DAYTON, Ohio -- The Hampton University men's basketball team will be in the University of Dayton's UD Arena on Tuesday for the NCAA First Four, an NCAA Tournament match-up against Manhattan at 6:40 p.m. EST.TV: TruTV.
Radio: WHOV 88.1 FM.
At Stake: The winner travels to Louisville, Ky. to face No. 1 overall seed Kentucky on Thursday.
Last Time Out: The Pirates (16-17) defeated Delaware State 82-61 in Saturday's MEAC Tournament championship game to win their fifth such title in program history – and their first since 2011. Junior guards Brian Darden (Hampton, Va.) and Reginald Johnson (Chicago, Ill.) each led the way with 20 points, while junior guard Deron Powers(Williamsburg, Va.) – the MEAC Tournament's Most Outstanding Player – added 16 points. Johnson was named to the All-Tournament Team.
The Series: Hampton is 0-2 against Manhattan since joining Div. I in 1995, with the last meeting coming back in the 1996-97 season. The Jaspers won that game 73-61 up in Manhattan, and the Pirates dropped a home game to the Jaspers the previous season, 98-64.
The Opponent: The Jaspers (19-13) have won four straight games after a 79-69 win over Iona in the championship game of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament on Sunday, March 9. It was Manhattan's second straight title. Manhattan is in its fourth season under head coach Steve Masiello, and the Jaspers boast senior Emmy Andujar, who was named First Team All-MAAC, as well as Third Team All-MAAC selection Ashton Pankey. Andujar leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 16.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest. Pankey is second on the team in both categories at 13.5 points and 6.7 boards per contest. Shane Richards is third on the team in scoring at 13.1 points a game.
Pirates Against the MAAC: Hampton is 3-13 against teams currently in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) since joining Div. I in 1995 – including an NCAA Tournament opening-round matchup against Monmouth in Dayton, Ohio in 2006. Monmouth won that game 71-49. The Pirates are 0-4 against Iona; 0-2 against Manhattan; 0-1 against Marist; 1-2 against Monmouth; 0-1 against Niagara; 1-1 against Quinnipiac; 0-1 against Rider; and 1-1 against Saint Peter's. Hampton has never faced Canisius, Fairfield, or Siena.
Pirates on Neutral Courts: The Pirates are 5-1 on neutral courts so far this season, including an 82-69 win over Alcorn State back on Nov. 21 as part of the 2K Classic, Monday's 91-71 first-round win over Morgan State, Thursday's 76-71 quarterfinal win over Maryland Eastern Shore, Friday's 75-64 semifinal win over Norfolk State, and Saturday's 82-61 championship game win over Delaware State. Hampton went 1-3 on neutral courts last season, and during head coach Edward Joyner Jr.'s tenure, the Pirates are 21-12 on neutral courts – including an 8-1 mark during the 2010-11 season.
Pirates Taking on the Big Boys: The Pirates' game at Illinois on Dec. 17 was the third of three contests this season for the Pirates against teams from the so-called "power conferences." After facing the Hawkeyes on Nov. 14, the Pirates took on ACC foe Syracuse. If the Pirates defeat Manhattan on Tuesday, they will face their fourth power-conference foe of the season in No. 1 overall seed Kentucky, the SEC regular-season and tournament champion.
About the Midwest Region: Undefeated Kentucky is the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and the top seed in the Midwest Region. The winner of Tuesday's Manhattan-Hampton game will face the Wildcats on Thursday in the second round in Louisville, Ky. Kansas, the Big XII regular-season champion, is the region's No. 2 seed, while ACC Tournament champion Notre Dame is the No. 3 seed and Maryland is the No. 4 seed.
Joyner Closing in on 100: Following the Pirates' MEAC championship game win over Delaware State on Saturday, head coach Edward Joyner Jr. has 98 career wins as a head coach, leaving him two shy of 100. Only two coaches in Hampton history have won at least 100 games with the school: Malcolm Avery (140 wins, 1987-95) and Hank Ford (228 wins, 1975-87). Joyner now holds the all-time program Div. I wins record; Steve Merfeld (1997-2002) won 90 games with the Pirates.
