Stanton vs Cal State Bakersfield prediction: Todd Lee's homecoming begins as Cal State Bakersfield opens against Stanton
A Division II title coach returns to rebuild a program that finished last in the Big West, and his first test is a lightly known non-Division I visitor.
- Cal State Bakersfield should control a home opener against a non-Division I opponent while new coach Todd Lee shows what his rebuild looks like.
- Watch whether the Roadrunners still attack the rim and draw fouls. Last season their free throw rate ranked 19th nationally.
- No spread or total is posted yet. Last season's pace of 72.3 possessions per 40 minutes, 15th fastest, hints at a high-possession game.
A familiar face takes over
Cal State Bakersfield bottomed out last season. The Roadrunners went 8-24 and 2-18 in Big West play, finishing last in the league. The program answered by bringing back Todd Lee, its 10th head coach, who helped CSUB win an NCAA Division II national championship and arrives with nearly 40 years of coaching experience.
The Thursday, Nov. 5 tip at Icardo Center (6:30 p.m. local) is his first regular-season game in charge. The Roadrunners first get three exhibitions: at Eastern Washington today, at Montana on Oct. 24 and at home against Redlands on Oct. 31. Those games will give the first real look at Lee's rotation.
Last season as a loose guide
With a new coach, last season's numbers describe a team that may look very different now. Still, they show the habits Lee inherits. CSUB finished last season with an adjusted net efficiency of -16.5, meaning it was outscored by that many points per 100 possessions after adjusting for opponents. That ranked 326th of 365.
The shooting was the core problem. The Roadrunners' effective field goal percentage, which counts threes as 1.5 shots, was 46.2%, 355th nationally. They rarely shot from deep, ranking 358th in 3-point attempt rate, and they made only 28.9% of the threes they took.
They made up ground in other ways. CSUB played fast, at 72.3 possessions per 40 minutes, and got to the line often, with a free throw rate of 42.5 free throws per 100 field goal attempts. On defense, its block rate of 13.1% ranked 25th. The weak spot was the glass: a defensive rebound rate of 65.2% ranked 347th.
Who exactly is Stanton
The visitor is hard to pin down. CSUB's schedule release lists the opponent as Stanton (Fla.), while a Stanton University in Garden Grove, Calif., plays in the NAIA's Cal Pac conference. Neither school has Division I data, so there is no baseline for how the visitors play.
That makes this a night for watching CSUB. The questions are whether Lee keeps the tempo high, whether the Roadrunners keep living at the line, and whether a new roster can finally finish possessions on the defensive glass.
Numbers that matter
| Last season's record | 8-24 | CSUB finished last in the Big West at 2-18 in conference play. |
|---|---|---|
| Pace, last season | 72.3 | Possessions per 40 minutes, 15th fastest in the country, which matters for any total once one posts. |
| Free throw rate, last season | 42.5 | Ranked 19th nationally and was CSUB's most reliable source of offense. |
| Effective FG%, last season | 46.2% | Ranked 355th of 365, the shooting problem Lee inherits. |
| Block rate, last season | 13.1% | Ranked 25th, a rim-protection strength on an otherwise struggling defense. |
Stanton vs Cal State Bakersfield: quick answers
When is Stanton vs Cal State Bakersfield?
Thursday, November 5, 2026 at 9:30 PM ET.