The men’s basketball team takes an 8-4 record and a three- game win streak into Saturday’s competition against rival Hope College. Calvin looks to close the gap between the Knights and Hope’s Flying Dutchmen, who currently lead the overall series 98-90.

Head coach Kevin VandeStreek is familiar with the rivalry, but will be looking to see what strategy the new head coach of Hope implements.

“Both teams are in similar places in that we are both forming who we are going to be,” he said. “They have a new coach and lost a few guys. In our case we have new guys and new roles.”

The Knights averaged 78.8 points per game. Senior guard Jordan Brink has lead the scoring efforts for the team with an average of 21.4 points per game.

“Jordan is probably as good a big-game player as I’ve ever had,” said VandeStreek. “He always finds another gear.”

VandeStreek is also confident in his other players. Besides Brink, he credited Jordan Daley, Austin Parks, Tyler Dykstra and Connor Vander Brug, noting that any of them could be second leading scorers depending on how the defense plays them.

With a new coach at the helm, Hope might look to surprise Calvin with a different style of defense. VandeStreek credits Hope with playing a very aggressive man-to-man game.

Three key players to watch on the Hope team are Brock Benson, Alex Eidson and Ben Gardner. VandeStreeke said that Benson has improved his post game and Gardner has become more of a number three for the Dutchmen. Eidson remains a threat from the arc, making 26 of his 64 three-point shots in 12 games for a shooting percentage of 40.6 percent.

This game also kicks off a friendly competition between each school’s Student Athletic Advisory Committee as they attempt to raise canned food donations for local food pantries.

“We have great students and great student athletes at both schools,” said VandeStreek remarking on the event. “It’s a great way of demonstrating [care for the community].”

The teams tip off at 3:00 p.m. at DeVos Fieldhouse on Saturday.