Friday, Jan. 29
6:00 p.m. ET  – Kennesaw State (3-13, 0-8) vs Bellarmine (7-5, 4-2)
Links: ESPN+ | Live Stats

Saturday, Jan. 30
4:00 p.m. ET  – Kennesaw State (3-13, 0-8) vs Bellarmine (7-5, 4-2)
Links: ESPN+ | Live Stats

Location: Convocation Center | Kennesaw, Ga.
Game Notes: KSU | Bellarmine
Tickets

TOP STORYLINES
» The Kennesaw State men's basketball team is back in the Convocation Center this Friday and Saturday to host ASUN newcomers Bellarmine in the first ever meetings between the Owls and Knights. KSU looks for their first ASUN win of the season against Bellarmine after falling just short in a near 20-point second half comeback at North Florida this past weekend.

» Junior transfer Spencer Rodgers recorded his sixth game this season with at least 20 points in the Owls' last outing, recording 17 points in the second half alone. Rodgers is currently averaging 16.2 points per game to rank second in the ASUN. He is one of just two players in the league, the other being league-leader Dontarius James (18 ppg), to average over 15 points per game. An all-around performer, Rodgers also leads the team in steals (17) while ranked second for assists (27) and third for rebounds per game (3.7).

» Freshman Chris Youngblood has lived up to the hype in his first season as an Owl, currently ranked second on the team and 15th in the ASUN averaging 12.3 points per game. He is the only true freshman to rank in the league's top-20 for scoring and is one of 13 players in the league to net over 150 points on the year. Youngblood has netted at least one three-pointer in all but two games, three or more treys in seven games this year, to rank ninth in the ASUN averaging 2.0 treys per game.

» The Owls record this season only tells part of the story with KSU holding opponents to 70 points or less in 11 of its 16 games. Nine of KSU's losses have been by 10 points or less. For comparison, the Owls had only three games decided by 10 points or less during the 2019-20 season. The Owls have a -3.3 scoring margin on the year, a vast improvement from its -20 scoring margin a year ago. Defensively, the Owls rank fourth in the league for points allowed (66.9) and rebounding defense (34.7).

» Kasen Jennings has logged at least one steal in seven straight games, currently ranked second on the team with 15 total swipes despite missing three games midway through the season. He currently ranks 11th in the conference averaging 1.2 steals per game. As a team, KSU is averaging 5.6 steals per game with five Owls recording at least 10 steals on the year. The Owls are currently ranked fifth in the ASUN forcing an average of 12.5 turnovers per game.

RODGER THAT
Junior transfer Spencer Rodgers has been an offensive force for the Black and Gold, netting double-figures in all but one game, including a career-high 31 points in KSU's road trip to Liberty. His 31 points scored is the second-most points scored in a single-game by a player in the ASUN this season.

The Lawrenceville, Ga., native currently ranks second in the league for scoring and is one of two players to record over 250 points on the year. Rodgers is currently averaging 16.2 points per game, netting 20 or more points six times this season. He is one of two players in the league to average 15 or more points per game.

Deadly from range, Rodgers' 39 made three-pointers is the second most by any player in the league, currently ranked fifth averaging 2.4 per game. He has made at least three treys in the last two games, seven times overall this season.

Off the ball, Rodgers is just as productive, ranked third on the team averaging 3.7 rebounds per game. He tied his career-high with seven boards in back-to-back games against Dalton State and Belmont.

Rodgers is also second on the team for total assists (27) while leading the team in steals (17).

THE THREE MUSKETEERS
The highly touted Georgia trio of Chris Youngblood, Brandon Stroud and Kasen Jennings have certainly lived up to the hype this year. The trio have combined to record over a third of KSU's total points scored.

Youngblood has hit double-figures in 11 games, recording a career-high 24 points against Dalton State. He ranks 15th in the ASUN for scoring averaging 12.3 points per game. Youngblood is the only true freshman to rank among the league's top-20 scorers. He is also one of 19 players to record at least 150 points on the year (196).

The Sharpsburg, Ga., native 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, recording five total three-pointers. Youngblood has netted three or more treys in seven games this season, averaging 2.0 per game to rank ninth in the ASUN.

Youngblood is one of five players on the team to record double-digit steals (10), while ranked second for blocks (9) and fourth for assists (23).

East Coweta teammate Stroud has continued to up his game over the course of the season ranked second on the team averaging 5.3 rebounds per game. Offensively he is averaging 5.3 points per game having netted double-figures in three games including the team's only double-double of the year against Samford with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Stroud is also second on the team with 16 steals while dishing out 17 assists.

After a stellar start to his freshman season, crosstown rival turned teammate Jennings has returned to form after being sidelined for three games due to concussion protocols. Despite that gap, he is still one of the team leaders with 15 steals and 24 assists

Jennings has hit double-digits four times this year and is averaging 5.2 points per game. He pulled down a team and career-high seven rebounds at UAB and has had at least one steal and one assist in the last seven straight games.

CHALLENGING EVERY SHOT
The Owls have held opponents to 70 points or less 11 times so far this season, including season-lows for Belmont and Samford. Both the Bruins and Bulldogs were averaging over 80 points per game before squaring off with KSU. Comparatively, the Owls held opponents to less than 70 points only six times in 2019-20.

As a team, the Owls are holding opponents to an average of 66.9 points per game, the fourth-lowest average in the ASUN. If maintained, KSU's current -3.3 scoring margin would rank third in the DI single-season record books.

The Owls rank fifth in the league for rebounding offense (35.1) and fourth for rebounding defense (34.7), one of five teams in the league with a positive rebound margin.

Five Owls have recorded at least 10 steals on the year with Kasen Jennings ranked 11th in the league for steals per game (1.2).

After recording his third game with two or more blocks against Mercer, Cole LaRue ranks eighth in the conference for total blocks with 10. As a team, the Owls rank fifth overall in the ASUN averaging 2.9 stuffs per game.

UP NEXT
After this weekend's games, the Owls head to Nashville for the second time this year, this time squaring off with ASUN foe Lipscomb next Friday (Feb. 5) and Saturday (Feb. 6).
 

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