Game 13
Opponent: Xavier Musketeers (7-2, 0-0 Big East)
Date: Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Site: Cintas Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Broadcast: CBS Sports Network
Live Stats: www.goxavier.com
Series: Xavier leads 2-0
Coaches: MSU - Kevin Broadus (72-82, 6th yr) | XU - Sean Miller (170-77, 8th yr)
Websites: www.MorganStateBears.com | www.goxavier.com
Gamenotes: here
 

SETTING THE STAGE
• The Morgan State University men's basketball team will face the Xavier Musketeers on Tuesday (Dec. 10) at 7 p.m. (EST) inside Hill Field House. The game will be broadcast by the CBS Sports Network. 

• Wynston Tabbs leads the Bears by averaging 16.8 points on 46 shooting from the field and 95 percent shooting from the free throw line. He is also adding 3.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals in 27.1 minutes. Amahrie Simpkins and Will Thomas are also averaging double-figures for the Bears. Simpkins is averaging 12.8 points to go along with 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals, while Thomas is averaging 12.2 points and is shooting 47 percent from the field.

• 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. 

• Morgan's roster includes one freshman, four sophomores, seven juniors, four seniors and a graduate student.
 

SCOUTING XAVIER
• Xavier University, a Big East member, is led by head coach Sean Miller who returned to Xavier in 2022 after 12 seasons (2009-21) as the head coach at Arizona. His first season back he led Xavier to one of the top five winningest seasons in school history at 27-10, tied the school record for BIG EAST wins in a season at 15-5 and led the Musketeers back to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.

• Xavier has a 7-2 overall record and has dropped two of its last three games, including a 76-72 loss last Thursday (Dec. 5) at TCU.

• The Musketeers enter Tuesday's contest averaging 76.9 points per game on 46 percent shooting from the field and 38 percent from behind the arc.  Xavier is averaging 18.2 assists and 8.6 steals per game.

• Junior guard Ryan Conwell (Indianapolis, Ind. / Pike HS) leads the Musketeers' squad averaging a team-high 16.6 points per game and is shooting 43 percent from the field and 44 percent from beyond the arc. Conwell scored a season-high 21 points on 4-for-11 shooting from beyond the arc against Wake Forest on Nov. 16th.

• 6-foot-9 forward Zach Freemantle (15.7 ppg; 7.6 rpg) and graduate student guard Dayvion McKnight (11.1 ppg; 4.6 apg) are also averaging double-digits for the Musketeers.
 

Xavier by the Numbers
• 76.9: XU is currently ranked No. 7 in the Big East in scoring.

• 67.7: On average XU is giving up just under 70 points per contest to opponents.

• .459: The Musketeers rank No. 8 in the Big East in field goal percentage.

• .378: The Musketeers rank No. 4 in the Big East in 3-point field goal percentage.

• .777: The Musketeers rank No. 3 in the Big East in free throw percentage.
 

THE SERIES VS. XAVIER
• XU leads the series 4-0.

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

• The Bears have won 4 of their last 5 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).

OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
Offensively, the Bears are setting the pace in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) with an average of 84.3 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 50.9 percent from the field and No. 5 shooting 34.5 percent from beyond the arc.

• Wynston Tabbs (16.8 ppg; No. 4) 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.

BEARING DOWN
Defensively, Morgan opponents are averaging 77.0 points per game on 43.9 percent shooting from the floor and 33 percent from 3-point range, allowing 7.3 long distance strikes per night.

• Morgan leads the conference in rebounding margin and has outrebounded the opponent by a 5.9 margin as they have secured 471 total boards (39.3 rebs/g) compared to 400 total rebounds (33.3 rebs/g) by opponents.

• Morgan's defense currently ranks T-No. 46 in the country in turnovers forced (183 turnovers; 15.3 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 
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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.