FULLERTON, Calif. – Cal State Fullerton's season opener may still be three weeks away, but the unofficial start to the 2015-16 men's basketball season is on Saturday at the Titans' annual Blue-Orange Scrimmage.
The doors to Titan Gym will open at 10:30 a.m., with the scrimmage of four 10-minute quarters scheduled to tip-off at 11 a.m. The event is FREE to all Cal State Fullerton students and Titan fans.
Third-year head coach Dedrique Taylor joined FullertonTitans.com to chat about the first few weeks of practice as the squad prepares to introduce itself to Titan fans at the Blue-Orange Scrimmage on Saturday.
www.FullertonTitans.com: What has been your biggest focus with the team since practice started?
Dedrique Taylor: We have tried to focus our efforts on learning how to play together. We have a lot of new faces, and we are trying to spend as much time as possible on the floor in a competitive atmosphere. We feel that playing hard and playing together will dictate much of our success, so we have spent our time focusing on those areas in particular.
FT: Can you tell Titan fans what qualities Lionheart Leslie adds to the team?
DT: Lionheart is a true point guard in that he sets the table for guys to make plays in their area of comfort. He sees the floor well and distributes the ball on time and on target. As he studies his teammates, his voice is starting to be heard in a leadership capacity that I think will pay dividends for us down the stretch.
FT: With Tre' Coggins, Malcolm Brooks and Malcolm Henderson available to play this season, how does the 2015-16 Titan squad look different from a year ago?
DT: With Tre', Malcolm Brooks and Malcolm Henderson on the floor, I think we have added some size as each of them have good size in their own right. Tre' and Malcolm Brooks have experience that we will lean on in the area of scoring, and we anticipate Malcolm Henderson will help us control the paint on both ends of the floor. I think Tre' and Malcolm Brooks give us a chance to stretch defenses with their ability to shoot as Malcolm Henderson has the ability to rebound the ball on the interior, which are both qualities we need to improve on to give us a chance to be successful on the floor.
FT: What do you think will surprise fans at the Blue-Orange Scrimmage and this season?
DT: I am hopeful that this group will continue to buy into the way we need to play this season, which is space the floor and share the ball looking for great shots. We have some shot makers on this team, but we need to make sure that we work to get each other open looks instead of trying to create those looks on an individual basis. We have shown glimpses of that in practice as we are encouraging our guys to stay in that mind space and play the game from that perspective.
FT: It's always different with a game atmosphere compared to practice, what will you be evaluating during the Blue-Orange Scrimmage on Saturday?
DT: I want to see how well we have picked up on the concepts on both ends of the floor. I want to see how well we execute the small details that make the big things happen. We want to keep the game simple and really focus on being execution driven. I also want to see where we are in conditioning as I think that will be a huge factor in our ability to have success this season.
Additional Men's Basketball Events
Center Court Tip-Off Dinner
In addition, the inaugural Center Court Tip-Off Dinner has been set for Sunday, Nov. 1 at 4 p.m. in Titan Gym. This will be a great opportunity to meet and mingle with the 2015-16 men's basketball team, coaches and Titan alumni. The event will include a cocktail hour, dinner program, silent auction and more. In addition, the program will feature special guest speaker, Titan All-American and 11-year NBA veteran Cedric Ceballos.
By purchasing new 2015-16 season tickets, you will receive the discounted ticket price of $50 each to the fundraising event, a savings of $30.
Please contact Cris Powell at 657-278-2917 to receive your discount for the Center Court Tip-Off Dinner registration.
Tickets
Season and single-game tickets for the 2015-16 Cal State Fullerton men's basketball season are on sale NOW. The schedule is highlighted by 14 home dates including six non-conference home games and visits from San Diego, Nevada and Loyola Marymount. For more information about purchasing season or single-game tickets, click HERE.
Pricing – Season Tickets
Courtside Seats - $468
Includes a $300 per seat donation to Men's Basketball*
Reserved Seats - $168
Includes a $25 per seat donation to Men's Basketball *
* The IRS states that 80% ($20 of the $25 donation / $240 of the $300 donation) per seat is tax deductible.
Season tickets include the men's and women's exhibition doubleheader on Friday, Nov. 6 as the men's team will play Bethesda University at 5:30pm followed by women's hoops vs. Hope International.
Season tickets can now be purchased online (24 hours a day) for the both the men's and women's programs. In addition, season tickets can be purchased in person at the Athletics Ticket Office, and over the phone at 657-278-2783. For more information, click HERE.
