Corban College vs Eastern Washington prediction: Short-handed Eastern Washington opens Reese Court waiting on Andrew Cook
Against a non-Division I visitor, the bigger question for Eastern is which of its preseason all-conference guards and injured regulars return for the home opener.
- Eastern Washington has the Division I pedigree here, though how many injured regulars return after 11 days off will shape the margin.
- Watch Alton Hamilton IV, who carried a 38.6% usage rate at Stanford, against a Corban frontcourt we know nothing about.
- No line has been posted yet. Eastern covered as a 14.5-point underdog at Stanford and stayed under a 154.5 total.
The injury list comes first
Eastern Washington nearly stole its opener without three regulars. Starting senior guard Andrew Cook missed the Stanford game with an injured left hand, and senior guard Tavi Jackson and redshirt freshman forward Alan Gballou were already out. No update on any of the three had surfaced as of Nov. 2, so their status for Friday is unsettled.
Cook matters most. He was a preseason all-conference pick for a team picked third in the Big Sky.
Hamilton carried the load
Alton Hamilton IV scored 20 with nine rebounds in 35 minutes at Stanford, using 38.6% of Eastern's possessions while on the floor. That is a huge share for a forward who posted a 60.1% effective field goal percentage (threes count 1.5 times) last season in a smaller role.
The Eagles need help around him. Western Michigan transfer Jalen Griffith shot 41.6% from three last season but went 0-for-4 from deep in the opener. Only 26.5% of last season's minutes returned, so last season's team numbers say little about this group.
What Stanford revealed
Eastern led 65-64 with 2:45 left before Stanford closed on a 10-0 run. The Eagles grabbed 39.4% of their own misses and played at a pace of 63 possessions per 40 minutes. The weakness was inside: Stanford made 74.2% of its two-pointers. Against a visitor without Division I data, that interior defense is the clearest thing to watch.
A home opener before a long trip
Friday is Eastern's first game at Reese Court and its only non-conference home date before road trips to Utah, UNLV, LMU and Wyoming. Dan Monson, in his third season, gets one home tune-up before that stretch.
Key players
- Alton Hamilton IV (Eastern Washington): Posted 20 points and nine rebounds at Stanford on a 38.6% usage rate.
- Jalen Griffith (Eastern Washington): Shot 41.6% from three at Western Michigan last season but missed all four attempts in the opener.
- Cole Scherer (Eastern Washington): Scored 11 at Stanford and went 85.7% at the line after playing 7.8 minutes a game last season.
Numbers that matter
| Returning minutes | 26.5% | Eastern is largely a new roster, so last season's numbers are a weak guide. |
|---|---|---|
| Opponent 2-point % at Stanford | 74.2% | The interior defense was the glaring problem in the opener, ranking 343rd of 348. |
| Hamilton IV usage | 38.6% | With Cook out, the offense ran through Hamilton almost exclusively. |
| Rest days | 11 | Extra time could bring back some of the three injured regulars. |
Corban College vs Eastern Washington: quick answers
When is Corban College vs Eastern Washington?
Friday, November 13, 2026 at 9:00 PM ET.