Under the Radar Game of the Day: Cal State Bakersfield at Chicago State, 8:00 PM Eastern
With no significant sporting events scheduled for tonight (what? some football game?), the UTR Game of the Day will be heading to Chicago for a battle in the Western Athletic Conference between the Bakersfield Roadrunners and the Chicago State Cougars. Although it is our firm belief that the Grand Canyon Antelopes should be eligible for the WAC’s automatic bid this season (click here to read more on that), among the currently NCAA eligible teams, the highest KenPom rating belongs to Bakersfield. The Roadrunners enter play tonight with a KenPom rating of 119. They sit at 11-5 on the season and 1-0 in WAC play. Their last two wins have come on the road, including their conference opener at UMKC. Four players scored in double figures in that win, led by Aly Ahmed’s 24 points. Daminye Durham shot 6 for 10 from three, adding 18 points. In fact, Durham now has 33 made three’s on the season — and only 13 made shots from inside the arc. If he gets hot again tonight and teammates like Ahmed continue to shine, Bakersfield should pick up their second conference victory and continue to establish themselves as a legitimate contender for the conference title.
Standing between Bakersfield and a 2-0 WAC start is the Chicago State Cougars. Chicago State has struggled so far this season, with only one Division I win to date (at home against Western Illinois). Overall, with three non-D1 wins, the Cougars are 4-13, 0-1 in WAC play. Fred Sims is one player worth keeping an eye on for the Cougars as he has had a few games so far this season in which he has shined, including a 26 point effort at Marquette and a 22 point effort at DePaul. Although both those games ended in defeats, the Cougars are at home tonight, where all four of their wins have occurred. Even though winning this game would be a considered an upset, if Sims and his teammates can come together, they are certainly capable of pulling it out.