Matadors Host Exhibition Game vs. Antelope Valley

Thursday, October 25

Northridge, CA

7:00 p.m.

California State University at Northridge

Antelope Valley

Photo by: Shae Hammond

Matadors Host Exhibition Game vs. Antelope Valley

10/24/2018 2:45:00 PM | Men's Basketball

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---The 2018-19 CSUN Men's Basketball team opens up exhibition play on Thursday evening as the Matadors host the University of Antelope Valley on The Blacktop @ The Matadome at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed live on the CSUN Sports Network presented by Dignity Health with Alan Zinsmeister on the call.

The Matadors sport a brand new look this season with a new coaching staff and a reloaded roster with eight newcomers. Head coach Mark Gottfried enters his first season at the helm alongside one of the most experienced and accomplished coaching staffs across all of college basketball in Jim Harrick, Jeff Dunlap and Mo Williams.

CSUN returns four letterwinners including last season's Big West Freshman of the Year Terrell Gomez. Starting all 30 games as a true freshman last season, Gomez averaged 11.7 points per game and led the Big West in minutes per game (34.1) and 3-point percentage (46.1). Joining Gomez, the Matadors bring back senior center Blair Orr, junior center Mahamadou Kaba-Camara and sophomore guard Alex Sokol. Orr earned significant minutes in the Matadors' final games in 2017-18, providing energy and size around the basket. Kaba-Camara started twice last season and appeared in 24 games, averaging 1.5 points per game while Sokol averaged 1.7 minutes in seven appearances as a freshman.

Among the returning group, freshmen Lamine Diane and Jared Pearre will make their Matador debuts this season after redshirting in 2017-18. Originally from Dakar, Senegal, Diane played two seasons with national power Findlay Prep in Las Vegas, Nev. prior to joining the Matadors. Pearre is a former District Defensive and Newcomer of the Year at McKinney North High School in Texas.

The Matadors have added six true freshmen to their roster along with two transfers.

Southern California products Elijah Harkless (Rialto, Calif./Etiwanda High School), Darius Brown II (Pasadena, Calif./Pasadena High School) and Brendan Harrick (Anaheim, Calif./Esperanza High School) are among the freshmen on the roster this season in addition to international student-athletes Teddy Ochieng (Nairobi, Kenya/Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary High School), Avery Martinez (Heredia, Costa Rica/Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary High School) and Michael Ou (Guangdong, China/Menaul School).

Bringing experience this season will be junior college transfer Rodney Henderson Jr. and graduate transfer Cameron Gottfried. Originally from Carson, Calif., Henderson played last season at Santiago Canyon College where he averaged 27 points per game. Son of the Matadors' head coach, Gottfried spent two seasons at Siena College before transferring to NC State in 2016. Gottfried is playing out his final year of eligibility this season.

The Matadors have never played Antelope Valley in exhibition or regular season games. The Pioneers compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The team posted a 20-8 record, winning the California Pacific Conference for the first time in program history last season. UAV boasts six returners this season including senior Hayden Hall who scored 10.8 points per game with a 40.2 3-point percentage. Former Matador, senior Miles Nolen-Webb posted 8.6 points per game with 3.9 rebounds per game last season.