At 9-2 overall, the Denver Pioneers are off to their best start since returning to NCAA Division I college basketball in 1998-99, and are looking to pad their 6-1 home record when they meet up with The Citadel Bulldogs on Thursday night. The Bulldogs have lost six-straight games, while the Pioneers are riding a three-game winning streak.
Denver hasn't exactly been playing at a blazing pace, ranking only 211th in the nation in points per game (66.9), but don't let that fool you. The Pioneers have been deadly effective on offense this season and rank 36th in assists per game (15.9), 22nd in field goal percentage (49%) and 2nd in free throw percentage (81.5). Meanwhile, the Bulldogs rank just 197th in field goal percentage (42.9%) and 139th in points per game (70.5).
When it comes to players to watch, Denver has been led by senior guard Brian Stafford and sophomore forward Chris Udofia. Stafford lead the team in scoring with 14.7 points per game, while Udofia is right behind him at 13.5 points per game. No other player on the team averages more than ten points per game, but there is good balance and flexibility on the roster to round out the offense. As for the Bulldogs, the man to watch is Mike Groselle. Here is an interesting nugget on Groselle from Denver Athletics:
The Citadel is led by Mike Groselle, who is averaging 15.8 points and 10.1 rebounds, while hitting 55.8 percent from the field. Groselle's seven double-doubles this season are tied for the fourth most in the nation, and he is 10th in rebounds per game.
Game date, time: 7 p.m. MT, Thursday, Dec. 22nd, 2011
Location: Magness Arena, Denver, CO
TV channel: Pioneer Vision
Radio: AM 1510 and FM 93.7
Spread: Denver is currently favored by 22 points. The over/under ranges from 127 to 127.5.
Stay tuned to SB Nation Denver for all the latest on the Pioneers. Head over to SB Nation NCAA Basketball for more on the 2011-2012 college hoops season.