Game Dates: Monday, Feb. 4, 2013
Opponent: Norfolk State Spartans
Site: Hill Field House, Baltimore, Md.
Game Time: 7:30 p.m.
Record:  MSU 6-12 (3-4); NSU 13-10 (8-0)
MSU Coach: Todd Bozeman (116-97 – 7th yr)

Morgan State will complete a two-game homestand Monday night against the reigning MEAC champion Pirates of Norfolk State. The Bears, who fell 73-71 at Norfolk, will attempt to avoid a season sweep when the Spartans march into Baltimore. Monday’s game at Hill Field House is set for 7:30 p.m. (ET). The Bears will enter the game coming off of a 64-62 heartbreaking home loss to Hampton. Anthony Hubbard led the Bears with 16 points. Norfolk State won its seventh straight by downing Coppin State 80-70 on Saturday at the Coppin Center. Pendarvis Williams led the Spartans with 23 points. The meeting with Norfolk State will be the 43rd all-time between the schools, with the Spartans leading the head-to-head series, 29-13.

Bear Bits:

• Coach Todd Bozeman has directed the Bears to the most regular-season conference wins with 98.

• After opening the season with a 71 point effort in a win against UTSA, the Bears have gone 6-10 while averaging 67 points and 44 percent shooting.

• Morgan State, who shot 67.6 percent from the line last season, continues to have hard times from the stripe … through the first 18 games the Bears are ranked last in the conference by shooting 56.9 percent (247-434 FT).

• The Bears, who held Hampton to 2 of 13 from 3-point range, have allowed an average of 71 points and opponents are shooting 31 percent from 3-point territory.

• Morgan State shot a season-high 53.3 percent against South Carolina State and a season best 65.0 percent from the stripe, with 11 steals versus the South Carolina Gamecocks.

• DeWayne Jackson has scored 256 points in 18 games and ranks among the MEAC’s scoring leaders ranked No. 4 (14.2 ppg).

• Justin Black was just shy of posting a triple-double at Liberty. The junior guard finished with a career-high 12 rebounds to go along with nine points and nine assists … he has been the Bears leading scorer in 6 of the last 10 games and ranks No. 9 in the MEAC in scoring at 13.6 ppg.

• DeWayne Jackson is ranked among the top theft artists in school history. Jackson has collected 155 steals with the Bears and currently ranks No. 1 (No. 1 in the MEAC). The school record for career steals is held by Terrence Wright (1992-96) with 186 career steals … Jackson is 32 steals away from becoming the school’s new leader.

• Shaquille Duncan leads the Bears in blocked shots. The sophomore ranks T-No. 4 (36) in the MEAC by averaging 2.4 blocks per game.

• The combination of DeWayne Jackson, Anthony Hubbard and Justin Black have provided almost 60 percent of the scoring for the Bears so far this season.

• The Bears’ first 10 games of the 2012-13 season were on the road where they finished 3-7.

• The Bears used seven different lineups this season, but Coach Bozeman used a lineup six times this season that puts DeWayne Jackson at forward with Justin Black, Blake Bozeman, Anthony Hubbard and Ian Chiles.

• Redshirt junior Ian Chiles, who stands at 7-foot-2, 270-pounds, enters Monday’s contest with 435 career points and 73 blocked shots … he’s currently averaging 9.2 ppg and 5.0 rpg.

LAST TIME OUT VS. NORFOLK STATE
Morgan State mounted a furious second-half late rally, but it came up just short in a 73-71 setback to Norfolk State on Monday night at Echols Hall in Norfolk, Va. The Bears fell to 5-10 overall and 2-2 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, while the Spartans won for the fifth-straight game to improve to 11-10 and a 6-0 mark in league play.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
The Spartans welcome back 11 veterans, including one starter, from a squad that posted a 26-10 overall record, finished 2nd in the MEAC with a 13-3 ledger and were the MEAC Tournament Champs. The Spartans made a historic run in the Big Dance before falling to the Florida Gators in Third Round of the Tournament. Pendarvis Williams leads the Spartans averaging 13.7 points and is shooting 36 percent from 3-point territory. Malcom Hawkins is the only other Spartan scoring in double-figures (12.2 ppg) and Rashid Gaston is the team’s leading rebounder by averaging 6.3 rpg to go along with 7.8 ppg. Head coach Anthony Evans (St. Thomas Aquinas ’94) enters his sixth season as the Spartan’s head coach and he currently holds a 90-92 (.494) record.

MORGAN STATE TABBED THIRD IN PRESEASON POLL
Morgan State was picked to finish third in the 2012-13 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men’s basketball preseason poll behind Savannah State and Delaware State.

JACKSON AND CHILES EARN PRESEASON HONORS
Morgan State senior DeWayne Jackson was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team by the conference head coaches and sports information directors. Junior center Ian Chiles was selected to the Second Team.

UNFAMILIAR FOES
Morgan State will face six teams this season that the program has never met in its basketball history. The first time opponents are: UTSA, Old Dominion, Holy Cross, South Carolina, Illinois State and San Diego. The Bears do not see a familiar foe until the Nov. 29 matchup at Liberty (MSU leads, 1-0), their fifth game of the season. The other five opponents MSU previously has played are University of Virginia (trails, 0-1), Loyola Marymount (leads, 2-0), and Saint Joseph’s (trails, 0-1).

