Game #5
ART U Urban Knights (2-2) vs. Stanislaus State Warriors (1-2)
Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021 at 4 p.m.
Belmont, Calif. – Walter Gleason Gymnasium
Live Stats & Audio
 
Game #6
ART U Urban Knights (2-2) vs. Saint Martin's Saints (2-1)
Friday, Nov. 26, 2021 at 4 p.m.
Belmont, Calif. – Walter Gleason Gymnasium
Live Stats & Video

Game #7
ART U Urban Knights (2-2) at UC Davis Aggies (2-1)
Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021 at 2 p.m.
Davis, Calif. – University Credit Union Center
Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio

HOLIDAY HOME COOKING
Academy of Art men's basketball is looking to get back above .500 on the season, and the Knights will have their chance to do that as the home team for the first time this season when they host a pair of games over Thanksgiving week against Stanislaus State (fans will now be permitted) and Saint Martin's before closing out the week on the road at UC Davis on Sunday.

TIP-OFF
Both of ART U's home contests this week will begin at 4 p.m., starting with the Warriors on Tuesday (fans will now be permitted) and ending with the Saints on Friday. When the Knights hit the road on Sunday to battle the Aggies, it will be an afternoon matinee beginning at 2 p.m. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights via the athletics app (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) and on Twitter & Instagram, as well as "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps. 

KNIGHT WATCH
Though the Urban Knights started the season 2-0 for the first time since the 2015-16 season, they were denied their first ever 3-0 start in program history with a pair of back-to-back losses to CCAA schools Chico State on Nov. 17 and Cal State San Bernardino on Nov. 20. It has been the tale of two weekends for ART U, averaging 77.5 points per game over the two wins while averaging just 62.5 per game the past two times out. Defense has still been tough for the Knights with an average of 10.0 steals per game, the only team in the PacWest to average double-digit steals. ART U has also forced at least 17 turnovers by their opponents in each game this season, totaling the most forced turnovers (76) in the conference and leading to the third-best turnover margin in the PacWest (+1.25). 

Helping the Knights start 2-0 was the duo of redshirt junior guard Christian Popoola Jr. and sophomore forward Latrell Williams, as the two were named to the SF State Tip-Off Classic All-Tournament Team. For Popoola Jr. he averaged 15.5 points per game and was clutch at the free throw line against the Gators, becoming the fifth Urban Knight to be perfect at the line with at least 10 attempts in a single game by going 10-for-10. Williams chipped in an average of 12.5 points and a team-high 8.0 rebounds per game over the first two contests, including a double-double in his first game as a Knights where he dropped 19 points with 11 rebounds.  However, Popoola Jr. would take it a step further and earn the Pacific West Conference Defender of the Week honor on Nov. 15, the first PacWest weekly award of his career, capping off a week where he averaged 3.5 steals per game as well as 7.0 defensive rebounds (eight total). 

Also key in the 2-0 start was graduate student guard Deang Deang, as he chipped in 13.5 ppg in the season-opening tournament and grabbed his own double-double during the win over the Seawolves with 20 points and 10 boards, going a perfect 9-for-9 from the field. He became only the second player in program history to post a perfect shooting percentage while making at least eight buckets, joining Aaron Aikman who did so on Nov. 9, 2013.

Three Urban Knights have been averaging double figures early in the year, topped by Deang's 12.8 ppg. Over an average of 31.5 minutes (most on ART U), Deang is hitting 46.2 percent (18-for-39) of his looks, while also grabbing an average of 5.5 rebounds per contest. Just behind Deang in scoring is junior guard Klay Brown with 11.8 ppg, as he is the only Urban Knight to shoot above 40 percent from the field (41.5 percent) and beyond the arc (42.1 percent). Williams rounds out the group with an even 10.0 ppg, and also enters the week as the team's leading rebounder with an average of 7.5 rpg. 

JOUSTING WITH THE WARRIORS
After taking a pair of losses to Point Loma and Fresno Pacific during the FPU Crossover Classic on opening weekend, Stanislaus state has rebounded with a win their last time on the court over PacWest member Dominican, taking down the Penguins 61-43 on the Penguins' own home court. Over the course of the three contests it has been a nearly even scoring margin for the Warriors, putting up 72.3 ppg while knocking down 44.5 percent of their looks from the floor, but allow an average of 72.2 ppg on an average of 44.3 percent shooting. Only two Warriors are into double-digit points early on this year in Tony Singleton (12.7 ppg) and Luis Salgado (10.0 ppg), with Marlon Short posting the team-best mark in rebounds at 6.0 boards per contest. These two teams have met only three times in history, with Stan State holding the 2-1 edge thanks to a win in the last meeting between the two teams over four years ago on Nov. 11, 2017. 

SHUTTING DOWN THE SAINTS
Saints Martin's split their two chances in the season-opening CSU San Marcos Crossover, getting the best of Holy Names to begin their year but then falling big to host CSU San Marcos. However, the Saints returned to the winning column with a 99-81 trouncing of Warner Pacific on Nov. 17, and they have one more contest with Cal State East Bay before the clash with the Knights. Three games have proved fruitful for the Saints, posting a +2.6 scoring margin thanks to an average of 84.3 ppg on the strength of 52.6 percent shooting from the field. Four different Saints are into the double-figure averages for the season, with Brett Reed averaging 15.0 ppg on an eye-popping 67.7 percent shooting, while just behind him is Christian Haffner with 14.3 ppg of his own by hitting half of his looks. Reed also comes in as the team's top rebounder, snatching 6.7 rpg. Saint Martin's has won both of the all-time meetings between these two teams, with the last matchup coming all the way back on Nov. 24, 2017. 

DUELING WITH UC DAVIS
NCAA Division I opponent UC Davis sits at 2-1 in the early season, coming off of a close 72-67 defeat at the hands of Pepperdine to snap their season-opening two-game winning streak, and will have one more battle against Sacramento State prior to meeting the Knights. Knocking down 42.5 percent of their looks from the floor en route to a 74.3 ppg mark, the Aggies have been tough defensively by holding opponents to just 38.0 shooting from the floor and have posted a +2.0 scoring margin. Two players have been driving the offense, starting with the 17.0 ppg mark from Christian Anigwe, while Elijah Pepper has chipped in 16.3 ppg of his own. Anigwe also enters as the top rebounder, nearly averaging a double-double thanks to his 8.7 rpg, though Caleb Fuller is just behind with a 7.0 rpg mark. This will be the first ever meeting between these two teams.  

HOT SHOOTING FROM YOTES TOO MUCH FOR KNIGHTS
While Academy of Art men's basketball traded shots early on with Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday, CSUSB would knock down over half of their looks from the floor en route to the 96-64 victory in non-conference action. 

LOOKING AHEAD
Pacific West Conference play has arrived for Academy of Art, as the Knights will play their first PacWest games of the season with a doubleheader against Dominican on Dec. 4.