CU Men's Basketball Preview - vs. RPI/Skidmore (2/16-17)

Gary Mikel

Men's Basketball | 2/14/2024 8:30:00 AM

Two wins and a lot of help is needed for the Clarkson University Men's Basketball team to make the Liberty League playoffs as the Golden Knights close out the regular-season against Rensselaer and Skidmore this weekend at Alumni Gymnasium.

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The Series: Clarkson came away with a road sweep the first week of December when the team took on RPI and Skidmore. Versus the Engineers, Clarkson won 64-60 behind 27 points from Ryan Miles-Ferguson. A last second shot went wide for the Thoroughbreds, as the Knights survived for a 72-71 victory over Skidmore.

Key Stats for Clarkson (12-11, 6-10 Liberty League): Graduate student Ryan Miles-Ferguson will be chasing a bit of program history this weekend. The standout guard has scored 487 points so far this season and needs just 13 more to become just the sixth player ever at Clarkson to record 500 points in a single season. Miles-Ferguson is also looking to cement a scoring title for the conference, as he averages 21.2 points per game, leading the league in field goals made (158) and free throws made (106) while ranking second in 3-pointers made (65). Only one other player in the league has surpassed 400 points thus far, with only teammate Braeden Burns (354) surpassing 350 in 2023-24.

Key Stats for Rensselaer (15-8, 12-4 Liberty League): The Engineers have won six straight and 10 of 11 in league play to jump to the top of the conference standings. RPI wins with strong defense, allowing only 58.1 points per game, the fifth fewest in NCAA Division III. The first meeting against Clarkson was a battle in styles, as the first half was played at the Engineers' pace (25-23 at the half) and the second 20 minutes played at the Knights' scoring pace (39-37 in the second half). Jonny Angbazo leads the team with 15.1 points per game, fourth in the conference, while also averaging 6.0 rebounds per contest, which is ninth in the league. Avery Eugster scored 24 against Clarkson in the first meeting, and averages 12.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Key Stats for Skidmore (4-18, 2-14 Liberty League): The Thoroughbreds are an incredibly young team that has been without its complete lineup for much of the season. Charlie Fantom averaged 15.6 points per game in the first seven games of the season, but hasn't played since early December, while Jake Walsh leads the team in the second semester at 12.2 points per game, having scored in double figures in 10 of 13 contests since making his season-debut in January. Joey Skoric is averaging 7.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, and is challenging for the league's top figure in blocked shots, having denied 50 shots (2.3 bpg), just one short of the conference lead.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Ryan Miles-Ferguson: G; 6' 2"; Graduate Student

#15 Braeden Burns: F; 6' 4"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#3 Ryan Miles-Ferguson
: 6' 2"; Graduate Student
: G

#15 Braeden Burns
: 6' 4"; Freshman
: F

Scoreboard

Players Mentioned

#3 Ryan Miles-Ferguson

#15 Braeden Burns

Players Mentioned

#3 Ryan Miles-Ferguson

#15 Braeden Burns