SETTING THE STAGE
• The Morgan State University Bears men's basketball team is gearing up for an important matchup against the Howard Bison on Saturday, January 11th, at Burr Gymnasium. The Bears are looking to post its first road win of the season, while the Bison will attempt to remain undefeated in league play. Tip-off set for 4 p.m. and fans unable to attend in person can catch all the action live on ESPN+.

• Senior guard Kameron Hobbs exploded for a career-high 40 points in Morgan's 102-98 2OT win against North Carolina Central on Tuesday night inside Hill Field House. 

• Howard freshman standout Blake Harper posted 34 points to lead the Bison to a 100-94 win over Delaware State on Saturday (Jan. 4) at Burr Gymnasium.

• 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 HOWARD
• Head coach Kenneth Blakeney enters his sixth 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 Bison were picked to finish first in the MEAC Preseason Poll, finished the regular season with a 18-17 overall record (9-5 MEAC) and , won the conference tournament and earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. Senior guard Bryce Harris (Brentwood, N.Y.) was selected MEAC Preseason Player of the Year. The BOXTOROW HBCU All-American also made the Preseason All-MEAC First Team after ranking among the league leaders in several categories a year ago. Marcus Dockery (Washington) secured a spot on the Preseason All-MEAC Second Team.  

• Freshman standout forward Blake Harper (Washington, D.C.) and Marcus Dockery (Washington, D.C.) currently lead the Bison in scoring. Harper is averaging 18.5 points (No. 3 in MEAC), 6.6 rebounds (No. 1) and is shooting a league-best 46% from the field (No. 5) and 83% from the free throw line (No. 4). Dockery, a senior guard, is averaging 16.3 points (No. 4), 2.4 rebounds and is shooting 46 percent from the field and 42 percent from three. 6-foot-4 guard Anwar Gill (Washington, D.C.) is chipping in 8.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and is shooting 45 percent from the field.

•  Blake Harper took home MEAC Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week after averaging 25.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals against Yale (Jan. 1) and Delaware State (Jan. 4).

HU by the Numbers
• 77.5: Howard currently ranks No. 3 in the MEAC in scoring.

• 18.5: The Bison have been led by Blake Harper who leads the MEAC in scoring.

• 3.7:  Anwar Gill leads Howard in assists (ranks No. 3 in the MEAC).

• 79.3: On average Howard is giving up just under 80 points per contest to opponents (ranks No. 6).

• .396: Howard ranks No. 1 in the MEAC in 3-point field goal percentage (No. 14 in NCAA).

• .468: Howard ranks No. 3 in the MEAC in field goal percentage.

• 17.3: Howard ranks No. 1 in the MEAC in assists (No. 28 in NCAA).

THE SERIES VS. THE BISON
• MSU leads the series 67-52

• Howard won the last meeting between the teams on March 14, 2024 -- Bryce Harris scored 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds, both game highs, and Jordan Hairston added 17 points and six boards to power third-seeded Howard to a 78-65 win over sixth-seeded Morgan State Thursday in quarterfinal action of the MEAC at The Scope. Morgan got 27 points on 11-21 shooting from the field from Will Thomas, however, he was the lone Bear player in double figures. Kameron Hobbs and Rob Lawson added nine points each for the Bears, who ended their year at 11-20.

• Morgan's last win against Howard was on January 27, 2024 -- Wynston Tabbs and Will Thomas combined for 44 points to lead the Morgan State men's basketball team to an 85-79 victory against Beltway rival Howard at Hill Field House. Thomas scored a game-high 24 points on an efficient 11-of-17 shooting from the field in 33 minutes. He also had five rebounds and a blocked shot. Tabbs scored 10 of his 20 points (4-9 3FG) in the closing moments to seal the Bears victory. Morgan connected on 54.4 percent of their shots from the field and was 6 of 19 from behind the arc, while the Bison shot 51 percent from the field and connected on 6 of 20 (.300) 3-pointers.

LAST TIME OUT 
BALTIMORE, Md. (Jan. 7, 2025) - Kameron Hobbs delivered a career-defining performance by scoring a stagering 40 points, leading Morgan State to a thrilling 102-98 double-overtime victory over North Carolina Central on Tuesday night at Hill Field House.

• Hobbs connected on 13-of-24 from the field, including 11-for-13 from the free throw line and added seven rebounds in 47 minutes.

• Will Thomas recorded a double-double with 29 points (8-12 FG) and 10 boards in 39 minutes.  Amahrie Simpkins added 15 points (7-14 FG), five rebounds and five assists.

• Perry Smith Jr. and Isaac Parson paced the Eagles with 19 points apiece. Smith added a game-high 12 rebounds, while Parson finished with 7 boards and a game-high six assists.

• MSU shot 45 percent (34-75) from the field, including 38 percent (5-13) from 3-point territory. The Eagles shot 45 percent (34-75) from the floor and was 9-for-21 from behind the arc.

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.

OFFENSIVE BEHAVIOR
Offensively, the Bears are setting the pace in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) with an average of 81.7 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), had 123 points vs. Central Penn (Dec. 1) and 102 vs. NCCU (Jan.7).

• The Bears currently rank No. 1 in the MEAC shooting 49.7 percent from the field and No. 2 shooting 35.2 percent from beyond the arc.

• Wynston Tabbs (15.1 ppg) 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.

TRIPLE H;  HOBBS' HOT HAND 
• Kameron Hobbs has been on a scoring tear lately. The Stockbridge, Georgia product has scored at least 20 points in the last 5-consecutive games.  

• It's also the longest streak of at least that long since Isaiah Burke accomplished the feat during the 2022-23 season...Burke had 6-consecutive games with 20 or more points. 

• He had 21 points against Campbell, uncorked 23 points at #3 Iowa State, posted a career-high 25 points against Minnesota, had a game-high 22 points against South Carolina State, and exploded for 40 points in a 2OT victory against N.C. Central.

• Additionally, he has scored in double-figures 11 times, including his last seven games. 

STAY ON TARGET
• Morgan is shooting .497 (562-1130) from the floor and shot 50 percent-or-better seven times (5-2 record), including a season-high .667 (36-54) on Dec. 15 versus Campbell. 

• Last season, the Bears shot .451 (840-1862) and shot 50 percent-or-better 6 times (5-1 record), including a season-high .635 (54-85) on Dec. 9, 2024 vs. Virginia Lynchburg.


JANUARY OPPONENTS
• Morgan State will play four of five games this month inside Hill Field House, the most during a single month this season. 

• Earlier this season, the Bears went 3-5 against teams in November, and 3-4 in December.
 

THOMAS EYES MILESTONE MOMENT
• Redshirt senior forward Will Thomas has his sights set on a grand as he rapidly approaches his 1,000th career point. 

• The Baltimore product has scored 235 points so far this season to move his career total to 968, needing just 32 points to reach the benchmark.

• Thomas currently ranks No. 33 on the school's all-time scoring list and is 11 points away from passing Sherwyn Devonish for No. 32 (978 pts).

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. 
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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.