CANISIUS COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Game No. 1
Canisius (0-0) at Bucknell (1-1)
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Lewisburg, Pa. | Sojka Pavilion
Online Video: Patriot League Network
Talent: Joe Vasile (p-x-p) and Abe Badmus (color)
Live Audio: WECK-Radio Buffalo; Golden Griffin Broadcast Network
Talent: Andy Helwig (p-x-p)
Live Stats: Through BucknellBison.com
Twitter: @Griffs_MBB | #Griffs; #DefendMainSt
Five Things to Know Before Canisius Opens the 2018-19 Campaign
1. The Wait Is Finally Over
• Canisius officially opens the 2018-19 season on Tuesday night when the Golden Griffins travel to play at defending Patriot League champion Bucknell. Tipoff in Sojka Pavilion is set for 7 p.m. Canisius and Colorado are the last two Division I men’s teams to start their seasons, as both teams play Tuesday night.
2. Coming Off a Banner Season
• Canisius, picked second in the 2018-19 MAAC Coaches’ Preseason Poll, posted a 21-12 overall record and a 15-3 mark in MAAC play last season en route to a share of the league’s regular-season crown with Rider. The MAAC regular season title is the second in program history, and first since 1993-94.
3. The Griffs Aren’t Afraid
• Including the season opener at Bucknell, Canisius is set to play five non-league games against schools that competed in the 2018 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Griffs are one of seven teams in the nation to play five or more non-league games against schools that went to the tourney last March. The Blue and Gold’s game vs. Villanova Nov. 22 at the AdvoCare Invitational in Florida will mark the first time Canisius has played the defending national champion since the team squared off with Syracuse in 2003-04.
4. Isaiah Reese – MAAC Preseason Player of the Year
• On Oct. 23, Canisius junior Isaiah Reese was named the 2018-19 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, as voted on by the league’s 11 head coaches. Reese is just the second MAAC Preseason Player of the Year in program history, joining former Griffs guard Billy Baron, who earned the title prior to the start of the 2013-14 season. Reese is the team’s top returning scorer and rebounder, and he also led last year’s squad in assists per game and steals per game average.
5. Molson Moves Up
• Canisius sophomore Takal Molson, the reigning MAAC Rookie of the Year, returns for his second season on Main Street after a spectacular freshman campaign in 2017-18. The Buffalo, N.Y., native ranked second in the MAAC among freshmen in scoring average with his 12.6 points per game en route to becoming the fourth MAAC Rookie of the Year in program history. Molson starts this season as a Preseason All-MAAC Second-Team honoree.
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