GAME PREVIEW

• Sacramento State (1-1) will play the 124th installment of the basketball version of the Causeway Classic on Saturday when the Hornets host UC Davis (2-1). Tip at Hornet Pavilion is set for 5 p.m.
• The Hornets are coming off Saturday's 83-77 road loss at Santa Clara, a team that was unanimously selected first in the WCC preseason coaches poll. In that game, Sacramento State held a 67-60 lead with under eight minutes to play.
• UC Davis is coming off Wednesday morning's 81-69 home win over Incarnate Word. The Aggies will be playing their first true road game of the season on Saturday.
• Sacramento State defeated Jessup at home, 90-74, to open the season and are 11-4 in Hornet Pavilion dating back to the opening of the building last season.
• The Hornets are 73-50 all-time against UC Davis, including a 41-17 home record. Saturday will be the Aggies' first-ever appearance at Hornet Pavilion, which opened last year.
• In last season's meeting at Davis. the two teams were tied at 73-73 with 1:13 remaining, before UC Davis scored the game's final four points to win, 77-73.
• Overall, Sacramento State has won four of the last seven meetings dating back to 2018.
• From 2016 until 2022 (six games), the two teams played at the downtown Golden1 Center until moving the rivalry back on campus for the 2023-24 season.
• The series dates all the way to the first meeting on Dec. 12, 1948 - a 64-58 double overtime victory for UC Davis in Sacramento. At one point during the series, the Hornets won 14 straight between 1954-59. The Aggies' longest win streak is five games from 1968-70.
• The Hornets enter their first season in the Big West, and have a roster that features 16 players. Only five of those players are returners (one starter), and 11 are newcomers.
• UC Davis enters its first season in the Mountain West, and was picked to finish eighth out of 10 teams in the preseason coaches poll.
• Saturday's game may carry extra weight for Sacramento State guard Marcus Wilson, who played at UC Davis last season. Wilson was an honorable mention all-Big West selection, and had 12 points, six rebounds and three assists in last year's Aggie win over the Hornets.
• Sacramento State plays a program-record 16 home games, but Saturday is the last in Hornet Pavilion until Dec. 9. The Hornets play four straight road games after Saturday.
• Sacramento State played a pair of scrimmages in the preseason, falling at San Francisco, 67-63, and defeating Menlo at home, 100-85.

MULTIMEDIA OPTIONS

• Saturday's game vs. UC Davis will stream on ESPN+.
• For the sixth straight season, all Hornet home games, and games played at a Big West venue, will stream on ESPN+. The subscription-based service streams on watchespn.com and the ESPN App.
• Home games on ESPN+ are called by 30th-year play-by-play announcer Steve McElroy and former Hornet assistant coach Ajay Riding.

A LOOK AT THE ROAD LOSS AT SANTA CLARA

• Sacramento State took its largest lead of the second half at 67-60, but Santa Clara finished the final eight minutes on a 23-10 run to defeat the Hornets, 83-77.
• The Hornets went on a 22-2 run to flip a 45-58 deficit to a 67-60 lead. However, Santa Clara immediately responded with a 15-0 run and held off the Hornets late to pull out the victory. Sacramento State left points at the line, going 20-for-31 from the free throw line.
• The Hornets got a huge spark from sophomore Taj Glover, who scored a career-high 19 points on 8-for-9 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 from distance. In fact, 13 of those points came during Sacramento State's 22-2 run. 
• Junior Mikey Williams finished with 21 points (9-11 FT), six rebounds and four assists. Both Williams (+6) and Glover (+5) were positive in plus/minus.
• Santa Clara, the unanimous pick to win the WCC, improved to 3-0. The Broncos have played three home games thus far, and won the first two by at least 19 points.
• The Hornets outscored Santa Clara, 41-38, in the second half, and limited the Broncos to 40% (29-72) shooting from the field, and 32% (10-31) from the 3-point line.
• Santa Clara attempted 11 less free throws, but shot 15-of-20 from the line. Sacramento State finished 39% (24-61) from the field and 30% (9-30) from distance. The Hornets had 23 fast break points, and 23 points off 14 Santa Clara turnovers.
 Rounding out the Hornets in double figures was Larry Hughes' 12 points.

NEW CONFERENCE

• After 30 years in the Big Sky Conference, the Hornets have joined the Big West this season. Sacramento State will play 22 Big West games (11 at home, 11 on the road).
• That is four more conference games than the Hornets are accustomed.
• In the Big Sky, the Hornets played 18 conference games. Gone are out-of-state conference road trips to Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Arizona, Washington and Oregon. In fact, of the team's 11 road games in Big West play, 10 will be played in California. The Utah Valley game (Dec 5) is the only out-of-state road conference game this season.
• The Big West is the sixth conference the Hornets have played in program history (1948-pres.), which includes the Far Western (1953-82), Northern California Athletic (1982-85), Great Northwest (1988-90), American West (1994-96) and Big Sky (1996-26).

THURSDAY & SATURDAY GAMES THE NORM

• Every Big West game will take place on a Thursday or Saturday. In fact, of the team's 31 games overall, 27 will come on a Thursday or Saturday.
• The Hornets are not scheduled to play on a Friday the entire season. They play once each on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday.

THE FRIENDLY CONFINES

• For the second straight season, the Hornets will play home games at Hornet Pavilion on campus. The facility, which opened last year, was kind to Sacramento State.
• The Hornets went 10-4 in their new home (6-3 in league), and the 10 home victories were the most for the program since the 2019-20 season. 
• The average attendance of 2,758 fans per home game set a school record, and was the third best mark in the Big Sky. The team's 16 home games this season are the most in program history (1948-pres.).
• Prior to Hornet Pavilion, the Hornets played 66 years in the Nest on campus.

