CU Men's Basketball Preview - at Vassar/Bard (1/29-30)

Men's Basketball 1/27/2016 12:59:00 PM January 27, 2016

CU Men's Basketball Preview - at Vassar/Bard (1/29-30)

Nearly two full weeks will have passed when the Clarkson University Men's Basketball team takes the court this weekend, but the Golden Knights are rested and ready to take on the last half of the Liberty League slate.

The Golden Knights enter the weekend with a record of 7-10 overall and are 4-4 in the Liberty League, a conference with a glut of .500 teams trying to make a move to the top. Only two and a half games separate the top from the bottom and a sweep by any team over the weekend could create such much needed space. Vassar College, Friday's opponent, is also 4-4 overall in the league, while Bard College, the Knights' Saturday afternoon opponent, is in last at 3-6 in a freefall after starting the year 3-0 in league games.

Clarkson defeated Vassar 58-50 earlier this year in a game where neither team had much success from beyond the 3-point arc. The two teams combined to shoot just 10-for-51 from the 3-point line with Vassar making seven and Clarkson nailing just three, but the Knights made up for their long-distance deficit by going 17-for-25 from the free throw line while Vassar's outside shooting limited the Brewers to just three free throws in the game. Senior Felix Abongo is averaging 13.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game to lead the Knights, and junior Derek Hart is chipping in 12.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks to go along with his 55.6% shooting from the floor. Junior Conrad Zampier is tossing in 11.2 points per game overall, but leads Clarkson in scoring during conference games with 13.9 per contest, an average buoyed by a 29-point effort against St. Lawrence. The Brewers are led by Erickson Wasyl, who is averaging 16.5 points per game and leads the conference with 54 3-pointers, while Jesse Browne is averaging 14.3 ppg. Paul Grinde has also helped Vassar's cause with 12.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

Bard's 54-53 win at Alumni Gymnasium three weeks ago must seem like a distant memory to the Raptors as it is the last time the team won a conference game. Bard started the year with three narrow wins, but has since seen its luck run out with six straight conference defeats to send them from first to worst in the Liberty League. If the Raptors can take any solace in their six-game losing streak it is that the six defeats are by an average of 6.0 ppg with none being by double figures. DeVahnte Mosley ranks in teh top 10 in the conference in scoring (15.2 ppg, 8th), rebounding (5.8 rpg, 10th), assists (3.3 apg, 3rd), steals (1.2 spg, 10th) and field goal percentage (55.4%, 3rd), while Emmanuel Rainey has also chipped in 13.2 ppg for the Raptors.

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Players Mentioned

#14 Felix Abongo: G; 6' 4"; Senior

#42 Derek Hart: F; 6' 7"; Junior

#23 Conrad Zampier: G; 6' 1"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#14 Felix Abongo
: 6' 4"; Senior
: G

#42 Derek Hart
: 6' 7"; Junior
: F

#23 Conrad Zampier
: 6' 1"; Junior
: G

Scoreboard

Players Mentioned

#14 Felix Abongo

#42 Derek Hart

#23 Conrad Zampier

Players Mentioned

#14 Felix Abongo

#42 Derek Hart

#23 Conrad Zampier