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FULL GAME NOTES
MOSCOW, Idaho – The Idaho men's basketball team will open the 2020-21 season this week in California with a pair of games at Sacramento State. The two teams will meet on Thursday evening at 5 p.m. before playing again on Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m.
FOLLOW: Fans can follow the Vandals all season long on Twitter and Instagram, @VandalHoops, and with the Voice of the Vandals, Chris King, at GoVandals.com/Listen. All home and conference contests will also be streamed live through the PlutoTV app and at WatchBigSky.com.
The games can be streamed on PlutoTV by clicking
here or going to GoVandals.com/WatchMBB.
SCOUTING THE HORNETS (1-0, 0-0 BSC): Sac State finished last season 16-14 overall and 8-12 in Big Sky play. They went into the BSC Tournament as the No. 9 seed, defeating No. 8 Weber State before the tournament was canceled.
Sacramento State opened the 2020-21 season with a 101-57 win over Bethesda University. Five Hornets scored in double figures, with Christian Terrell recording a double-double with a team-high 16 points and 10 rebounds.
As a team, Sac State scored 63.2 ppg last season, allowing 63.1. The team lost three starters who were all in the top five in scoring for the squad.
SERIES HISTORY: Idaho is 20-6 all-time against Sacramento State. The two teams split their series last season, with Idaho winning, 67-53, in Sacramento, and the Hornets earning a 67-56 victory in Cowan Spectrum.
SEASON PREMIER
The Vandals will look to win the first game of the season for the second consecutive year. Idaho won the first game of the season last year for the first time in three years. In the last five seasons, Idaho is 3-2 in season openers.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
The Vandals have a group of five seniors to lead them in a strange 2020-21 season.
Chance Garvin is in his fifth year with the Idaho program.
Scott Blakney is a fourth year senior.
Damen Thacker,
Ja'Vary Christmas, and
Babacar Thiombane are all in their second years with the Vandals, but all have turned into leaders on the team.
NEWCOMERS
The Vandals welcome five newcomers to the 2020-21 squad.
Tanner Christensen,
Hunter-Jack Madden, and
Ethan Kilgore are the three freshman this season.
DeAndre Robinson and
Kendall McHugh join the Vandals as transfers.
TOP COMPETITION
The Vandals will play Gonzaga on December 14. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 1 in the AP Preseason Poll. The Vandals have never taken on a team ranked first in the AP Poll. Overall, Idaho is 12-49 all-time against ranked teams, with their last win coming over No. 21-ranked Utah in the 2010-11 season (64-56). Gonzaga and Idaho last met in the 2008-09 season.
LATE START
Idaho opens the season on December 3 this year. This is the first time the Vandals began play in the month of December since the 1976-77 season, when they lost to USC on December 1. This is the latest opening game for Idaho since a December 3 win over Long Beach State in 1962.
SIGNED
Two players have signed to join the Vandals next season. RJ Walker is from Decatur, Ill. He is a guard who averaged 17 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.5 spg, and 3.2 apg his junior season. Yusef Salih, from Richmond, Va., averaged 14.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.1 apg, and 2.3 steals per game in 2019-20. He was named First Team All-Conference.
Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho men's basketball by following the team on twitter and Instagram, @VandalHoops.
For more information on Idaho Athletics, visit GoVandals.com. Fans can also find Idaho on Twitter and Instagram, @Idaho_Vandals, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals.
