There’s an element of the unknown to the two foes the College of Southern Idaho men’s basketball team will face today and Saturday at the K&T Steel Tournament.

The Golden Eagles (6-1) face Chemeketa Community College (Ore.) tonight and Riverside Community College (Calif.) on Saturday.

Chemeketa played CSI tough in a 92-82 loss last season. Only a couple faces return from that squad and this is Chemeketa’s first game of the 2009-10 season, leading CSI head coach Steve Gosar to call tonight’s opponent “pretty much an unknown.”

CSI knows it will have its hands full with Riverside on Saturday. Riverside returns nine players from a team that won the California community college championship last year.

“All that experience and that talent, we know they’re good and they know how to play with each other,” said Gosar. “That’s going to make it a real challenge for us.”

Riverside is led by point guard Daniel Redmon (10.7 points, 7.7 assists) and center Kevin Bradshaw (7.3 points, 8.3 boards). But the team declined to exchange film with CSI, making preparation a bit harder. Canada’s Lethbridge College rounds out the K&T field, but will not face the host Eagles.

With the new 20-game Scenic West Athletic Conference schedule, CSI opened league play last week, falling to Salt Lake Community College and beating Snow College. The split dropped CSI out of this week’s NJCAA rankings after moving in at No. 25 last week.

CSI resumes SWAC action next week with games at Colorado Northwest Community College and the College of Eastern Utah. Gosar said the challenge of stepping in and out of league play is aided by the quality of this week’s nonconference foes.

“I’d be a little bit worried if we were bringing in some all-star teams, but we’re bringing in some good teams,” he said, “so it’s going to feel more like a conference setting. We’ll hopefully have to raise the level of our game and kind of keep our SWAC mindset throughout the weekend.”

Redshirt freshman Carrick Felix continues to lead CSI in scoring, averaging 17.3 points to go with 5.3 rebounds. Josten Thomas has been up and down, a monster night followed by a quiet one. Still, he’s averaging 13.7 points and 9.3 boards. Antonio Owens and Byago Diouf are also scoring in double figures, while Brazilian center Romario Souza has started his sophomore season strong.

Senegalese big man Aziz Ndiaye remains sidelined by a torn ACL and the earliest possible return for the 7-foot center is late December. In his absence, Souza has provided the Eagles with 11 points and 7.6 rebounds a game. Despite an ailing back, he leads the team in charges taken.

“He’s been fantastic,” said Gosar. “And I think it’s still within him to play better. He shoots the ball so well and he’s so skilled. As good as he’s played so far, he definitely has room to grow.”

Notes: CSI should have freshman point guard Pierre Jackson back in the lineup today after he missed last week’s games with illness. Kenny Buckner (back) are Keon Pledger (neck) are day-to-day, but Buckner is expected to play. … During halftime of Saturday’s men’s game, CSI will honor cheer squad member Sean Carey, 19, who died Oct. 21 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. The cheer and dance squad will perform a special number and Carey’s family will be recognized.