Joe Scott's University of Denver men's basketball team  (1-6) takes on Cal State Northridge (2-5) Saturday, December 4 at DU's Magness Arena. Tip off will be at 4:30 p.m.  It will be televised on FSN Rocky Mountain, and on the  radio: AM 1510 & FM 93.7. Tickets available at the boxoffice and at http://www.denverpioneers.com/

The Pioneers return nine players, including four starters and seven of their top eight scorers, from last season’s squad that went 19-13 overall, 10-8 in the SBC and 15-1 at home. Denver was picked third in the Sun Belt Conference West Division in the annual coaches’ preseason poll. Through four games, junior Brian Stafford leads the Pioneers with 14.4 points per game, while sophomore Chase Hallam has averaged 12.7 points and a team-high 3.2 assists per game. Freshman Chris Udofia is leading the squad with 3.9 rebounds per game. DU enters Wednesday’s game looking to rebound from two-straight losses.

The Cal State Northridge Matadors were picked to eighth in the Big West Conference Preseason Media Poll. CSUN is 2-5 with wins over Vanguard and DePaul. The Matadors enter Saturday’s game on a two-game losing streak to Tulsa (80-63 on Nov. 28) and Air Force (72-63 on Dec. 2). CSUN is led by Rashawn McLemore’s 15.7 points per game, while Lenny Daniel is averaging close to a double-double with 13.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. The Matadors are averaging 70.3 points, 36.0 rebounds, 14.3 assists a game and 19.3 turnovers per game.

The series is tied at 1-1 with the Matadors winning 80-53 in Northridge on Dec. 9, 2008, and the Pioneers winning 89-82 last year at Magness Arena.

Last Wednesday the scrappy DU team lost to the three time defending WAS champion powerhouse Utah State. Senior guard Kyle Lewis had a season high 13 points and freshman forward Chris Udofia added 10 more, but it was not enough as the Pioneers fell 61-53. The Pioneers finished 11-of-22 (50.0 percent) from three-point range, but were just 5-of-21 (23.8 percent) from inside the arc.
 DU is collecting unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots at all men’s and women’s basketball games, as well as hockey games, through Dec. 18. Donation boxes will be located throughout the Magness Arena concourse.

Saturday’s game against Cal State Northridge will be broadcast live on FSN Rocky Mountain. Tom Helmer (play-by-play) and Greg Lackey (color) will call the action, while Alanna Rizzo reports from the sidelines. The Pioneers are 13-4 in games on FSN Rocky Mountain during head coach Joe Scott’s three years, including a 6-0 mark last season.