Grace University vs Cal State Northridge prediction: Josiah Davis and a rebuilt Northridge roster debut against Grace
With barely a sixth of last season's minutes back, Cal State Northridge's non-Division I home game is mostly a first look at who fits around its point guard.
- The real interest in this game is how a largely new Northridge rotation shares the floor.
- Watch Josiah Davis running the offense alongside transfer shooters Brooklyn Hicks and Mikah Ballew.
- No spread or total is posted. Last season Northridge played at 74.9 possessions per 40 minutes, 4th-fastest nationally.
A roster built mostly from scratch
Cal State Northridge went 20-14 last season and reached the Big West semifinals. Little of that team remains. Players on this season's roster logged just 17.1% of last season's minutes, so last season's team numbers say more about the program than about this group.
The biggest hole is scoring. Larry Hughes II averaged 17.7 points and has moved to Sacramento State. Mahmoud Fofana, who posted a 63.2% effective field goal percentage (a shooting measure that counts threes as 1.5 shots), is also gone. Andy Newman is filling those minutes with guards from Rider, Portland, Montana and Oregon State, plus center Emmanuel Stephen from UNLV.
Grace University is not a Division I team, and nothing is known about its roster here. This Thursday 10 p.m. ET tip at Premier America Credit Union Arena is effectively a live scrimmage for the hosts.
Davis holds the keys
Josiah Davis is the one established piece. He started all 34 games last season and averaged 15.9 points and 7.4 assists in 33.4 minutes a night. His weakness was the outside shot: he made 16.7% of his threes.
That makes the shooters around him important. Brooklyn Hicks hit 36.8% from deep at Montana. Mikah Ballew made 50 threes at Portland. If they space the floor, Davis has room to drive.
Tempo and the free throw line
Northridge ran last season, ranking 4th in the country in pace. If Newman keeps that style, expect plenty of possessions against an overmatched opponent.
One habit worth tracking is free throw shooting. Last season's team made 66.7% at the line, 347th of 365. Ballew's 81.3% from the stripe at Portland is one fix among the newcomers.
Key players
- Josiah Davis (Cal State Northridge): Last season he averaged 15.9 points and 7.4 assists while starting all 34 games.
- Brooklyn Hicks (Cal State Northridge): He shot 36.8% from three with a 55.7% effective field goal percentage at Montana last season.
- Mikah Ballew (Cal State Northridge): He made 50 threes and shot 81.3% at the line for Portland last season.
- Caleb Smith (Cal State Northridge): He pulled down 7.1 rebounds per game at Rider last season despite playing guard.
Numbers that matter
| Returning minutes | 17.1% | Share of last season's minutes played by players on this season's Northridge roster. |
|---|---|---|
| Pace rank, last season | 4th | Northridge played at 74.9 possessions per 40 minutes in 2025-26. |
| Free throw %, last season | 66.7% | Ranked 347th of 365, a weakness the new guards may help fix. |
| Davis assists per game | 7.4 | Last season's mark from the one returning starter who runs the offense. |
Grace University vs Cal State Northridge: quick answers
When is Grace University vs Cal State Northridge?
Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 10:00 PM ET.