Watch | Listen | Game Notes

Loretto, Pa. – The Saint Francis men's basketball team (6-4) concludes non-conference play on Sunday, Dec. 22, vs. William & Mary (8-4) at 1 p.m. The teams will meet in Washington D.C. at the Entertainment and Sports Arena as part of the D.C. Holiday Hoops Fest Showcase.
 
Scouting William & Mary
 
The Tribe has used its size to open the season 8-4. Senior Nathan Knight, who was one of five finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award in 2018-19, returned to school after testing the NBA waters in the summer. The First Team All-CAA big man is nearly averaging a double-double at 20.3 ppg and 9.9 rpg and is shooting 56.5% from the field and 35.1% from three-point range. Andy Van Vliet, a Wisconsin transfer, teams with Knight to form one of the most formidable front courts in the country. Van Vliet is shooting it at a 37.7% clip from three-point range and is averaging 14.6 ppg and 9.8 rpg. Scott Thornton (12.8 ppg) and Luke Loewe (11.3 ppg) also average in double-figures. The Tribe hold an astounding +5.7 rebounding margin over their opponents, but were outrebounded in a loss to Saint Joseph's on Thursday, a team the Red Flash defeated earlier this season.
 
Series History
 
This is the first meeting between the programs since the teams played in consecutive years in 1965-66 and 1966-67 when they split the series with one win apiece.
 
NET Rankings
 
The first official Net Rankings of the 2019-20 season were released on Monday and the system appears to be a big fan of the Red Flash. After its win over Franciscan, Saint Francis boasts an overall ranking of 136, best in the conference by a large margin. The Net Ranking, which replaced the RPI, is an algorithm that compiles a team's value based on game results through the opponents they face, where the games are played, and who ultimately wins the game. Three of SFU's four losses have come to teams either in the AP Poll Top 25 or receiving votes in the poll. Delaware, the lone team not receiving votes, was receiving votes as late as last week.
 
Balancing Act
 
Saint Francis scored a season-high 115 points, its second-highest scoring output in DeGol Arena history, in its win over Franciscan on Tuesday, despite having a high scorer of just 15 points. All 15 players who suited up for Saint Francis scored and 12 of the 15 had five or more points. Saint Francis did all of its damage inside and from the free throw line with 72 points in the paint.


Distancing Itself From the Three-Point Line
 
The Red Flash have been notoriously good from the three-point line the last five seasons, but are much-less reliant on the three ball in 2019-20. Despite a league-leading 35.7% from behind the arc, Saint Francis still ranks seventh in the conference in made three-pointers per game at 6.4. The Red Flash have made eight or more three-pointers just once through its first 10 games after doing so 17 times last season. As a result, the Red Flash have been able to get to the free-throw line at a much greater frequency, ranking first in the NEC and 26^th nationally in free throws made per game. Senior Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./Delsea) is third nationally with 63 made free throws, getting to the foul line at the 7^th best rate in the nation.