Preview: Kennedy-King Statesmen at Richard J Daley Bulldogs

CHICAGO (Interstat) — Two men’s junior college basketball teams heading in opposite directions will meet Saturday when the Kennedy-King Statesmen visit the Richard J Daley Bulldogs.

Kennedy-King (2-4) enters with momentum from an 84-52 home victory over Wilbur Wright on Dec. 4, a dominant performance that snapped a two-game skid. The Statesmen’s offense, which averages 71.5 points per game, will look to build on that confidence.

Conversely, Richard J Daley (0-8) is still searching for its first win of the season. The Bulldogs are coming off an 85-64 road loss to Kankakee on Dec. 4 and have lost their games by an average margin of 16.6 points. Defense has been a persistent issue, with Daley allowing 78.1 points per contest.

A key matchup will feature Kennedy-King’s Bangout Mai against Daley’s high-scoring Hamza Hassan. Mai is a versatile contributor for the Statesmen, coming off a performance of 11 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 23 minutes in a loss to Highland (Ill.) on Dec. 2.

Hassan, however, is the nation’s leading scorer at any level of the National Junior College Athletic Association, averaging 34.3 points per game. He poured in 25 points in just one minute of play in the loss to Kankakee, a statistical anomaly underscoring his explosive scoring capability. Containing him will be Kennedy-King’s primary defensive challenge.

The Bulldogs have shown flashes of competitiveness, including a narrow 72-69 overtime loss to Southeastern on Nov. 15. Finding consistent support for Hassan’s prolific output remains their biggest hurdle.

For Kennedy-King, balancing offensive execution with a focused defensive game plan against Hassan will be critical to securing a road victory and moving above .500 at home.

Saturday’s game tips off at 3 p.m. CST at Richard J Daley College. The teams will meet again in Chicago on Jan. 13, 2026.