Men's Basketball | 12.16.2021

NO. 1 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (10-0)
vs. ROLLINS COLLEGE (6-4, 1-3)
Tuesday, Dec. 14 – 7 p.m.
South Point Arena (Las Vegas, Nevada)
All-Time Series: First-ever meeting
 
NEED TO KNOW

• This weekend's games against Rollins College and Western Washington will wrap up non-conference play for the Chaps
• The Rollins mascot is the Tar, which is a traditional nickname for the sailors of the British Empire
• LCU leads the league in field goal percentage defense (35.9) and ranks second in the league in scoring defense (57.6)
• Lloyd Daniels and Parker Hicks rank second and third in the LSC in shooting percentage with marks of 57.0 and 56.0, respectively
• LCU is ranked No. 1 in both the NABC and D2SIDA national top-25 polls

 
A PERFECT TEN
There are just nine teams left in all of NCAA Division II who have not lost a game this season, including Lubbock Christian. All of those teams, however, have played fewer games than the Chaps. UT Tyler is the only other team left in the Lone Star Conference without a loss, but the Patriots have played just seven times. Last season, the Chaps set a new program record for best start to a season by winning their first 16 games of the year. Prior to that, the record was 10-0 to start the 1996-97 season, meaning the Chaps have now matched the second-best start in program history.
 
LAST LINE OF DEFENSE
A huge part of the reason LCU has started with 10 straight wins has been their stifling defense. Chaparral opponents are currently shooting 35.9 percent for the season, which is the lowest opponent field goal percentage in all of NCAA Division II. Furthermore, LCU is allowing only 56.7 points per game, which is the fourth best mark in the nation. Only Texas A&M International has held opponents to fewer points per game (57.0) in the LSC. Three times this season, LCU has held the opposing team below 30 percent shooting from the field. They have accomplished all of this while ranking last in the league in steals per game (4.00) and just 10th in blocks per game (3.20).
 
GLASS CLEANER
Lubbock Christian has been strong on the glass this season, out-rebounding all 10 of their opponents. In last week's games against Oklahoma City and Western New Mexico, they had positive rebound margins of 18 and 11, respectively. The average rebound margin for the Chaps this season is 6.8, a mark that ranks second in the conference and 31st nationally. Parker Hicks is both the team and conference leader with an average of 9.3 per game. Of his 93 total rebounds, 79 have come on the defensive glass, and he has five double-doubles on the year. Rowan Mackenzie and Aamer Muhammad are both averaging more than five rebounds per game as well.
 
 
CHAPS HELPING CHAPS
Lubbock Christian leads the LSC and ranks No. 28 nationally with 17.20 assists per game. Lloyd Daniels leads the haps in that category, averaging 5.1 assists per game, including a season-high of 11 on Dec. 6 against Oklahoma City. Mackenzie is second on the team with an average of 3.1 per game, and both Hicks and Muhammad are averaging more than two assists per game. Despite the high number of assists, LCU only averages 9.5 turnovers per game, which leads the LSC as well. Their assist to turnover ratio of 1.81 is the fourth-best in the nation.
 
SHOOTING STARS
While opposing teams have struggled to shoot the ball against LCU, the Chaps have had a hot shooting start to the season. They have hit 52.3 percent of their shots from the field, a mark that leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks No. 6 nationally. Among qualifying players, both Daniels and Hicks rank in the top five in the league with shooting percentages of 57.0 and 56.0 percent, respectively. Zach Stepp is shooting even better at 62.9 percent, but on only 35 attempts.
 
NATIONALLY KNOWN
Lubbock Christian remains ranked No. 1 nationally for the fourth straight week, first appearing in that spot in the polls on Nov. 23. The Chaps occupy the top spot in the National Association of Basketball Coaches poll¬ with 396 points and 13 of the 16 first place votes. They received 10 of the 16 first place votes in the Division II Sports Information Directors Association poll with 390 points. Northwest Missouri State is the second-place team in both polls. LCU had previously been ranked as high as No. 2 during the 2020-21 season. The highest the program was ever ranked in the NAIA was No. 4 from Jan. 20-27, 2004. The Lady Chaps are also currently ranked No. 1 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association national poll as of Dec. 21, making this the first time the two programs have been No. 1 simultaneously.
 
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The Chaparrals are back out on the road for this weekend's game, although both contests will be considered neutral site. LCU has played one neutral site game so far this season, taking down Hawaii Hilo at the Shark Tank on Nov. 24. The Chaps are 3-0 in true road games though, averaging 74.7 points on 55.4 percent shooting. Chap opponents in true road games are being held to 47.7 points per game on 35.5 percent shooting. In their most recent road game – on Dec. 11 at Western New Mexico – they blasted the Mustangs 96-55.
 
SCOUTING THE TARS

• Rollins is coming off a 98-92 win against No. 12 Barry last Saturday. They also beat Flagler early in the season, who was ranked No. 2 at the time, but has since dropped out of both D-II national polls
• The Tars have the worst defense in the Sunshine State Conference, allowing an average of 82.1 points per game
• Kyle Marion is the leading scorer on the Rollins roster and ranks No. 4 in the SSC with an average of 19.3 points per game
• Rollins head coach Tom Klusman is in his 42^nd season at the helm of the program. He ranks fourth among active NCAA D-II coaches with 723 career wins
• The Tars are shooting 49.8 percent from the field, which is the second-best mark in the SSC

 
THE SERIES WITH THE TARS
This is the first-ever meeting between Lubbock Christian and Rollins College.