Men's Basketball Preps for Sunday Game vs. Fairfield

Quinnipiac (7-7, 2-1 MAAC) vs. Fairfield (5-11, 2-2 MAAC)
Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019 | 2:00 PM
People's United Center | Hamden, Conn.
Game Notes: Quinnipiac

Stream: ESPN3 (PxP: Jonny Wincott | Color: Bill Mecca)
Radio: WQUN (AM 1220) (PxP: Steve Lenox | Color: Michael Zahn)
Live Statistics: QuinnipiacBobcats.com
Live Updates: @QU_MBB

All-Time Series vs. Fairfield: 6-6
Last Season vs. Fairfield: 1-2 (74-64 win on Mar. 4, 2018)
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HAMDEN, Conn. – Quinnipiac men's basketball returns to action on Sunday, hosting in-state MAAC rival Fairfield from the People's United Center in Hamden.

SCOUTING FAIRFIELD

Fairfield is currently 2-2 in MAAC play, 5-11 overall in 2018-19. The Stags have won each of their last two league games, cruising past Niagara (77-59) at home on Jan. 7 before topping Saint Peter's (60-57) in a close road contest on Jan. 10.
Sydney Johnson has been the Stags head coach since 2011-12, earning a 177-189 record with the program over eight seasons. He has led the program to four postseason appearances (2017, 2016, 2013, 2012).
Landon Taliaferro leads the team in scoring with 13.3 points per contest, starting all 17 Fairfield games. Neftali Alvarez has posted 12.8 points and 4.1 assists per contest, while Jonathan Kasibab has recorded 11.8 points and a team-best 7.8 rebounds a night.
The Bobcats are 6-6 overall vs. Fairfield, going 1-2 vs. the Stags last season. Quinnipiac fell vs. Fairfield (74-64) on Mar. 4, 2017 in the MAAC Semifinals, ending the Bobcats' postseason run in the conference tournament in Albany.

LAST TIME OUT: vs. MONMOUTH

Cameron Young (33 points) and Rich Kelly (25 points) both recorded season-high scoring totals on Thursday night on Lender Court at the People's United Center, leading Quinnipiac men's basketball past Monmouth by the final score of 89-83 in double overtime. With the win, the Bobcats improved to 7-7 (2-1 MAAC) so far in 2018-19.
Young shot 8-of-18 from the floor in the win, while Kelly went 7-for-14 from the field. Kelly knocked down a 3-point field goal with 35 seconds left to give the Bobcats a two-point lead in the second overtime period.
The Bobcats shot 26-of-59 (44.1 percent) from the field in total, going 14-for-36 from 3-point distance.
Quinnipic led by 14 points with 1:36 left in regulation, but the Hawks outscored the Bobcats 19-5 in less than two minutes to tie the game and force overtime. Quinnipiac then outscored Monmouth 15-9 in the second overtime period to earn the conference win.

THREE-POINT SUCCESS

The 3-point shot has been advantage for Quinnipiac on both sides of the ball this season.
Quinnipiac is averaging 10.1 3-point field goals per game, which ranks No. 1 in the conference and 21^st nationally.
The Bobcats have also allowed opponents to shoot just 34.2 percent from 3-point distance, the best defensive mark of any MAAC team so far this season.

FEELING HOT, HOT, HOT

Quinnipiac has recorded double-digit 3-point totals in seven straight games, going 86-215 (40.0 percent) from the floor.
The Bobcats have converted on 10+ 3-pointers in 10 of 14 games this season.

TOP-CATS

Cameron Young leads the MAAC in scoring (19.6 points per game),
Kevin Marfo leads the MAAC in scoring (9.3 rebounds per game).

