Wednesday, December 16
7:30 p.m. ET  – Kennesaw State (3-2, 0-0) at Belmont (5-1, 0-0)
Links: ESPN+ | Live Stats
Location: Curb Event Center | Nashville, Tenn.
Game Notes: KSU | Belmont

TOP STORYLINES
» The Kennesaw State men's basketball team heads to Nashville Wednesday to take on the 2020 OVC Champion Bruins. The Owls head into the matchup after downing Dalton State this past Saturday looking to ride that momentum and snap a 12-game losing streak to Belmont while earning their first road victory since February of 2018.

» Newcomers Chris Youngblood and Spencer Rodgers lit up the scoreboard for KSU against Dalton State, netting over 20 points each. Youngblood led the team with 24 points, his first career 20-point game, while Rodgers kept his double-digit scoring streak alive tying his season-high with 21 points. Both Youngblood and Rodgers netted four three-pointers each. 

» Spencer Rodgers and Chris Youngblood are two of the top scorers in the ASUN conference. Rodgers is currently ranked second averaging 16.4 points per game having recorded 10 or more points in every game so far this year, 20 or more in two. Youngblood is tied for fourth averaging 15 points per game. He has netted three or more three-pointers in four games this season and is tied for sixth in the league with 15 total treys, one of 15 players in the conference with 10 or more made three-pointers.

» Freshman Kasen Jennings has been one of the Owls top all-around players throughout the early part of the season. He leads the team with eight steals and is second for assists (11) while ranked third for scoring (7.0 ppg) and rebounds (4.3 rpg). His eight steals puts him in a tie for third in the ASUN while his 2.8 assists per game average places him in 12th.

» KSU remains one of the top defensive teams in the league, holding opponents to a 39.9 shooting percentage to lead the league. The Owls rank third in the conference for both steals (6.8) and blocks (3.2) per game. KSU is one of four teams to average over 35 rebounds per game, currently second in the ASUN averaging 39.6 boards. Freshman Cole LaRue is tied for sixth among the league's shot blockers with five blocks to his name.

» The Owls have been on fire from range this season with 44 total three-pointers which is already more than the first 11 games combined of the 2019-20 season. KSU is one of five teams in the ASUN to net 40 or more three-pointers with at least two games in hand on the other four teams. That production is in large part due to Chris Youngblood and Spencer Rodgers who rank sixth and 10th respectively in the league for made three-pointers.

JOLLY RODGERS
Junior transfer Spencer Rodgers has been an offensive force for the Black and Gold, netting double-figures in every game so far while shooting 56.4 percent from the floor. The Lawrenceville, Ga., native ranks second in the league for scoring and is one of nine players in the league to net at least 80 points with at least two games in hand on the rest of the top-20. He is one of 15 players in the ASUN to shoot at least 50 percent from the floor, ranked fourth in the conference.

Rodgers is averaging 16.4 points per game, recording a season-high 21 points against Toccoa Falls and Dalton State. He finished 7-for-8 against Toccoa Falls, 6-for-7 from three-point range, while not missing a shot until two minutes into the second half.

Rodgers' 13 made three-pointers currently puts him in a tie for 10th in the conference.

Off the ball, Rodgers has steadily improved his game recording six rebounds and five assists at No. 9 Creighton. In KSU's recent game against Dalton State he tied his career-high with seven rebounds while adding three assists and two steals.

THE THREE MUSKETEERS
The highly touted Georgia trio of Chris Youngblood, Brandon Stroud and Kasen Jennings have certainly lived up to the hype in the early part of the year. Youngblood and Jennings are second and third, respectively, on the team for scoring with the trio combining to record over a third of KSU's total points scored. 

Youngblood made a major impact in his debut almost instantly, draining three straight three-pointers in just over a minute and a half after hitting the floor. He led the team with 17 points in just 15 minutes of action against Carver and hasn't slowed down. The Sharpsburg, Ga., native has hit double-figures in four of five games, recording a career-high 24 points against Dalton State.

Youngblood ranks tied for fourth in the ASUN for scoring averaging 15.0 points per game. He is the only true freshman to rank among the league's top-20 scorers. A sharpshooter from beyond the arc, Youngblood has netted three or more treys in all but one game this year, ranking him sixth in the league with 15 made three-pointers on the year.

