Men's Basketball Hosts NAU on Thursday in Holt Arena

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POCATELLO, Idaho- Idaho State continues its home stand this week with games vs. Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. The Bengals host NAU on Feb. 12 and SUU on Feb. 14. Both games begin at 7 p.m. and will be played at ICCU Court in Holt Arena. To follow the game online with live stats, video and audio log onto isubengals.com.

Idaho State vs. NAU
Idaho State leads the series 50-45 but NAU has won the last five meetings. Last year NAU beat
ISU 66-65 in Pocatello and 67-65 in Flagstaff. Both games were won in the final seconds. Eight of the last 10 meetings have been decided by six points or less.

Scouting NAU
Nothern Arizona is 12-11 and 7-3 in Big Sky Conference play. Quinton Upshur leads NAU in scoring at 15 points a game. Aaseem Dixon is scoring 13.1 points and Kris Yanku is averaging 12.1 points a game. As a team, the Lumberjacks are scoring 68 points a game and allowing 67.5. NAU shoots 40.5 percent from the field and averges 36.9 rebounds.

Idaho State vs. SUU
Southern Utah leads the series 14-9 but the Bengals have won three of the last five meetings,
including two of the last three in Cedar City. Last year ISU swept SUU 75-65 in Cedar City and 60-45 in Pocatello. In the 2012-13 season ISU lost to SUU in Pocatello 81-79 in overtime.

Scouting the T-Birds
SUU is 5-16 and 2-8 in Big Sky Conference play. A.J. Hess leads the T-Birds in scoring at 11.9 points and Casey Oliverson scores eight a game. SUU is scoring 68.6 points a game and giving up 75.  The T-Birds shoot 44 percent from the field.

Rebounding Machine
In two seasons, Jeffrey Solarin has established himself as one the best rebounders ever to wear the orange and black. He currently has 450 rebounds and is 23 rebounds away from passing Brand Robinson's (1975-79) 472 career rebounds to move into 10th place for total rebounds in the ISU career record book. Last year he averaged 8.5 rebounds a game. In the first 23 games of the 2014-15 season he is averaging 9.2 boards a game. He had a season-high 15 rebounds vs. Weber State on Feb. 7. Solarin has eight rebounds or more in 29 of the 50 games he has appeared in as a Bengal.

Hansen Putting up the Points
Chris Hansen became the 20th Bengal in ISU men's basketball history to reach the 1,000 point mark. He scored nine points vs. Bakersfield on Dec. 20 to reach the mark and he now has 1,206 points in his career. Here is where he ranks on the all-time scoring list.
1. Les Roh        1952-56    1964
2. Steve Hayes        1973-77    1933
3. Donn Holston        1982-87    1819
4. Jim Potter        1991-95    1810
5. Arthur Crump        1961-64    1557
6. Willie Humes        1969-71    1510
7. Lloyd Harris        1955-58    1489
8. Lawrence Butler        1977-79    1420
9. Frank Swopes        1959-62    1304
10. David Schroeder    2002-03, 2004-07    1265
11. Amorrow Morgan    2006-10    1221
12. Ron Boone        1965-68    1221
13.  Chris Hansen        2011-15    1206

Redshirt Year Pays off for Ezenwa
As a junior during the 2012-13 season, Nnamdi Ezenwa played in  all 30 games but averaged 18 minutes, 2.3 points, .4 rebounds and shot .358 percent from the field. After redshirting during the 2013-14 season, Ezenwa is now playing 31.6 minutes a game, averaging 9.3 points, shooting .448 percent from the field and grabbing 5.1 rebounds a game. He had a career-high 18 points on Nov. 26 against UVU and nine rebounds in a loss to Montana.

Long Range
Chris Hansen has moved to No. 2 in the ISU career record books for 3-pointers made and No. 1 for 3-pointers  attempted.
Career 3-pointers Made
1- David Schroeder 211
2- Chris Hansen 209
3- Austin Kilpatrick 186

Career 3-pointers Attempted
1- Chris Hansen 547
2- Austin Kilpatrick 510

Playing it Close
Since the start of the 2013-14 season, 27 of Idaho State's 35 losses have been by nine points or loss. In 2013-14, 16 of ISU's 18 losses were by eight points or less and this year ISU has lost six games by nine points or less.
Losses by 9 points: vs. Bakersfield
Losses by 8 points: at Utah, at Eastern Washington (13-14); at Eastern Washington (2014-15)
Losses by 7 points: at Northern Colorado, vs. Weber State
Losses by 6 points: at Weber State, at Sacramento State, at Montana State, vs. Pacific
Losses by 5 points: vs. North Dakota, vs. Montana
Losses by 4 points: at North Dakota, at Idaho, vs. Bakersfield, at Portland State; at UVU; at SUU
Losses by 3 points: vs. UVU, vs. South Dakota State, at NAU; vs. Sacramento State; ISU at Northern Colorado
Losses by 2 points: at Bakersfield, at NAU
Losses by 1 point: at Montana, vs. NAU