SECOND SEASON OF THE DUNLEAVY ERA

The 2018-19 season marks the second year at the helm of the Bobcats' program for Baker Dunleavy, a very successful former player and coach under Jay Wright at Villanova.
During his playing days – behind future NBA guards Randy Foye and Kyle Lowry – the Wildcats were an Elite Eight team in 2005-06. In his four seasons as an associate head coach from 2013-17, Villanova compiled an overall record of 129-17, including a national title in 2016 and four straight BIG EAST regular season titles. He is only the seventh head coach in Quinnipiac's history (since 1951-52).
In his first season with the Bobcats, Dunleavy led the program to the MAAC semifinals for just the second time since Quinnipiac joined the conference in 2013-14. Quinnipiac went 12-21 in 2017-18 (7-11 MAAC), topping No. 10 Siena and No. 2 Canisius in the MAAC Tournament to advance to the Semifinal Round.
Dunleavy agreed to a five-year contract extension through the 2022-23 season, Quinnipiac Director of Athletics and Recreation Greg Amodio announced in August. The second-year head coach was named to The Athletic's list of "30 Coaches to Watch" in early November.

BUILDING A WINNING STAFF

After being hired as the Quinnipiac head coach in March of 2017, Baker Dunleavy quickly assembled a very successful coaching staff.
Associate Head Coach Tom Pecora, an assistant to Jay Wright at Hofstra (before taking over the head coaching duties when Wright left for Villanova), was a part of seven 20-win seasons with Hofstra (four as a head coach, three as an assistant) and was part of two 26-win teams (one as a head coach, one as an assistant), the program's highest win total at the Division I level.
Shaun Morris, who was an associate head coach at Boston University for Joe Jones (another of Jay Wright's former assistants at Villanova), helped the Terriers to their winningest season ever (24) in 2013-14.
Anthony Goins, meanwhile, was an assistant down the road at Yale under James Jones (Joe's brother), where he helped Yale to its winningest season in school history (23) in 2015-16. Dunleavy, Pecora, Morris and Goins have combined to be a part of 15 seasons of 20 wins or more at the Division I level as coaches.

FAMILY TIES

Quinnipiac head coach Baker Dunleavy's father, Mike, is currently the head coach of Tulane after a long NBA coaching career, including stops with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. Mike and Baker are the only father-son combination currently serving as head coaches at the Division I level. Baker's older brother, Mike Jr., had a 16-year NBA career (most recently with the Atlanta Hawks) after winning a national title in college with Duke in 2001. Mike Jr. was recently hired as a pro scout for the Golden State Warriors.

MILESTONES

Cameron Young now has 896 career points, just 104 away from 1,000.
Rich Kelly has 196 career assists, just four away from 200.
Jacob Rigoni has 456 career points, needing just 44 more to reach 500 as a sophomore.

HE'S BAAACCCKKKKK

Senior guard Cameron Young was granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA in May of 2018, as the Bobcats leading scorer from a season ago will return as a graduate student in 2018-19, and was selected to the 2018-19 Preseason All-MAAC First Team.
Young has led Quinnipiac in scoring once again in 2018-19, averaging 19.6 points per game to go along with 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists. The Los Angeles-native has recorded 10+ points in 13 of 14 games this season.
He went 15-for-18 from the free throw line on Saturday, Dec. 1 at Stony Brook, becoming one of just 13 players in college basketball to make 15+ FT's in a game so far this season.
Young was a second-team All-MAAC selection last season under first-year head coach Baker Dunleavy after leading the Bobcats in scoring at 18.8 points per game, which ranked fourth in the MAAC. He averaged 20.9 points per game in MAAC games, which ranked second in the league, and was a MAAC All-Tournament Team selection after helping the Bobcats win two games, including an upset over regular season co-champion Canisius in the quarterfinals. His 622 points set a new Quinnipiac single-season scoring record at the Division I level, as did his 184 made free throws.
With Young's return, the Bobcats boast the top returning scorer in the conference, since the league's top three scorers this past season (Tyler Nelson of Fairfield / Kahlil Dukes and Matt Scott of Niagara) were all seniors. Young is also one of four returning players who were named to the All-MAAC first or second teams for the 2017-18 season (along with Isaiah Reese of Canisius, Dimencio Vaughn of Rider and Rickey McGill of Iona) as the Bobcats look to build off last year's MAAC Semifinals appearance in Dunleavy's second season at the helm.

