Friday, November 10, 2017

Chicago State Cougars Travel to Iowa for 2017-18 Opener Friday Night on BTN Plus

hicago State (0-0) at Iowa (0-0)
DateFriday, Nov. 10, 2017
Time8 p.m.
LocationCarver-Hawkeye Arena - Iowa City, Iowa
VideoBTN Plus
RadioHawkeye Sports Radio
Live StatsIowa Live Stats
Social Media@IowaHoops (Twitter)

OPENING TIP: Chicago State University men's basketball opens its 2017-18 season on Friday night in Iowa City, Iowa when it takes on Big Ten Conference member Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in a live broadcast on the Big Ten Network Plus with the opening tip set for 8 p.m.

SCOUTING CSU: Chicago State returns seven letterwinners, including two starters, from last season's team as Tracy Dildy enters his eighth season as CSU's head coach. Dildy also welcomes in 10 newcomers that includes three redshirts who sat out last season. The Cougars' top returning player is junior guard Fred Sims, Jr., a Preseason All-Western Athletic Conference First Team selection, who averaged 18.8 points per game a year ago and finished third among the WAC's scoring leaders. Top newcomers for the Green and White include redshirt freshman guard Travon Bell, junior guard/forward Anthony Harris and redshirt senior forward Jelani Pruitt.


SCOUTING IOWA: Bringing back 86 percent of its rebounding and 77 percent of its scoring from last season's 19-15 squad that competed in the Postseason NIT, Iowa claimed a pair of exhibition wins at home last week over NCAA Division II schools William Jewell (105-61) and Belmont Abbey (96-64).The top returners for UI are sophomore guard Jordan Bohannon and sophomore forward Tyler Cook as both players were named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team last year. Cook averaged 12.3 points a game and shot 55 percent from the field, while Bohannon recorded 10.9 points and 5.1 assists per game last season.

SERIES HISTORY: Iowa holds a 4-0 advantage in the all-time series with Chicago State and Friday's game marks the first meeting between the two schools in six years. The Hawkeyes and the Cougars have met in a season opener one other time on Nov. 11, 2011 when UI claimed a 96-53 home victory. Jeremy Robinson (Decatur, Ill./Eisenhower) led the Green and White with a game-high 20 points and seven rebounds, while Aaron White recorded a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead Iowa.

PLAYING FOR CHARITY: The Cougars had raised over $1,000 during last Saturday's exhibition game against Valparaiso at the E
mil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center which was donated to the Lutheran World Relief organization to help those affected by Hurricane Irma in Houston this past summer.

CSU'S PUBLIC CONNECTION – Chicago State has three players on its roster that has played prep ball in the famed Chicago Public League. Representing the Public League this season is Sims (North Lawndale), Bell (Mather), junior forward John Joyce (Taft), freshman forward Cameron Bowles (Kenwood) and freshman guard Nathan Townsen, Jr. (Bogan).

UP NEXT: The Cougars close out their season-opening weekend on Sunday afternoon as they travel to West Lafayette, Ind., to battle host Purdue at Mackey Arena live on the Big Ten Network with the opening tip set for 3 p.m.

CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

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