East Coweta teammate Stroud had a slow start in KSU's season-opener, netting just three points on 1-of-6 shooting, but was big off the ball with four rebounds, three steals and two assists. He has continued to up his game, recording 10 points against Toccoa Falls, going 4-for-5 from the floor, while adding another four rebounds and two assists. 

Stroud is tied for third on the team with 31 total points scored despite averaging only 16 minutes per game. He is also second only to Jennings with six steals on the year.

Crosstown rival turned teammate Jennings holds the team lead and ranks third in the ASUN with eight steals. He is one of three players in the conference to average at least two steals per game.

Jennings has hit double-digits in two games this year to average 7.0 points per game. He is one of three Owls, including Terrell Burden and Spencer Rodgers, with at least 10 assists (11) on the season. He pulled down a team and career-high seven rebounds at UAB and is one of three Owls to average at least four rebounds per game (4.3).

BRING YOUR UMBRELLAS
The Owls have made it rain in the Convocation Center and from beyond the arc throughout the early part of the year. The Owls are shooting an average of over 50 percent on their home floor with 36 made three-pointers. 

KSU has shot over 50 percent from the floor twice this season, a feat only accomplished one other time over the previous two seasons.

The Owls' 44 three-pointers over the first five games is already more than the first 11 games combined of the 2019-20 season. Both Chris Youngblood and Spencer Rodgers rank sixth and 10th in the ASUN with 15 and 13 made three-pointers on the year respectively. They are two of 15 players in the league to net at least 10 treys so far this season.

Rodgers is also one of 15 players in the ASUN to shoot 50 percent or better so far this season, ranked fourth in the league with a 56.4 shooting percentage.

KSU drained a Division I program record 18 three-pointers in its win over Toccoa Falls with six Owls netting two or more treys. Rodgers led the way going 6-for-7 from beyond the arc, 5-for-5 in the first half alone, putting him one triple shy of tying the single-game record. 

The game against Toccoa Falls also set DI records for points scored (106) and winning margin (62). The Owls' 106 points scored marked only the fourth time since moving to Division I that KSU has hit the century mark and the first time since the 2016 season.

RETURN OF THE MACKS
The 2020-21 season-opener marked the return of breakout players Terrell Burden and Armani Harris after suffering season-ending injuries in 2019-20 and so far, the duo has not missed a beat.

Burden is one of three Owls to start in at least four games, averaging 4.4 points per game. Off the ball he leads the Owls with 16 assists, recording a career-high eight against Toccoa Falls. He is one of 12 players in the league with 15 or more dimes, currently tied for seventh in the ASUN. 

Harris has been a jolt of energy off the bench, averaging 5.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while averaging 13.2 minutes per game. He is currently 11-for-17 from the floor.

Both Burden (14) and Harris (8) appeared in less than 15 games their freshmen seasons but remained some of the top Owls in multiple categories.

Burden was one of the Owl's top scorers a year ago, averaging 9.5 points per game while netting double-digits seven times. Despite playing in half the games, Burden still finished last season ranked third on the team for total assists, dishing out 30 dimes. 

Harris saw his freshman season cut short after just eight games. In that short span, Harris averaged 7.5 rebounds and 7.1 points per game. He recorded seven or more boards in five of his eight games, including a season-high 15 against FIU. He recorded his first career double-double in his final appearance against FIU, netting 10 points and 15 rebounds.

NEW YEAR, NEW TEAM
It is a completely revamped Owl squad hitting the floor in 2020-21 as KSU returns only five players from last season, with only one seeing action in at least 20 games a year ago. KSU welcomes 10 newcomers to the Nest this year, seven freshmen and three transfers.

Only redshirt junior Antonio Spencer and redshirt sophomore Jamie Lewis appeared in more than 15 games last season. Spencer saw action in 23 games, earning 18 starts, while Lewis appeared in all 18 games after becoming eligible midway through the season.

Lewis has started all three games so far this year while Spencer has started two.

The Owls are one of 20 teams in the country that has to replace over 70 percent of its scoring from 2019-20, losing 73.3 percent from last season.

UP NEXT
Following Wednesday's game, the Owls head back to the Convocation Center to open a four-game homestand Saturday (Dec.19) afternoon against Samford at 4:30 p.m. ET.

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