JACKSON SET TO LEAD
DeWayne Jackson is the lone returning senior who saw action for Morgan State last year. There are seven (7) juniors, four (4) sophomores and two (2) freshmen on the Bears roster.

RECOVERING THE SWAG
The Bears will look to rebound from last year’s dismal season in which the Bears recorded a 9-20 finish. It marked Todd Bozeman‘s worst season as a head coach, and it was Morgan State’s worst season since going 4-26 in 2005-06.

JACKSON AND CHILES EARN PRESEASON HONORS
Morgan State senior DeWayne Jackson was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team by the conference head coaches and sports information directors. Junior center Ian Chiles was selected to the Second Team.

JACKSON CLIMBING THE MSU RECORD BOOK
DeWayne Jackson (1,412, 481 rebs., 155 asts) needs 89 points to surpass Harry Johnson (1,500 points – 1958-62) to become the school’s No. 8 all-time leading scorer. Jackson is one of three Bears on MSU’s all-time scoring list who have been coached by Todd Bozeman. Kevin Thompson(2009-12) ranks No. 9 (1,487 points) and Reggie Holmes (2007-10) is the school’s all-time scoring leader with 2,051 points

HOME GROWN
Morgan State has eight players from the Metropolitan-D.C. area, including one from Baltimore. Senior DeWayne Jackson (Bowie High) and sophomore Blake Bozeman (Solebury Prep) are both from Bowie. Transfer guard Daryl Traynham is from Melwood (Wise High), walk-on Daon Riley is from Severn (Old Mill High), and Cedric Blossom is from Columbia (Montrose Christian). Anthony Hubbard is a product of Woodbridge (Va.), while junior Justin Black attended DeMatha High and Donte Pretlow was a standout at Dunbar High in Baltimore.

BOZEMAN WIN PERCENTAGE AT MSU
Todd Bozeman, now in his seventh season as head coach of the Bears, has an overall win percentage of .544 (116-97) after 213 games at Morgan State. That winning mean is the second highest among 15 head coaches in the history of the Morgan State men’s basketball program. Nathaniel Frazier’s winning percentage of .578 (166-121) is the highest percentage in Morgan State history.

ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS UNDER BOZEMAN
During his tenure in Baltimore, Todd Bozeman has coached seven (7) different players to All-Conference honors, including four Players of the Year selections: Ron Timus (2007 2nd Team), Boubacar Coly (2008 Defensive POTY, 1st Team), Jamar Smith (2008 Offensive POTY, 1st Team), Marquise Kately (2008 & 2009 2nd Team), Reggie Holmes (2007 All-Rookie, 2008 2nd Team, 2009 Offensive POTY, 2009 & 2010 1st Team), Kevin Thompson (2009 All-Rookie, 2010 Defensive POTY, 2010 1st Team, 2011 2nd Team), DeWayne Jackson (Rookie of the Year, 2011 1st Team).

THREE IN DOUBLE FIGURES
In the first 18 games of the season, three Bears average more than 12 points a game DeWayne Jackson leads with 14.2 points per game, while Justin Black is averaging 13.6 ppg. Anthony Hubbard is averaging 12.7 points and 6.8 rebounds on the boards.

JACKSON DOING A LITTLE OF EVERYTHING 
Senior DeWayne Jackson is filling the stat sheet this season, averaging 14.2 points (ranked No. 5), 5.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.2 steals (ranked No. 1) per game. Jackson has also registered 14 blocks. He has recorded 17 double-digit scoring games, including a season-high 32-point effort at Virginia (Dec. 19).

HIGH CLASS ON THE GLASS
Morgan State ranks No. 1 in the MEAC averaging 15.8 offensive rebounds per game and has recorded double-digit offensive boards in 15 of 17 games. MSU averaged 12.1 offensive rebounds per game last season.

UP NEXT
The Bears will continue the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schedule when they face cross-town rival Coppin State at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9 at the Coppin Center.

Game Dates: Monday, Jan. 21, 2013
Opponent: Norfolk State Spartans
Site: Echols Hall, Norfolk, Va.
Game Time: 8 p.m.
MSU Coach: Todd Bozeman (116-94 – 7th yr)

Morgan State (5-9, 2-1) will conclude its trip to the Tidewater area with a Monday night matchup against the MEAC reigning champion Spartans of Norfolk State at Echols Hall in Norfolk, Virginia. MSU will enter the contest attempting to build upon a tough 80-78 win at against Hampton.DeWayne Jackson led the Bears with 24 points, six rebounds and four steals off the bench. Norfolk State (10-10, 5-0) picked up their fourth straight win on Saturday, beating Coppin State 75-68 at Echols Hall. Malcom Hawkins paced the Spartans with 19 points and Brandon Goode had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. The meeting with Norfolk State will be the 42nd all-time between the schools, with the Spartans leading the head-to-head series, 28-13.

Bear Bits:

• Coach Todd Bozeman has directed the Bears to the most regular-season conference wins with 98.

• After opening the season with a 71 point effort in a win against UTSA, the Bears have gone 5-9 while averaging 68 points and 43 percent shooting.

