CSUN Heads to Boise for Holiday Hoops Classic

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Men's Basketball sets its sights on the Holiday Hoops Classic this week in Boise, Idaho. The Matadors will play twice at the multi-team event, beginning on Wednesday against Idaho at 6 p.m. The week concludes with a matchup with Idaho State on Friday at 3:30 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+ while Ghizal Hasan will have the call in audio broadcasts at GoMatadors.com/Radio and the Varsity app.

FOR STARTERS
CSUN returns to the court on Wednesday, 10 days removed from a nine-point win over Troy on Nov. 16. The Matadors' week in Boise wraps up a road-heavy first month of the season, which has included stops at Northen Iowa, North Dakota and North Dakota State. CSUN returns home next week to open Big West play against Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 4 before concluding the week at UC Irvine on Dec. 6.

LAST TIME OUT
The Matadors earned a hard-fought 94-85 victory over Troy at Premier America Credit Union Arena on Nov. 16. CSUN posted a 10-2 run to close the game as Joshua O'Garro registered his third double-double in five games, posting 23 points and 11 rebounds. Josiah Davis chipped in with 20 points, six rebounds and five assists in the victory. Troy would cut the CSUN lead to 84-83 with a little over three minutes to go before the Matadors received timely baskets from O'Garro and Davis to ensure the win. Other Matadors in double figures included Larry Hughes II (15 points) and James Evans Jr. (11 points).

MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF
Senior Larry Hughes II has emerged as the Matadors' leading scorer though five games this season. Hughes, a Saint Louis transfer, is averaging 18.0 points per game in the early going, good enough for fourth-best in the Big West. Along with his scoring, Hughes has feasted from the outside, shooting a Big West-best 54.3 percent from 3-point range as he makes 3.8 per game. Hughes has also cracked the top-10 in the league in steals per game, sharing ninth place with teammate Mahmoud Fofana at 1.4 per game. After scoring in double figures in 15 of 65 career games prior to this season, Hughes has recorded double figure scoring performances in all five games, highlighted by a career-high 23 points against North Dakota on Nov. 9.

OWNING THE BOARDS
CSUN has picked up where it left off last season when the Matadors led the Big West in rebounding. The Matadors are again among the league leaders in rebounds as CSUN checks in at first in both rebound margin (+11.4) and offensive rebounds per game (15.8) along with ranking second in rebounds per game (45.0) and defensive rebounds per game (29.2). Nationally, CSUN is 15th in the Division I basketball in offensive rebounds per game and 18th in overall rebounds per game. Individually, Joshua O'Garro paces the Big West at 10.0 rebounds per game followed by Mahmoud Fofana at 7.8 in fourth place and Aleks Szymczyk at 6.8 in eight place.

QUICK HITS
A Texas State transfer, Joshua O'Garro is averaging a double-double through five games this season, posting 15.0 points on 50.0 percent shooting (28-for-56) and 10.0 rebounds per game ... Josiah Davis currently ranks first in the Big West in assists per game, registering 5.6 per game. Davis, a Niagara transfer, is also scoring 13.4 points per game, good enough for third-best on the team ... A Preseason All-Big West selection, Mahmoud Fofana has scored 9.4 points per game on 58.1 percent shooting and among the league leaders in rebounding at 7.8 per game. Fofana is one of two Matadors on the team (Jordan Brinson) to play three seasons with CSUN ... Aleks Szymczyk, a transfer from UNC Charlotte, leads CSUN in field goal percentage at 63.0 to go with scoring 8.2 points in just 15.4 minutes per game. Szymczyk has already surpassed his career-best point total for a season, posting 41 points already through five games.

SCOUTING IDAHO
The Vandals are 3-2 on the season with a notable victory to start the season at Washington State (83-81). Last week, Idaho knocked off Eastern Oregon, 97-68, snapping a two-game skid. A season ago, the Vandals went 14-19 overall and 8-11 in the Big Sky. The team was picked to finish fourth in the Big Sky in the preseason coaches' poll. As a team, Idaho ranks first in the Big Sky in three-pointers per game (10.8) and rebound margin (+10.6). Jackson Rasmussen leads the Vandals in scoring at 16.6 points per game followed by Kolton Mitchell at 13.6 points per game. On the glass, Brody Rowbury has pulled down 6.6 rebounds per game.

Series History: CSUN leads Idaho 8-6 in the all-time series with the Matadors winning four of seven meetings in games played in Idaho. The Matadors took the last meeting in Nov. 2023 in Moscow, Idaho by a 76-73 margin.

SCOUTING IDAHO STATE
The Bengals hold a 3-3 record this season after notching an 89-51 win over Justice University. Idaho State also secured a 71-68 win over San Diego earlier this season. In 2024-25, Idaho State went 15-15 overall and 10-8 in the Big Sky Conference. Prior to the season, the Bengals were picked to finish eighth in the Big Sky by the league's head coaches. The team ranks first in the Big Sky in bench points per game (37.0) along with second in scoring defense (68.3) and blocks per game (4.2). Caleb Van De Griend tops the Bengals in scoring at 16.2 points while Connor Hollenbeck is averaging 13.5 points. Van De Griend is also the leading rebounder on the team at 7.3 per game.

Series History: The Matadors hold a slim 10-9 lead over Idaho State in the all-time series. The teams last played in Dec. 2017 when Idaho State swept a two-game series. Prior to that game, the Matadors defeated the Bengals 79-76 in 2016 at home.

#GoMatadors

CSUN Heads to Boise for Holiday Hoops Classic

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jordan Brinson

Josiah Davis

James Evans Jr.

Mahmoud Fofana

Larry Hughes II

Joshua O'Garro

Aleks Szymczyk