Powers Reached a Milestone: With 12 points this past Thursday against Norfolk State, Powers became the 27th player in program history – and the first since Darrion Pellum – to reach the 1,000-point mark for his career. After dropping 16 points in the championship game against Delaware State, Powers has 1,070 career points, and he was a Third Team All-MEAC selection this season. The 2013 MEAC Rookie of the Year leads the MEAC in assist/turnover ratio (2.4), while ranking second in free throw percentage (.849) and fifth in assists (3.7). Powers was also named the MEAC Tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
Darden Looking for More: Darden was third on the team in scoring last season, averaging 10.4 points per game, and he ended the season on a high note with a career-high 22 points at Penn State in the first round of the CBI. He averaged 2.0 made 3-pointers per game in 2013-14, ranking ninth in the MEAC. Darden, who shot 32.6 percent (63-for-193) from 3-point range last season, was named Preseason Third Team All-MEAC, and he comes into this season as the Pirates' best option from long distance. He had 10 points in the Pirates' opener at Iowa, before pouring in 18 points in the Pirates' win over Alcorn State. He fifth on the team in scoring, averaging 9.7 points per game after dropping 20 points in Saturday's title game against Delaware State.
Meikle Getting His Chance: Redshirt junior guard/forward Dwight Meikle (Baltimore, Md.) shot just over 48 percent from the floor last season, en route to averaging 5.8 points per game. The redshirt junior scored in double figures seven times in 2013-14, tying his then-career high with 16 points against Winthrop on Dec. 29, 2013. He also showed flashes on defense, blocking 13 shots on the season – including a career-high six at Virginia back on Nov. 26, 2013. He led three Pirates in double figures at Iowa with 14 points, and he has scored in double figures 17 times this season. His 13.0 points per game lead the team after a 24-point effort on Thursday against Norfolk State, and Meikle is also averaging a team-best 7.5 rebounds a game, ranking fifth in the MEAC, after grabbing eight against the Spartans to close out the regular season.
Pressley Crashing the Glass: Junior forward Jervon Pressley (Charlotte, N.C.) was second on the team in rebounds last season, despite playing in just 21 games. He averaged 5.1 boards per contest in 2013-14, grabbing a career-high 12 boards at Maryland Eastern Shore on Feb. 24 – while also scoring 12 points for his lone double-double of the season. Pressley also scored in double figures four times last season, including a career-high 16 points at Coppin State on Feb. 1. Pressley grabbed at least one rebound in 20 of the 21 games in which he played last season. Pressley grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds on Dec. 8 against Morgan State, and his 4.9 rebounds per game are third on the team.
New Faces, Plenty of Experience: Two Hampton newcomers already have Div. I experience: guard Quinton Chievous(Chicago, Ill.)has seen significant playing time with Tennessee, and Johnson comes to the Pirates after time at Miami (Ohio). Chievous was a career 45.3-percent shooter (24-for-53) with the Volunteers, while Johnson averaged 8.4 points per game as a freshman at Miami (Ohio). In all, five players on this year's roster transferred to Hampton from other Div. I programs: Chievous, Johnson, Breon Key (Old Dominion), Darden (Radford), and Pressley (Towson). Chievous scored 12 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds in his Hampton debut at Iowa, before dropping a team-high 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting on Nov. 16 at Syracuse. He has scored in double figures in 19 games; Chievous is second on the team in rebounding (6.2 per game) and fourth in scoring (10.1 per game) after his 23-point, 16-rebound effort on Friday against Norfolk State. Johnson dropped a career-high 27 points at NJIT on Feb. 2, before scoring 21 against UMES on Feb. 7 for back-to-back 20-point games. Johnson, who is averaging 11.9 points per game, has scored in double figures in nine of his last 12 games after dropping 20 in the MEAC Tournament championship game against Delaware State, earning All-Tournament Team honors.
For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information
COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
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