• Morgan State, who shot 67.6 percent from the line last season, continues to have hard times from the stripe … through the first 14 games the Bears are ranked last in the conference by shooting 58.8 percent (200-340 FT).

• The Bears, who held South Carolina State to 2 of 9 from 3-point range, have allowed an average of 73 points and opponents are shooting 34 percent from 3-point territory.

• Morgan State shot a season-high 53.3 percent against South Carolina State and a season best 65.0 percent from the stripe, with 11 steals versus the South Carolina Gamecocks.

• DeWayne Jackson has scored 211 points in 14 games and ranks among the MEAC’s scoring leaders ranked No. 4 (15.1 ppg).

• Justin Black was just shy of posting a triple-double at Liberty. The junior guard finished with a career-high 12 rebounds to go along with nine points and nine assists … he has been the Bears leading scorer in 4 of the last six games.

• DeWayne Jackson is ranked among the top theft artists in school history. Jackson has collected 151 steals with the Bears and currently ranks No. 5 (T-No. 15 in the nation). The school record for career steals is held by Terrence Wright (1992-96) with 186 career steals … Jackson is 41 steals away from becoming the school’s new leader.

• Shaquille Duncan leads the Bears in blocked shots. The sophomore ranks No. 4 (33) in the MEAC by averaging 2.3 blocks per game.

• The combination of DeWayne Jackson, Anthony Hubbard and Justin Black have provided almost 60 percent of the scoring for the Bears so far this season.

• The Bears’ first 10 games of the 2012-13 season were on the road where they finished 3-7.

• Morgan State has used the lineup of Heath, Hubbard, Chiles, Jackson and Bozeman for six of the Bears first 13 contests.

LAST TIME OUT VS. NORFOLK STATE
January 28, 2012 – Kyle O’Quinn scored 18 points and posted 12 rebounds to lead the Spartans to an impressive 76-59 victory against Morgan State at Echols Hall. MSU shot 23 percent from the field and had seven turnovers in the first half.  Meanwhile, the Spartans finished the half by shooting 48 percent, including 2 of 4 for 3-point territory.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
The Spartans welcome back 11 veterans, including one starter, from a squad that posted a 26-10 overall record, finished 2nd in the MEAC with a 13-3 ledger and were the MEAC Tournament Champs. The Spartans made a historic run in the Big Dance before falling to the Florida Gators in Third Round of the Tournament. Pendarvis Williams leads the Spartans averaging 12.8 points and is shooting 36 percent from 3-point territory. Malcom Hawkins is the only other Spartan scoring in double-figures (12.1 ppg) and Rashid Gaston is the team’s leading rebounder by averaging 6.3 rpg to go along with 7.6 ppg. Head coach Anthony Evans (St. Thomas Aquinas ’94) enters his sixth season as the Spartan’s head coach and he currently holds a 88-92 (.488) record.

MORGAN STATE TABBED THIRD IN PRESEASON POLL
Morgan State was picked to finish third in the 2012-13 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men’s basketball preseason poll behind Savannah State and Delaware State.

JACKSON AND CHILES EARN PRESEASON HONORS
Morgan State senior DeWayne Jackson was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team by the conference head coaches and sports information directors. Junior center Ian Chiles was selected to the Second Team.

UNFAMILIAR FOES
Morgan State will face six teams this season that the program has never met in its basketball history. The first time opponents are: UTSA, Old Dominion, Holy Cross, South Carolina, Illinois State and San Diego. The Bears do not see a familiar foe until the Nov. 29 matchup at Liberty (MSU leads, 1-0), their fifth game of the season. The other five opponents MSU previously has played are University of Virginia (trails, 0-1), Loyola Marymount (leads, 2-0), and Saint Joseph’s (trails, 0-1).

JACKSON SET TO LEAD
DeWayne Jackson is the lone returning senior who saw action for Morgan State last year. There are seven (7) juniors, four (4) sophomores and two (2) freshmen on the Bears roster.

RECOVERING THE SWAG
The Bears will look to rebound from last year’s dismal season in which the Bears recorded a 9-20 finish. It marked Todd Bozeman‘s worst season as a head coach, and it was Morgan State’s worst season since going 4-26 in 2005-06.

JACKSON AND CHILES EARN PRESEASON HONORS
Morgan State senior DeWayne Jackson was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team by the conference head coaches and sports information directors. Junior center Ian Chiles was selected to the Second Team.

JACKSON CLIMBING THE MSU RECORD BOOK
DeWayne Jackson (1,367, 454 rebs., 150 asts) needs 24 points to surpass Lee Cornish (1,390 points – 1963-66) to become the school’s No. 11 all-time leading scorer. Jackson is one of three Bears on MSU’s all-time scoring list who have been coached by Todd Bozeman. Kevin Thompson(2009-12) ranks No. 9 (1,487 points) and Reggie Holmes (2007-10) is the school’s all-time scoring leader with 2,051 points.

HOME GROWN
Morgan State has eight players from the Metropolitan-D.C. area, including one from Baltimore. Senior DeWayne Jackson (Bowie High) and sophomore Blake Bozeman (Solebury Prep) are both from Bowie. Transfer guard Daryl Traynham is from Melwood (Wise High), walk-on Daon Riley is from Severn (Old Mill High), and Cedric Blossom is from Columbia (Montrose Christian). Anthony Hubbard is a product of Woodbridge (Va.), while junior Justin Black attended DeMatha High and Donte Pretlow was a standout at Dunbar High in Baltimore.

