CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners
WAC (24-8, 11-3)
Back in 2012 CSU Bakersfield went to the CIT and that was the first step for bigger and better things to come. And the bigger things came this year with the Roadrunners knocking off New Mexico State in the WAC Tournament Final and reached their first ever NCAA Tournament. Bakersfield may still have to wait for their first postseason victory, but this is a huge step for the program.
Big Wins: 12/12 at South Dakota (77-67), 2/27 Grand Canyon (77-62), 3/12 vs New Mexico State (57-54)
Bad Losses: 11/25 at Wyoming (64-68), 12/2 at Idaho (63-67), 1/23 New Mexico State (67-68)
Coach: Ron Barnes
Why They Can Surprise:
The first thing that sticks out with the Roadrunners is the fact that they have five players who average double digits in the scoring column. However, this team has had their success because of their defense. Bakersfield allows the opposition to shoot just 39.1 percent from the floor, which ranks 14th in the country. And that is when the opposition can get a shot off. The Roadrunners also tally over eight steals per game. The entire team will get in on the steals, but it is Aly Ahmed and Justin Hollins who block shots and prevent any easy buckets. Ahmed is the team’s top scorer, averaging 12.9 points and adding 6.2 rebounds per game. Hollins does not see too much action, but he sure does make an impact on the defensive end when he is on the floor. Kevin Mays and Jaylin Airington are a couple 6-4 forwards who help compliment Ahmed. Mays plays a lot bigger than 6-4 and averages a team high 8.0 rebounds per game.
Why They Can Disappoint:
CSU Bakersfield is not much of a shooting team. Damiyne Durham connects on 36.2 percent of his long range attempts and is easily the most prolific shooter on the team. Dedrick Basile can knock down some shots too and the emergence of Brent Wrapp, who averages 4.3 assists per game, allows Basile to spend more time off of the ball and attack the basket or step back and hit some long balls. The Roadrunners are at their best though forcing turnovers and running in the open court. A team that likes to slow things down and control the tempo and take care of the ball will cause this team some trouble in the postseason. And the Roadrunners need to take care of the ball themselves and win the turnover battle if they hope to stick around and have a shot at winning an NCAA Tournament game.
Probable Starters:
Brent Wrapp, Sophomore, Guard, 5.2 ppg, 4.3 apg
Dedrick Basile, Junior, Guard, 12.0 ppg, 3.6 apg, 1.8 spg
Jaylin Airington, Junior, Forward, 10.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg
Kevin Mays, Senior, Forward, 12.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg
Aly Ahmed, Senior, Center, 12.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.1 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Damiyne Durham, Freshman, Guard, 11.8 ppg
Justin Hollins, Junior, Forward, 1.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.9 bpg
Justin Pride, Junior, Guard, 4.0 ppg, 2.9 apg
Matt Smith, Junior, Forward, 4.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 73.5 (165th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 63.5 (18, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.2 (115, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 39.1 (14, 2)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.5 (313, 6)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.4 (182, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 65.7 (311, 7)
Rebound Margin: 4.2 (55, 2)
Assists Per Game: 15.9 (38, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.3 (133, 1)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2012 CIT First Round loss to Utah State
*all team stats through 3/6
