SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose State men's basketball is set to open the 2020-21 season this Wednesday against Simpson University. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. PT inside Provident Credit Union Event Center.
San Jose State (0-0) vs. Simpson (0-0)
2:00 p.m. | Provident Credit Union Event Center
RADIO/TV INFO: Justin Allegri will have the Spartan radio call on the TuneIn app or on TuneIn.com. Search for San Jose State Athletics. The game will be streamed live via the Mountain West Digital Network at the following link - https://sjsuspartans.com/sports/2018/7/31/mountain-west-digital-network.aspx
A WIN WOULD MEAN...A fifth-straight opening game victory for the Spartans and their second-straight over the Simpson Redhawks.
SEASON OPENERS UNDER PRIOLEAU: Since Jean Prioleau's arrival in 2017-18, the Spartans are a perfect 3-0 in season openers, including a signature win in last season's opener on the road against 18-point favorite Hofstra in New York.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: Simpson University, led by fourth-year head coach Todd Franklin, was 15-7 overall in 2019-20. The Redhawks averaged 75.9 points per game and had a plus-6.9 rebounding margin over the opponents. Freshman forward Nathan Presnell was Mr. Everything with a 52.2 shooting clip and 6.9 rebounds per game.
LAST TIME AGAINST SIMPSON: In the programs' first meeting last November,the Spartans came out on top with an 85-60 victory inside the Provident Credit Union Event Center. Four SJSU players scored in double figures led by Seneca Knight's 15 on 6-of-8 shooting. Nathan Presnell led the way for the Redhawks with a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds.
LOOK WHO'S BACK...BACK AGAIN: San Jose State returns both of their leading scorers from a season ago in the form of guards Seneca Knight and Richard Washington. Knight, a junior, led the team with 17.1 points per game and ranked third in the conference with 20.1 points in league play. Washington ranked second on the team with 10.3 points per game.
KNIGHT LOOKS TO LEAD ONCE AGAIN: Seneca Knight had one of the finest seasons seen by a player in the blue and gold in the past few seasons as a sophomore. The Louisiana native was a third team All-Mountain West selection, becoming the first Spartan to garner all conference honors since 2016-17 (Brandon Clarke). Knight was one of the top scorers in the league last season at 17.1 ppg. He tallied 30 points or more in three games, including a career-best 37-point performance on the road against Colorado State. That ranks as the fourth-most points in program history. Knight appeared in all 31 games last year and scored in double figures in 27 of them. He closed the season remarkably well by scoring at least 11 points in the final 15 games.
LOOKING FOR MOORE: After a season full of adjusting to the speed of NCAA Div. I basketball, guard Omari Moore is back and readier than ever to take the next step towards being a star on the Spartan roster. The Pasadena native was touted for his strong defense as a freshman, as well as his ability to throw down highlight reel dunks, but his overall numbers didn't pop off the page. That all changed in the Mountain West Tournament as Moore put on his best performance of the season by scoring a career-best 19 points and made an eye-popping eight steals in the Spartans' loss to New Mexico. Moore's eight steals broke the previous school record of six and also stands as the Mountain West record for a tournament game.
FAN ATTENDANCE: Due to current COVID-19 regulations set by Santa Clara County, fans are not permitted to attend home games at Provident Credit Union Event Center.
CARDBOARD CUTOUTS: Personalized cardboard cutouts for the 2020-21 season are available for just $50! Get yours today https://sjsuspartans.com/sports/2020/11/24/spartan-custom-cutouts.aspx.