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Brown returns To The Pizzitola Hardwood To Host Central Connecticut
12/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Providence, R.I. - Coming off a close loss at #25 SMU, Brown returns to the Pizzitola Sports Center hardwood for a match-up against Central Connecticut on Wednesday, December 2 at 7:00 p.m. The Bears are led by senior forward Cedric Kuakumensah, who is challenging the all-time Ivy League record for career blocked shots, needing five more blocks to set a new Ivy League career mark.
The Records: Brown (1-5) gave #25 SMU all it could handle Sunday afternoon, before falling to the Mustangs, 77-69. The Bears trailed by seven points with just 1:10 remaining. Justin Massey paced the Bears with 16 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the three point arc. Central Connecticut dropped an 81-74 decision to Maine on Sunday to fall to 0-5 on the season.
The Brown vs. Central Conn. Series Record: Brown and CCSU have met nine times, dating back to 1989-1990, with Brown holding a 5-4 series advantage. Brown has won the last two meetings, including a 67-55 win last year in Connecticut. CCSU's last win was on 12/15/12, 86-71, in New Britain, Conn.
Last Year' Game: Steven Spieth '17 scored 13 of his team high 19 points in the second half, and Tavon Blackmon '17 added 16 points to lead Brown to a 67-55 win over Central Connecticut at Detrick Gymnasium. Matt Mobley scored 22 points for Central Connecticut to lead all scorers
Countdown To Ivy Blocks Record: With 248 career blocked shots, Cedric Kuakumensah '16 is four blocked shots short of equaling the all-time Ivy career record of 252 blocked shots by Dartmouth's Brian Gilpin from 1993-1997.
Kuakumensah – Two-Time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year: Senior forward Cedric Kuakumensah (Worcester, MA), Brown's two-time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year (2013 and 2014), posted double-doubles in Brown's first three games. Kuakumensah, Brown's leading scorer (11.5 ppg), ranks second in the Ivy League in rebounding with 9.8 per game. A rare three-year captain for the Brown team, Kuakumensah holds the Brown school record for blocked shots in a career with 248, and ranks second in the Ivy League in all-time blocked shots, trailing the all-time Ivy mark of 252 blocks by Dartmouth's Brian Gilpin from 1993-1997. He scored 10 points and grabbed 17 rebounds against St. Peter's, and came back with 14 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots vs. Holy Cross. Kuakumensah tossed in 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds vs. New Hampshire. He tossed in 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds vs. Niagara, and had 13 points and seven rebounds vs. #25 SMU. He led the Ivy League with 76 blocked shots last season and blocked an Ivy League record 93 shots in 2013-14. A second team All-Ivy selection a year ago, he ranked fifth in the league in rebounding with 7.4 per game and led the Bears in scoring with 11.2 ppg.
Ivy League Career Blocked Shots
1. 252 ... Brian Gilpin (Dartmouth, 1993-97)
2. 248…Cedric Kuakumensah (Brown, 2012-present)
3. 225 ... Walter Palmer (Dartmouth, 1986-90)
4. 213 ... Greg Mangano (Yale, 2009-12)
5. 195 ... Geoff Owens (Penn, 1997-01)
Brown: Individual Single Season Blocked Shots
1. 93*…Cedric Kuakumensah (2013-14) * Ivy League record
2. 76…Cedric Kuakumensah (2014-15)
3. 66…Cedric Kuakumensah (2012-13)
Brown Career Rebounds
1. 931, by Phil Brown (1972-75)
2. 924, by Ed Tooley (1952-56)
3. 878, by Arnie Berman (1969-72)
4. 870, by Gerry Alaimo (1955-58)
5. 816, by Allan Poulsen (1956-59)
6. 789, by Stark Langs (1981-85)
7. 710, by Alai Nuualiitia (1999-2003)
8. 698, by Cedric Kuakumensah (2012-present)
9. 690, by Bill Arnold (1952-55)
10. 683, by Bob Purvis (1966-69)
Bears Shoot The Trey: The Bears rank 18th nationally in three-point field goals attempted wit 29.1 per game. Following its game vs. #25 SMU, where Brown connected on 15-of-32 treys, Mustangs Associate Head Coach Tim Jankovich had kind words for the Bears and their shooting prowess. "Every player who comes on the floor is a three-point threat," Jankovich told the Associated Press. "It's kind of like playing the Golden State Warriors."
