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Game 14
Opponent: #20 James Madison Dukes (11-0, 0-0)
Date: Friday, December 22, 2023
Site: Hill FIeld House, Baltimore, Md.
Game Time: 1 p.m. (ET)
Last Meeting: JMU leads 9-1
Live Stats/Live Stream: www.morganstatebears.com
Coaches: MSU - Kevin Broadus (61-63, 5th yr) | JMU - Martin Byington (61-32, 4th)
Websites: www.MorganStateBears.com | www.jmusports.com
SETTING THE STAGE
• The Morgan State University men's basketball team is set to make history on Friday, hosting nationally ranked James Madison. The Dukes earned the 20th spot in the Associated Press weekly Top25 poll. The matchup tips off on Friday (Dec. 22) at 1 p.m. (EST). The game will be streamed live on morganstatebears.com and broadcast by the Heritage Radio Sports Network (HSRN.com).
• Amahrie Simpkins (23 pts) and Will Thomas (22 pts) combined for 45 points as the Bears fell to Campbell, 83-76, on Monday (Dec. 18). JMU (11-0) extended their remarkable start to the 2023-24 season, securing a decisive 87-48 victory against Coppin State on Tuesday at Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, Va.
• Redshirt junior guard Kamron Hobbs and redshirt junior forward Will Thomas were named to the preseason All-MEAC second team. Last season, Hobbs started in 16 of 31 games played and averaged 28.1 minutes. He averaged 8.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and shot 44.7 percent from the field and 45 percent (45-100) from 3-point territory. Hobbs also averaged 2.7 assists (ranked No. 10 in MEAC) and 1.4 steals. He scored in double-figures 13 times, including a season-high 24 points versus Delaware State (Feb. 4). Thomas started in 8 of 29 games played last season and averaged 8.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and shot 43.4 percent from the field and 34 percent (16-47) from 3-point territory. He scored in double-figures 10 times, scored 20 or more points five times, and poured in a season-high 27 points (11-22 FG) and grabbed 11 rebounds versus Norfolk State (Jan. 23).
• Several newcomers could make an impact for the Bears this season. Morgan added guard Wynston Tabbs from East Carolina, guard Kiran Oliver from New Mexico State, and forward Myles Thompson from Saint Francis (Pa.) via the transfer portal.
• Morgan's roster includes three freshman, three sophomores, seven juniors, and three seniors.
SCOUTING JAMES MADISON
• Kevin McGeehan is in his 4th season as men's basketball head coach at James Madison University. In his first three seasons at the helm of James Madison Men's Basketball, Mark Byington has immediately reinvigorated the program in Harrisonburg, opening his JMU career with three straight winning seasons, marking the first time the program put together three such campaigns since 1992-95.
• In JMU's second year as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, the Dukes have been selected to finish first in the league in the 2023-24 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll. Redshirt junior Terrence Edwards, Jr. was also named Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team -- he arned 2022-23 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Sixth Man of the Year and All-Sun Belt Second team honors after averaging 13.3 ppg and 5.1 rpg.
• The Dukes' roster consists of three graduate students, three seniors, five juniors, four sophomores and two freshmen.
• JMU is off to an 11-0 record to start the season. They are currently ranked No. 20 in the AP Poll - This season has been the first time in program history that JMU has been ranked on the national poll. The team's early success has produced notable victories against #4 Michigan State and Kent State on the road, and Howard at home.
JMU by the Numbers
• 93.0: JMU leads the nation in scoring by averaging 93.0 points per game.
• 16.1: The Dukes have four players averaging double-figures led by T.J. Bickerstaff averaging 16.3 points with 8.3 rebounds and is shooting 68.5 percent from the field.
• 72.4: On average JMU is giving up just over 70 points per contest to opponents
• 106: The Dukes have made 106 threes so far this season where they are shooting 37.5 percent
• .428: Terrence Edwards Jr. has been JMU's second leading scorer this season (16.1) and is shooting 42.8 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from 3-point territory.
THE SERIES VS. JMU
• JMU leads the series 9-1
• Junior guard De'Torrion Ware had 18 points with four rebounds off the bench, and Troy Baxter added 15 points as Morgan State rallied to beat James Madison 80-73 on January 3, 2021 in Harrisonburg, Va. It marked the first win for the Bears against the Dukes. Ware went 7 of 17 from the field, including 3 for 9 from 3-point territory. Baxter scored 11 of his 15 points (4-11 FG) in the second half and added five rebounds and a block. Matt Lewis, CAA Preseason Player of the Year, led JMU with a game-high 21 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists
• JMU's last win against Morgan was an 84-66 win in Harrisonburg on Dec. 22, 2001.