BOZEMAN WIN PERCENTAGE AT MSU
Todd Bozeman, now in his seventh season as head coach of the Bears, has an overall win percentage of .552 (116-94) after 210 games at Morgan State. That winning mean is the second highest among 15 head coaches in the history of the Morgan State men’s basketball program. Nathaniel Frazier’s winning percentage of .578 (166-121) is the highest percentage in Morgan State history.

ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS UNDER BOZEMAN
During his tenure in Baltimore, Todd Bozeman has coached seven (7) different players to All-Conference honors, including four Players of the Year selections: Ron Timus (2007 2nd Team), Boubacar Coly (2008 Defensive POTY, 1st Team), Jamar Smith (2008 Offensive POTY, 1st Team), Marquise Kately (2008 & 2009 2nd Team), Reggie Holmes (2007 All-Rookie, 2008 2nd Team, 2009 Offensive POTY, 2009 & 2010 1st Team), Kevin Thompson (2009 All-Rookie, 2010 Defensive POTY, 2010 1st Team, 2011 2nd Team), DeWayne Jackson (Rookie of the Year, 2011 1st Team).

THREE IN DOUBLE FIGURES
In the first 14 games of the season, three Bears average more than 12 points a game DeWayne Jackson leads with 15.1 points per game, whileJustin Black is averaging 13.3 ppg. Anthony Hubbard is averaging 12.1 points and 6.6 rebounds on the boards

JACKSON DOING A LITTLE OF EVERYTHING 
Senior DeWayne Jackson is filling the stat sheet this season, averaging 15.1 points (ranked No. 4), 5.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists (ranked No. 9) and 2.5 steals (ranked No. 1) per game. Jackson has also registered 10 blocks. He has recorded 13 double-digit scoring games, including a season-high 32-point effort at Virginia (Dec. 19).

CONTROLLING THE GLASS
The Bears have only out-rebounded 4 of their first 14 opponents so far this season. In fact, the Bears have gone 4-0 in the games in which they’ve won the battle on the boards.  MSU’s best rebounding performance was during its season-opening win against UTSA where they held a 52-26 advantage on the glass.

UP NEXT
The Bears will continue the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schedule when they travel to face North Carolina A&T at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 26 in Greensboro, N.C.

UMBC faces a team- Norfolk State- that is coming off a landmark season. The Spartans posted a 26-10 record a year ago and defeated Missouri in the second round of the NCAA Championship. It is the first-ever meeting between the Retrievers and Spartans.

RETRIEVER UPDATE: UMBC (2-7) rallied late to tie American at the end of regulation in the first overtime period, but fell, 73-70, to the Eagles in double overtime on Dec. 6. SR G Ryan Cook led all scorers with 24 points. It was UMBC’s second home overtime loss  of the season- the Retrievers have led five of nine games with ten minutes remaining. Cook leads the squad and is second in America East with 17.4 ppg.

SPARTAN UPDATE: Norfolk State lost four of five starters from last season’s NCAA Championship team, but the Spartans have won three straight to even their record at 5-5. They won a pair of MEAC decisions, 55-45 at Savannah State and 78-72 at South Carolina State on Dec. 1 and 3. JR G Pendarvis Williams, the lone returning starter from last year’s squad, leads a balanced attack wtih 11.3 ppg. Today’s game will just be the second at home for the Spartans.

WHO’S UP NEXT:  UMBC plays its final game before exams start when they host another MEAC institution, Coppin State, on Wed., Dec. 12. Tip time at the RAC Arena is set for 7:00 p.m.

Game Data

Loyola University Maryland will take part in the Basketball Tip-Off Tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., for a pair of games this weekend.

The Greyhounds will take on Norfolk State on Saturday, November 17, in the first game at 12 noon. The winner of the game will face the winner of Albany and Missouri-Kansas City at 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 18, with the losers of the two games meeting at 11:30 a.m. Sunday.

Series History

Loyola and Norfolk State will be meeting for the first time when they take the floor on Saturday.

The Greyhounds are 16-13 all-time against teams from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, the majority of those games being played against Baltimore foes Coppin State and Morgan State.

Loyola will face two opponents for the first time this weekend, as the Greyhounds have not previously played either Albany or Missouri-Kansas City.

Last Time Out

Four Loyola players scored in double figures, as the Greyhounds eased past UMBC, 86-70, on Wednesday night in a game televised on MASN.

Erik Etherly scored 17 of his team-high 22 points after halftime, while Dylon Cormier and Tyler Hubbard each scored 14 of their 17 in the first stanza. Robert Olson added 10 for the Greyhounds, while Jarred Jones and Franz Rassman scored nine and eight, respectively.

Rassman, who saw the first extended playing time of his collegiate career with 20 minutes, led all players with nine rebounds and tied for game-high honors with three blocked shots.

UMBC led 13-9 in the early going, but the Greyhounds finished the half by scoring 36 of 53 points to lead 45-30 at the break.

Guards Early, Posts Late

A pair of Loyola guards, Dylon Cormier and Tyler Hubbard, each scored first half against UMBC, and Robert Olson chipped in six, leading the Greyhounds to a 45-30 advantage at halftime over the Retrievers.