Blackmon at the Point: Junior point guard Tavon Blackmon (Upper Marlboro, MD), Brown's floor leader, is averaging 8.5 points and 4.8 assists per game for the Bears. He led the Bears against St. Peter's with 13 points and five assists, and just missed a double-double vs. Holy Cross with nine points and eight assists. He added 11 points and five assists vs. Niagara. Blackmon is coming off a break-out season in 2014-15 where he averaged in double figures (10.4 ppg) and led the Bears in assists (114). He scored a career-high 25 points vs. Harvard on 7-of-12 shooting from the field and 11-of-12 shooting from the free throw line, while also handing out a career-high nine assists against the Crimson. Blackmon ranked fifth in the Ivy League with 3.9 assists per game, and was fourth in the league in free throw percentage (.820).
Spieth Grabs Career-High 14 Rebounds: Junior guard Steven Spieth (Dallas, TX), averaging 10.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, has settled into the four position. He celebrated his homecoming to Dallas by scoring 14 points, grabbing six rebounds and handing out five assists vs. #25 SMU. Spieth scored 11 points and handed off five assists vs. New Hampshire. He registered a double-double vs. Holy Cross with 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, and a career-high 14 rebounds, including 10 boards in the second half. Spieth led the Bears with 15 points, while grabbing nine rebounds vs. Niagara. He opened the season with 10 points and eight rebounds against St. Peter's. Last year, Spieth proved to be an aggressive scorer (9.9 ppg) and rebounder (4.7 rpg), who can play in the front court or backcourt, and has started 65 career games (65-of-66) for the Bears. Spieth netted a season-high 21 points vs. Illinois in Champaign, while grabbing seven rebounds against the Illini. He scored in double figures 17 times and ranked eighth in the Ivy League in free throw percentage (.812) last year. Spieth registered a double-double vs. Central Connecticut with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Hobbie From Three: Sharpshooting junior JR Hobbie (Spring Lake, NJ), Brown's third leading scorer with 9.3 ppg, tossed in a game-high 16 points against Holy Cross on 5-of-8 shooting from beyond the three point arc. Hobbie netted 12 points vs. New Hampshire, and opened the season with nine points vs. St. Peter's on 3-of-6 three-point shooting. Last year, Hobbie started 11 of Brown's last 12 games and connected on 73 treys, fourth best in Brown basketball history. Hobbie scored a career-best 21 points in consecutive wins vs. Penn in 2014-15. He also connected on a career-high six treys against the Quakers. Hobbie ranked seventh in the Ivy League in three-point field goal percentage (.408) and third in the Ivies in treys made with 2.4 per game.
Seeing Double: The Bears features a set of twins in the lineup, returning sophomore Jason Massey (Cooper City, FL), and his brother, Justin Massey (Cooper City, FL), a sophomore transfer from Florida Atlantic. Jason, who had six points and four assists vs. #25 SMU, scored a career-high 12 points vs. Providence on 5-of-8 shooting from the field, after scoring nine points vs. Niagara and seven points vs. St. Peter's. He tossed in nine points and grabbed five rebounds vs. New Hampshire. Jason saw action in all 30 games for the Bears last season, earning starting roles vs. Prairie View, Johnson & Wales and American. He scored a season-high nine points vs. Prairie View on 4-of-5 shooting from the field. Justin started Brown's first six games and tossed in a season high 16 points against #25 SMU on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, including 4-of-6 from beyond the three-point arc. He scored a then season-high 11 points, while pulling down five rebounds vs. New Hampshire, and registered nine points vs. Providence. Justin played in all 29 games at Florida Atlantic last season, earning 11 starts. He averaged 7.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, and scored a season high 17 points vs. Harvard and East Carolina. His 38 steals ranked second on the team.
