CU Men's Basketball Preview - vs. Vassar/Bard (1/6-7)

Ben Moeller

Men's Basketball | 1/5/2023 1:45:00 PM

The final stretch of 15 conference games begins for the Clarkson University Men's Basketball team this weekend as the Golden Knights will host Vassar College and Bard College in Liberty League action at Alumni Gymnasium.

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The Series: Clarkson is 25-17 all-time against Friday's opponent, Vassar College, but the Brewers have won three of the last four, including a sweep in 2021-22 as the two games were decided by a total of 10 points. The Golden Knights are 16-4 against Bard, with the two teams splitting last season.

Key Stats for Clarkson (5-5, 2-1 Liberty League): Senior Blake Gearhart ranks second on the team in scoring with 12.0 points per game, and he is second in the conference in assists per contest at 3.9 per game. Gearhart was a standout against Vassar last year, posting 19 points in each game against the Brewers. Classmate Ryan Miles-Ferguson ranks fifth in the league in scoring at 16.5 points per contest, and sophomore Garret Delaney is second in the league in 3-point field goal percentage at 47.9% and is sixth in the league in makes from beyond the arc with 2.3 per contest, despite playing only 15.8 minutes per game.

Key Stats for Vassar (6-4, 2-1 Liberty League): Avni Mustafaj is just a few decimal points behind Ryan Miles-Ferguson in scoring average, producing 16.2 points per game, thanks in large part to two breakout games where he scored 36 and 30 points, respectively. Mustafaj is the only player scoring in double figures for the Brewers, but they also get 9.9 ppg from Kevin McAuliffe, who is shooting 45.6% from beyond the arc with 26 makes. Jack Rothenberg also chips in 8.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, with the latter figure putting him fifth in the conference, while Zach Johnson is averaging 8.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game since his return, as those numbers come over the last five contests.

Key Stats for Bard (3-7, 0-3 Liberty League): The Raptors like to put pressure on the opposition with an up-tempo style that has them averaging just under 75 points per game, but it comes at a cost since Bard is last in the league in defense by allowing 84.8 points per game. Opposing teams are shooting 49.6% from the floor while Bard shoots just 38.4%. Tyler Bruns leads the team in scoring with 13.0 points per game, while Elliot Harris is the team's top sniper from the perimeter, shooting 40.3% from the arc with 2.8 makes per game, tying him for second in the conference. Greg Farrow (10.4 ppg) and Calvin Mader-Clark (9.1 ppg) are also key components to the team's offense.

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Players Mentioned

#30 Garret Delaney: G; 6' 2"; Junior

#23 Blake Gearhart: G; 6' 1"; Senior

#3 Ryan Miles-Ferguson: G; 6' 2"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#30 Garret Delaney
: 6' 2"; Junior
: G

#23 Blake Gearhart
: 6' 1"; Senior
: G

#3 Ryan Miles-Ferguson
: 6' 2"; Senior
: G

Scoreboard

Players Mentioned

#30 Garret Delaney

#23 Blake Gearhart

#3 Ryan Miles-Ferguson

Players Mentioned

#30 Garret Delaney

#23 Blake Gearhart

#3 Ryan Miles-Ferguson