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Game 3
Opponent: George Mason Patriotts (2-0)
Date: Sunday, November 14, 2021
Site: EagleBank Arena, Fairfax, Va.
Game Time: 6 p.m. EST
Live Stats: here /Live Stream: here
MSU Coaches: MSU -Kevin Broadus (68-49, 3rd yr) • GMU - Kim English (2-0, 1st yr)
Websites: www.MorganStateBears.com | www.gomason.com
SETTING THE STAGE
• The Morgan State University men's basketball team will hit the road for the first time in the 2021-22 season when they head to Fairfax (Va.) to take on the George Mason Patriots Sunday night. The two schools will meet for the sixth time. The Bears posted a 126-71 victory against Penn State Greater Allegheny on Thursday night at Hill Field House. George Mason (2-0) is coming off an 87-67 win versus Penn (Nov. 12).
• The contest will be streamed live on ESPN+ and broadcast by the Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN.com).
• De'Torrion Ware, a junior from Hopkinsville Ky., was named the preseason MEAC Player of the Year ... he finished the 2020-21 season as the Bears leader in scoring with 375 points (17.0 ppg; No. 1 in MEAC) and was second on the team in rebounding with 125 (5.7 avg; No. 7) ... He ranked among the league leaders in three-point field goals made with 54 (T-No. 1) and his .388 three-point field goal percentage ranked eighth.
• Senior guard Sherwyn Devonish averaged 8.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 29.5 minutes per contest in his third season as the Bears starting point guard ... He shot 50 percent from the floor, 40.2 percent from 3-point range and 81.6 percent from the charity stripe and led the team in assists with 3.6 assists per game (T-No. 8 in MEAC).
• Lagio Grantsaan averaged 10.0 points and 5.0 rebounds last season ... He ranked No. 2 in the league in field goal shooting percentage (.530) and ranked No. 7 from beyond the arc where he shot 39.1 percent ...The 6-8 forward also had 33 assists, 18 steals and 4 blocks.
• Senior guard Malik Miller, a second-team selection at the end of the year, was Morgan's third leading scorer, averaging 12.1 points per game ... he ranked among the league leaders in a number of categories: 8.0 rebounds (No. 2), 2.0 steals (No. 3) and ranked No. 5 in the league shooting 51.0 percent from the field.
• A couple of transfers could make an impact. Seventh Woods, who played at North Carolina from 2016-2019 and South Carolina from 2020-2021. The 6-foot-2, 184-pound guard won a national championship with the Tar Heels in 2017. The Bears also brought in Keith McGee (New Mexico), Myles Douglas (St. Joseph's), Collin Nnamene (Mount St. Mary's) and Ty Horner (North Dakota State Sciences).
• Last season, the MEAC split into Northern and Southern Divisions for basketball, and teams played conference games exclusively within their division.
THE SERIES
• Sunday's contest will mark the sixth matchup between the schools with George Mason leading the series 4-1.
• Morgan State recorded an 85-82 victory against George Mason on January 2, 1994 at the Patriot Center.
• The Patriots won the last meeting, 82-75, on Nov. 28, 2018 ... Otis Livingston II scored five of his game-high 22 points in the final two minutes to help George Mason pull away and beat Morgan State 82-75 on Wednesday night at Eagle Bank Arena ... Kyson Rawls scored a career-high 18 points, and Davis had 15 points and 12 rebounds to lead Morgan State (2-4). Devonish-Prince Jr. finished with 12 points.
BAXTER GONE
The Bears will look to offset the loss of graduated Troy Baxter, who completed the MEAC regular season by averaging 17.1 ppg (No. 1 in MEAC), 4.8 rpg and shot 44.5 percent from the field and 36.7 from the three
• He was named to the 2021 All-MEAC First Team and All-Defensive Team and was named the MEAC Male Student-Athlete of the Year.
• He was also named NABC All-District Second Team and BoxToRow Second Team All-American.
• Baxter won the 2021 Great Clips College Slam Dunk championship back in April.
• He was signed as an undrafted free agent in October by the NBA's Chicago Bulls.
SCOUTING GEORGE MASON
• Kim English was named head coach of the Patriot men't basketball program on March 23, 2021. Priot to Mason, English worked at the University of Tennessee, where he most recently served as an assistant coach under former Mason bench boss Rick Barnes. An All-Big 12 selection as a player at the University of Missouri, the Baltimore native was selected in the second round (44th overall) of the NBA Draft and played for the Detroit Pistons before finishing his professional career within the international ranks.