The Greyhounds then turned to the post in the second half where Erik Etherly scored 17 after the break en route to a team-high 22. He made 5-of-8 from the field, including stepping out for his first three of the season, and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line in the second half.

Jarred Jones added seven second-half points, knocking down both his shots form inside and going to the line for 3-of-4.

Freshmen Produce

A trio of Loyola freshmen combined for 34 points and 15 rebounds on Wednesday night, as Tyler Hubbard (a redshirt freshman) scored 17, while Jarred Jones and Franz Rassman had eight and nine.

The group also had five assists, six blocked shots and four steals in the win.

Combined the three played 70 minutes against the Retrievers.

Board Work

Loyola outrebounded UMBC, 45-28, on Wednesday night, marking the second time this season the Greyhounds have outrebounded a team by 14 or more (also, Binghamton, 35-21).

The Greyhounds have outrebounded opponents by an average of nine this season, 38-29, in three games.

On the offensive glass, Loyola has grabbed 45 rebounds, while its opposition has pulled down just 59 defensive boards. The Greyhounds are recording offensive boards in 43-percent of opportunities at that end of the floor, while allowing their foes to get second chances just 28.8-percent of the time.

In the UMBC game, Loyola had more offensive rebounds (15) than the Retrievers had defensive boards (14).

Etherly Plays To Form

Erik Etherly, the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, has averaged 16 points per game in three contests after scoring 22 to go with eight rebounds on Wednesday against UMBC.

His 7.3 rebounds per game also top the team, and he is tied for the lead with five blocked shots, all coming in the last two games, three at Washington and two versus UMBC.

Cormier Leads

Dylon Cormier has led the Greyhounds in scoring in two of the first three games and is averaging an 19 through those contests. He has made 20-of-43 (.465) from the field and 3-of-6 from 3-point range.

Cormier scored 13 points in the first half of the season opener against Binghamton and finished with 21 points, the ninth time in his career her has reached the 20-point plateau. As a sophomore in 2011-2012, Cormier scored 20 or more seven times en route to earning All-MAAC Second Team honors with a 13.4 points per game average. At Washington, he finished with 19 and was just two off his career-best with seven rebounds. He is also averaging 5.5 boards per game this year.

The junior has been a fast starter this season, averaging a team-high 12.3 points per game during the first half. He has scored 10 or more in all three games (13, 10, 14).

Cormier has led Loyola in scoring 15 times during his career, and the Greyhounds are 11-4 in those games.

Jones Making Early Impact

Freshman Jarred Jones has started the first three games of his collegiate career and made a difference on the court for the Greyhounds. A two-time All-Metro honoree by The Baltimore Sun at John Carroll High School, Jones scored nine points and had six rebounds on Sunday evening at Washington. He followed that with a box-score filling nine points, five rebounds, three blocks, three steals and two assists versus UMBC.

In his first game, he debuted with just one point, but he filled several box-score categories in his effort. Jones tallied three rebounds and two each of blocked shots, steals and assists.

Rassman Versus The Retrievers

Freshman Franz Rassman saw his first extended playing time of the season on Wednesday against UMBC and scored eight points in 20 minutes. He led all players with nine rebounds, and he also swatted three shots.

Hubbard From Behind The Line

Tyler Hubbard knocked down all but one of his 3-point attempts on Wednesday against UMBC and has made 8-of-17 this season from long distance. He scored a career-best 17 points against the Retrievers and also had two assists and a steal.

His eight 3-pointers made lead the team, and he is fourth on the squad in scoring with a 10.3 points per game average.

In his collegiate debut against Binghamton, he made 4-of-9 shots, 3-of-7 from 3-point range, and finished the night with 11 points in his collegiate debut. In the process, he became the first player to reach double figures in his first collegiate game since Jawaan Wright came off the bench to score 10 on November 19, 2005, against Towson University.

Brooks’ Big Game

Julius Brooks provided 20 solid minutes in the post off the bench for the Greyhounds, recording eight points and a game-high seven rebounds versus Binghamton. Those numbers were not career-highs for the senior, but they were the best he’s put up in some time.

Brooks saw limited action in 29 games last season, averaging just 4.7 minutes per game, but matched his career-high with 28 minutes. His eight points were his most since scoring a career-best 10 on January 31, 2010, as a freshman, and his seven boards were his high since February 25, 2011, when he had eight. Both of those games came against Niagara University.

At Washington, he scored five, had a pair of rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot against the Huskies.

He made his first start since February 2010, his freshman season, on Wednesday night against UMBC.

First Impressions

Four players made their collegiate debuts for Loyola last Friday night, starting with Jarred Jones who made a start in his first game as a Greyhound. Redshirt freshman Tyler Hubbard got into the game early in the first half for his first game action, and Jones’ classmates Eric Laster and Franz Rassman both entered the contest in the second half.

Jones played 25 minutes, and while his box score line did not show it, he made a large impact on the game. He scored just one point, but he had three rebounds, handed out two assists, picked up two steals and led all players with two blocked shots.

Laster saw three minutes of action, scored on a 15-foot jumper and grabbed an offensive rebound. Rassman played six minutes, and had a block and a rebound.

