BAKERSFIELD, Calif.-Thursday, Utah Valley men’s basketball (8-12, 2-3 in WAC play) visits Cal State Bakersfield (9-10, 3-1 in WAC play) as the Wolverines seek to turn their fortunes around.
UVU has played 10 games this season that have been decided by six points or less. The Wolverines are 3-7 in those games under first-year head coach Mark Madsen (8-12, .400).
UVU scores 69.7 points per game, ranking the Wolverines 229th nationally in scoring offense.
Junior guard Isaiah White leads UVU in scoring (14.4 points per game) and rebounding (8.7 boards per game).
Senior guard TJ Washington (13.3 points per game, a team-best 59 assists), redshirt junior guard Brandon Averette (12.2 points per game, tied for a team-best 18 steals with junior guard Jamison Overton) and redshirt junior guard/forward Casdon Jardine (10.8 points per game) all score in double figures on-average for the Wolverines.
Senior forward Emmanuel Olojakpoke leads the squad with 56 blocked shots. This ties him for fifth nationally in blocked shots with Seton Hall’s Romaro Gill and Mike Watkins of Penn State.
Olojakpoke ranks 17th nationally in blocked shots per game at 2.80 swats per contest. By virtue of his talents, the Wolverines rank 10th nationally in blocked shots with 108.
UVU also ranks 18th nationally in blocked shots per game with 5.4 blocked shots per contest.
The Wolverines surrender 70.8 points per game, ranking UVU 222nd nationally in scoring defense.
The Roadrunners are coached by Rod Barnes (145-123, .523 at Cal State Bakersfield; 331-321, 508 as a collegiate head coach) who is in his ninth season leading the program.
The Roadrunners score 72.2 points per game, tying them for 155th nationally in scoring offense with Mercer.
Cal State Bakersfield is led by redshirt junior forward Taze Moore. Moore leads the Roadrunners in scoring (11.2 points per game) and blocked shots (19).
Redshirt junior guard De’Monte Buckingham (10.4 points per game, a team-best 4.4 rebounds per game) is the only other Roadrunner to score in double figures on-average.
Junior guard Czar Perry leads Cal State Bakersfield in both assists (79) and steals (28).
The Roadrunners surrender 68.9 points per game, tying Cal State Bakersfield for 184th nationally in scoring defense with Boston U.
Cal State Bakersfield leads the all-time series against the Wolverines 13-10.
