DENVER – The University of Denver men's basketball program will head right back on the road for its only contest of the week when the Pioneers travel to Tulsa to take on Oral Roberts on Thursday. Opening tip is set for 7 p.m. CT/6 p.m. MT inside the Mabee Center, and the game will be broadcast on the Summit League Network and 104.3 the Fan HD3.  

LAST TIME OUT:
Denver nearly erased a 17-point halftime deficit, getting it down to as little as one in the final five minutes, but St. Thomas hung on in a 74-62 win over the Pioneers on Saturday night in the twin cities. FULL RECAP

SERIES HISTORY – DENVER VS. ORAL ROBERTS:
Oral Roberts holds a 14-10 advantage in the overall series and a 13-10 edge in the DI series. When the two teams first played conference games against each other in 2014-15, Denver won eight of the first 10 matchups. Since then, ORU has won 10 of the last 11. FULL RECAP 

CRAIG MAKES RETURN TO LINEUP

• After missing three-straight games with an injury, Craig returned to the lineup on January 18 at St. Thomas.
• Sophomore guard DeAndre Craig was named to the Preseason All-Summit League Second Team ahead of Media Day on October 8.
• Craig and South Dakota State sophomore guard Kalen Garry are the only two underclassmen across the two preseason teams.
• Craig played in all 34 games in his freshman campaign, averaging 6.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 23.4 minutes per game, while adding 85 assists against just 40 turnovers to go with 35 steals.
• In Denver's three Summit League Tournament games last year, Craig finished with 13 points in the quarterfinal win, 15 and 5 assists in the semifinal victory and 12 and 7 helpers in the championship game against South Dakota State.
• Craig, along with teammate Isaiah Carr, represented the program at the 2024 Summit League Basketball Media Day in Sioux Falls.
• Craig ranks third in the Summit League and 128th in the country in field goal percentage, shooting 49.7% from the field.

SHOGBONYO LEADING THE PIOS IN YEAR 1

• Junior guard Nicholas Shogbonyo is in his first year of NCAA hoops after transfering from McLennan CC in the offseason.
• In 2023-24, Shogbonyo was the NTJCAC Co-Player of the Year and was an All-Region selection.
• He leads Denver in scoring at 14.1 points per game, while pulling in 4.6 boards (team-high among active players) and just under 2 assists per game.
• Shogbonyo has had 15+ points in 12 of the last 18 games, and has grabbed at least four rebounds in 14 of the last 19 games.
• Shogbonyo is 32nd in the country and second in the Summit League in free-throw makes with 91.
• Shogbonyo recorded his first career double-double (13-12rbs) at South Dakota on January 4.  

AKINS NCAA DEBUT SEASON

• Freshman guard Sebastian Akins put up 15 points off the bench in the Pios season debut at Stanford on November 4.
• Akins is the fifth Pio to post 15+ points off the bench in a season opener since Denver rejoined Division I in 1998-99.
• Akins is the first since Jase Townsend scored 16 off the bench as a freshman in November, 2018.
• Akins is the fourth freshman to post 15+ off the bench in an opener.
• Akins is the 3rd to do it against a DI opponent and the 2nd to do it against a Power5/4 opponent.
• Akins enters the game with 263 points, the 12th most by a Pioneer in their true freshman season in DU's DI history.
• Akins has 15+ points in seven games this season, including three 20+ point games.

ADDO-ANKRAH DIALING LONG DISTANCE

• Three-point sharp-shooter Isaiah Addo-Ankrah leads the Pioneers with 45 made triples on 100 attempts, good for 45% from beyond the arc.
• Addo-Ankrah is fifth in the Summit League and 126th in the country in three-point makes with 45.

TAKING CARE OF THE BASKETBALL

• The Pioneers finished 35th in the country in turnovers per game, averaging just 10.0 turnovers per contest.
• Denver's 1 total turnover on November 17, 2023 against South Alabama was the lowest in DU's DI history.
• The Pioneers finished with single-digit turnovers in 17 games last season, including committing just seven in the 2024 Summit League Final.
• In a 50 minute game on December 1 at Portland, Denver turned it over just six times, its first single digit turnover game this season.
• Denver has turned it over 10 or less times in eight of the last 13 games.

DENVER'S HOME FOR COLLEGE SPORTS

Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU's NCAA Division I sports. 
Like Denver Men's Basketball and Denver Pioneers on Facebook 
Follow @du_menshoops and @DU_Pioneers on Twitter 
Follow @du_mhoops and @DenverPioneers on Instagram