All-Time vs. Canisius: 4-1
Last Meeting: 11/20/21 80-70 W
Tickets: gogriffs.com
Radio: NEO Sports
TV: ESPN+
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State men's basketball team travels to Canisus for the final game of three in a row on the road early in the 2022-23 season. The Vikings are looking for their first win of the season, which would also be the first of the Daniyal Robinson era. The game will be broadcast on the NEO Sport Network, with Al Pawlowski on the call.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/CANISIUS SERIES
Wednesday's game will mark the sixth time that Cleveland State and Canisius will battle on the hardwood. The Vikings lead the all time series 4-1. This is the second game of a home-and-home series between the two teams. Cleveland State won last year's matchup at the Wolstein Center on November 20, 2021 by an 80-70 final score. Deante Johnson had 10 points and six rebounds, and Deshon Parker led the way with seven assists in the winning effort.
REIGNING #HLMBB REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONS
The Vikings won their second consecutive #HLMBB Regular Season Championship last year. Cleveland State finished with a 15-6 record in conference play, including a 15-3 record at the Wolstein Center. Players and coaches from last year's team were honored prior to the regular season opener against Notre Dame College, as a banner was raised to the rafters to commemorate the Championship.
THE 2022-23 CAMPAIGN
Saturday's game is part of an 11 game non-conference schedule. The Vikings will host five games at home in the non-conference, and six games will take place away from home. Arkansas Pine-Bluff and Chicago State will visit Cleveland for a multi- team tournament hosted by CSU in late November. Kent State also visits the Wol- stein Center in early December. The Vikings will also play att Loyola Marymount on December 18th.
THE VIKINGS
Cleveland State returns five players from last year's regular season championship squad, and adds nine newcomers. Deante "Spider" Johnson leads the core of returners, Johnson was named to the Horizon League All-Defensive Team for the second straight year last season. Deshon Parker also returns after starting at the point guard spot in 29 of 31 games last season. Parker shot 51% from the floor last season.
GET TO KNOW THE NEWCOMERS
In addition to the five returning players, Cleveland State welcomes nine new faces to the roster in 2022-23. Among the new faces is Tristan Enaruna, a junior transfer hailing from Almere, Flevoland, Netherlands. Enaruna comes to CSU from Iowa State, where he averaged 4.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in his time with the Cyclones. Tae Williams is another newcomer to watch, as he comes to Cleveland following a great season at John A. Logan College in 2021-22. Williams averaged 12.3 points and 6.6 rebounds in 32 contests last season.
COACH ROBINSON ANNOUNCES COACHING STAFF
Head Coach Daniyal Robinson has assembled an experienced coaching staff in his first season at Cleveland State. Jermaine Henderson returns to CSU after previously serving as an assistant coach during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons under Gary Waters. Henderson most recently served as an assistant coach at Kan- sas State for the past five seasons. Travis Lewis is in his second season on staff at Cleveland State, after serving as Director of Video Operations under former head coach Dennis Gates last season. Jay Shunnar enters his first season as an assistant coach, after working in several capacities under John Belein at the University of Michigan and with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
VIKINGS WIN EXHIBITION OPENER OVER BALDWIN WALLACE 74-52
The Cleveland State Men's Basketball team took down Baldwin Wallace in an exhi- bition game at the Wolstein Center this past Thursday. The Vikings had a balanced offensive attack, with four players scoring in double figures. Tristan Enaruna led the way with a double-double, scoing 15 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Jason Drake added 11 points, and Deshon Parker and Drew Louder rounded out the double figure scoring effort with 10 points each.
VIKINGS BATTLE, FALL SHORT AT CINCINNATI
Cleveland State dropped a tough one to Cincinnati at the Bearcats' Fifth Third Arena on Thursday night. The Vikings hung tough throughout, and had the lead in the second half before a late Cincinnati run put the game away. Tristan Enaruna led the way with 15 points, his second straight game in double figures, and Deante Johnson added 12 and 6 rebounds.
VIKINGS FALL SHORT AT OHIO
Cleveland State battled but fell short at Ohio over the weekend, falling 81-70 at Ohio's Convocation Center. The game was tight throughout the first half, until Cleveland State point guard Deshon Parker picked up his second foul with just under five minutes to play in the half. Parker sat the rest of the way, and Ohio scored 13 unanswered points to head into halftime with an eight point advantage, which improved to double digits and remained there throughout the second half. The Vikings were led by Yahel Hill, who poured in a career-high 20 points, 14 of which came after halftime.
ENARUNA IMPRESSIVE TO START 2022-23
Transfer forward Tristan Enaruna has gotten off to a good start in his first three games in a Viking uniform. Enaruna had a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds in the opener against Notre Dame College, and followed that up with another double figure scoring performance with 15 against Cincinnati. Through three games, he is averaging 13.7 points and 7.3 rebounds, while shooting at a 39% clip from the field.
PARKER DROPPING DIMES
Deshon Parker has been a great facilitator for Cleveland State through the first week of the regular season. In the first 3 games, Parker has totaled 23 assists. He had a career-high 11 in the opener against Notre Dame College. His average of 7.7 assists per game ranks first in the Horizon League and 10th nationally.
UP NEXT
Cleveland State returns to the Wolstein Center on Friday, November 18th for a matchup with Chicago State. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and will be part of Homecoming Week at Cleveland State.
