SETTING THE STAGE
• The Morgan State men's basketball team will attempt to back in the win column when they hit the road to face South Carolina State on Saturday, Feb. 15th in Orangeburg. The Bears are coming off a loss against Delaware State, falling to 4-3 in the conference. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are coming off a 114-75 home win  (Feb. 8) against Mid Atlantic Christian University. Tip-off set for 4 p.m. and fans unable to attend in person can catch all the action live on ESPN+.

• Senior guard Amharie Simpkins scored a team-high 26 points to lead the Bears, but Delaware State held on for a 84-82 victory on Monday afternoon in Dover.

• Davion Everette scored 19 points to lead seven Bulldogs in double-figures and SCSU shot 63% from the floor as they posted an 114-75 win against Mid Atlantic Christian University on Saturday in Orangeburg.

• 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 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE
• Erik Martin is in his third season as head coach of the South Carolina State men's basketball program. Martin, was one of the top assistant coaches in Division I basketball, has over 20 years of coaching experience and 18 years on the Division I level. He most recently served 16 seasons as an assistant coach under legendary and Hall of Fame coach Bob Huggins at West Virginia.

• South Carolina State was picked T-No. 5 in the conference's predicted order of finish.  South Carolina State sophomore guard Mitchell Taylor was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC Second Team and graduate guard Omar Croskey was named to the Third Team . 

• SCSU has a 11-12 overall record and has won two of its last three games, including a 114-75 non-conference win against Mid Atlantic Christian University on Saturday (Feb. 8). Davion Everette recorded 19 points (7-10 FG) and Michael Teal scored 16 points off the bench. Wilson Dubinsky and Florian Tenebay added 14 and 12 points, respectively.

• The Bulldogs enter Saturday's contest averaging 78.0 points per game on 47 percent shooting from the field and 35 percent from behind the arc. SCSU is averaging 14.4 assists and leads the conference averaging 9.5 steals per game (T-No. 13 in nation).

• SCSU's 6-11 sophomore forward Drayton Jones (Houston, Texas) is averaging a team-high 12.9 points per game, 5.6 rebounds and is shooting 45 percent from the field and 63 percent from the free throw line. Jones scored a season-high 34 points (13-17 FG) with eight rebounds and six blocked shots against Charleston Southern (12/9).

• Graduate student guard Omar Croskey  (11.0 ppg; 3.3 rpg) and 6-foot-3 senior guard Wilson Dubinsky (7.6 ppg; .381 FG%), and 6-6 senior forward Davion Everett (7.0 ppg; .503 FG%) are also key players for the Bulldogs.

SCSU by the Numbers
• 78.0: SCSU is currently ranks No. 4 in scoring.

• 12.9: The Bulldogs have been led by Drayton Jones who is averaging 12.9 points (ranks No. 12 in the MEAC).

• 5.4: Jones leads SCSU on the boards (ranks No. 10).

• 70.7: On average SCSU is giving up just over 70 points per contest to opponents (ranks No. 2).

• 9.5: SCSU ranks No. 1 in the MEAC in steals.

• .674: SCSU ranks last in the MEAC in free throw shooting.

THE SERIES VS. THE BULLDOGS
• SCSU leads the series 47-42

• SCSU has won the last two meetings between the teams.

• Morgan's last win against South Carolina State was on February 3, 2024 -- Will Thomas scored a game-high 28 points and Morgan State erased a 11 point deficit to secure a 72-70 victory over South Carolina State Saturday night at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center. Junior guard Amahrie Simpkins finished with 13 points points (6-10 FG) and led the Bears with nine rebounds -- he was the only other Bear to score double figures. 

• SCSU won the last meeting between the teams on January 4, 2025. Drayton Jones scored a team-high 20 points to propel South Carolina State to a 86-72 victory over Morgan State in the conference opener for both teams at Hill Field House. Kameron Hobbs scored a game-high 22 points on 4-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc.

LAST TIME OUT 
DOVER, Del. - Delaware State withstood Morgan State in the final moments on Monday night, edging Morgan State 84-82 in front of an electric crowd at Memorial Hall in Dover, Delaware.  Kaseem Watson poured in a game-high 30 points to lead the Hornets to their fourth straight win.

• Watson shot 12-for-19 from the field, including 2-for-2 from 3-point territory, with seven rebounds in 35 minutes. Robert Smith the No. 6 ranked scorer in the MEAC, contributed 18 points (8-23 FG) with six assists, four steals and three rebounds. 

• DSU guard Martaz Robinson had a game-high 16 rebounds to go along with 15 points and four assists, while Javarzia Belton added 11 points and seven rebounds. 

• Amahrie Simpkins scored 18 of his career-high 26 points (10-12 FG) in the first half and finished with five boards and five assists. Will Thomas scored 16 points and shot 6-for-12 from the field, including 3-for-4 from the free-throw line, and grabbed six rebounds with three assistsin 28 minutes.

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 81.8 points per game, ranked No. 1 in the conference in scoring.

• Morgan exploded for a season-high 124 points versus Cheney University of 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 49.3 percent from the field and No. 2 shooting 35.4 percent from beyond the arc.

• Kameron Hobbs (14.7 ppg; No. 9 in MEAC) 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.

SO 'KAMTASTIC'! 
• Kameron Hobbs has been on a scoring tear lately. The Stockbridge, Georgia product had scored at least 20 points in 8-consecutive games before his last outing against Maryland Eastern Shore (Feb. 1) in which he scored 10 points.  

• His 20-point run was the longest streak of at least that long since Tiwian Kendley accomplished the feat during the 2017-18 season...Kendley had 9-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, exploded for 40 points in a 2OT victory against N.C. Central, had a game-high 24 points at Howard, followed by 23 points versus Norfolk State and 20 against Coppin State.

• Additionally, he has scored in double-figures 17 times, including his last 12 games. 

CATCH US IF YOU CAN
• One of the best transition teams in the nation is Morgan State. 

• The Bears rank No. 7 in the NCAA based on their efficiency in scoring off fast breaks.

• Averaging an impressive 16.7 points per game from fastbreaks, they capitalize on opponents' mistakes and turn defensive plays into offensive opportunities. 

STAY ON TARGET
• Morgan is shooting .493 (709-1439) from the floor and shot 50 percent-or-better nine times (7-2 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.

THOMAS SECURES 1000TH CAREER POINT
• Redshirt senior forward Will Thomas needed just 8 points to reach 1,000 career points when the Bears faced Norfolk State on Jan. 13 at Hill Field House…he finished with 12 points and hit the milestone. 

• The Baltimore product has scored 332 points so far this season to move his career total to 1,065 points.

• Thomas currently ranks No. 24 on the school's all-time scoring list and is 5 points away from passing Billy Newton for No. 23 (1,069 pts; 1972-76).

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.