The Central Connecticut State men's basketball team comes out of the holiday break with a home game Sunday before heading to Seton Hall. Tickets for CCSU home games are available here.
CCSU hosts Johnson & Wales for the second straight season. The Blue Devils are 0-5 against Seton Hall all-time.
CCSU Game Notes | Latest Media Coverage | TICKETS
vs. Johnson & Wales NECFrontRow | Live Stats
at Seton Hall ESPN+ | Live Stats
OPENING NOTES
• Central Connecticut hosts Johnson & Wales on Sunday before playing its only BIG EAST foe of the season in Seton Hall. CCSU has won two straight over "Power 5" teams this season (at Boston College, at Rutgers), earning its first vs. both an ACC and Big Ten school.
• Patrick Sellers begins 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 6 games, CCSU is committing 13.2 fouls per game, which ranks 8th nationally. Last season, CCSU committed 11.3 fouls per game, ranking 2nd nationally, setting an NEC mark.
• The Blue Devils ranked 2nd for the most road wins (12) in the country last season (UC Irvine, 14), but had their 9-game road win streak snapped with a loss at Quinnipiac.
• 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 45-13 (.776) overall. Central is 25-1 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).
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Jay Rodgers was named NEC Player of the Week on Nov. 24 after a 15-point, 9-assist game in the win at Rutgers.
• Rodgers leads the NEC in assists per game (6.7) and is 2nd in assist-turnover ratio (5.0)
• Since Nov. 11 (4 games) he has 30 assists-5 turnovers in 115 minutes.
• Rodgers missed 52 games from Dec. 16, 2023 until his return in the opener after recovering from injury.
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Melo Sanchez is leading the NEC on three-point shooting at a .464 clip, while making 2.6 from the arc per game.
• He scored a game-high 17 points in the win at Boston College on 5-8 shooting on trifectas, including 4-5 in the 2nd half.
• Sanchez ranked 7th in NCAA D-II at Hawai'i Pacific in 2022-23 after shooting .461 from the three-point arc.
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Max Frazier is averaging 12.3 ppg and 7.2 rpg in 6 games, while shooting an NEC-best 32-of-54 (.593) from the field in 23.3 minutes.
• Frazier hit 7-of-7 from the field in the opener, and went 9-of-11 for 24 points vs. Sacred Heart, including game-winning dunk in overtime.
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Darin Smith, Jr. posted a career-high 38 points (12-of-21 shooting) in the overtime win over Sacred Heart on Nov. 24.
• His 38 points were the most scored by a Blue Devil since Dec. 31, 2022, when Kellen Amos scored 36 against St. Francis Brooklyn.
• He matched his previous season-high with 21 points in the opening half when he shot 8-of-11 from the field (3-of-4 on three's).
• Central has consecutive wins over schools currently aligned in a "Power 4" conference (at Boston College, at Rutgers). CCSU is now 2-44 all-time against foes from the ACC, Big 12, Big 10 and SEC.
• The Blue Devils are 1-31 against the BIG EAST with a win at Providence (54-50) on Dec. 21, 1999. CCSU also has a loss against each of Oregon State and Washington State, formerly members of the Pac-12.
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
