CU Men's Basketball Preview - vs. Bard/Vassar (1/26-27)

Single-digit defeats have come too often for the Clarkson University Men's Basketball team in 2018 and the Golden Knights will look to close out a pair of games at home this weekend when they look to avenge a pair of narrow losses at the hands of Bard and Vassar.

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The Series vs. Bard: The Golden Knights are 11-2 all-time against the Raptors, but one of those defeats came just three weeks ago when Bard held on for a 61-59 win.

The Series vs. Vassar: Clarkson is 21-14 all-time against the Brewers, but Vassar has won three of the last four games, including a 69-63 decision on January 5.

Key Stats for Clarkson (6-10, 2-7 Liberty League): Sophomore Matt Higgins has emerged as one of the top scorers in the Liberty League, especially since conference games began in December 2017. Higgins ranks fifth in the league in scoring at 17.6 points per game, but he is averaging 20.6 points per contest in nine league games, which ranks second. Even more impressively, Higgins has topped 20 points in six of the last seven games, averaging 22.3 points per contest in that stretch. He had 29 points versus Bard on January 6 and had a double-double against Vassar with 23 points and 10 rebounds in the first meeting.

Key Stats for Bard (6-10, 4-5 Liberty League): The Raptors are in the mix for their first-ever playoff spot thanks to a solid performance from the starting five. Four players average double figures and the first five account for 79.43% of the team's scoring. Justyn Rogers and David Runcie each average better than 13 points per game, while Emmanuel Oyakhilome is producing 11.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Though Bard doesn't shoot particularly well (just 39.1% from the floor and 29.9% from beyond the 3-point arc), the Raptors ranks second in the league in offensive rebounds (13.6 orpg).

Key stats for Vassar (5-11, 4-5 Liberty League): Following a slow start out of conference, Vassar is firmly in the mix for a playoff spot at the midway point of the conference season. Five different players have led Vassar in scoring in the past six games indicating a diverse offense that doesn't depend on any single player. Jesse Browne leads the team in scoring at 15.0 points per game, though he is averaging just 8.7 points over the last three contests. Paul Grinde is tossing in 12.6 points per game and leads the league with a 57.9% field goal percentage. The duo performed well in the first meeting against Clarkson, with Browne scoring 22 and Grinde producing a double-double on 15 points and 13 boards.

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Players Mentioned

#30 Matt Higgins: G; 6' 3"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#30 Matt Higgins
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: G

Scoreboard

Players Mentioned

#30 Matt Higgins

Players Mentioned

#30 Matt Higgins