San José, Calif. - The San José State men's basketball team continues the non-conference portion of its 2019-20 schedule with a trip to Arizona on Thursday for a 5 PM PT tip on Pac-12 Networks.
SAN JOSE STATE SPARTANS (1-1, 0-0 MW)
PPG: 68.0 | FG%: 43.5 | 3FG%: 27.1 | FT%: 50.0
Notes: San José State opened the 2019-20 season with a bang, defeating Hofstra on the road last Wednesday. It was the Spartans' first road win since 2017, snapping a 21-game road losing streak. The Spartans dropped their home opener, 72-57, against Portland on Sunday. Former Wake Forest guard Richard Washington leads SJSU in scoring at 17.0 points per game with forward Craig LeCesne also in double-figures at 12.5 points per game.
#19 ARIZONA WILDCATS (2-0, 0-0 P12)
PPG: 90.5 | FG%: 54.9 | 3FG%: 41.0 | FT%: 73.8
Series: SJSU trails, 4-9 (2-7 in Tucson)
Last: SJSU lost on the road, 79-44, on Dec. 1, 1984
Notes: Arizona is 2-0 after posting wins against Northern Arizona and Illinois. A trio of freshman, Nico Mannion, Josh Green and Zeke Nnaji combined for 53 points in the blowout win, 90-69, over the Illini. The 6-foot-11 Nnaji is the team's leading scorer thus far at 19.5 points per game. The Wildcats have 10 different players averaging 10+ minutes per game.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV - Pac-12 Networks with Daron Sutton and Matt Muehlebach announcing.
Stream - Pac-12.com with a cable login
Radio - Justin Allegri on the call through TuneIn.com and the TuneIn app. Search TuneIn for "San Jose St. Basketball".
ARIZONA SERIES HISTORY
- Arizona leads the all-time series at 4-9
- The Wildcats hold a 7-2 edge at home
- Lats meeting was a 79-44 loss in Tucson on Dec. 1, 1984.
- The Spartans won three of the first five meetings.
- Arizona has won six straight games in the series.
MARRION KNOWS HOW TO WIN IN TUCSON
- SJSU assistant coach Tim Marrion spent last year on former Washington State head coach Ernie Kent's staff.
- The Cougars defeated Arizona at the McKale Center, 69-55, behind 31 points and seven three-pointers from forward Robert Franks. Guard CJ Elleby added 18 points.
- WSU held Arizona to just 26.1% shooting from three.
THE SPARTANS AGAINST THE TOP-25
- San José State's last win against a top-25 team was on Dec. 27, 1996. The Spartans topped No. 19 ranked Alabama, 60-59 in overtime.
- The Spartans have four wins overall against top-25 teams.
- SJSU's last game against a top-25 team was a 92-53 loss to No. 10 Nevada last season.
TURNOVER IMPROVEMENT
- A goal this year for head coach Jean Prioleau was to cut down on his team's turnovers. The Spartans averaged 15.6 turnovers per game last season.
- This year the Spartans are averaging 12.0 turnovers per game, which ranks No. 85 in the NCAA.
SPARTANS STUN HOFSTRA IN SEASON-OPENER
- San José State opened the 2019-20 season with a bang, defeating Hofstra on the road, 79-71.
- Hofstra won 27 games last year, SJSU lost 27 games.
- In his Spartan debut, JC transfer and former Wake Forest guard, Richard Washington, posted a team-high 23 points off the bench on 8-of-13 shooting. He scored 12 of his 23 points in the final four minutes, including a stretch of three straight three-pointers to put the game away.
- Senior forward Craig LeCesne had his first career double-double with a career-high 19 points plus 11 rebounds.
- It was SJSU's first win in a road opener since 2010-11 when the Spartans topped Eastern Washington, 67-60.
- The Spartans snapped a 21-game road losing streak dating back to the 2017-18 campaign.
- SJSU won on the East Coast for the first time since 2001-02, when the Spartans defeated Fairleigh Dickinson at the BCA Tournament hosted by NC State in Raleigh, N.C.
LOTS OF STARTING EXPERIENCE BACK
- The Spartans return seven players who started at least one game a season ago.
- Guard Seneca Knight is the most experienced, as the sophomore started 17 games, including the final 12, of his rookie season.
- Point guard Brea Ivey was just behind Knight, as the former junior college transfer started 16 games last season.
- Forward Craig LeCesne and guard Zach Chappell both started 15 games last year.
- Forward Christian Anigwe, guard Isaiah Nichols and walk-on guard Trey Smith each started one game.
SIX NEW FACES FOR 2019-20
San José State head coach Jean Prioleau will have the help of six newcomers on the roster in 2019-20.
- The Spartans have three new junior college transfers in Richard Washington (Tallahassee CC), Eduardo Lane (Marshalltown CC) and Ralph Agee (East LA College). Washington started his collegiate career at Wake Forest, where he played eight games as a freshman before an injury caused him to miss the entire 2017-18 season.
- Another Wake Forest transfer will join the Spartans on the floor this season, as center Samuel Japhet-Mathias will be eligible after a redshirt season last year. The former four-star recruit appeared in 17 games off the bench at Wake Forest as a freshman in 2016-17. He posted six points and four rebounds at No. 17 Xavier.
- Prioleau added two freshmen this season in guard Omari Moore and walk-on center Harminder Dhaliwal.
SAN JOSE STATE TV SCHEDULE
- San José State will play 10 games on TV this season, including three at home.
- SJSU hosts an ESPN networks game this year for the first time since 2010-11, when either ESPN2 or ESPNU will carry the SJSU tip against Utah State on Dec. 4. SJSU will also be on ESPN2 or ESPNU when visiting Utah State on Feb. 26.
- San José State will have four non-conference games on TV, all against Pac-12 competition. The Spartans will be on CBS Sports Network when hosting Stanford at the Provident Credit Union Event Center on Dec. 14. SJSU will battle both UCLA and Arizona on Pac-12 Networks and meet Oregon State on FS1 for a neutral site matchup in Las Vegas.
- The Spartans will also have four Mountain West contests on AT&T SportsNet this season - Jan. 15 at UNLV, Jan. 21 at New Mexico, Feb. 8 at Nevada and Feb. 29 vs. UNLV.
