BALTIMORE, Md. – The Bears' 2023 men's basketball season featured two of the top players in the league, a nationally ranked defense, a hot start to conference-play, and 14 games which were decided by 10-points or less. Those factors contributed to another thing Morgan State fans have grown accustomed to - a season full of exciting moments and big victories.

Head coach Kevin Broadus guided the Bears to a 15-16 campaign in which they went 7-7 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play.  Morgan was the No. 5 seed in the MEAC Tournament, before completing the season with a defeat to No. 4 seeded Maryland Eastern Shore in the quarterfinals.

Before we fully turn the page to next year, take a look back at the accomplishments of Morgan's 2023 men's basketball team below. 

Briefly on the Bears

• This was the 43rd season as a member of the MEAC.
• The Bears were especially good at home, going 10-2 at Hill Field House, which was their most home wins since the 2010-11 season when the Bears went 10-2.
• The Bears found it tougher away from home – they won five road/neutral site games and were 2-5 against MEAC opponents on the road.
• Morgan's nonconference record was 8-8.
• Morgan possessed one of the MEAC's best offenses. The Bears finished in the top five in points average (fourth – 74.9), field goals made (first – 27.8), field goal percentage (fourth – .452), and 3-point percentage (second – .369). Individually, only one other player in the conference scored more points than Isaiah Burke, who averaged 18.7 points per game. He also averaged 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals and ranked No. 10 in the nation by shooting .420 percent from 3-point territory.
• Morgan's defense limited opponents to scoring 72.3 points per game, which was fourth in the MEAC. The Bears' also ranked fourth in field goal percentage defense (.440), second in 3-point percentage defense (.309), first in blocked shots (136 - 4.5 bpg; ranked No. 41 in the nation), and second in steals (303 - 9.8 spg; No. 3 in the nation).
• Malik Miller was on pace as a strong candidate for MEAC Player of the Year before suffering a season-ending ACL during a 88-56 loss at Howard on Jan. 21. Prior to losing Miller, the Bears were tied for first place in the MEAC.

The Big Wins

• The Bears hit their stride during the holidays, with six consecutive wins during just over a three-week stretch, including three early MEAC wins over North Carolina Central, South Carolina State, and Coppin State.
• During that span, Morgan averaged 82 points and shooting nearly .400 percent from the field.
• Malik Miller scored a game-high 26 points with six rebounds as Morgan reached the century mark for the second time this season, defeating Virginia-Lynchburg, 123-59, in non-conference action Nov. 29 at Hill Field House. Miller eclipsed the 1,000 point mark for his career early in the second half.
•  Will Thomas poured in a game and career-high 27 points and Isaiah Burke added 21 points to help lead Morgan to a 77-71 conference win against Norfolk State on ESPNU in front of an energized crowd at Hill Field House on Jan. 23.
• Kamron Hobbs scored a game and career-high 24 points and Lewis Djonkam added 18 points and nine boards as the Bears defeated Delaware State at the 2023 Michael B. Jordan-led HBCU Legacy Classic with a 75-65 victory over the Hornets in the star-studded event at Prudential Arena. The HBCU Legacy doubleheader, which featured Norfolk State University and Hampton University in the second game, was televised live on Turner Network Television (TNT) and broadcast by network personalities Grant Hill, along with Stephanie Ready and Taylor Rooks. Djonkam was named the HBCU Legacy Classic Most Valuable Player of the Game.
• Will Thomas had 24 points to lead Morgan to an 89-76 victory over Howard on Feb. 20 in front of a raucous "Greek Night" crowd of 4,880 at Hill Field House. The win snapped the Bison's nine-game win streak.

The Big Moments

• Two of Morgan's wins this year came in overtime. The Bears beat Utah Valley at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in opening play of the Jersey Mike's Jamaica Classic on Nov. 18. Malik Miller recorded a game-high 20 points and 10 rebounds and Khalil Turner buried a 3-pointer in the final seconds to give the Bears a win.  On. Jan. 1 at Hill Field House, Isaiah Burke scored a game-high 28 points and Morgan battled all game long and eventually came away with a 78-73 overtime win —it marked the Bears' first win against the Eagles since 2012.
• On Jan. 14 at the Physical Education Complex (PEC),  Isaiah Burke scored 17 of his game-high 30 points in the first half, while Malik Miller added 16 points and a career-high 19 rebounds, as visiting Morgan defeated crosstown rival Coppin State, 83-66 in a MEAC showdown. Burke connected on 5-of-11 from the floor, 5-of-8 from three and converted 15-of-18 from the free throw line. 
• NBA legend Magic Johnson made a surprise appearance to the Feb. 20 game against Howard, after a morning with a visit to tour the campus and see the newly renovated Thurgood Marshall dining hall ... Johnson is the chairman of dining services provider Sodexo Magic.
• Malik Miller scored a game and career-high 32 points and Isaiah Burke matched his career-high with 30 points to lead Morgan to a 90-85 victory over South Carolina State on Jan. 9. The last time Morgan had two players score 30 or more points in the same game was Jan. 6, 2018 against Florida A&M -- Tiwian Kendley scored 35 points and Phillip Carr scored 32. Miller also became the third player since 2010-11 with 32 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks in a game ... The others were also this season: *Chattanooga's Jake Stephens vs. Belmont (12/18) and * Idaho's Isaac Jones vs. Sacramento State (1/5).
• In total, Morgan played six games this season that were decided by five points or fewer. It was 4-2 in those contests.

