SEATTLE – Seattle University men's basketball heads back out on the road, beginning a two-game Southern California swing on Thursday, Nov. 14 at Cal Poly. The Redhawks (0-2) and Mustangs (1-2) tip off at 7 p.m. from Mott Athletics Center. The game will air live on ESPN+.
FOLLOW THE REDHAWKS
- Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 7:00 PM PT
- Seattle U (0-2, 0-0 WAC) at Cal Poly (1-2, 0-0 BWC)
- Mott Athletics Center, San Luis Obispo, CA
- Live Stats
- Watch on ESPN+
- Game Notes
QUICK HITS
- Seattle U dropped a rare home game, 66-64 to Liberty, on Saturday, Nov. 9.
- The Redhawks are 0-2 to start the season for the first time since 2015-16. That season they started 0-3 before halting the skid with a home win over Eastern Washington.
- John Christofilis collected his second straight double-digit outing of the season with 16 points against Liberty. Christofilis also hit four 3s for the second straight outing.
- Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe was saddled with foul trouble against the Flames, but also managed 12 points on 4-5 FGs and 4-6 FTs.
- Maleek Arington added eight points, four rebounds, four assists and five steals. His steals total marked the first time a Redhawk has swiped five or more since Dec. 12, 2021 when Darrion Trammell had six takeaways against UC San Diego.
- Freshman Houran Dan had six points and five rebounds, scoring his first collegiate points on a statement dunk in the first half against the Flames.
- Seattle U returns seven players from a 2023-24 squad that went 23-14 overall on its way to winning the 2024 Ro College Basketball Invitational in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Redhawks, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, won four games in five days to clinch the first postseason championship in program history.
- The Redhawks are riding three consecutive seasons of 20 wins or more, achieving the feat for the first time since 1957-59. Along with the 23-win campaign last year, the Redhawks went 20-12 overall in 2022-23 and 23-9 in 2021-22.
- The Redhawks' 2022 Western Athletic Conference regular season title was the first DI conference title for the program and just the second overall conference title (Seattle U won the 2006-07 DII Great Northwest Athletic Conference crown).
ABOUT THE SERIES VS CAL POLY
- Seattle U and Cal Poly have just three previous meetings, all coming between 2008 and 2010.
- The Mustangs hold a slight 2-1 edge in the series.
- Seattle U won the first meeting, 60-59, on Dec. 14, 2008 in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
- The Mustangs won the next two in the series, the most recent being a 76-60 win for Cal Poly on Nov. 14, 2010 in Seattle.
NATIONAL RANKS
- Through two games, Seattle U ranks first in the WAC and fourth in the nation in 3pt FG%. THe Redhawks have hit at a 47.2% clip thus far.
- Individually, John Christofilis is averaging 4.0 3s per game, good for 22nd in the nation. His 3pt FG% of 61.5 is 31st nationally.
PRESEASON HONORS
Redshirt junior guard John Christofilis was named to the five-member Preseason All-Western Athletic Conference Team, as voted on by the league's 11 head coaches. Christofilis returns for his second season with the Redhawks following a breakout year in 2023-24. The Seattle native averaged 12.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per game a season ago. He led Seattle U in scoring seven times and scored in double figures 17 total times. After scoring 18 points to go with five rebounds and two steals in his Redhawk debut, Christofilis missed the next nine games due to a hand injury. In his fourth game back, he poured in a career-high 32 points on 13-of-22 FGs. Christofilis finished the season with 64 threes, hitting at a team-high 39.8% clip.
WAC PRESEASON POLLS
Seattle University was selected third in the 2024-25 Western Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The Redhawks are coming off a 2023-24 season that saw them finish 23-14 overall, including 11-9 in WAC play, and culminate with the College Basketball Invitational Championship. The 23-win season was the third consecutive year the Redhawks hit or surpassed the 20-win marker, the first such streak since 1957-59. Seattle U's third place pick came with one first-place vote and 46 total points. Reigning WAC Tournament champion Grand Canyon earned eight first-place votes and 64 points to be named the preseason favorite. UT Arlington earned 49 points to edge the Redhawks for second place.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
- The Redhawk roster features five players from the state of Washington, including three who call the city of Seattle home. The list includes returners John Christofilis (O'Dea HS/Creighton), Malek Gomma (Ingraham HS/Elite Prep), and Niko Fotopoulos (Bishop Blanchete HS/St. Thomas More School). New to the squad from the state of Washington are junior Maleek Arington (Auburn, WA/Auburn HS/Idaho State) and Ray Adams (Olympia, WA/North Thurston HS).
- Seattle U's coaching staff features numerous local ties as assistant coaches Grant Leep, D'Marques Tyson and Steven Shpreyregin all hail from the state of Washington.
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
While five players hail from the state of Washington, the Redhawks are also wll represented from around the globe. In addition to 10 players from three different states in the USA, the Redhawks roster also includes two players from China, one from Japan, one from England, one from Canada and one from Australia.
SEATTLE STORYLINES
- 2024-25 marks the Redhawks' final year competing in the Western Athletic Conference after Seattle University was accepted into the West Coast Conference beginning July 1, 2025.
- Seattle U is among the top nine DI programs in the country with three or more international true freshmen on their roster. The Redhawks' trio includes Houran Dan (China), Yuto Kawashima (Japan) and Eric Zheng (China). Buffalo leads all programs with six and Florida International has five. Seven other programs, including Seattle U, tie for third with three each.
- In the DI ranks this season, Seattle U's Houran Dan and Eric Zheng are two of just five players who hail from China. In addition, Yuto Kawashima is among just seven players to hail from Japan.
- Kobe Williamson became the program's all-time leading shot blocker on Dec. 9, 2023 and enters this season with 147 career blocks.
- The Redhawks played five game overtime games in 2023-24. They are 2-4 all-time in OT under Head Coach Chris Victor.
WHAT'S IN A NUMBER
Three Redhawks will don a new number across their chest this season. Senior Vasja Pandža traded in No. 1 for No. 7, sophomore Malek Gomma swapped out No. 24 for No. 8 and senior Kobe Williamson traded in No. 33 for No. 96.
GET YOUR TICKETS
Single-game tickets and season packages are available for purchase, including a limited number of full 14-game packages. Season ticket holders receive exclusive access to special offers and always receive the best value. All ticket options may be purchased online at goseattleu.com/tix or over the phone at 206-398-GOSU.
UP NEXT
Seattle U concludes a two-game California road swing on Saturday, Nov. 16, facing off against UC San Diego in La Jolla, Calif. Tip off from LionTree Arena is 7 p.m.
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