California State University Northridge Athletics
Monday, November 7
Northridge, Calif.
7:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
vs
La Sierra
Matadors Open 65th Season on Monday Hosting La Sierra
11/4/2022 3:40:00 PM | Men's Basketball
FULL GAME NOTES
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN kicks off its 65th season of men's basketball on Monday night when the Matadors host La Sierra inside Premier America Credit Union Arena at 7 p.m. Ghizal Hasan and Alan Zinsmeister have the call on ESPN+ and GoMatadors.com/Radio.
MATADORS AT A GLANCE
It may take some time to learn the array of new faces on this season's CSUN roster. The Matadors have returned just five letterwinners from last season's roster while 11 newcomers join the program this season. One of the constants though is head coach Trent Johnson, who returns for his second season with the team, this time with his interim tag removed from his title.
This season's roster has a mix of size, experience and athleticism as four Division I transfers and two junior college players have been added to the team. CSUN will also have five total true freshmen on the team.
SO, WHO'S BACK?Â
Third-year guard Atin Wright leads the returning class in 2022-23. An All-Big West Honorable Mention, Wright had a career season in coach Johnson's first year at the helm. He played in 29 games, making 28 starts at shooting guard while he also spent time as the team's point guard. Wright averaged a team-high 14.5 points per game, good enough for eighth-best in The Big West, while he made 53 3-point field goals and shot 83.3 percent from the free throw line.
In the middle, CSUN returns senior center Onyi Eyisi along with power forward Fidelis Okereke. Eyisi was third on the team in points per game (9.5) and rebounds per game (4.2) in his first season with the Matadors in 2021-22 while Okereke, a third-year player, was the team's top rebounder (5.1 per game) and shot blocker (27) to go with a 5.1 scoring average.Â
Another third-year guard, Marcel Stevens also returns after playing in a career-high 24 games and averaging 10.2 minutes per game in a reserve role. A graduate, Arman Pezeshkian rounds out the returning group for CSUN.
MEET THE NEWCOMERS
At the point, sophomore Dionte Bostick arrives to CSUN after spending the past two seasons at Murray State where he played in 35 total games and averaged 4.9 points and 2.9 assists as a true freshman. A 6-6 guard, De'Sean Allen-Eikens has played in 52 career games at his previous stops, the University of North Dakota and the University of New Orleans, while he totaled 454 points as a freshman. A graduate transfer, Ethan Igbanugo played in 90 games with the University of North Dakota over the past four seasons, scoring 531 points. Standing at 6-10, Dearon Tucker rounds out the D-1 transfers as he has played in 60 career games with the likes of Oregon State and Indiana State.
Adam Afifi, a 6-9 junior forward, was a first-team all-state selection with West Valley College where he averaged 17.2 points and 8.7 rebounds last season. A 6-5 junior guard, John Wade III had a breakout season last year at Contra Costa College where he averaged 14.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals while receiving all-state honors.
Johnnie Walter, a 6-9 forward, is one of five true freshman on the team. Walter played post-graduate basketball at Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, and he previously prepped at nearby Oaks Christian School. A Canadian import, Cam Slaymaker averaged 26 points last season at London Basketball Academy while Lamine Niang, a 6-10 forward from Senegal, helped Central Pointe Christian Academy (Fla.) reach a top-20 national ranking.
A 6-4 guard, Christopher Carter joins CSUN after earning Desert Empire League MVP honors last season with Shadow Hills High School. Ben Starks, a 7-0 center, rounds out the newcomers as Starks comes to Northridge from San Clemente High School.
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS
For the second-straight season, CSUN was picked to finish last in The Big West by the conference's head coaches. In 2021-22, CSUN defied those preseason expectations by finishing eighth in The Big West. UC Santa Barbara was picked to win the conference and collected nine first-place votes.
The Matadors finished last year with a 7-23 record and a 3-13 mark in The Big West. CSUN's season would come to an end with a first round loss at the Big West Championships to CSU Bakersfield. While battling with a multitude of injuries including the loss of starters Darius Brown II and Miles Brookins, the Matadors used 17 different starting lineups during the season. CSUN played in a number of tight games throughout the campaign including 15 games that were decided by 10 points or fewer (6-9 record) and six decided by five points or fewer (3-3 record).
IN MEMORY OF NICK HERRMANN
In August 2022, CSUN Athletics lost a member of the Matador family with the passing of men's basketball student-athlete Nick Herrmann. A talented basketball player and a special human being, Nick was an inspiration to the university on and off court. This season is dedicated to his memory and his unparalleled fighting spirit.
Throughout this season, both the CSUN men's and women's basketball teams will wear a patch with Nick's initials in memory of his everlasting impact on the CSUN basketball programs.
SERIES HISTORY
CSUN has played La Sierra just once in team history with that game taking place in Dec. 2013. The Matadors would win by a 97-79 margin as Stephan Hicks and Stephen Maxwell led the way with 21 points apiece.
The Matadors are 31-33 all time in season openers and 47-16 in home openers.
SCOUTING LA SIERRA
The Golden Eagles are a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The game will be counted as an exhibition game for La Sierra. The team has played two games already this season, falling to both Westmont (114-45) and Life Pacific (90-78). Last season, the Golden Eagles went 9-16 with a 4-9 mark in the California Pacific Conference. La Sierra has returned seven players from last season's roster. Head coach Ethan Lowe is in his first season leading the program.
Uriel Lejtman led the team in scoring last season at 15.9 points per game while Duane Darrett, Jr. scored 13.1 points per game. Lejtman also averaged 5.5 rebounds and shot 48.6 percent from the floor. As a team, La Sierra averaged 73.7 points in 2021-22.