Defensive Work

Loyola held Binghamton scoreless twice for stretches of eight or more minutes Friday night. The Greyhounds limited the Bearcats to 35.5-percent from the field and forced 16 turnovers. Binghamton also made just 18.2-percent of 3-point attempts.

On the glass, Loyola held the Bearcats to just five offensive rebounds, grabbing 24-of-29 boards on the defensive glass (82.7-percent).

MAAC Preseason Poll & Player of the Year

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference unveiled its preseason coaches’ poll and the league’s Preseason Player of the Year on Friday night in a live Preseason Awards Show on ESPN3. Loyola was named the team to beat in 2012-2013, and Erik Etherly was tabbed the Preseason Player of the Year by the coaches. (Complete poll and All-MAAC teams at left).

This is the first time Loyola has been selected No. 1 in the MAAC preseason poll in 24 years in the league, nor had a Greyhound player been named Preseason Player of the Year prior to Etherly.

Preseason MAAC Honors

Three Loyola players were named to the various Preseason All-MAAC teams as voted on by the coaches of the league.

Erik Etherly earned an All-MAAC First Team nod, while Dylon Cormier and Robert Olson were named to the Second Team.

The MAAC will announce its preseason poll of order of finish in the league on its Preseason Awards Show that will be aired on ESPN3 this Friday at 8:15 p.m.

Classy Senior

Senior guard Robert Olson was named one of 30 candidates for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award last week. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

Olson was the Greyhounds’ third-leading scorer last season with 11.1 points per game and enters this season Loyola ranked fourth at Loyola in 3-point percentage (138-of-336, .4107) sixth in career 3-pointers made (138) and eighth in 3-pointers attempted (336).

Last season, Olson was one of four Loyola players to earn All-MAAC honors, picking up Third Team mention and later All-Tournament honors.

High Marks

The Loyola men’s basketball team scored the highest amongst squads in the State of Maryland in the most recent NCAA Graduation Success Rate report. The Greyhounds checked in with a 91-percent GSR, tops among the state’s nine Division I schools, for players who entered the school between 2002-2005.

Saint Peter’s Game At The Meadowlands

The Loyola-Saint Peter’s Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game slated for Saturday, December 8, has been moved from the Peacocks’ Jersey City campus to the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., at the Meadowlands complex.

The Greyhounds and Peacocks will tip-off at 12 noon prior to the second game of the doubleheader between Duke and Temple.

Second NCAA Trip

Last year, Loyola made its first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 18 seasons, a span of 17 years, 11 months and 23 days. In all, it was 6,569 days between NCAA Tournament Games for the Greyhounds.

Last year’s true freshmen – Tyler Hubbard and R.J. Williams – were less than one year old the last time Loyola played in an NCAA match.

MAAC Title

Loyola won its second MAAC Championship in 23 years in the conference on Monday, March 5, 2012, defeating Fairfield University, 48-44, in the lowest scoring championship game in league history.

The Greyhounds held Fairfield to just six second-half field goals and 28.8-percent shooting in the game.

Loyola, which finished second in the conference during the regular season and earned the No. 2 seed in the league tournament, defeated Niagara University and Siena College in the MAAC Quarterfinals and Semifinals, respectively.

Turnaround…Check

Loyola completed the turnaround from finishing the 2003-2004 season with the lowest RPI in NCAA Division I basketball. The Greyhounds finished that season with a 1-27 record the season before Jimmy Patsos took over as head coach.

Since then, Loyola has gone 122-123 and culminated the turnaround by winning a school Division I record 24 games  in 2011-2012.

Patsos is one of only three coaches at the Division I level in the last 20 years to take over a program that had won zero or one game the year prior to then win 100 games at the school. He joins Steve Cleveland (BYU) and Pat Douglass (UC-Irvine) as the others.

Outstanding Performance By Etherly

Erik Etherly was named the MAAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player after averaging a team-best 17.3 points and 5.7 rebounds over the three games.

Etherly was in double figures in each of the three games, including back-to-back 20-point games for the first time in his career in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. He followed that with 10 points, seven rebounds and a career-high five blocks in the MAAC title game vs. Fairfield. He shot 20-for-38 (.526) from the floor and 11-for-14 (.786) from the foul line, while finishing with nine blocks.

Last season, Etherly was named to the All-MAAC First Team after averaging 13.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, both tops for the Greyhounds.

He also became the second player in school history to earn National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District honors, when he joined Mike Powell (1997) and earned Second Team laurels.

Patsos Named Coach & Man Of The Year

Jimmy Patsos became the first Loyola coach to earn The Rock/Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors by a vote of his peers in the league.

Patsos guided the Greyhounds to a school Division I high 24 wins and a program MAAC record 13 victories. He earned his 100th career coaching victory in November 2012 and led the Greyhounds to the No. 2 seed in the MAAC Championships.

Later in March, Patsos was named the Skip Prosser Man of the Year award for his work on and off the court, an honor presented by CollegeInsider.com.

2012 All-MAAC Honors

For the first time since the league expanded to three All-MAAC teams in 1998, four Greyhounds received all-league honors, topping all teams in the conference. Erik Etherly was named to the All-MAAC First Team, Dylon Cormier to the Second, and Justin Drummond and Robert Olson to the Third.

