SETTING THE STAGE
The Morgan State University men's basketball team is gearing up for an exciting challenge on the road. On Sunday, December 22, the Bears will square off against the nationally ranked #3 Iowa State Cyclones at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.  

• The Bears willl be in search of their first road win of the season as they are currently 0-6. Morgan recoded an 86-76 win against Campbell on Dec. 15th. Will Thomas led all scorers with 27 points (12-19 FG) and Kameron Hobbs added a season-high 21 points .

• ISU looks to build off an 83-51 home win against Omaha (Dec.15) and improved to 9-1 for the season and 6-0 at home.

• In the first-ever meeting between the teams, Iowa State defeated the Bears, 114-67, at Hylton Coliseum (Jan. 3, 1985).

• Graduate student Wynston Tabbs and redshirt senior forward Will Thomas were named to the preseason All-MEAC first team. In addition, redshirt senior Kameron Hobbs has been named to the preseason All-MEAC Third Team. Tabbs started in 19 of 24 games and earned All-MEAC Second Team honors. He averaged 14.8 points and finished the regular season ranked No. 6 in the MEAC in scoring, including a career-high 38 points versus UMBC on Dec. 26. Thomas started in 24 of 30 games and finished the 2023-24 season as an All-MEAC Second Team selection. He averaged 14.0 points a game with a nearly absurd shooting efficiency as he's converted 47 percent from the field (ranked No. 2). Hobbs had an impressive season, starting in 27 of the 31 games he played and showcasing his skills on the court for an average of 31.0 minutes per game. His scoring ability was evident as he averaged 10.1 points per game, while his 35 percent from beyond the arc (47-133). 

• MSU returns veteran guards Rob Lawson (8.9 ppg), and Amahrie Simpkins (8.7 ppg)  from the starting lineup and added several newcomers including guard Pierce Shirk from Georgia Southern, guard forward Jayden Socka from Prince George's C.C., forward Marland Harris from West Los Angeles College, and forward Logan Schayes from Beacon College via the transfer portal. 
 

SCOUTING IOWA STATE

• T.J. Otzelberger is in his fourth season as head coach of the Iowa State men's basketball program. In eight seasons as a head coach, Otzelberger has led his teams to five NCAA Tournament appearances and six postseason berths overall.

• Iowa State was tabbed to finish 3rd in the Big 12 Preseason Poll. Kansas was predicted to finish in first place. ISU's Tamin Lipsey was tabbed preseason all-Big 12 first team and Keshon Gilbert was named to the second team.

• ISU has a 9-1 overall record and has won three of its last four games, including a 83-51 win on Sunday (Dec. 15) versus Omaha. Keshon Gilbert led the Cyclones with 16 points and four assists.

• The Cyclones enter Sunday's contest averaging 87.4 points per game (No. 1 in Big 12) on 50 percent shooting from the field and 35 percent from behind the arc.  ISU is averaging 17.4 assists and 9.8 steals per game (No. 1 in Big 12).

• ISU has five players averaging double-figures and are led by 6-4 senior guard Keshon Gilbert (St. Louis, Mo. / Vashon) who's averaging 16.4 points per game and is shooting 52 percent from the field and 78 percent from the free throw line. Jones has scored 20 or more points in three games, including a season-high 24 points twice ... vs. Dayton (Nov. 26) and vs. Marquette (Dec. 4).

• Senior guard Curtis Jones  (15.7 ppg; 4.4 rpg),  6-foot-8 forward Milan Momcilovic (11.8 ppg; .469 3FG%), 6-9 junior forward Joshua Jefferson (11.5 ppg; 8.0 rpg) and 6-11 center Dishon Jackson (10.9 ppg; 5.4 rpg) are also key players for the Cyclones.

ISU by the Numbers
• 87.4: ISU is currently ranks No. 1 in the Big 12 in scoring.

• 16.4: The Cyclones have been led by Keshon Gilbert who is averaging 16.4 points (ranks No. 3 in the Big 12).

• 8.0: Joshua Jefferson leads Cyclones on the boards (ranks No. 5).

• 64.9: On average ISU is giving up just under 65 points per contest to opponents (ranks No. 5).

• .757: ISU ranks No. 5 in the Big 12 in free throw percentage.

• .503: ISU ranks No. 2 in the Big 12 in field goal percentage.

• 6.4: ISU ranks No. 6 in the Big 12  in rebounding margin.