• Preseason All-A-10 Third Team selection Josh Oduro (6-9, 235) is averaging 18.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and is shooting 65.4 percent thru the first two games of the season. He enters Sunday's contest coming off a 20-point, 8 rebound performance against Penn.
• Mason has three other players currently averaging double-figures. Graduate student D'Shawn Schwartz (6-7, 232) is averaging 14.5 points and 5.0 rebounds, 6-4 guard Devon Cooper (Morehead State transfer) is averaging 13.0 points, and 6-1 guard Xavier Johnson is adding 11.5 points and 5.0 boards.
• Mason's roster features five freshman, three sophomores, four juniors, three seniors and three graduate students.
• The Patriots enter Sunday's game with a 2-0 record. They opened the season with a 74-52 win over preseason American East favorite Stony Brook Tuesday night, followed by an 87-67 victory against Penn on Friday.
• Mason's 2022 recruiting class, formally announced Wednesday, is ranked 48th in the nation by 247 Sports and 56th by Rivals.com.
• The Patriots have two players on the roster from the DMV (Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia): Ronald Polite III (Temple Hills, Md./Oxon Hill HS); Xavier Johnson (Germantown, Md./Episcopal HS); Sam Shelton (Sterling, Va./Dominion HS); and Mike Gray (Fredericksburg, Va./Blue Ridge School).
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE BEARS
• Nov 11, 2021 -- Keith McGee scored a game-high 27 points off the bench as Morgan State reached the century mark for the second straight game, defeating Penn State Allegheny, 126-71, in non-conference action Thursday night at Hill Field House.
• The Bears improved to 2-0 for the season and have totaled 244 points (122 ppg) in their first two games. Forward Lagio Grantsaan had 22 points and a game-high 10 rebounds with two blocks and junior guard De'Torrion Ware had 17 points and six rebounds.
• Senior guard Sherwyn Devonish added a game-high seven assists to go along with seven points and seven boards in 23 minutes.
• McGee, who joined the Bears as a transfer from New Mexico, shot 12 of 13 from the field, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range, as Morgan shot 56 percent (47-84) from the field. He also recorded a game-high eight steals.
• Morgan never trailed, jumping out to a 20-2 lead in the first seven minutes of play. PSUGA got back-to-back 3-pointers from Edmundson, followed by Casey Oliver to trim the Bears lead to 22-8 with 13:16 remaining in the half. It was as close as they would get for the rest of the night. McGee helped close out the half with a dunk and a jumper at the buzzer to give the Bears a 69-30 advantage at halftime.
CHRIS PAUL HBCU CHALLENGE
The Bears early schedule includes playing eight of nine games away from Hill Field House, highlighting that stretch is back-to-back games in the Chris Paul HBCU Challenge in Phoenix, where the Bears will meet Grambling State (Nov. 28) and Hampton (Nov. 29).
• The first-of-its-kind event for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) will be played at the Footprint Center (Home of the Phoenix Suns) and air on ESPN Networks.
• The two-day doubleheader will feature the likes of Norfolk State University, Morgan State University, Hampton University and Grambling State University.
NBA HBCU CLASSIC
The NBA today announced an extension of its ongoing commitment to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with new programs designed to create greater opportunity for students and alumni, encourage economic advancement and further celebrate their rich traditions.
• The celebrations will be highlighted by a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) matchup between Howard University and Morgan State University men's basketball teams. The game will be played at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland on February 19, 2022 and will be broadcast live.
• The NBA 2K League will host events on HBCU campuses to introduce students to careers in gaming and esports, creating pathways for students to pursue careers in the growing industry.
• As part of this partnership, the NBA will develop new programs and events focused on the HBCU community – specifically around professional development, career advancement and increased support and awareness for HBCU athletics and institutions.
• "Chris Paul has shown unwavering support for HBCUs and brought an awareness to creating opportunities for the student-athletes at these institutions," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. "The Hall of Fame is proud to share in Chris's vision and bring this event to life alongside Boost Mobile and the Phoenix Suns."
OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
• Morgan State led the MEAC in scoring by averaging 79.8 points thru 22 games of the 2020-21 season.
• They scored a season-high 102 in a home win vs. Lincoln-Pa. (Dec. 1, 2020).
