NO. 1 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (17-0, 5-0)
vs. ANGELO STATE (13-4, 3-2)
Thursday, Jan. 20 – 7:30 p.m. CT
Junell Center (San Angelo, Texas)
All-Time Series: ASU leads 22-8
 
NEED TO KNOW

• Lubbock Christian is 17-0 for the first time in program history, breaking the program's previous best start of 16-0, which was set last year
• The Chaps are ranked No. 1 nationally in both NCAA Division II national polls
• LCU has the best field-goal percentage defense in the nation, holding opponents to 37.4 percent shooting
• Parker Hicks and Lloyd Daniels rank first and second in the LSC, respectively, in shooting percentage
• ASU's two losses in league play have come against DBU and St. Edward's
• This is LCU's first game in a week, after a game vs. St. Mary's was postponed

 
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FOREVER…
The Lubbock Christian men's basketball team is 17-0. The Chaps set a new program record last Thursday with the 87-60 win over St. Edward's for the best start in school history. The previous record of 16-0 was set just last season. With Cal State San Marcos losing last week, LCU is one of just two teams remaining in all of NCAA Division II still undefeated. Nova Southeastern is the other at 16-0. The Chaps are also the only team still unbeaten in Lone Star Conference play. In fact, DBU is the only team that has played at least five league games and has only one loss.
 
THE DEFENSE DOESN'T REST
In their most recent game against St. Edward's, LCU held the Hilltoppers to just 30 percent shooting for the night, tied for SEU's lowest mark of the year. And they're far from the only team to experience trouble shooting against the Chaps. In fact, Lubbock Christian opponents are shooting a combined 37.4 percent from the field this season, which is the best mark in all of Division II. The Chaps have also limited opponents to 59.1 points per game, which is the fourth-best mark in the nation. Eight different teams have had their lowest scoring output of the season against LCU. Tough defense obviously requires every member of the team, but Hicks has been recognized for his role defending with five LSC Defensive Player of the Week awards this season.
 
HELPING THEMSELVES
The Chaps average 16.4 assists per game, which is best in the conference and ranks No. 33 nationally. Daniels leads the team in that category with 5.1 per game (second in the LSC), but Aamer Muhammad has added in 3.2 per contest as well. LCU is able to tally all of these assists while also taking good care of the ball, averaging just 10.2 turnovers per game, which ranks 10^th among Division II. Only once this season have they committed more than 15 turnovers in a game. LCU's overall assist to turnover ratio is 1.61, which is the best mark in the conference and is eighth-best nationally. Daniels ranks fifth in the LSC individually with an assist to turnover ratio of 2.3.
 
ON THE MONEY
While opposing teams have struggled to shoot the ball against Lubbock Christian, the Chaps have been one of the best shooting teams in the country. They have shot 50 percent or better from the field in 12 games so far and their season average of 52.3 percent is the fifth-best nationally. Individually, Hicks and Daniels rank first and second, respectively, in the LSC with marks of 55.8 and 54.9 percent. Muhammad is also fourth in the league at 48.5 percent. LCU hasn't been quite as good behind the arc this season as they were in 2020-21, but their 39.1 percent shooting is still good enough to lead the league and rank 20^th in D-II.
 
CREAM OF THE CROP
On Jan. 15, Small College Basketball announced the Top-100 Watch List for the Bevo Francis Award, which features 100 players from DII, DIII, NAIA, USCAA, and NCCAA men's college basketball. Both Hicks and Daniels are on the list. The award was created in 2015 and is named after Clarence "Bevo" Francis. Francis played two seasons at what is now the University of Rio Grande. In his first season, he led the team to a 39-0 record averaging 50.1 points per game, highlighted by a 116-point performance against Ashland College in Kentucky. The list will shrink throughout the coming months, with the winner being announced on April 4.
 
NATIONALLY KNOWN
For the eight straight week, the Chaparrals are ranked No. 1 in both NCAA Division II national top-25 polls. They drew 398 points and 15 of the 16 first place votes in the NABC coaches poll, ranking ahead of Nova Southeastern. The Sharks are also ranked No. 2 in the D2SIDA media poll, behind LCU's 393 points and 12 (out of 16) first place votes. The Chaps have beaten three opponents who were ranked at the time of playing this season. They also beat Regis to start the year, and although the Rangers were not ranked at the time, they have since climbed to No. 15 in the NABC poll.
 
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Lubbock Christian has played five true road games this season, winning every one of them. They are averaging 72.2 points per game on 53.0 percent shooting in hostile territory, having beaten Hawaii Pacific, Chaminade, Western N.M., Texas A&M-Commerce and UT Tyler. Opponents on the road are averaging just 54.3 points per game on only 37.4 percent shooting. Angelo State plays its home games at in the Stephens Arena at the Junell Center, which was completed in December of 2001 and can accommodate up to 5,600 fans.
 
SCOUTING THE RAMS

• Angelo State is receiving votes in both national top-25 polls and has been ranked nationally at times this season
• The Rams' four losses this season have come against Texas A&M-Kingsville, St. Edward's (twice) and Dallas Baptist
• ASU gets to the free throw line more than any team in Division II, having attempted 482 free throws this season and making 340 of them (70.5 percent)
• Ram guard Tyrell Carroll leads the team in scoring with 13.6 points per game and is the reigning LSC Offensive Player of the Week
• ASU ranks first in the LSC and 19^th in the nation with 9.5 steals per game. Carroll is the team-leader in that category as well with 2.4 per game

 
THE SERIES WITH THE RAMS
Lubbock Christian has been facing off with Angelo State on the hardwood for a long time, with the series dating all the way back to the 1961-62 season when both schools still had junior college status. The Rams beat up on the Pioneers/Chaps in the early days, winning the first 16 meetings before LCU won in 1979, and ASU leads the all-time series 30-8 with the junior college games included. Since the Chaps moved to the NCAA, however, the series has been much closer. LCU and ASU have met 10 times since 2012, with the Rams only holding a 6-4 advantage. The Chaps won both meetings against the Rams in the 2020-21 season.