SEMI NEW LOOK TO THE ROSTER

• Of the 16 players on the roster, 11 are brand new to the program. The lone returners are guards Mikey Williams, Arman Madi, Romari Robinson, Taj Glover and Zach Anderson.
• Those five returners accounted for 31 percent of the team's scoring output a year ago.
• Williams averaged 17.1 ppg, but missed 10 games with injury. Madi averaged 7.0 ppg, but averaged 14.5 ppg over the final eight games. That Madi scoring production was second best on the Hornets during that eight-game span.
• Of the 11 players new to the roster, there are six Div. I transfers, two junior college transfers, and three high school players.

ANOTHER HIGH POWERED OFFENSE?

• Through two games, the Hornets are averaging 83.5 points per contest. This comes one season after averaging 77.7 points, which was the top mark in the team's Div. I era.
• In fact, the 77.7 ppg average was the most since the program's final season of Div. II in 1990-91 when the team averaged 79.9 ppg.
• The Hornets have five players currently averaging double figures - Larry Hughes II (18.0), Mikey Williams (15.5), Taj Glover (13.5), Marcus Wilson (10.5) and Osiris Grady (10.0). Those five players have accounted for 81 percent of the team's total scoring output.

COACHING STAFF REMAINS THE SAME

• Head coach Mike Bibby, who spent half of his 14-year NBA career with the Sacramento Kings and became a fan favorite, is back for his second season with the Hornets.
• A first team all-American, Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year and the No. 2 overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft, Bibby helped Arizona to a 1997 NCAA national championship.
• Shaquille O'Neal also enters his second season as general manager of the Hornets. He joined the program shortly after the appointment of Mike Bibby to head coach. O'Neal played 19 years in the NBA and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016. His son, Shaqir, was a senior for the Hornets last season and won the State Farm College Slam Dunk Championship in April.
• Of the 365 Div. I college basketball programs in the country, the Hornets are one of just 20 that retained their entire coaching staff and support staff from a year ago.

GETTING TO THE LINE AGAIN

• Much like last season, Sacramento State is having no problem getting to the free throw line. In fact, the team's 37.5 free throw attempts per game ranks fifth in the nation, and the 26.5 makes per game ranks sixth.
• Uncharacteristically, the team is shooting just 71% from the line, including 65% (10-31) at Santa Clara, which may have cost the Hornets a win.
• Last year, Sacramento State's 595 made free throws were easily the most in the team's Div. I era, and second in program history. 
• The team shot a school-record 78% from the line. The average of 19.2 made free throws per game ranked 11th in the nation, and the free throw percentage ranked 20th. 
 
BRAND NEW FRONT COURT

• All five front court players from a year ago - listed as a forward or center - are no longer on the team. They have been replaced by eight players (six forwards and two centers) that could see minutes in the front court this year.
• Much of last season, the Hornets were undersized, especially after the loss of Jeremiah Cherry six games into the season. The Hornets now have five players standing 6-9 or taller.
• Thus far, each of those bigs have played both games, led by Osiris Grady's 10.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg. He has started both games as has Sasa Ciani (3.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg). Coming off the bench has been Giannis Asimakopoulos (2.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg), Joao Das Chagas (1.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg) and Ridvan Tutic (1.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg). The bigs have combined for 18.5 ppg and 14.0 rpg.
 
GLOVER OFF TO HUGE START

• Taj Glover, who is the son of former NBA player Dion Glover (1999-05), is off to a big start to the season that includes 13.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals on 73% shooting from the field (11-15), and 67% from the 3-point line (4-6).
• Glover had career highs in points (19) and steals (4) at Santa Clara, and 15 of those points came in the second half when he sparked the Hornets' 22-2 run.
• He shot 8-for-9 at Santa Clara (2-3 3FG) and was the best player on the floor at times.
• Last season, he averaged 4.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 29 games off the bench. That included averaging 7.6 points over the final five games of the season.
 
HUGHES STILL STRIPING FROM 3

• Larry Hughes II, the son of 13-year NBA player Larry Hughes, has continued to hit from distance after transferring in the offseason from CSUN.
• Hughes has knocked down six 3-pointers through two games, and leads the Hornets with 18.0 points per game, including 24 in the season opener.
• A year ago at CSUN, he was a second team all-Big West performer after averaging 17.7 ppg and 3.1 made 3-ball per game. He shot those 3-pointers at a 40% clip (101-256).
• The 101 three-pointers were third most in CSUN history, and 29th in the nation.
 
MIKEY PICKING UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF

• Junior guard Mikey Williams is off to a nice start, averaging 15.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 30.7 minutes per game.
• He leads the team in rebounding and assists, and ranks second in scoring.
• That includes his first career double-double (10 pts, 11 reb) vs. Jessup, followed by a game-high 21 points to go with six rebounds and four assists at Santa Clara.
• Last season with the Hornets, Williams was the team's second overall leading scorer at 17.1 ppg while leading the team in conference play with 20.1 ppg.
• He averaged 7.3 trips to the line last season (83%, 127-of-153), and this year is averaging 8.0 trips to the line per game - connecting at 81% (13-of-16).

HORNET NOTABLES

Marcus Wilson (10.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.5 apg) will play against his former team on Saturday. Wilson transferred from UC Davis to Sacramento State, and was an honorable mention all-Big West performer for the Aggies after averaging 12.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists…Osiris Grady (transfer from UC Riverside) is off to a nice start, having secured eight rebounds in both games. He is averaging 10.0 points and 8.0 boards per game, including 12 and 8 vs. Jessup, followed by 8 and 8 at Santa Clara.