RETURN OF RICH

Rick Kelly also returns for the Bobcats after an impressive rookie campaign. After missing the Bobcats' first five games of the season due to an injury, Kelly played in his first game of the year at Stony Brook on Saturday, Dec. 1.
He has recorded 11.3 points, a team-best 4.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game over his first nine contests of the season, scoring 10+ points in six of his last seven. Kelly scored a season-high 25 points vs. Monmouth on Thursday in Hamden.
Kelly was selected to the 2018-19 Preseason All-MAAC Third Team.
Kelly earned a spot on the 2017-18 MAAC All-Rookie squad, tallying 11.1 points, a team-high 4.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds per contest during his first year at Quinnipiac while handling the starting point guard duties all year and averaging 34 minutes per game. The sophomore guard started in 32 total games, finishing third on the program's Division I single-season assist list with 155. He tallied double-digit points totals in 13 games.
To help cement the honors, Kelly had a 40-point explosion against Fairfield on Feb. 17, in which he shattered his previous high of 22 points. He became only the second Bobcat to score 40 points in a Division I game, falling one shy of Rob Monroe's school DI record of 41 points set against Longwood in 2004-05. Back on Dec. 4, Kelly had 22 points and 10 assists against Columbia, the first 20-point, 10-assist game for a Bobcat since Monroe had 25 points and 12 assists against FDU.

THAT DIDN'T TAKE LONG

Freshman guard Tyrese Williams – a 6-1 guard from New York (Cardinal Hayes HS) – has made a major impact for the Bobcats over his first 13 collegiate games.
Williams has started in all 14 games for QU, stuffing the stat sheet with 8.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest. The first-year guard has recorded 10+ points in six games.

THREE-GONI

Jacob Rigoni returns to the Bobcats as a sophomore in 2018-19 after playing in all 33 games last season. The native of Adelaide, Australia – Rigoni averaged 9.8 points per game in 2017-18, including 11.5 points per contest in MAAC play.
Rigoni shot 43.2 percent from 3-point distance last year during MAAC play, ranking No. 1 in the conference. He made 75 3 pointers, placing second on Quinnipiac's Division I single-season list.
Rigoni has recorded 9.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per contest this year – starting in all 14 games. He posted a career-best 23 points in Quinnipiac's road win at New Hampshire on Nov. 20, and has recorded nine games of 10+ points this season.

TRANSFERS

The Bobcats have two transfers currently playing key roles in 2018-19. Kevin Marfo (George Washington) and wing Travis Atson (Tulsa) sat out last season per NCAA regulations after playing their freshman year at other schools.

GROWN MAN STRENGTH

Kevin Marfo leads the MAAC in rebounds per contest (9.3 rebounds per games). The junior transfer has also recorded 7.4 points per game.
The big man has recorded three double-doubles so far this season for the Bobcats.
He played in 23 of 35 George Washington games in 2016-17, recording 2.7 points and 2.8 assists per game. The forward posted a season-high 18 points and nine rebounds on Dec. 4, 2016, shooting 6-for-10 from the floor.

ATSON'S AN ADVANTAGE

Travis Atson's presence has been felt at Quinnipiac, as well, as the junior has posted 7.6 points per game this year – ranking fifth on the team. Atson has also recorded 3.7 rebounds per contest, and has eight contests of 10+ points.
Atson scored 35 points in just 133 minutes as a freshman at Tulsa, including a 10-point performance off the bench on Nov. 28, 2016. He played in 22 total games in 2016-17, starting three times.

