City College NY vs Fairleigh Dickinson prediction: Fairleigh Dickinson opens its home floor to City College's underdog story
With Illinois and Butler on the schedule just before this game, FDU hosts a CUNYAC program that made an unlikely run to its conference final last season.
- FDU should control a slow, deliberate game against an opponent listed as a Division III program, with the boards as its clearest edge.
- FDU's three-point volume: last season the Knights took plenty of threes and made few.
- No spread or total is posted yet; FDU played at the 336th-fastest pace of 365 last season, which points to a low possession count.
A small program's big night
City College arrives in Hackensack with momentum from last season, when it reached the CUNYAC final as a Cinderella. One source lists the Beavers as a Division III program, so this is likely an exhibition-style mismatch in talent, though neither school's classification for the game has been confirmed. Daniel Colon coaches CCNY, and its 2026-27 roster has not been published.
The tip time is listed as TBA. One listing shows an 8 p.m. ET start at the Bogota Savings Bank Center, but that hasn't been confirmed.
What FDU looked like last season
Jack Castleberry enters his third season after an 11-21 finish that included an 8-10 NEC mark. The Knights were ineligible for the 2026 NEC and NCAA tournaments. FDU has announced a new roster, and Pepperdine transfer Pavle Stosic is listed as keeping two years of eligibility, so last season's team numbers are only a rough guide.
The style was clear. FDU shot threes at the 58th-highest rate in Division I but hit just 31.0% of them, 325th nationally. It played slowly, at 64.2 possessions per 40 minutes. Its best trait was finishing defensive possessions: a 74.0% defensive rebound rate, the share of opponent misses it grabbed, ranked 28th of 365. The weakness was at the rim, where a 4.9% block rate ranked 359th.
A crowded first week
This game comes right after FDU is scheduled to face Illinois on Nov. 2 and Butler on Nov. 4. Against City College, expect the Knights to lean on their size and rebounding while using the night to settle minutes. Last season's final adjusted net efficiency of -17.9, 331st nationally, is a reminder that FDU is still building.
Numbers that matter
| FDU defensive rebound rate, last season | 74.0% | Ranked 28th of 365, the strength most likely to carry over against a smaller opponent. |
|---|---|---|
| FDU 3-point %, last season | 31.0% | Ranked 325th despite a high volume of attempts, so shooting variance could keep the score closer than the talent gap suggests. |
| FDU pace, last season | 64.2 | Possessions per 40 minutes, 336th of 365, pointing to a slow game. |
| FDU block rate, last season | 4.9% | Ranked 359th, so CCNY may find chances at the rim. |
City College NY vs Fairleigh Dickinson: quick answers
When is City College NY vs Fairleigh Dickinson?
Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 12:00 AM ET.