nussbaum tipoff vs. presbyterian
Randall K. Wolf

Men's Basketball

Keydets to host rival The Citadel Saturday

LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI basketball team looks to shake off a tough loss to Furman Wednesday as it prepares to host Southern Conference rival The Citadel Saturday at 1 p.m. at Cameron Hall. Saturday's game will be a "Red Out" so make sure to wear red and support your VMI Keydets!!

Game Information
VMI vs. The Citadel – Saturday, Jan. 20 – 1 pm        
Tickets |  Live Stats  |  Watch on ESPN+          
 
QUICK HITS
* The Keydets are coming off a 100-60 loss to Furman Wednesday night in the first of three straight home games at Cameron Hall
* VMI is one of the top rebounding teams in the Southern Conference, ranking third in rebounds per game (39.2),
second in defensive (28.6) and fifth in offensive boards per game (10.6).
* VMI ranks sixth in three-point field goal percentage at .340
* Taeshaud Jackson II is the primary force in rebounding, averaging 10.4 per game for second most in the SoCon
* Freshman Stephen Olowoniyi is second on the team in rebounding with 6.6 per game, ninth best in the league
* Junior Brennan Watkins ranks first in the league in free-throw shooting at .880 (44/50) from the charity stripe. He also ninth in three-pointers per game at 2.3, and is 10th in both assists (2.9) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.0)
* Freshman Tyran Cook is presently ninth in the league in overall field goal percentage at .423
 
A WIN OVER THE CITADEL WOULD ...
--- Be VMI's 60th all-time win over the Bulldogs
--- Be VMI's first SoCon victory of the season
--- Be VMI's fourth win of the season and first Division I victory of the year
 
VMI vs. The Citadel Series History (59-61)
Saturday's game marks the 121st all-time meeting between the schools with The Citadel holding a razor-thin 61-59 lead in the historic series dating back to 1920. The schools split the series a year ago with each team winning on the other's home court. VMI took a 75-69 win in Charleston in February, and The Citadel won the first contest in Lexington by a 60-52 count. VMI has won two of the last five games, with its prior win coming on Jan. 15, 2022 in Charleston, a 90-85 VMI win.
 
LAST TIME OUT - January 17, 2024 - Furman 100, VMI 60 - Lexington, Va.
   After a two-game Southern Conference road swing, the VMI basketball team fell to visiting Furman by a 100-60 score in its return to Cameron Hall Wednesday night.
   The Keydets (3-15, 0-5) kept pace with the Paladins (9-9, 3-2) early on, but Furman's Carter Whitt caught fire and scored 15 points to lead the visitors to a 41-26 lead at the half. The Paladins finished the game shooting nearly 50 percent from three-point range (18-37) while the Keydets struggled from beyond the arc shooting 20 percent (5-25).
 
LAST TIME vs. THE CITADEL - Feb. 2, 2023 - VMI 75, The Citadel 69 - Charleston, S.C.
   Working hard to earn an elusive win in conference play, the VMI basketball team registered its first Southern Conference victory of the season by defeating rival The Citadel by a 75-69 count on Feb. 2, 2023, at McAlister Field House in Charleston, South Carolina.
   The win is the first conference game victory for VMI head coach Andrew Wilson, who also picked up his first career road victory at the helm. It also snapped a 12-game losing skid for the Keydets, who opened SoCon play 0-10 between late December and through the month of January.
   In a game that featured nine ties and 12 lead changes, the Keydets (6-18, 1-10) overcame an 11-point deficit early in the second half to come back and earn the win.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Brennan Watkins

#1 Brennan Watkins

G
5' 11"
Sophomore
Taeshaud Jackson II

#2 Taeshaud Jackson II

G
6' 4"
Freshman
Tyran Cook

#0 Tyran Cook

G
6' 2"
Freshman
Stephen Olowoniyi

#10 Stephen Olowoniyi

F
6' 8"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Brennan Watkins

#1 Brennan Watkins

5' 11"
Sophomore
G
Taeshaud Jackson II

#2 Taeshaud Jackson II

6' 4"
Freshman
G
Tyran Cook

#0 Tyran Cook

6' 2"
Freshman
G
Stephen Olowoniyi

#10 Stephen Olowoniyi

6' 8"
Freshman
F