A LONG ROAD TO HAMDEN

Few athletes have overcome such significant odds to reach the college level as senior forward Abdulai Bundu. Bundu was born in 1996 in Sierra Leone in the middle of a civil war, just before his parents won an immigration lottery to come to the United States. However, they could not secure visas for Abdulai and his brother and had to make the agonizing decision to leave them behind with family and try to bring them over later. Abdulai survived four refugee camps, before he was finally reunited with his parents in Maryland in 2003 at age 7.
Bundu played in all 33 games for Quinnipiac last year, recording 5.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. As a junior, he shot 55.0 percent from the floor.

TWIN KILLINGS

Seniors Aaron Robinson and Andrew Robinson are the first twins in Quinnipiac men's basketball history. Both brothers made an impact off the bench in 2017-18, as Andrew scored 5.9 PPG before having his season cut short to injury while Aaron recorded 3.1 PPG in 30 contests for the Bobcats.
Aaron has played in all 13 Bobcats' games this year, recording a season-high 15 points off the bench for Quinnipiac at UMass on Nov. 28. Aaron has averaged 5.1 points per game.

TYREE'S TURN

Freshman guard Tyree Pickron recorded a career-high 10 points in the Bobcats' final non-conference contest of 2018-19 on Dec. 22, going 4-4 from the floor vs. Stony Brook in Hamden.
Pickron has scored 25 points in 132 total minutes this year.

ALL-MAAC HONOREES

Guard Cameron Young (Los Angeles, Calif.) was selected to the 2018 Preseason All-MAAC First Team, as announced by the conference office on Oct. 23 during the Men's and Women's Basketball Preseason Awards Show on ESPN3.
Sophomore guard Rich Kelly (Shelton, Conn.) also earned an individual honor, being selected to the 2018 Preseason All-MAAC Third Team.
The Bobcats were picked to finish tied for third place in the Preseason Coaches' Poll. Quinnipiac received 94 total points in the vote, finishing behind Rider (121 points) and Canisius (105 points) and tied with Iona (94 points).

THIS YEAR'S SCHEDULE

The Bobcats' non-conference schedule features 11 games, including five at home at the People's United Center, five away, and a neutral site game against Drexel (Dec. 16) at Mohegan Sun Arena as part of the Hall of Fame Showcase. The 11-game slate concludes on Dec. 22 with a home game against Stony Brook, before the Bobcats head into the MAAC schedule after the holiday break.
Quinnipiac's first home game of conference play will be played against Monmouth on Jan. 10 at the People's United Center. The Bobcats' MAAC opener will take place at Draddy Gymnasium on Thursday, Jan. 3 against the Jaspers of Manhattan College, and will be followed by another road game at defending MAAC Co-Regular Season champion Rider on Saturday, Jan. 5.

2017-18: LIVING ON THE EDGE

Quinnipiac went 12-21 in 2017-18 (7-11 MAAC), before topping No. 10 Siena and No. 2 Canisius in the MAAC Tournament to advance to the Semifinal Round.
Out of the Bobcats' 30 games in the regular season during 2017-18, almost half (13) were decided by two points or less or in double overtime, going 7-6 in those contests (7-3 in the ones decided in less than two overtimes). The Bobcats had four one-point wins last year (over Dartmouth, Siena, Marist, and Manhattan) and three two-point wins (over UMass, Columbia, and Monmouth)

Schedule

Men's Basketball Preps for Sunday Game vs. Fairfield

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Players Mentioned

Travis Atson

Travis Atson

Abdulai Bundu

Rich Kelly

Kevin Marfo

Kevin Marfo

Tyree Pickron

Jacob Rigoni

Aaron Robinson

Andrew Robinson

Tyrese Williams

Cameron Young

Cameron Young

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Men's Basketball Preps for Sunday Game vs. Fairfield

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Travis Atson

Travis Atson

Abdulai Bundu

Rich Kelly

Kevin Marfo

Kevin Marfo

Tyree Pickron

Jacob Rigoni

Aaron Robinson

Andrew Robinson

Tyrese Williams

Cameron Young

Cameron Young

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