The Central Connecticut State men's basketball team plays a pair of games in Detrick Gymnasium this week. Central hosts Chicago State on Thursday night and Wagner on Saturday. Tickets for CCSU home games are available here.
CCSU has won the past two matchups against Chicago State and is 5-4 in the all-time series. The Blue Devils have won the past two meetings with Wagner, including the first matchup of the season.
CCSU Game Notes | Latest Media Coverage | HOME GAME TICKETS
vs. Chicago State NEC Front Row | Live Stats
vs. Wagner NEC Front Row | Live Stats
OPENING NOTE
• Central Connecticut will host a pair of home games against Chicago State and Wagner this week. CCSU will meet CSU for the 1st time, while facing Wagner for the 2nd time in a 9 days.
• Patrick Sellers is in his 5th season leading his alma mater. He has led CCSU to back-to-back NEC regular season crowns, along with, consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time in the program's Division I history.
LOOSE BALLS ...
• Through 21 games, CCSU is committing 13.3 fouls per game, which ranks 3rd nationally. Last season, CCSU committed 11.3 fouls per game, setting an NEC mark and ranking 2nd nationally.
• The Blue Devils lead the NEC in assists per game (14.5) and assist-turnover ratio (1.4).
Jay Rodgers is steering the ship for Central and ranks 5th nationally in assists per game (7.1).
•
Max Frazier has 37 dunks and is shooting taking nearly 98% of his shots in the paint.
• Central has posted 20+ wins in consecutive seasons for the first time in its Division I history. The Blue Devils last accomplished the feat in 1982-83 (21-9) and 1983-84 (26-6).
• When scoring 70+ points under Patrick Sellers, CCSU is 50-15 (.769) overall. Central is 29-3 in such games dating back to Jan. 19, 2024.
• Since 2021-22, CCSU has won 8 straight 1-point games (Jan. 21, 2022, 67-68 loss at SFU).
•
Jay Rodgers LEADS the NEC in assists per game (7.1) AND assist-turnover ratio (2.7). No one in the NEC has averaged more than 7.0 assists since LIU's Jason Brickman in 2013-14 led the NCAA with 10.0.
• He gave out a personal-best 14 dimes at LIU which is the 10th-most in a NCAA game this year and the most by an NEC playmaker since Jan. 15, 2021 (Alex Morales, Wagner, 14 vs. LIU).
• Rodgers was the FIRST player (and 1 of 2) in the nation to have multiple double-doubles of at least 13 points and 13 assists this season.
• With 4 games of 10+ assists, Rodgers is the first NEC player since 2019-20 to have multi double-digit dime outings (Juvaris Hayes, Merrimack, 3x; Cameron Parker, Sacred Heart, 4x).
• With 142 assists, Rodgers is on pace to surpass the program's current D1 single-season assist mark (191, David Corbitt, 1991-92) and could threaten the all-time single-season record (227, Jere Quinn, 1975-76).
• Rodgers missed 52 games from Dec. 16, 2023 until his return in the season-opener after recovering from injuries the past 2 seasons.
•
Melo Sanchez is one of the NEC's top three-point marksmen in all games and is making 2.1 treys per game at a .457 clip (2md in NEC).
• He had a personal-best at CCSU with 20 points in the Blue Devils win at Saint Francis U.
• Since NEC play began, he has made three's at a 50.0% clip (22-44) and has 6 games of 2+ three-pointers.
• Sanchez ranked 7th in NCAA D-II at Hawai'i Pacific in 2022-23 after shooting .461 from the three-point arc.
• The past 5 NEC games, CCSU has gone 1-4, which is in contrast to the Blue Devils' 4-1 start in league play.
• Have a look at CCSU's numbers as a team in those spans:
1st 5 games Last 5 games
PPG (offense) 78.6 61.4
PPG (defense) 72.6 70.2
FG Pct. .506 .415
3-pt. FG Pct. .438 .287
TO Margin -0.2 -2.4
• CCSU's top 3 scorers have also had a marked difference in their output in the 5-game spans (1st 5 gms, 2nd 5 gms):
2025-26 NEC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
1. LIU (unanimous)
2. CCSU
3. Stonehill
4. Mercyhurst
5. FDU
6. Chicago State
7. Saint Francis
8. Wagner
9. Le Moyne
10. New Haven
2025-26 Preseason All-NEC Men's Basketball Team
Bernie Blunt III, MU, Gr, G, 5-11, 180 lbs., Morgantown, PA/Peddie School (Edinboro/Quinnipiac)
Malachi Davis, LIU (unanimous), R-Sr, G, 6-4, 172 lbs., Scarborough, Canada/Central Tech (Tallahassee CC/Lake Land College/Arizona St.)
Jamal Fuller, LIU (unanimous), Gr, G/F, 6-5, 215 lbs., Toronto, Canada/Central Tech (Hill College/Academy of Art)
Hermann Koffi, STO, So, G, 6-4, 203 lbs., Quebec City, Quebec/Polyvalente de Thetford Mine
Darin Smith Jr., CCSU, So, F, 6-7, 210 lbs., Springfield, MA/Vermont Academy
