The Central Connecticut State men's basketball team closes out the regular season with a pair of home contests this week. On Thursday, Central will welcome Mercyhurst before closing the regular season against Saint Francis. The CCSU seniors will be recognized prior to Saturday's game. Tickets for CCSU home games are available here.
CCSU has won two of three meetings with Mercyhurst, but dropped the first meeting this season. Central has won six of the previous seven matchups with SFU, including a win in this season's first meeting.
CCSU Game Notes | Latest Media Coverage | HOME GAME TICKETS
vs. Mercyhurst NEC Front Row | Live Stats
vs. Saint Francis NEC Front Row | Live Stats
OPENING NOTES
• Central Connecticut closes the regular season with a pair of home games. CCSU hosts Mercyhurst before welcoming Saint Francis for the first time since the 2025 NEC title game.
• 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 ...
• The win over Le Moyne on Feb. 19, marked win #1,200 in CCSU program history.
• Through 27 games, CCSU is committing 13.5 fouls per game, which ranks 4th nationally. Last season, CCSU committed 11.3 fouls per game, setting an NEC mark and ranking 2nd nationally.
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Darin Smith, Jr. leads the NEC in scoring (20.2) and foul shooting (.903) and ranks among the top-15 in SEVEN stat categories in the league.
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Jay Rodgers (1,197) and
Melo Sanchez (1,091) have both surpassed 1,000 career points in their college careers when taking into account their stops prior to coming to Central.
• Central has collected 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 54-15 (.783) overall. Central is 33-3 in such games dating back to Jan. 19, 2024.
• Since 2021-22, CCSU has won 9 straight 1-point games (Jan. 21, 2022, 67-68 loss at SFU).
• The Blue Devils have clinched a home game in the postseason for the third straight season. With a win on Thursday, CCSU would lock up a top-2 seed for the third straight postseason.
• Central Connecticut has won 8 road games this season and has collected 29 wins on the road since 2023-24.
• Among the Division I programs in Connecticut that total ranks 1st; UConn (25), Quinnipiac (25), Yale (24), Fairfield (20), Sacred Heart (14).
• Central Connecticut has shot 60.0 percent or better in a game five times this season, and in those contests, the Blue Devils are a perfect 5-0. The five 60.0 percent or better performances are tied with three other squads — High Point, Michigan and Utah State — for the most in the nation.
• Central Connecticut enters the week as the league's top-shooting team across the board, ranking first in field goal percentage (47.1 percent), three-point field goal percentage (36.9 percent) and free throw percentage (77.3 percent).
• The Blue Devils' shooting split is one that has not been seen in the NEC in some time. In fact, CCSU is 1 of 2 teams to post at least a 47/37/77 split, with Monmouth (49.6/37.3/77.1) doing it almost 35 years ago.
• Central Connecticut is the first NEC team since Monmouth in 1990-91 to enjoy at least a 49/37/77 shooting split.
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