Loyola led all teams in the MAAC with its four selections, just in front of Iona’s three.

The Greyhounds’ previous high was at the end of the 1997-1998 season when Mike Powell (1st), Jason Rowe (2nd) and Roderick Platt (3rd) earned All-MAAC honors.

Etherly led Loyola in scoring (13.7), rebounding (7.5) and blocked shots (50), while finishing second on the team with 63 assists. He shot .530 from the field, good for third in the conference

Cormier was second on the team in scoring, just back of Etherly, with a 13.4 points per game average while improving his field-goal percentage nearly 10 points from his freshman season to .461 as a sophomore.

Drummond has come off the bench in 29 of the Greyhounds’ 33 games last year and is fourth on the team with 11.1 points per game. The guard as also third in rebounding (3.9), and he has scored in double figures 17 times this year.

Olson was one of the top 3-point shooters in the conference last year. He shot .431 from behind the arc, third-best in the MAAC, and averaged 11.1 points per game. The guard entered the month of January averaging less than nine points per game, but from that point forward, he was the team’s second-leading scorer at nearly 13 a contest.

Century Mark

Head Coach Jimmy Patsos became the third coach in Loyola history to win 100 games when the Greyhounds defeated UMBC, 73-63, on the road last season. Patsos, who is now in his ninth season, took over a team that finished 1-27 during the 2002-2003 season. He won his 100th game in his 215th career game.

Last season, Patsos moved into third-place all time at Loyola in victories, trailing only Lefty Reitz (349 wins, 1937-44, 1945-61) and Nap Doherty (165, 1961-74).

Baltimore Bred And More From Nearby

Since taking over as head coach in 2004, Jimmy Patsos has put an emphasis on recruiting locally, and it has never shown as much as on this year’s roster. Four players – junior guard Dylon Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons), junior forward Jordan Latham (City) and sophomore guard R.J. Williams and freshman forward Josh Forney (St. Frances) are products of schools within the city limits.

Six more players played in high school within 50 miles of Loyola, as the crow flies (thanks daftlogic.com): Jarred Jones, John Carroll, 20.5; Tyler Hubbard, Montrose Christian, 32.6 miles; Robert Olson, Georgetown Prep, 33.9; Anthony Winbush, T.C. Williams, 43.7; and Erik Etherly, Annandale, 47.9.

What’s Next

Following the weekend at Mohegan Sun Arena, the Greyhounds will take the better part of the week off before traveling to Kingston, R.I., for a Friday night game at Rhode Island.

GAME TIME
Morgan State (3-6, 2-4 MEAC) continues the 2012 season play in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matchup at Norfolk State on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET at Dick Price Stadium.  The Spartans enter the 2012 season under the leadership of eight-year head coach Pete Adrian. The Spartans (3-7, 1-6) are coming off its first conference win following a 33-21 homecoming win against Savannah State. The Bears fell 24-13 at Hughes Stadium against top-ranked Bethune-Cookman.

THE BEARS-SPARATNS MATCHUP 
• The Bears and Spartans will meet for the 25th time since 1965. Norfolk State leads the series 14-10 and has won the last five meetings against MSU.

•  Nov. 12, 2011 – Morgan State took the field at Hughes Stadium Saturday still with an outside shot at a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title. But after gamely battling No. 22 Norfolk State throughout the first half, the Bears saw their chances disappear with one utterly forgettable stretch to open the second half.

Morgan allowed 17 straight points in a span of 4 minutes, 26 seconds, turning a close game into a 47-14 rout before an announced 5,329.

• The last time the Bears played at William ‘Dick’ Price Stadium was on Nov. 6, 2010 … Morgan State matched Norfolk State punch for punch, before falling 37-25. Spartan quarterback Chris Walley passed for season highs of 305 yards and four touchdowns and set a single-game school record by completing 20-of-22 passes in the process.

QUICK HITS
•  Travis Davidson currently ranks 2nd in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in rushing with 851 yards (94.6 avg/g). He also ranks No. 1 the MEAC in scoring (78 Pts).

•  QB Robert Council completed 14-of-31 passes for 121 yards and ran for 16 yards against Bethune-Cookman.

•  Cornerback Joe Rankin registered his 9th interception of his career, picking off Savannah State quarterback Antonio Bostic in the 1st quarter…He currently ranks T-No. in the MEAC in INTs with four in nine games…he also ranks T-No. 4 in passes defended (10), while his freshman teammate DaShaun Summers leads the league with 1.33 average passes defended.

• Twenty-one (21) Morgan State seniors were honored before the start of last Saturday’s game against B-CU.

•  The Bears continue to be among the top scoring offenses in the league, entering Saturday’s contest as the MEAC’s No. 5 ranked scoring offense (23.6 avg/g).

•  True freshman LB Elandon Roberts currently ranks No. 2 in the MEAC in tackles by posting 83 tackles so far this season … he recorded a season-high 16 tackles against Delaware State on Oct. 25.

•  Sophomore defensive end Christopher Robinson currently leads the MEAC with seven sacks in just seven games played. He posted seven nine tackles, a forced fumble and a sack against Bethune-Cookman last Saturday.

SPARTANS THUMBNAIL
• The Wildcats enter Week 10 coming off a 33-21 Homecoming victory against Savannah State. The win snapped the Spartans’ 6-game losing streak and marked its first conference win of the season.