• The Bears shot 43.3 percent from the field (ranked No. 3) and 34.3 percent from beyond the arc (No. 2).
• MSU also led the MEAC in offensive rebounding (39.7 avg).
• Morgan exploded for 118 points in its 2021-22 season opener versus St. Mary's College of Maryland ... they finished with 126 points versus Penn State Greater Allegheny.
AT THE CHARITY LINE
Morgan State shot 73.9 percent (369-499; ranked No. 1 in MEAC) from the stripe, led by De'Torrion Ware who shot 83.2 percent (84-101; ranked No. 5 in MEAC) and Malik Miller 71.6 percent (58-81; ranked No. 10).
NON-CONFERENCE RECAP
Morgan State went 7-3 in non-conference play, the most non-conference wins since a 2019-20 season in which the Bears held a 6-9 non-conference mark. Prior to that, MSU had not won at least seven non-conference games since the 2012-13 season (7-9).
• Last season, MSU went 2-2 at home, 3-0 in road games and 2-1 in neutral site games.
AT THE HELM
• Kevin Broadus enters his third year at the helm as Morgan State's 16th head coach of the men's basketball program effective May 1, 2019.
• In Broadus' debut season, Morgan State went 15-16, its largest victory total since 2013-14. Then last year, in the midst of a pandemic, the Bears produced a 14-8 mark --- their best winning percentage since going 27-10 and making the NCAA tournament in 2009-10.
• Prior to Morgan, Broadus worked at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he has been one of the nation's best recruiters as the top assistant on Mark Turgeon's coaching staff. Broadus was influential in the successful NCAA tournament run for the Terps.
• Consistently ranked in the top 20 nationally for recruiting, Broadus was instrumental in signing a number of local Baltimore talents such as DeJuan Summers, Brandon Herbert, LaFonta Johnson, and Henry Sims.
WHO'S OUT
Troy Baxter (Tallahassee, Fla.), Victor Okafor (Greenbelt, Md.), Sharone Wright (Macon, Ga.),and Jamar Brown (Harlem, N.Y.) wrapped up their collegiate careers last spring.
WHO'S BACK
The Bears return four starters from last year's team, bringing back guards Sherwyn Devonish, Malik Miller, Trevor Moore and forward Lagio Grantsaan. MSU also returns guards De'Torrion Ware, Isaiah Burke, Naseem Khaalid, Thai're Vance, Elijah Bowens along with forward Chad Venning.
WHO'S IN
The Bears have added several newcomers to the 2021-22 roster: G Seventh Woods, G Will Thomas, G Keith McGee, F Ty Horner, F Collin Nnamene and F Myles Douglas.
RETURNING PRODUCTION NUMBERS
Morgan State returns 72.4 percent of its scoring, 63.7 percent of its rebounding and 70.4 percent of its minutes played totals from last year's team. The team leaders in field goal percentage (De'Torrion Ware - .425), three-point percentage (De'Torrion Ware, .384), free throw percentage (De'Torrion Ware, .832), rebounding (Malik Miller - 8.0 rpg), assists (Sherwyn Devonish, 3.6), steals (Malik Miller, 2.0), blocked shots (Malik Miller, 0.9). and minutes played (Sherwyn Devonish, 29.5). Four (4) players who started in at least five (5) games a year ago also return - Devonish (22), Miller (22), Lagio Grantsaan (21 ), and Trevor Moore (20).
HOME GROWN
Morgan State has seven players from the DMV (D.C., Maryland & Metropolitan-D.C.) area. Senior guard Sherwyn Devonish is from Bladensburg, Md. and graduated from Wise HS. Senior guard Isaiah Burke is from Annapolis and was a prep standout at Bowie HS, while senior guard Malik Miller hails from Washington, D.C. and played at Friendship Tech Prep. Senior forward Myles Douglas is from Edgewood, Md. and was a standout at Aberdeen HS. Sophomore guard Will Thomas is from Baltiomore and played at Mervo HS. Junior guard Thai're Vance is a product of Silver Spring, Md. and played at DeMatha Catholic HS.
BROADUS' STAFF
Morgan State head basketball coach Kevin Broadus' coaching staff enters their third season. The Bears coaching staff consists of assistant coaches Brian Merritt, Chretien Lukusa and Kevin Jones.
