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Game 20
Opponent: Howard (8-12,2-2)
Date: Saturday, January 27, 2024
Site: Hill Field House, Baltimore, Md.
Game Time: 4:30 p.m. (ET)
Series Record: MSU leads the series 66-49
Live Stream/Live Stats: www.morganstatebears.com
Radio: Heritage Sports Radion Network (HSRN)
Coaches: MSU - Kevin Broadus (62-68, 5th yr) | HU - Kenneth Blakeney (51-71, 5th)
Websites: www.MorganStateBears.com | www.hubison.com
SETTING THE STAGE
• The Morgan State University men's basketball team will return to action on Saturday, January 27 against conference rival Howard. The matchup tips off at 4:30 p.m. (EST) at Hill Field House and all fans are encouraged to WEAR WHITE for the "White Out" game. The game will be streamed live via Morgan's athletics website and will be broadcast by the Heritage Radio Sports Network (HSRN.com).
• Wynston Tabbs and Will Thomas combined for 11 points in overtime to lead the Morgan State men's basketball team to an 89-86 victory against Coppin State Saturday at PEC Arena. The Bears snapped a 6-game losing streak and improved to 5-14 overall and 1-2 in MEAC play. The Eagles dropped to 2-15 (1-2).
• 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 HOWARD
• Head coach Kenneth Blakeney enters his third season leading the Howard men's basketball program in 2019-20. He has coached at seven Division I universities over a 12-year span. Blakeney was a McDonalds All- American and Gatorade Player of the Year at the famed DeMatha Catholic HS, and played at Duke under head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
• The defending MEAC champion Bison, who were picked to finish first in the MEAC Preseason Poll, currently have an 8-12 overall and 2-2 MEAC record after after posting a 65-61 loss versus Norfolk State on Saturday (Jan. 20) in Washington, D.C. Jamarii Thomas and Allen Betrand both scored 14 points to help Norfolk State defeat Howard. The Bison were led by Bryce Harris, who posted 21 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Howard also got 11 points from Marcus Dockery.
• Junior 6-4 guard Bryce Harris (Brentwood, N.Y.) and 6-9 senior forward Seth Townes (Columbus, Ohio) currently lead the Bison in scoring. Harris is averaging 15.6 points (No. 5 in MEAC), 6.6 rebounds (No. 4) and is shooting a league-best 56% from the field and 72% from the free throw line (No. 8). Townes, a transfer from Ohio State, is averaging 15.6 points, 6.8 rebounds (No. 2) and is shooting 37.7 percent from the field. Townes also leads the Bison dishing out 2.5 assists per contest. Junior 6-2 guard Marcus Dockery (Washington, D.C.) is averaging 12.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals.
• Howard sophomore guard Shy Odom was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Men's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year. Joining Odom on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team are Howard teammates Marcus Dockery and Jelani Williams.
HU by the Numbers
• 75.2: HU is scoring by averaging 75.2 points per game (No. 3 in the MEAC).
• 15.6: The Bison have been led by junior 6-4 guard Seth Towns who is averaging 15.6 points (ranks No. 5 in MEAC) with 6.6 rebounds (No. 4) and is shooting 56 percent from the field and 72 percent from the free throw line.
• 76.6: On average HU is giving up just under 80 points per contest to opponents.
• .457: The Bison rank No. 1 in the MEAC in field goal percentage (.457).
• .362: The Bison rank No. 1 in the MEAC in 3-point field goal percentage (.362).
• 25.4: The Bison rank No. 1 in the MEAC in defensive rebounds (25.4 avg.).
THE SERIES
• Saturday's contest will mark the 115th meeting between the schools ... The Bears lead the series 66-48.
• Morgan's last win against Howard was on February 20, 2023 -- Redshirt sophomore Will Thomas had 24 points to lead Morgan State to an 89-76 victory over Howard on Monday night 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. Thomas scored 17 of his game-high 24 points (7-13 FG) in the second half and also grabbed seven rebounds for the Bears. Junior guard Kamron Hobbs added 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting and had five assists.Shy Odom led the Bison with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
• HU's last win against Morgan was on January 21, 2023 -- Senior guard Isaiah Burke scored 16 of his game-high 21 points in the first half, but Morgan's 6-game winning streak came to an end on Saturday as they swallowed an 88-56 conference loss to Howard before a raucous crowd at Burr Gymnasium. Malik Miller, who entered the game averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds, was helped off the floor at the 8 minute mark suffering a leg injury. Morgan shot .373 (22-of-59) from the field, compared to Howard's .567 (34-of-60). The Bears shot .188 (3-16) from beyond the arc, while the Bison connected on 9-of-19 (.474) from 3-point range.
• Howard has won three of the last four meetings against the Bears.
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE BEARS
BALTIMORE, Md. - Wynston Tabbs and Will Thomas combined for 11 points in overtime to lead the Morgan State men's basketball team to an 89-86 victory against Coppin State Saturday at PEC Arena. The Bears snapped a 6-game losing streak and improved to 5-14 overall and 1-2 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play. The Eagles dropped to 2-15 (1-2 MEAC).
• Redshirt-senior guard Wynston Tabbs scored seven of his 25 points (7-12 FG) in overtime. He also added four steals, three boards and converted 8-for-8 from the free throw line.
• Junior 6-foot-10 forward Allen Udemadu finished with a career-high 24 points on 7-for-8 shooting and connected on 10-of-12 free throws. He also led the Bears on the glass with seven boards and had two blocks before fouling out of the ballgame.
• Redshirt-junior Will Thomas added 17 points (7-14 FG) off the bench and recorded three steals in 27 minutes. Sophomore Rob Lawson added 10 points (6-8 FT), four assists and two steals in 26 minutes.
• Ryan Archey, a freshman from Clinton, Md., led the Eagles with a game-high 26-points on 8-of-11 shooting.
• Morgan connected on 45 percent of their shots from the field and was 3 of 15 from behind the arc, while the Eagles shot 50 percent from the field and connected on 6 of 17 (.353) 3-pointers.
• Tabbs scored on a layup that gave the Bears an 86-85 lead in the extra session and the Bears stayed ahead from there.
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 4-3 at home so far this season.
LINE DANCING
The Bears' returning team includes seven players who shot 70 percent or better from the free throw line this season.
• Morgan has converted 72.5 percent (221-305; ranks No. 4 in MEAC) from the stripe thru 19 games.
• Wynston Tabbs is shooting a league-best 85.7 percent (36-42), Will Thomas is shooting 81.4 percent (35-43) and Kamron Hobbs is shooting 80.0 percent (24-30) from the stripe to lead the Bears.
• 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 points, and ranks No. 4 in the MEAC in scoring, netting a career-high 38 points vs. UMBC on Dec. 26.
• He is also shooting .846 from the free throw percentage (No. 2 in MEAC), ranks No. 5in field goal percentage (.404) and No. 7 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 29 of 80 three-point shots this season (36.3 percent).
• Tabbs returned to the floor against NJIT (Dec. 31) after missing the previous four games due to injury.
• He has scored in double figures 11 times, including five games with 20 or more points.
HOBBS DISHING OUT DIMES
Redshirt junior Kamron Hobbs has 70 assists in 19 games … he currently ranks No. 4 in the MEAC averaging 3.7 assists per game.
• He ranks No. 2 in the league in assist/turnover ratio (1.9).
• 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 recorded a 4-12 mark in non-conference play 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.
