Men's Basketball | 11/4/2019 1:30:00 PM

Alcorn Begins 2019-20 Campaign Tuesday at DePaul

Alcorn Game Notes | Watch FS2 | Live Stats

CHICAGO – Opening night for college basketball is Tuesday, and the Alcorn State University men's program will be in action at 8 p.m. in a nationally televised game on FS2 at DePaul at Wintrust Arena.
 
The Braves return four starters and seven starters from a year ago. They landed a pair on the Preseason All-Conference Teams including senior guard Maurice Howard and junior guard/forward Troymain Crosby.
 
Howard is the school's all-time leader in three-pointers made with 212 and led the SWAC in three-point shooting last season with a .406 percentage. He scored a team-high 13.7 points per game, and is 27 points away from reaching the 1,000 career plateau.
 
In addition to his three-point shooting, Howard ranks eighth all-time in school history in assists with 233. He's 10 away from moving up to No. 7.
 
Crosby averaged 10.7 points and a team-high 4.8 rebounds per game, and 11.2 points per game in conference last year. Senior forwards Deshaw Andrews and Devon Brewer also return. Brewer has turned away 65 career blocks, and is attempting to become just the ninth player in school history to reach the 80-block plateau.
 
The Braves reloaded with 10 newcomers this year, including seven transfers. Corey Tillery is a graduate transfer from Tennessee Tech where he averaged 8.1 points per game last season.
 
Alcorn head coach Montez Robinson enters his fifth season at the helm. He carries a 39-33 SWAC record and was the 2016-17 SWAC Coach of the Year.
 
The Blue Demons return nine letterwinners and two starters from a team that reached the finals of College Basketball Invitational (CBI) last season. Among the starters is Paul Reed who was the Big East's Most Improved Player last season, averaging 12.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. He was named to the Preseason All-Conference Second-Team.
 
DePaul has eight newcomers including junior guard Charlie Moore who transferred from Kansas. Moore averaged a team-high 20.7 points per game this summer in DePaul's summer trip to France and Italy as the team went 3-0.
 
Dave Leitao is in his second stint as head coach. He was at the helm from 2002-05, and returned in 2015. Overall, it is his seventh season.
 
Alcorn's game against DePaul is just the first of another loaded non-conference slate for the program. The Braves will also make trips to UL-Monroe, Memphis, N.C. State, Little Rock, Tulane and Santa Clara.
 
NOTES
- Tuesday marks just the second-ever meeting between the two teams. The Blue Demons took the first one 90-67 in 2008-09.
 
- The Braves are looking to open the season with a win over a Division I school for the first time since 1997-98 when they beat Southeastern Louisiana 114-110.
 
- Alcorn is going for its first non-conference win over a Division I opponent since 2012-13 when it topped Samford 69-65 in overtime. However, all wins from 2012-13 were vacated by the NCAA. Prior to that season, the last DI non-conference win was against Jacksonville State 70-68 in 2003-04.
 
- The Braves were picked to finish ninth in the SWAC Preseason Poll.
 
- Alcorn finished 10-3 at home where it outscored the opposition 957-786. The Braves won six of their last seven home games.
 
- Alcorn's last road win came on Feb. 17, 2018 when it defeated Alabama A&M 80-60. The Braves are looking to snap a 19-game road skid.
 
- Alcorn ranked second in the SWAC in three-point percentage defense last year, limiting the opposition to a .312 mark.
 
- The Braves were 7-0 (3-0 SWAC) last season when they outscored the opposition in points in the paint.




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