.
- MacMurray is a member of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC).
- Brent Long is first on the team in points (119) and scoring average (19.8). Michael Cameron is next with 14.2 ppg and Kendall Davis has tossed in 9.5 ppg.
- Long is also the team leader in boards (50). Cameron boasts team-bests in assists (34) and steals (13).
UP NEXT
Dallas beings a four-game road trip on New Year's Eve at Rhodes College. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.