DENVER – The University of Denver men's basketball program wraps up a weekend homestand on Saturday afternoon when the Pioneers welcome St. Thomas to Hamilton Gymnasium. Opening tip is set for 2 p.m. MT, or 30 minutes after the women's game (11 a.m. MT), and will be broadcast on the Summit League Network and 104.3 The Fan HD3.   

LAST TIME OUT:
Denver led by as many as nine in the early stages of the second half, but the Pios got cold from the field late and USD earned an 86-79 win on Thursday night in Hamilton. FULL RECAP

SERIES HISTORY:
St. Thomas holds a 4-3 edge in the series with the Tommies taking each of the last two meetings against the Pioneers. Earlier this season (January 18), St. Thomas defended its home floor with a 74-62 win.  SERIES HISTORY

SPREADING THE SCORING

• Denver had six players score in double figures and no one score more than 15 in Denver's 97-80 win over Western Colorado on Nov. 8.
• DeAndre Craig led the Pios with 15, Pedro Lopez-Sanvicente scored 13, Sebastian Akins added 12 and Nicholas Shogbonyo, Isaiah Carr and Josh Lee all finished with 10.
• It was the first time Denver had 6 players in double figures since December 15, 2012 against Omaha.
• 12 years ago - Royce O'Neale had 17, Chase Hallam had 12, Chris Udofia scored 11, Brett Olson and Nate Engesser chipped in 11 and Cam Griffin scored 10.
• Isaiah Addo-Ankrah and Nicholas Shogbonyo combined for 40 of Denver's 68 points in its Big Sky/Summit League Challenge win at Portland State on December 7.
• The Pioneers had six players with at least seven points in that 21-point win over Sacramento State in the first game of the challenge on December 4.
• DU also had six players with at least seven points in a 94-87 win over UCCS on December 10.
• Last time out, Denver had four players in double figures in its loss to South Dakota, led by 19 from DeAndre Craig.

CRAIG NAMED TO PRESEASON SECOND TEAM

• 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.
• After missing three-straight games with an injury, Craig returned to the lineup on January 18 at St. Thomas.
• Craig ranks third in the Summit League and 122nd in the country in field goal percentage, shooting 49.0% from the field.
• Craig had a four-point sequence that included an intentionally missed free-throw and a three-point play in Denver's dramatic win over Kansas City on January 30.

DEFENDING THE HOME FLOOR

• Since turning Division I in 1998-99, the Pioneers are 48-37 in Hamilton Gymnasium.
• Denver has played in Hamilton full-time since the 2020-21 campaign.
• 2023-24 marked the first double-digit win season in Hamilton (10-4).
• Denver is 6-5 at home to start the 2024-25 season.
• In the fourth season under head coach Jeff Wulbrun, the Pioneers are 31-21 on their home floor.

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.
• Second on DU in scoring at 13.4 points per game, while pulling in 4.7 boards (2nd among active players) and just under 2 assists per game.
• Shogbonyo has had 15+ points in 14 games.
• Shogbonyo is 88th in the country and fourth in the Summit League in free-throw makes with 97.
• Shogbonyo recorded his first career double-double (13-12rbs) at South Dakota on January 4.  

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 10 of the last 17 games.

ADDO-ANKRAH DIALING LONG DISTANCE

• Three-point sharp-shooter Isaiah Addo-Ankrah leads the Pioneers with 48 made triples on 113 attempts, good for 42.5% from beyond the arc.

UP NEXT:
The Pioneers will make their annual North Dakota trip next week, starting with a Thursday night date with UND. Opening tip is set for 6 p.m. MT on the Summit League Network and 104.3 The Fan HD3.

TICKETS:
Get tickets for the 2024-25 season by clicking here.

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