Daugherty Contributes: Freshman Corey Daugherty (Barrington, RI) has established himself as a viable scoring and ball-handling option and is averaging nearly 24 minutes per game and 8.3 points per game. Daugherty, who had nine points vs. New Hampshire, scored a season high 13 points vs. Holy Cross on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. He tossed in nine points vs. #25 SMU, connecting on 3-of-6 treys. Daugherty scored eight points and had three steals in his collegiate debut against St. Peter's.
Freshmen To Watch: Bears head coach Mike Martin is excited about his four freshmen joining the Bears' squad. Guard Corey Daugherty (Barrington, RI) was the Rhode Island Player of the Year and first team All-State selection as a junior and senior. Forward Travis Fuller (Encinitas, CA) averaged 18.5 points and 10.4 rebounds a game as a first team All-League performer. Guard Obi Okolie (Ajax, Ontario) was regarded as one of the top players in Canada and averaged 26 points and eight rebounds in 2014. Guard Chris Sullivan (Wilmette, IL) starred for National Prep semifinalist Northfield Mount Hermon, and is the brother of Peter '11 and Matt '13 Sullivan, who each scored over 1,000 points at Brown.
Fuller Steps Up: Freshman forward Travis Fuller (Encinitas, CA) stepped up against Providence with a career-high 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field, while pulling down a career-high six rebounds. He had six points before fouling out vs. New Hampshire.
Head Coach Mike Martin: Former Brown basketball standout Mike Martin '04, the 31st head men's basketball coach in the program's 109-year history, has changed the direction and culture of the program in three years as head coach of the Bears, with the building blocks in place to develop an Ivy Championship team. Martin took over the reins of the program in 2012-13 and was named a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award as the nation's outstanding first-year head coach after leading the Bears to a turnaround season with a 13-15 overall record, including a fourth-place finish in the Ivy standings with a 7-7 mark after winning four of its last five games. Martin's 2013-2014 team posted a 15-14 overall record and hosted Brown's first-ever postseason game, playing Holy Cross in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament at the Pizzitola Sports Center. In addition, he has guided two-time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year Cedric Kuakumensah, who is poised to become the Ivy League's all-time leader in blocked shots. A four-year starter at Brown, Martin was part of the winningest class in Bears' basketball history, posting a 63-45 four-year record from 2000-2004. He also helped the Class of 2004 to a school-record 39-17 Ivy League mark during that period -- the best by an Ivy League team, other than Penn and Princeton, since 1970. An Agawam, Mass., native, Martin launched his coaching career at Brown as an assistant coach in 2005-2006 and was an assistant coach at Penn from 2006-2012.
Bears On The Air: Brown's entire 28-game schedule is being broadcast on WPRV-AM 790 with Scott Cordischi, the voice of Brown basketball and football, calling all the action. Former Brown basketball star Russ Tyler '71 (1,133 career points) provides the color analysis. Brown fans can also listen to the broadcast on BrownBears.com.
Watch Live Video of The Bears On BrownBears.TV: All of Brown's home games and its Ivy League away games can be viewed on the Ivy League Digital Network, a nine-channel digital network that includes an easy-to-navigate interface, a League-wide network schedule and interactive features, such as simultaneous four-game viewing, full DVR controls and social media integration. These features are available on computer, mobile and tablet devices all without the use of an app. Packages for Brown's channel are $89.95 for 12 months, $34.95 for four months, $10.95 for one month and $9.95 for a day pass. Packages for the League-wide channel, which features everything the network has to offer, are $119.95 for 12 months, $49.95 for four months and $15.95 for one month.
Next Game: Brown travels to Smithfield, R.I. for a match-up with Bryant on Saturday, December 5. Tip-off at the Chase Center is 4:00pm.
