GAME 1 – Monday, November 4, 2024
Rider Broncs (0-0) at #22 UCLA Bruins (0-0)
Location: Los Angeles, CA – Pauley Pavilion
Tip: 10:30 p.m. (ET)
Live Video – FS1
Live Stats –
UCLABruins.com
X (Formerly Twitter) –
Twitter.com/RiderMBB
What You Need To Know
- Rider opens the 2024-25 season Monday night, when it begins a two-game West coast swing at nationally-ranked No. 22 UCLA at 10:30 p.m. (ET) on FS1.
- The Broncs return a pair of starters in TJ Weeks Jr. and
Tariq Ingraham. Weeks Jr. is Rider's top returning scorer at 10.0 points per game to go along with 6.3 rebounds per game. Ingraham averaged a team-high 6.5 rebounds in addition to scoring 9.3 points per game.
- Also back for Rider are
Ruben Rodriguez,
Tyriek Weeks,
Ife West-Ingram and
Jack McFadden. Rodriguez is expected to take over the starting point guard role, while Weeks, West-Ingram and McFadden will have roles off the bench.
- Rider added nine incoming student-athletes for the 2024-25 academic year. The class includes six student-athletes with previous Division I experience and three freshmen. Seniors
Jay Alvarez and
Tank Byard and juniors
Alaaeddine Boutayeb,
Zion Cruz,
Zocko Littleton Jr. and
Andre Young join true freshmen
Flash Burton,
Maurizio D'Alessandro and
Cole McCabe to comprise the nine-member incoming class.
- The Broncs were picked seventh in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Rider has had unique success in three prior occasions being picked seventh, outperforming their projections with the 1
st (2017-18), 2
nd (2014-15) and 6
th (2016-17) seeds in the MAAC Tournament in those seasons.
- The MAAC Championships will have a new feel this season. With the additions of Merrimack and Sacred Heart to comprise a 13-team conference, the tournament, which previously featured all 11 teams, will now welcome just the top 10 teams in the standings on both the men's and women's sides. The tournament returns to Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ, from March 11-15.
- 13th-year Head Coach
Kevin Baggett's teams have posted a 192-183 record. Baggett won MAAC Coach of the Year in 2015 and 2018.
- Only John Carpenter (292) has more wins at Rider.