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE BEARS
BUIS CREEK, N.C. (Dec. 18, 2023) - Redshirt junior Anthony Dell'Orso scored 21 points to lead Campbell past Morgan State, 83-76 in a non-conference matchup Monday night at Pope Convocation Center.
• Sophomore guard Dell'Orso, who was the Big South Freshman of the Year last season, went 7-for-22 from the field and was 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
• Junior Amahrie Simpkins scored 11 of his game- and season-high 23 points in the first half to pace the Bears. He shot 10-of-15 from the field and grabbed four rebounds.
• Redshirt senior forward Will Thomas scored 15 of his 22 points (9-14 FG) in the first half and had two assists.
• Morgan shot .492 (30-of-61) from the field, compared to Campbell's .528 (28-of-65). The Bears shot .200 (3-15) from beyond the arc, while the Camels connected on 7-of-19 (.368) from 3-point range.
HITTING THE CENTURY MARK
• Morgan scored 100 points in their home-opener vs. Cheney University of Pa. (11/9/23).
• Morgan scored 100 or more points twice during the 2022-23 season and a season-high 120 point explosion vs. Virginia-Lynchburg (Dec. 9).
• The Bears recorded 130 points in the home-opener vs. Penn State Allegheny (11/11/22).
• Morgan registered 123 points in a home win vs. Virginia-Lynchburg (11/29/22).
HOME COOKING
• Morgan completed the 2022-23 regular season 10-2 at home.
• The Bears had an 11-game home winning streak snapped by UMES on Jan. 30.
• Morgan completed the 2021-22 season with an 8-3 mark inside Hill Field House.
• The last time the Bears lost at home was against North Carolina Central (74-64) ... their previous loss was on Jan. 23, 2022 against Howard (91-82) on Jan. 23, 2022.
• Morgan is 4-1 at home so far this season.
LINE DANCING
The Bears' returning team includes four players who shot 70 percent or better from the free throw line this season.
• Morgan has converted 703.3 percent (135-192; ranks No. 5 in MEAC) from the stripe thru 13 games.
• Wynston Tabbs is shooting 83 percent (25-30; No. 6 in MEAC) and Kamron Hobbs is currently shooting 81.0 percent (17-21) from the stripe to lead the Bears ... Will Thomas is shooting 80 percent (20-25).
• Last season, Morgan shot 68.8 percent (391-558; ranked No. 6 in MEAC) from the stripe, led by Kamron Hobbs who shot 80.6 percent (29-36) and Will Thomas 78.6 percent (33-42).
TABBS SHOOTING TO THE TOP
Redshirt senior guard Wynston Tabbs is averaging 16.4 points, and ranks No. 4 in the MEAC in scoring, netting a career-high 38 points vs. UMBC on Dec. 26.
• He is also No. 5 in free throw percentage (.833), No. 7 in field goal percentage (.427) and No. 8 in 3-pointers made per game (1.7 makes) from three-point range per game, he hit a career-high 6 vs. UMBC.
• Tabbs has made 18 of 52 three-point shots this season (34.6 percent).
HOBBS DISHING OUT DIMES
Redshirt junior Kamron Hobbs ranks T-No. 61 in the nation with 54 assists in 13 games … he currently ranks No. 4 in the MEAC averaging 4.2 assists per game .
• He set a new Morgan State record by dishing out 15 assists vs. Virginia-Lynchburg (Dec. 9) … the previous record was 14 held by Jerrell Green versus Coppin State on Dec. 7, 2006.
NON-CONFERENCE RECAP
• Morgan is off to a 4-9 record in non-conference play so far this season.
• The Bears registered a 8-9 record in their non- conference slate of games during the 2022-23 season (Feb. 4 vs. Delaware State was officially logged as a non-conference contest).
AT THE HELM
• Kevin Broadus is entering his fifth season at the helm of the program after being named as the men's head basketball coach in 2019.
• The Broadus-led Bears team has compiled several significant victories over non-conference competition, elevating the caliber of wins for a program that aims to compete at a championship level within the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Broadus demonstrated exemplary leadership while successfully overcoming a number of challenges at the onset of his tenure at Morgan, including having to navigate rebuilding a program under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• This past season, Morgan finished with a record of 15-16 overall, and went 7-7 in MEAC play. In 2021-22, the Bears went 13-15 overall, and placed fourth in the MEAC standings with a 7-6 record while advancing to the MEAC Tournament semifinals game. Morgan advanced to the MEAC Tournament championship game in 2021.