THE SERIES VS. THE CYCLONES
• ISU leads the series 1-0.

• The Cyclones defeated Morgan State, 114-67 in a non-conference matchup on January 3, 1985 inside James H. Hilton Coliseum. ISU senior guard Barry Stevens exploded for 47 points and 11 boards during the contest. Sophomore forward James Ward led the Bears with 20 points and William Lawson added seven rebounds.

LAST TIME OUT 
BALTIMORE, Md. - Redshirt senior forward Will Thomas scored 18 of his game—high 27 points in the second half to help Morgan State pull away with an 86-76 win against Campbell on Sunday afternoon at Hill Field House.

• Thomas, a Preseason All-MEAC First Team selection, shot an efficient on 12-of-19 from the field, including 1-for-2 from 3-point territory and had seven rebounds in 32 minutes.

•  Morgan also had double-figure scoring from Kameron Hobbs who finished with a season-high 21 points (8-12 FG) with a game-high five assists to go along with four boards in 37 minutes.

• Nolan Dorsey led the Camels with 21 points (7-11 FG) and six rebounds. Jasin Sinani scored 16 points with six boards and four assists, while Israel Yaw chipped in 10 points off the bench.

• Morgan shot 67 percent (36-54) from the field, including 73 percent (22-30) in the second half. The Bears also shot  43 percent (3-7) from behind the arc while the Camels shot 40 percent (23-58) from the field and connected on 9-of-25 3-pointers.

•  The game was tied at 51 following a layup by Nolan Dorsey with just under 12 minutes remaining. The Bears responded when Marland Harris scored on a sensational tip-dunk. The play not only energized his teammates but also helped initiate a decisive 14-4 run for the Bears over the next five minutes. Will Thomas was pivotal during the stretch, sinking shot after shot, contributing 8 points to extend the Bears' lead to 65-55 lead with 6 minutes remaining. 

THE SCHEDULE
• Morgan State opens the season at home Nov. 4 against Division II Frostburg State, with Division I newcomer Mercyhurst visiting Hill Field House two days later. The Bears will play seven of their first 11 games at home, including a Nov. 24 date with local rival Towson.

• December brings trips to three power conference opponents: Xavier (Dec. 10), Iowa State (Dec. 22) and Minnesota (Dec. 29). The Bears open MEAC play Jan. 4 at home against South Carolina State and will play their last home game March 3 against Delaware State.

HOME COOKING 
• Morgan is off to a 6-2 home record so far this season.

• The Bears have won 5 of their last 6 home games since a March 4th win against North Carolina Central.

• Morgan completed the 2022-23 season with an 10-2 mark inside Hill Field House.

• The last time the Bears lost at home was against Mercyhurst (78-73) on Nov. 6 ... their previous loss was on March 2, 2024 against South Carolina State (72-61).

• Morgan completed the 2023-24 regular season 8-5 at home.
 

OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
Offensively, the Bears are setting the pace in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) with an average of 82.6 points per game, ranked No. 1 in the conference in scoring.

• Morgan exploded for a season-high 124 points versus Cheney University 0f Pennsylvania (Dec. 4) and had 123 points vs. Central Penn (Dec. 1).

• The Bears currently rank No. 1 in the MEAC shooting 50.8 percent from the field and No. 5 shooting 34.1 percent from beyond the arc.

• Wynston Tabbs (16.1 ppg; No. 6) is leading the team.

• Morgan finished the 2023-24 regular season ranked No. 4 in scoring in the MEAC by averaging 72.7 points thru 31 games.

• The Bears averaged 74.9 points (No. 4 in MEAC) thru 31 games during the 2022-23 season.

BEARING D
Defensively, Morgan opponents are averaging 79.9 points per game on 45.0 percent shooting from the floor and 35 percent from 3-point range, allowing 7.7 long distance strikes per night.

• Morgan ranks No. 2 in the conference in rebounding margin and has outrebounded the opponent by a 3.4 margin as they have secured 528 total boards (37.7 rebs/g) compared to 481 total rebounds (34.4 rebs/g) by opponents.

• Morgan's defense currently ranks No. 78 in the country in turnovers forced (202 turnovers; 14.4 avg.).

• Last season, Morgan limited its opponents to scoring 77.5 points per game on 44.5 percent shooting from the floor and 34.3 percent from 3-point range, allowing 6.8 long distance strikes per night.

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:
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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.