Bengal Bites
-  Chris Hansen is the 18th player in Big Sky Conference history to make 200 career 3-pointers.
- Four of the five Bengal wins have come when opponents score less than 70 points. The only win when allowing more than 70 points was the 80-76 win over Portland State.
- Chris Hansen's 17 free throws made and attempted vs. Montana State on January 8 was the most by any Big Sky Conference player this season.
- Chris Hansen's 1,206 points ranks fifth among active players in the Big Sky Conference for points scored.
- Jeff Solarins 450 career rebounds ranks fourth amongst active players in the Big Sky Conference.
- Chris Hansen's 17 free throws was two away from tying the school record of 19 set by Willie Humes vs. NAU in 1971 and Dave Wagnon vs. Seattle in 1966.
- In the last nine seasons the most road games ISU has won in a season is five in  2005-06.
- Chris Hansen's 95 career steals ranks third amongst active players in the Big Sky Conference.
- ISU is 5-63 in non-conference road/neutral court games over the last six years. ISU is 19-14 in non-conference home games over that same time period.  Before the 93-90 overtime win at USF, the last road non conference win was Nov. 28, 2009, a 68-65 at UMKC. The Bengals beat Troy, 77-73 on Dec. 22, 2010 at Utah State.
- Jeffrey Solarin has the most double-doubles out of anyone in the Big Sky Conference. He has nine and Joel Bolomboy at Weber State has eight.

Here is a look where the Bengals rank in the conference stats for all- games played.
- Scoring 11th, 63.3
- Scoring Defense, 5th, 68.3
- Free throw percentage, 12th, 64.3
- Field goal percentage, 9th, 43.0
- Field goal percentage defense, 1st, .434
- 3-point field goal percentage, 11th, 33.5
- 3-point field goal percentage defense, 5th, 35.6
- Rebounding, 5th, 33.4
- Blocks, 8th, 2.7
- Assists, 12th, 10.7
- Steals, 5th, 6.5
- Offensive Rebounds, 3rd, 10.5
- Defensive Rebounds, 8th, 23.0
- 3-pointers made per game, 12th, 4.8

Here is where the Bengals rank in the individual conference stats for all-games played.
- Chris Hansen, 5th, scoring 16.7 points.
- Jeffrey Solarin, 2nd, rebounding, 9.2
- Jeffrey Solarin, 7th, field goal percenrage 54.9
- Ben Wilson, 10th, assists, 3.5
- Chris Hansen, 6th, free throw percentage, 83.1
- Ben Wilson, 7th, steals, 1.3
- Nnamdo Ezenwa, 10th, 3-point field goal percentage, .426
- Chris Hansen 3-pointers made per game, 5th, 2.6
- Jeffrey Solarin, 10th, blocks, .9
- Ben Wilson, 6th, Assist to turnover ratio, 1.9
- Jeffrey Solarin, 2nd, offensive rebounds, 3.7
- Jeffrey Solarin, 3rd, defensive rebounds, 5.5
- Ben Wilson, 5th, Minutes Played, 34.3

Team Conference Stats Only
- Scoring, 11th, 66.2
- Scoring defense, 6th, 73
- Free Throw Percentage, 10th, 67.0
- Field Goal Percentage, 8th, .454
- Field Goal Percentage defense, 6th, .465
- 3-point field goal percentage, 4th, .422
- 3-point field goal percentage defense, 7th, .413
- Rebounding, 6th, 32.5
- Blocks, 7th, 2.8
- Assists, 12th, 11.1
- Steals, 6th, 5.7
- Offensive rebounds, 5th, 9.8
- Defensive rebounds, 8th, 22.6
- 3-pointers made per game, 12th, 4.9

Conference Only Individual Stats
- Chris Hansen, 4th, Scoring, 17.5 points
- Jeffrey Solarin, 2nd rebounding, 9.5 rebounds
- Ben Wilson, 8th, assists, 3.8
- Chris Hansen, 2nd free throws, .857
- Ben Wilson, 6th steals, 1.4
- Nnamdo Ezenwa, 9th, 3-point field goal percentage, .480
- Chris Hansen, 3-point FG made, 4th, 2.8
- Ben Wilson, assist to turnover ratio, 10th, 1.9
- Jeffrey Solarin, 9th, blocks, 1.1
- Ajak Magot, 10th, blocks 1.0
- Jeffrey Solarin, 2nd, offensive rebounds, 3.6
- Jeffrey Solarin, 2nd defensive rebounds, 5.6
- Ben Wilson, 6th minutes played, 35.2