• Merritt enters his third season on the Bears staff after serving the last two seasons as the Coordinator of Basketball Operations at LSU. Merritt, a native of St. Mary's County, Maryland, joined LSU prior to the 2017-18 season after serving as Director of Scouting/Recruiting for John Lucas Enterprises.
• Lukusa enters his third season at Morgan State and was previously spent five years on Binghamton's staff, including a pair of seasons on the coaching side. A 2011 Binghamton graduate who also earned his master's degree at the University, Lukusa returned to the program in 2014. After serving two seasons as the coordinator of player development, Lukusa earned a promotion to assistant coach in Summer 2016.
• Jones, who is also in his third season at MSU, was previously the assistant director of basketball operations and video coordinator at Radford University (2018-19) where he oversaw all things video and technology. Prior to Radford, Jones was an assistant coach at Norfolk State (2015-18) where he helped guide the Spartans to back-to-back second-place finishes in the MEAC and coached three All-MEAC guards.
THE SCHEDULE
The season begins with back-to-back home games against St. Mary's (Md.) and Penn State Allegheny the first week of the season before playing eight of the next nine away from Hill Field House. The highlight of that stretch is back-to-back games in the Chris Paul HBCU Challenge in Phoenix, where the Bears will meet Grambling State (Nov. 28) and Hampton (Nov. 29).
• Morgan State's only trips to play power conference opponents come around the holidays, with a Dec. 23 trek to Wisconsin and a visit to Kansas State six days later. From there, it's the 14-game MEAC schedule, starting with a Jan. 8 trip to North Carolina Central.
• The Bears play crosstown rival Coppin State at home on Jan. 15, beginning a stretch of seven out of 11 games at home. After the Feb. 28 home finale against Maryland-Eastern Shore, Morgan closes the regular season at Coppin State on March before starting MEAC tournament play the following week in Norfolk, Va.
PREDICTED TO FINISH SECOND IN THE MEAC
The Bears were picked second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's preseason poll, their second consecutive season of being projected to finish in second place.
• The 2021-22 Bears earned 99 total points in the voting, while claiming three of the 16 first-place votes. Norfolk State claimed 10 first place votes and 119 points total as the defending MEAC champions. North Carolina Central (93 pts) was selected third, followed by Coppin State (89 pts), Howard (70 pts) and Delaware State (43 pts). South Carolina State (39 pts) and Maryland Eastern Shore (24 pts) rounded out the league's predicted order of finish.
• With the second-place selection, the Bears also earned an unprecedented five selections on the preseason all-MEAC squad as the quintet of De'Torrion Ware, Malik Miller, Lagio Grantsaan, Sherwyn Devonish., and Trevor Moore were all named.
• In addition, Ware was selected as the league's Preseason Player of the Year – he becomes just the third Bear to ever be selected for the preseason honor, joining Phillip Carr (2017) and Kevin Thompson (2010). Reggie Holmes is the last Bears to win the regular-season award, when he received the award in 2009.
• It is the biggest contingent of Bears on the preseason team since 2013-14 as the Bears had Justin Black, Ian Chiles and Anthony Hubbard on the roster.
• The selections are well-earned – the Bears reached the MEAC tournament finals last season for the first time since 2014 and has one of the most experienced squads in program history coming back for this campaign. The Bears look primed to make a run for the MEAC title this season and try to raise the 6th regular-season and 4thtournament championship banners in the Hill Field House.
• The 2022 MEAC Basketball Tournament tips off March 9-12 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. For more information about the MEAC and its sponsored sports, log on to www.MEACSports.com.
HOW TO WATCH GAMES: All men's and women's basketball home games will be video streamed for free through the MorganStateBears.com website. The latest broadcast and video stream information will always be listed on men's and women's basketball schedule pages at MorganStateBears.com.
MEN'S & WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RADIO: All home games and select away games for MSU men's and women's basketball will once again be available through Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN.com). Lamont Germany will handle play-by-play responsibilities and will also host pre-game and post-game shows. Including exclusive interviews with members of the teams and women's coach Ed Davis and men's coach Kevin Broadus. Fans can download the HSRN app for free and listen to the MSU broadcasts from anywhere. Simply search for HSRN when using the iHeartRadio app.
FOLLOW US IN CYBERSPACE
There are many ways to keep up with MSU athletics online and on the go:
• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official web site of Bears athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios and more.
• Follow us on social media:
Facebook: /MorganStateBears
Twitter: @MorganStBears
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 126 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