#UniteTheValley
Â
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN kicks off its 65th season of men's basketball on Monday night when the Matadors host La Sierra inside Premier America Credit Union Arena at 7 p.m. Ghizal Hasan and Alan Zinsmeister have the call on ESPN+ and GoMatadors.com/Radio.
MATADORS AT A GLANCE
It may take some time to learn the array of new faces on this season's CSUN roster. The Matadors have returned just five letterwinners from last season's roster while 11 newcomers join the program this season. One of the constants though is head coach Trent Johnson, who returns for his second season with the team, this time with his interim tag removed from his title.
This season's roster has a mix of size, experience and athleticism as four Division I transfers and two junior college players have been added to the team. CSUN will also have five total true freshmen on the team.
SO, WHO'S BACK?Â
Third-year guard Atin Wright leads the returning class in 2022-23. An All-Big West Honorable Mention, Wright had a career season in coach Johnson's first year at the helm. He played in 29 games, making 28 starts at shooting guard while he also spent time as the team's point guard. Wright averaged a team-high 14.5 points per game, good enough for eighth-best in The Big West, while he made 53 3-point field goals and shot 83.3 percent from the free throw line.
In the middle, CSUN returns senior center Onyi Eyisi along with power forward Fidelis Okereke. Eyisi was third on the team in points per game (9.5) and rebounds per game (4.2) in his first season with the Matadors in 2021-22 while Okereke, a third-year player, was the team's top rebounder (5.1 per game) and shot blocker (27) to go with a 5.1 scoring average.Â
Another third-year guard, Marcel Stevens also returns after playing in a career-high 24 games and averaging 10.2 minutes per game in a reserve role. A graduate, Arman Pezeshkian rounds out the returning group for CSUN.
MEET THE NEWCOMERS
At the point, sophomore Dionte Bostick arrives to CSUN after spending the past two seasons at Murray State where he played in 35 total games and averaged 4.9 points and 2.9 assists as a true freshman. A 6-6 guard, De'Sean Allen-Eikens has played in 52 career games at his previous stops, the University of North Dakota and the University of New Orleans, while he totaled 454 points as a freshman. A graduate transfer, Ethan Igbanugo played in 90 games with the University of North Dakota over the past four seasons, scoring 531 points. Standing at 6-10, Dearon Tucker rounds out the D-1 transfers as he has played in 60 career games with the likes of Oregon State and Indiana State.
Adam Afifi, a 6-9 junior forward, was a first-team all-state selection with West Valley College where he averaged 17.2 points and 8.7 rebounds last season. A 6-5 junior guard, John Wade III had a breakout season last year at Contra Costa College where he averaged 14.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals while receiving all-state honors.
Johnnie Walter, a 6-9 forward, is one of five true freshman on the team. Walter played post-graduate basketball at Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, and he previously prepped at nearby Oaks Christian School. A Canadian import, Cam Slaymaker averaged 26 points last season at London Basketball Academy while Lamine Niang, a 6-10 forward from Senegal, helped Central Pointe Christian Academy (Fla.) reach a top-20 national ranking.
A 6-4 guard, Christopher Carter joins CSUN after earning Desert Empire League MVP honors last season with Shadow Hills High School. Ben Starks, a 7-0 center, rounds out the newcomers as Starks comes to Northridge from San Clemente High School.
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS
For the second-straight season, CSUN was picked to finish last in The Big West by the conference's head coaches. In 2021-22, CSUN defied those preseason expectations by finishing eighth in The Big West. UC Santa Barbara was picked to win the conference and collected nine first-place votes.
The Matadors finished last year with a 7-23 record and a 3-13 mark in The Big West. CSUN's season would come to an end with a first round loss at the Big West Championships to CSU Bakersfield. While battling with a multitude of injuries including the loss of starters Darius Brown II and Miles Brookins, the Matadors used 17 different starting lineups during the season. CSUN played in a number of tight games throughout the campaign including 15 games that were decided by 10 points or fewer (6-9 record) and six decided by five points or fewer (3-3 record).
IN MEMORY OF NICK HERRMANN
In August 2022, CSUN Athletics lost a member of the Matador family with the passing of men's basketball student-athlete Nick Herrmann. A talented basketball player and a special human being, Nick was an inspiration to the university on and off court. This season is dedicated to his memory and his unparalleled fighting spirit.
Throughout this season, both the CSUN men's and women's basketball teams will wear a patch with Nick's initials in memory of his everlasting impact on the CSUN basketball programs.
SERIES HISTORY
CSUN has played La Sierra just once in team history with that game taking place in Dec. 2013. The Matadors would win by a 97-79 margin as Stephan Hicks and Stephen Maxwell led the way with 21 points apiece.
The Matadors are 31-33 all time in season openers and 47-16 in home openers.
SCOUTING LA SIERRA
The Golden Eagles are a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The game will be counted as an exhibition game for La Sierra. The team has played two games already this season, falling to both Westmont (114-45) and Life Pacific (90-78). Last season, the Golden Eagles went 9-16 with a 4-9 mark in the California Pacific Conference. La Sierra has returned seven players from last season's roster. Head coach Ethan Lowe is in his first season leading the program.
Uriel Lejtman led the team in scoring last season at 15.9 points per game while Duane Darrett, Jr. scored 13.1 points per game. Lejtman also averaged 5.5 rebounds and shot 48.6 percent from the floor. As a team, La Sierra averaged 73.7 points in 2021-22.
#UniteTheValley
Â
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