Bear Bits

• 2: The Bears ranked No. 2 in the nation in turnovers forced (589 opp. turnovers).
• 9: According to KenPom.com, Morgan State ranked ninth nationally in defensive turnover percentage at 23.8 percent --- basically forcing turnovers on nearly one of four possessions. It's the fourth time in the last five seasons the Bears finished in the top 30 in the category --- fifth in 2018-19 (23.9 percent), 30th in 2020-21 (22.1 percent), 13th in 2021-22 (23.2 percent).
• .369: Morgan's .369 team 3-point percentage was its highest since 2004, when the Bears hit .373.
• 206: The Bears connected on 206 3-pointers, which ranked seventh in the MEAC.
• 55: Morgan scored 55 points off of 38 turnovers against PSUGA. 
• 17: Morgan had at least one player score in double- digits off the bench in 17 of its 31 games of the 2022-23 season.
• 19: Malik Miller hauled down a season-high 19 rebounds at Coppin State (Jan. 14).
• 14: Number of blocked shots vs. South Carolina State vs. Jan. 9 (MEAC game-high).
• 1,314: Morgan finished fourth in the MEAC in average attendance. The Bears played in front of five crowds of 1,000 or more, including a season-high crowd of 4,880 in attendance for the Bears Feb. 20 matchup versus Howard.
• 76: Number of points the Bears scored in the paint vs. Virginia Lynchburg on Nov. 29.
• 94: Head coach Kevin Broadus won his 94th career game during the Bears' 68-61 win in Princess Anne (Md.) versus Maryland Eastern Shore. His overall record in six seasons is 94-80 and he holds a 57-55 record at Morgan State. 
• 130: The 130 points against Penn State Allegheny (130-49; Nov. 10) was the most in school history. The previous record was 129 set in 1972-73 against Detroit Tech.

• All-MEAC: Isaiah Burke was named first team All-MEAC and Rob Lawson was named to the MEAC All-Rookie Team.
• Burke's postseason accolades also include being named to: first team BoxToRow All-America and second team All-District by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
• Burke was also selected to play in the HBCU All-Star Game.
• As a starter in all 31 games played, Burke scored in double figures in 30 of the 31 games and scored 20 or more points in 15 games. He had a career-high 31-point outing vs. Hartford (Jan. 18), scored 22 points (6-12 3FG) at No. 5 Arizona, and finished with 17 points vs. Maryland Eastern Shore in the MEAC Tournament quarterfinals.  
• Burke finished his Morgan career ranked among the school's all-time leaders – he is T-No. 2 in 3-pointers made (189); No. 16 in scoring (1,221) and he ranks No. 3 in 3-pointers made in a season with 92.
• Will Thomas was named the top sixth man in the MEAC by HoopsHD.com.
• Malik Miller was selected to the All-MEAC preseason second team.

Senior Salute

• Five seniors played their final season with the blue and orange in 2022-23: Collin Nnamene, Ty Horner, Lewis Djonkam, Isaiah Burke and Malik Miller.
• Miller, a fifth-year senior, was the most experienced of the group. Miller suffered a season-ending injury against Howard on Jan. 21 ... he finished the season ranked among the MEAC leaders in a number of statistical categories: No. 1 in rebounding (9.8), No. 3 in scoring (17.5) and steals (2.1); and No. 4 in assists (3.9) in 19 games played.
• Miller completed his career ranked among the school's leaders in a number of categories: No. 3 in steals (177); No. 6 in rebounding (792), T-No. 7 in games played (118) and No. 15 in scoring (1,225).

•  Morgan's team returns veteran guard Kamron Hobbs (8.4 ppg) and swingman Will Thomas (8.9 ppg).
   

SEASON AT A GLANCE
Head Coach: Kevin Broadus
4th Season (94-79)

2022-23 Season
Record: 15-16
Home: 10-2
Away: 3-12
Neutral: 2-2
Non-Conference: 7-8
MEAC Record: 7-7
MEAC Standings: 4th
MEAC Tournament: No. 5 seed lost to No. 4 seed MD-Eastern Shore

Team Stats - MEAC rank
74.9 PPG – 4th
72.3 PPG allowed – 4th
34.6 Rebounds per game - 6th
15.5 Assists per game – 1st
4.5 Blocks per game – 1st
9.8 Steals per game – 2nd
45.2% FG percentage – 4th
44.0% FG% allowed - 4th
36.9% 3pt percentage – 2nd
30.9% 3pt% allowed – 2nd
68.8% FT percentage – 6th
.98 Assist-to-Turnover ratio- 2nd

Team Leaders
Minutes: Burke – 34.5
Scoring: Burke - 18.7
Points High: Miller - 32
Rebounding: Miller - 9.8
Rebound High: Miller - 19
Assists: Burke – 2.8
Blocks: Nnamene - 1.4
Steals: Burke - 1.5
FG%: Djonkam - 54.3%
3-point fg%: Hobbs – 45.0%
FT%: Hobbs – 80.6%

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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, 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.