CU Men's Basketball Preview - at Skidmore (2/19)

The playoff hopes of the Clarkson University Men's Basketball team were dashed on Friday night when Union beat RIT, but the Golden Knights still have one game remaining on the schedule, taking on conference leader Skidmore College on Sunday afternoon.

The Golden Knights will look to edge back over .500 for the season with a win on Sunday, entering the game with a record of 12-12 overall and 7-8 in the Liberty League. Skidmore claimed the top seed on Friday night with a win over St. Lawrence, and the Thoroughbreds are now 18-6 overall and 13-2 in conference games. Skidmore won the first meeting between the two teams in early January, 77-69.

Clarkson's Derek Hart is looking to cap off one of the best individual seasons in Clarkson history on Sunday. The senior forward will almost certainly clinch the scoring title, already averaging 22.0 points per game, and needs only 18 points to have the highest scoring average of any player in the conference since the Liberty League renamed itself in 2004. Skidmore is the only team all season to keep Hart below a 50.0% field goal percentage in the league this year, though his success rate has been 70.9% from the field since that January 10th game. Hart's free throw percentage has also improved dramatically as of late, as he has made 88.5% from the line (23-for-26) in the last three games. While Hart had 18 points against Skidmore the first time around, senior Drew Zlogar had the best game against the Thoroughbreds with a near double-double on 22 points and nine boards. For the season, Zlogar is averaging 15.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Classmate Michael Hayduk is also chipping 8.5 points per game, with 86.8% of his points coming on his 59 3-pointers. Additionally, sophomore guard Liam Ellis has stepped up his game recently, averaging 17.0 points per contest in the last four games (8.9 ppg for the season).

Skidmore has two players that will certainly challenge for the Liberty League Player of the Year honors in senior guard Aldin Medunjanin and Edvinas Rupkus. Medunjanin averaged close to a triple-double last weekend and is producing averages of 15.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game on the season. Rupkus is coming off a school-record 42 points against St. Lawrence on Friday and he is the only player with the minutest of chances of surpassing Hart for the league scoring title, averaging 20.5 points per game on the season to go along with 7.6 rebounds per contest. Jack Byrne and Jack Morrow are two impressive sharpshooters from the perimeter, combining for 17.3 ppg and 118 3-pointers.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Liam Ellis: G; 5' 11"; Sophomore

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

#32 Michael Hayduk: F; 6' 4"; Senior

#21 Drew Zlogar: F; 6' 6"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#3 Liam Ellis
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: G

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

#32 Michael Hayduk
: 6' 4"; Senior
: F

#21 Drew Zlogar
: 6' 6"; Senior
: F