The Central Connecticut State University men’s basketball program has featured a mixture of smooth and aggressive play down low in the paint during the 2023-24 season, with one big man playing with finesse and the other playing with grit.

Juniors Jayden Brown and Abdul Momoh have been the perfect rotating duo on the floor this year, as well as the heart and soul of Central’s defense. 

Brown, the starting center, has been a Blue Devil from the start. In 2023, he has started to blossom into his own, averaging eight points and four rebounds.

Brown has worked on his face-up game extensively, which has paid dividends thus far this season.

“This offseason, I worked on mostly my face-up, so mid-post catching it, being comfortable to dribble and make a move without looking for someone first,” Brown said. 

With an astounding 36 blocks and counting this season, Brown has become an elite shot blocker who tracks the ball very well. Brown learned to track the ball by trying to time his older brother’s shots when they played against each other. 

“That comes with playing with my older brother,” Brown said. “He’s 7 feet and plays overseas now, so playing against him and trying to time his blocks growing up helped.”  

Momoh has been making noise on both ends of the floor in his third year. The 6-foot-7 big man is light on his feet and can hang down low with anyone that a team throws at him.

Finishing in the top three in the conference for blocks in the 2022-23 season and having 23 blocks this season, Momoh is the anchor on defense when his number gets called.  

“This year, my biggest thing has been to stay in games late, stay out of foul trouble and wall up the right way,” Momoh said. 

CCSU has played in many close games this season, and both players have shown up, getting clutch blocks and late-game rebounds that have closed out games. Momoh said he loves the rotation between the two.  

“I like me and Jayden as the rotating big men because our skill sets complement each other well,” Momoh said.