Game #17
ART U Urban Knights (11-5, 7-2 PacWest) at DUC Penguins (6-11, 3-6 PacWest) 
Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024 at 3:30 p.m. 
San Rafael, Calif. – Conlan Center
Live Stats | Live Video

Game #18
ART U Urban Knights (11-5, 7-2 PacWest) vs. CUI Golden Eagles (9-6, 6-3 PacWest) 
Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. *Coaches vs Cancer*
San Francisco – Kezar Pavilion
Live Stats | Live Video

LOCKED IN
The Academy of Art men's basketball team comes out of their five-game win streak with eyes set on one more away match as they'll take on Dominican across the bridge before returning home and hosting Concordia.

TIP-OFF
The away contest against the Penguins on Saturday, Jan. 20 will tip off at 3:30 p.m., while the Knights will then battle with the Golden Eagles at home on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. For this contest, Academy of Art men's basketball will be recognizing the National Association of Basketball Coaches and American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. The nationwide event unites basketball coaches for a common cause-saving lives from cancer by promoting the importance of regular screening. For more information, visit the coaches.cancer.org. 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. 

It's @CoachesvsCancer #SuitsAndSneakers Week! This week, @ARTUMBB's @CoachWaterman & his staff join coaches across the country as they #SuitUp & support a common cause: saving lives from cancer. Come see #ARTU in action this Thurs, Jan. 25 & learn more at https://t.co/qjFCaGNpiO. pic.twitter.com/28UsU5hk8a

— ART U Urban Knights (@ARTU_Knights) January 22, 2024

KNIGHT WATCH
On an impressive stretch with wins in nine of their past 11 contests and five consecutive games, Academy of Art returned from the Hawaii trip undefeated as they took down the trio of Hawaii Pacific, Chaminade, and UH Hilo on the road for the first time in the program's history. ART U has met up with HPU twice in their last five contests, taking two wins against them with different game scripts for each. In the first meeting on Jan. 2, the Knights cruised to victory with a final score of 65-51 after leading at half 36-18. The second contest on Jan. 11 saw 22 lead changes in the game and junior forward Jamal Fuller knocked down the game-winning triple with just seconds left after the score was tight for the full 40 minutes. Most recently against CUH on Jan. 13 and UH Hilo, on Jan. 15 the Knights sailed to triumph calmly as they controlled each game down the stretch with 67-58 (CUH) and 80-63 (Hilo) finals.

Five members of ART U average double-digit points for the squad, with Fuller (18.7 ppg) leading the way while he also ranks atop the leaders in the Pacific West Conference (tied first) in points per game. Senior forward Latrell Williams (14.1 ppg) sits behind Fuller on the team while he also maintains the highest rebounds average on the squad (8.1 rpg), which is good for a near-top spot in the conference as well (second). While Latrell Williams looks to continue his strong senior season, he sits on the brink of ART U history, currently just two rebounds shy of the all-time program record while he needs one more double-double performance to make the all-time record his own. Junior forward Isaiah Williams (12.9 ppg), junior guard Rodney Munson (11.1 ppg), and junior forward Quintin Metcalf (10.2 ppg) all follow closely behind in points average. 

Other key contributions to the squad thus far on the season have been redshirt sophomore guard Eli Taylor's assists average (2.6 apg) and Isaiah Williams' 1.0 blocks average (fifth in PacWest). With four Knights in the top five in steals per game, being Latrell Williams (2.1), junior guard Treylon Payne (1.9), Isaiah Williams (1.8), and Munson (1.8), the team is ranked sixth as a unit in the NCAA Division II pool. While highly ranked in steals, their strong defense sets them up to also currently obtain a fifth place ranking in turnover margin (+7.0).

DOMINATING DOMINICAN
The Knights will soon match up with the Penguins, who come into the contest with a 3-6 conference record while having a 6-11 overall record. Dominican is coming off an overtime victory versus Chaminade, making it their lone win on their Hawaii trip as they fell to both Hawaii Pacific and UH Hilo just days prior. The Penguins' defense remains among the middle of the pack in the PacWest Conference, giving up 70.4 points per game (5th), while their offense has seen better seasons as they currently sit towards the bottom in the conference rankings (10th). The Knights dominate the Penguins when looking at turnover margin, as ART U maintains the highest margin in the PacWest (7.0) compared to Dominican (0.12). Three members of the Penguins stand in the double digits in points per game, with Dale Currie (13.2) at the top as Marcus McCutchen (12.9) and PJ Volz (10.2) hang right behind. As ART U seeks its fifth straight win over DUC, the Penguins lead the all-time series 20-12. 

CRUISING BY CONCORDIA
Concordia currently holds a 9-6 record, are 6-3 in conference, and will enter Kezar Pavilion after their upcoming match with Fresno Pacific. While the Golden Eagles have already taken down the Knights previously this season at their place, they have also captured a victory from first-place Biola. Although CUI has defeated powerhouse squads, they have fallen to UH Hilo and Chaminade, teams that the Knights are 3-0 against this season. Concordia is as centrally located within the conference as it gets, as they hold a fifth-place standing, hold the sixth-best defense, and maintain the seventh-place offense, rounding it all off with their minimal scoring margin (0.0). Tim Adetukasi is doing it all for CUI, as he leads the Golden Eagles in both scoring average (15.4 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg) with his work on the glass ranking ninth in the conference. Kobe Sanders and Jackson Tucker both hold the best next scoring average (10.7 ppg) while Connor Gleason sits right there with them (10.2 ppg). Academy of Art has taken the victory in four of their last six meetings with CUI, but Concordia holds the all-time series 8-5.

KNIGHTS BEST VULCANS 80-63, LEAVE HAWAII UNDEFEATED
Contributions came from all around during Academy of Art men's basketball's Pacific West Conference matchup with UH Hilo on Jan. 15, as all five members of the Urban Knight starting squad scored in the double digits in a game that solidified a Hawaii trip sweep for the first time in school history by way of the 80-63 victory for ART U.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Urban Knights will head back to the road for a quick Southern California trip where they'll first take on Azusa Pacific on Thursday, Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and then head further down the coast to meet up with Point Loma on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 5 p.m.