2022-23 Men's Basketball Notebook (vs. Corban / vs. Bushnell

Men's Basketball | 2/9/2023 5:55:00 PM

UNANIMOUS AT THE TOP: The College of Idaho men's basketball team received all 20 first-place votes to remain No. 1 in the latest 2022-23 NAIA Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll announced Wednesday. The Yotes have been in the top spot for the last two rankings and in the top three for the entire season to date. College of Idaho has been ranked in the last 13 polls, dating back to the preseason poll in 2021-22.

CONFERENCE REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPIONS: Tuesday's win over Eastern Oregon clinched the 2022-23 Cascade Conference regular-season championship for the Yotes – their 11th title in program history. C of I won the Northwest Conference title in 1947, 1955 and 1956 and have claimed CCC crowns in 1996, 2004, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020 and 2022.
 
JUST WIN BABY:  With 23-straight wins, College of Idaho shares with St. Joseph (Conn.), the longest active winning streak in college men's basketball.
 
CONFERENCE PLAY: The Cascade Collegiate Conference began play with the 1993-94 season. College of Idaho has won seven regular season titles and a league-leading 10 tournament titles. The seven regular season titles are second in the CCC, just behind the 10 won by Oregon Tech. With the exception of the COVID-19 and no full CCC season in 2020-21, College of Idaho has won at least 10 CCC games in all but four seasons en route to an all-time CCC mark of 368-104 (.780). The Yotes have won 58 of their last 60 conference games for a .967 winning percentage.
 
DOUBLE DOUBLE, DOUBLE DOUBLE (CAREER)
Jake O'Neil: 6 (15; last at Multnomah (2/4/23)
Straton Rogers: 2 (last vs. Multnomah (2/4/23)
Samaje Morgan: 1 (last vs. Oregon Tech (1/20/23)
Drew Wyman: 1 (last vs. Lewis-Clark State (1/27/23)
 
SAMAJE DELIVERY: Freshman Samaje Morgan enters the weekend with 119 assists (5.0 apg) which is among the highest in college basketball. Of those ranked higher, Morgan is the lone player to do it without starting a game. Earlier this season, he dished out 11 assists against Oregon Tech on January 20. It was his second game of dishing out double-digit assists on the season, earlier this year, he had 10 assists against Madonna on November 26, 2022. He is the first Yote since Talon Pinckney in 2017-18, who had three games with double-digit assists. Pinckney was the last to hand out 11 assists in a game on October 27, 2017 against Northwest Indian. The last Yote to hand out double digit assists in a CCC game was Samaje's brother and current Yote assistant Emanuel Morgan, who had a school record 17 against Walla Walla on February 18, 2017.

WINNING FEELING: The Yotes have won its last 23 games on the season and 18 Cascade Collegiate Conference regular season games; College of Idaho has won its 31 home games, including the last 20 against CCC foes; the Yotes have won its last 14 games away from Caldwell - including 13 straight against CCC opponents.
 
STATISTICAL RANKINGS OF NOTE: College of Idaho is in the top 10 nationally in six categories:

• rebound margin (3rd, +12.0)
• offensive rebounds per game (5th, 13.9)
• total rebounds per game (6th, 42.7)
• points per game allowed (6th, 62.9)
• field goals made per game (7th, 32.4)
• points per game (9th, 86.9).

 
STIFLING DEFENSE: Many of the Cascade Collegiate Conference teams have had some of their lowest scoring outputs against College of Idaho in 2022-23. Among the eight, Northwest (35 pts.), Southern Oregon (54 pts.) and Warner Pacific (42 pts.) were held to their lowest output of the season.
 
LAST FIVE FOR JAKE: Senior Jake O'Neil has had three double doubles in his last five games. He has made 29 of 41 shots (70.7%) from the field; 3 of 7 (42.8%) from the 3-point line; 8 of 10 (80%) from the free-throw line, scored 69 points (13.8 ppg) and grabbed 47 rebounds (9.4 rpg) in the last five contests.
 
DON'T I KNOW YOU: The roster for the Yotes features 12 returning letterwinners from a NAIA Elite Eight squad in 2022-23. Among the newcomers is freshman Samaje Morgan, who is the brother of assistant coach Emanuel Morgan. Assistant Coach Jacob McLeod is reunited with his former co-worker and Yotes head coach Colby Blaine as the two worked together at the College of Southern Idaho.
 
FAN FAVORITES: The Yotes lead the nation in NAIA attendance list with an average of 1,250 fans. Friday night, College of Idaho is encouraging everyone to come out for the inaugural JAM THE JAAC in hopes of breaking a single-game attendance record.