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Game 15
Opponent: University of Virginia (9-2, 1-0)
Date: Wednesday, December 27, 2023
Site: John Paul Jones, Charlottesville, Va.
Game Time: 7 p.m. (ET)
Last Meeting: UVA leads 4-0
Television: ESPN/ACCN
Radio: Virginia Sports Radio Network (VSRN)
Live Stats: www.virginiasports.com
Live Stream: www.morganstatebears.com
Coaches: MSU - Kevin Broadus (61-64, 5th yr) | UVA - Tony Bennett (350-127, 15th)
Websites: www.MorganStateBears.com | www.virginiasports.com
SETTING THE STAGE
• The Morgan State University men's basketball team is prepared to face the University of Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville on Wednesday, Dec. 27. The matchup tips off at John Paul Jones Arena at 7 p.m. (EST). The game will be carried live on ESPN and broadcast by the Virginia Radio Sports Network (VSRN.com).
• Will Thomas (20 pts) and Kamron Hobbs (16 pts) combined for 36 points as the Bears fell to No. 20 James Madison, 89-75, last Monday (Dec. 22). UVA (9-2, 1-0) never led in a 77-54 loss to No. 23 Memphis (9-2) at FedExForum on Tuesday night (Dec. 19). Reece Beekman led the Cavaliers with 13 points and Jacon Groves added 12.
• 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 VIRGINIA
• Three-time National Coach of the Year Tony Bennett enters his 15th year as the Dean and Markel Families Men's Head Basketball Coach at the University of Virginia in 2023-24. Bennett came to Charlottesville in 2009 after spending the previous three seasons as the head coach at Washington State, where he was the 2007 National Coach of the Year.
• Virginia was picked to finish 4th and received one first place vote as selected by the media. Additionally, Reece Beekman was one of five players selected to the Preseason All-ACC First Team. Duke was voted the preseason favorite for the eighth time in the last 11 seasons, receiving 44 first-place votes and 757 total points.
• Virginia's roster consists of two graduate students, two seniors, three juniors, three sophomores and six freshmen.
• The Cavaliers enter Wednesday's contest with an 9-2 record to start the season.
• Dec. 19, 2023 - No. 22 Virginia (9-2, 1-0 ACC) never led in a 77-54 loss to No. 23 Memphis (9-2) at FedExForum last Tuesday night. Virginia committed 18 turnovers on the night while shooting 39 percent from the field, including 21 percent from beyond the arc.
• Virginia's Reece Beekman was named to the 2024 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top-50 Watch List. Beekman has averaged 9.5 points, 5.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 3.8 steals for the Cavaliers this season. Virginia was outscored 22-39 in the second half, shooting only 30 percent from the field and 10 percent from 3-point range. Five minutes into the second stanza, the Tigers pulled away after orchestrating an 18-2 run, taking a commanding 21 point lead [65-44].
UVA by the Numbers
• 67.8: UVA is scoring by averaging 67.8 points per game.
• 12.4: The Cavaliers have three players averaging double-figures led by Armaan Franklin averaging 12.4 points with 4.1 rebounds and is shooting 42.4 percent from the field.
• 60.5: On average UVA is giving up just 60 points per contest to opponents (No. 2 in the nation).
• 220: The Cavaliers have made 220 threes so far this season where they are shooting 35 percent
• 1.74: UVA ranks No. 9 in the nation inshooting in assist-turnover ratio (1.74).
THE SERIES VS. UVA
• UVA leads the series 4-0
• Dec. 3, 2018 -- De'Andre Hunter and Kyle Guy scored 15 points each and Virginia beat Morgan State 83-45 in Charlottesville. Nine different Cavaliers scored during a 24-6 first-half burst that turned a 23-14 lead into a 47-20 runaway. Virginia (8-0) then kept the defensive clamps on the Bears, who didn't make their third field goal of the second half until 1:57 remained. Malik Miller and Victor Curry led the Bears (2-5) with seven points apiece. Morgan State was 5 for 28 (19.7 percent) from the field in the second half and missed all eight of its 3-point tries.
• UVA-Morgan's first matchup was Nov. 19, 2006. The Cavaliers posted an 85-66 win.
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE BEARS
BALTIMORE, Md. - A second-half surge by James Madison on Monday proved to be too much for the Morgan State men's basketball team as it fell 89-75. The Bears drop to 4-9 on the season, while the No. 20 James Madison improved to 12-0.
• Terrence Edwards Jr., a redshirt
junior from Atlanta, Ga., was just shy of a double-double for the Dukes as he finished with a game-high 29 points 10-of-17 shooting and nine rebounds.
• Junior forward Raekwon Horton scored 16 points (5-7 FG) and grabbed four boards in 20 minutes off the bench. Redshirt
senior forward Julien Wooden chipped in 12 points, while graduate student T.J. Bickerstaff added 10 points and seven boards.
• Redshirt-junior forward. Will Thomas led the Bears with 20 points (7-15 FG) with five rebounds and three assists in 37 minutes. Redshirt-junior Kamron Hobbs scored 16 points (7-13 FG) with four boards and three assists in 38 minutes, while sophomore Rob Lawson added 14 points with a game-hgih
six assists in 35 minutes.
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 4-2 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 71.1 percent (145-204; ranks No. 5 in MEAC) from the stripe thru 14 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 78 percent (25-32).
• 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. 75 in the nation with 57 assists in 14 games … he currently ranks No. 3 in the MEAC averaging 4.1 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 4-10 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.