• 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
• Malik Miller (Washington, D.C.), Khalil Turner (Philadelphia, Pa.), Isaiah Burke (Bowie, Md.), Daiquan Copeland (Philadelphia, Pa.), Lewis Djonkam(Springfield, Va.), Toto Fagbenle (London, England), Collin Nnamene (Enugu State, Nigeria), David McCullough (Bowie, Md.) and Ty Horner (Sisters, Ore.) wrapped up their Morgan careers last spring.
WHO'S BACK
The Bears return one starter from last year's team, bringing back guard Kamron Hobbs. MSU also returns forward Will Thomas along with guards Rob Lawson and Kevon Wiggins.
WHO'S IN
The Bears have added several newcomers to the 2023-24 roster: G Wynston Tabbs, G Demajion Topps, F Myles Thompson, G Kiran Oliver, G Amahrie Simpkins, F Daniel Akiotoby, F Trent Edwards, G Marvin Brimage, F Christian Oliver, G Tytan Newton, F Allen Udemadu, and G Xavier Valley.
RETURNING PRODUCTION NUMBERS
Morgan State returns 30.2 percent of its scoring, 24.5 percent of its rebounding and 34.3 percent of its minutes played totals from last year's team. The team leaders in field goal percentage (Kamron Hobbs - .447), three-point percentage (Hobbs, .450), free throw percentage (Hobbs, .806), rebounding (Kyle Thomas - 3.9 rpg), assists (Hobbs, 2.7), steals (Hobbs, 1.4), blocked shots (Thomas, 0.2). and minutes played (Hobbs, 28.1). Two (2) players who started in at least five (5) games a year ago.
HOME GROWN
Morgan State has six (6) players from the DMV (D.C., Maryland & Metropolitan-D.C.) area. Redshirt junior forward Will Thomas is from Baltimore and was a prep standout at Mervo HS, while sophomore guard Rob Lawson is from Capitol Heights and played at National Christian Academy, and freshman guard Staccardo Washington played at Dr. Henry A. Wise HS and is from Upper Marlboro. East Carolina transfer Wynston Tabbs hails from Suitland and played at St. Mary's Ryken School. Freshman guard Marvin Brimage is from Washington, D.C. and played at Jackson-Reed HS. Santa Monica College transfer Daniel Akitoby is a product of Fairfax, Va. and played at Falls Church HS.
THE SCHEDULE
The Bears won't ease into the season, opening the schedule Nov. 6 at Arizona. Another trip west comes later in the month with trips to Fresno State (Nov. 15) and Brigham Young (Nov. 18). Another high-profile game comes Dec. 27 with a visit to Virginia.
• "We're going to be battle tested," Broadus says. "The key is, we just have to be healthy, we have to be smart, we have to learn how to play together through adversity. I think once we do that, we're going to be really good."
• The home opener is Nov. 9 against Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. Among the other highlights will be local foe UMBC visiting Hill Field House on Dec. 6, and James Madison making the trip to Morgan for a pre-Christmas matinee on Dec. 22.
• The Bears' MEAC opener is Jan. 6 at Maryland-Eastern Shore, followed two days later by a visit from Delaware State. The regular season ends with a four-game homestand, capped by a Senior Day showdown against crosstown rival Coppin State on March 7.
• "We just have to put it together," Broadus says. "I like what we've got. I think we have a good nucleus and I like how we're doing things."
PREDICTED TO FINISH FOURTH IN THE MEAC
The Morgan State men's basketball team has been picked to finish fourth in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's preseason poll.
• The 2023-24 Bears earned 72 total points in the voting. Howard claimed 11 first place votes and 107 points total as the defending MEAC champions. Norfolk State (96 pts) was selected second, followed by North Carolina Central in third place (79 pts). Maryland Eastern Shore (55 pts), Delaware State (39 pts), Coppin State (30 pts) and South Carolina State (26 pts) rounded out the league's predicted order of finish.
• Redshirt junior guard Kamron Hobbs and redshirt junior forward Will Thomas were named to the preseason All-MEAC second team.
• The 2024 MEAC Basketball Tournament will be held March 13-16 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.
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, Jr. 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 MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS 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
Instagram: /MorganStateBears
ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 100 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.
