By: Mark Wasik
KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State men's basketball hosts Liberty in a key Conference USA men's basketball contest on Thursday night, and it's also Gold Rush night in VyStar Arena, with the first 500 fans receiving a free KSU Gold Rush T-shirt. The halftime entertainment meanwhile will be the Spyros Bros, who have been featured on America's Got Talent. Tip is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
A FEW NOTES
♦ It's been a month of highly competitive games and thrilling finishes in Conference USA, with numerous games coming down to the final seconds and overtime. Kennesaw State has been a part of the madness, with four straight games all decided in the final minute, and five of their last six.
♦ Going more in depth, there have been 35 ties and 43 lead changes in the past four games.
♦ With just four games left, every game is important for the Owls in their bid for a top-four finish in CUSA. Currently they are tied for fourth at 8-8 with two more teams, and just one game out of third.
♦ The current Kennesaw State starting lineup is an oddity in today's college basketball world, as there is not a single senior or transfer player in the starting five, the only team in CUSA with such a lineup. KSU will start a pair of first-year players, two sophomores, and a junior, all recruited to the Black and Gold as freshmen.
♦ KSU is having another strong year in the boards as well, ranking eighth in the nation in total rebounds per game (41.4 rpg) and 39th in rebound margin (+5.6) in the nation.
♦ It's also been a strong year defensively for the Owls as well, currently 29th in the nation in field goal defense at 40.6%. The school record for best field goal defense in a season was set a year ago, as the 2024-25 squad limited teams to 41.4% from the floor.
♦ One sign of the Owls' improved defensive play has been inside the post, as KSU currently leads CUSA and is 11th in the nation in blocks per game at 5.5. Key to that has been Braedan Lue and Trey Simpson, one of just 19 duos in the nation with at least 35 total blocks each this season.
