PUEBLO, Colo. (Dec. 8, 2020) – The Colorado State University Pueblo men's basketball team will begin the season Dec. 9-10 with a pair of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference road games and then will continue its season Dec. 12 with a road exhibition at Division I Colorado State University. 
 
The ThunderWolves open the season Wednesday at Adams State University with tip-off scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday, CSU Pueblo travels up I-25 to meet University of Colorado Colorado Springs at 7:30 p.m. The Pack will battle CSU Saturday at 2 p.m. in Fort Collins, Colorado. 
 
No fans will be allowed at any of the road contests this week.

CSU Pueblo Athletics has again partnered with iHeart Media + Entertainment to provide radio coverage for the men's and women's basketball programs in 2020-21. The games can be heard live on Fox Sports Pueblo AM 1350, online (https://foxsportspueblo.iheart.com) and on the iHeart app. Play-by-play will come from Jim Brooks, the Voice of the ThunderWolves. 

A free video stream and live stats for all three games will also be available with links at https://gothunderwolves.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule.
 
VERSUS THE OPPONENTS
 
• This will be the second straight year CSU Pueblo has opened the RMAC season with Adams State. The ThunderWolves and Grizzlies only met once last year with the Pack taking the road win by the score of 72-60. The win broke a three-game skid against ASU. 
 
• The ThunderWolves are 8-2 against UCCS in the last 10 meetings. The Pack and Mountain Lions split their season series last year with each team winning on their home court. CSU Pueblo won 74-58 at home in the last meeting, while UCCS recorded an 86-72 victory at Gallogly Events Center. 
 
• CSU Pueblo and Colorado State last met in an exhibition game Nov. 3, 2018. The Pack lost 87-67. No players from the current squad were on the team at that time. 
 
THE PACK
 
• Head Coach Matt Hammer enters his second season as head coach. In his first campaign, the ThunderWolves finished 11-17 overall and 9-13 for 11th place in the league standings. 
 
• Four players from last year's roster return, while only three saw the floor. Guard David Simental (R-Jr., Pueblo West, Colo.) returns after leading the team in scoring with 15.9 points per game. He was an All-RMAC Second Team selection. Forward Bryce Sanchious (Sr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) played in 25 and started 13 games last season with 11 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Forward Jaedon Bowles (So., Aurora, Colo.) returns after playing in all 28 and starting 17 games as a freshman. He totaled 8.1 points per game and knocked down 38 3-pointers. Guard Tre Brown (R-Jr., Tacoma, Wash.) is set to make his Pack debut after redshirting last year. He is a transfer from Coastal Carolina where he played in 61 games in two seasons. 
 
• The rest of the 15-player roster is made up of four transfers and seven freshmen. 
 
• The Pack were picked to finish ninth (98 points) by the conference coaches.
 
• Sanchious and Simental were named RMAC Preseason Players to Watch. 
 
THE GRIZZLIES
 
• The Grizzlies started the season with an 85-78 victory at UCCS Dec. 5. ASU shot 55.7 percent from the field. Frederick Jackson totaled 31 points and brought down 11 rebounds to lead Adams State to victory. Destan Williams had 17 points and eight assists. 
 
• Adams State returns three student-athletes who logged minutes last year. 
 
• ASU finished 2019-20 with an 8-20 overall record and a 6-16 league mark to finish 13th in the RMAC. The Grizzlies were picked to finish 13th in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
 
THE MOUNTAIN LIONS
 
• The Mountain Lions lost 85-78 to Adams State to open the season. Alijah Comithier led the team with 23 points, while DaRaun Clark added 15 points. 
 
• UCCS returns eight players who logged minutes from last season, which includes starters Parker Gaddis and Geoff Kelly. 
 
• Last year, UCCS went 17-11 overall and finished in a tie for fifth place in the league standings with a 13-9 RMAC record. The Mountain Lions were picked to finish third in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. 
 
THE RAMS
 
• Saturday's contest will be the first for the Rams this season. 
 
• CSU returns four starters and seven letterwinners from last year. 
 
• Colorado State went 20-12 last season with an 11-7 Mountain West record to tie for fifth. The Rams were selected to finish fifth in the Mountain West Preseason Coaches' Poll.

SENIOR BRYCE SANCHIOUS SEASON PREVIEW



HEAD COACH MATT HAMMER SEASON PREVIEW



-- PACK --