• In 2011, Norfolk State finished with a 9-3 overall record and 7-1 in the MEAC and captured the league championship.

• Norfolk State junior quarterback Nico Flores was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Monday. Flores got his first start at quarterback in over a month and helped lead the Spartans to a 33-21 win over Savannah State on Saturday. Flores completed 17-of-28 passes for 213 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed 14 times for a career-high 116 rushing yards. Flores totaled 329 yards of total offense. This is the first weekly MEAC award of Flores’ career.

• Through the first 10 games, WR Xavier Boyce (6-4, 220) and Derrick Demps (5-11, 180) have been two of the  leading receivers in the Spartans  offensive attack. Boyce, a junior from Virginia Beach (Va.), has recorded 54 receptions for 574 yards (10.6 avg), including three TDs. Demps, a Tallahassee (Fla.) product, ranks No. 6 in the MEAC with 39 catches for 645 yards (11.2 avg) with six touchdowns.

• MSU’s offense will have to account for the Spartan linebacker Lynden Trail. The junior currently ranks among the league leaders with 66 tackles (ranks 18th), to go along with 5 sacks (ranks No. 6).

• The Bears’ defensive unit will face a Spartan offensive line that ranks No. 5 in the league in rushing by averaging 139.1 per contest.

• Through 10 games, the Norfolk State defense ranks No. 2 in the MEAC in total defense by limiting opponents to 283.8 yards per contest and ranks No.1  in pass defense (136.0/g) and No. 8 in run defense (147.8/g).

JUICE UPDATE
• Travis Davidson needs to gain 61 rushing yards to surpass Craig Nelson at No. 9 on the school’s all-time rushing list.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR THIS WEEK
•  The Bears rushing for 100 yards or more for the ninth consecutive game this season.

•  QB Robert Council needs just 63 more passing yards to reach 1,000 yards for the season.

•  The Bears having a 300-yard passing game for the first time since October 8, 2011. In Week 6, Morgan State defeated Savannah State 44-17 and Seth Higgins, Nate Furrha and Robert Council combined for 16-of-26 passes for 318 yards and five TDs.

•  Cornerback Joe Rankin registering an interception would mark his fifth of the season and the 10th of his career.  He would need to collect six more to surpass Joe Fowlkes for the school record.  Fowlkes posted 15 INTs during his career (1975-78).

•  Travis Davidson needs just 149 more rushing yards to reach 1,000 yards for the season.

NOVEMBER CHILL
The Bears are 10-19 in November games since the start of the 2002 season.

NEXT UP
After Saturday’s contest at Norfolk State, the Bears will host the Hampton Pirates at Hughes Stadium. The matchup is set for Saturday, November 17. Kickoff at 1 p.m.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Coppin State seniors Michael Harper and Tony Gallo were each named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District 15 team as selected by the member coaches of the NABC.

Harper was named to the first team and Gallo was named to the second team.

Harper averaged 11.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game and led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference shooting 41.7 percent from the three-point line. He was second on the team with 68 three-point baskets and also shot 73.8 percent from the free throw line.

Gallo was honored on the second team after leading the Eagles averaging 17.1 points per game. He led the Eagles in scoring, three-point baskets, free throws made and assists.

Joining Harper on the first team was Kyle O’Quinn of Norfolk State, Darrion Pellum of Hampton and Dewayne Jackson and Kevin Thompson of Morgan State.

The second team was comprised of Gallo, Chris McEachin of Norfolk State, Dominique Sutton of North Carolina Central, Brandon Riley of South Carolina State and Garrius Holloman of Bethune-Cookman.

“As of this morning we have already seen some trends on who the public is liking to take this thing down. Florida State who won the ACC and who we opened at 40-1 have dropped down to 30-1 and are a heavy liability for us already.  Syracuse at 10-1 as a #1 seed has also taken quite a bit unlike Kentucky who are clear cut favorites at 9/4 but not seeing too much action at that short price. Michigan State took quite a lot of money when they were as high as 40-1 at one point during the season but now at 17/2 I guess some bettors feel they missed the boat on that one.”

-Kevin Bradley, Bovada.lv Sportsbook Manager 

Odds to Win the 2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship 

Kentucky (1)                                          9/4

Ohio State (2)                                        11/2

North Carolina (1)                                   13/2

Michigan State (1)                                  17/2

Missouri (2)                                           10/1

Kansas (2)                                            10/1

Syracuse (1)                                          10/1

Duke (2)                                                20/1

Marquette (3)                                         30/1

Florida State (3)                                     30/1

Baylor (3)                                              35/1

Wisconsin (4)                                        35/1

Louisville (4)                                          35/1

Vanderbilt (5)                                         35/1

Wichita State (5)                                    40/1

Georgetown (3)                                      40/1

New Mexico (5)                                      50/1

Indiana (4)                                             60/1

Florida (7)                                              65/1

Memphis (8)                                          65/1

Cincinnati (6)                                         75/1

Kansas State (8)                                    75/1

Connecticut (9)                                      75/1

Michigan (4)                                          80/1

Belmont (14)                                          100/1

Temple (5)                                             100/1

UNLV (6)                                               100/1

Murray State (6)                                     100/1

Notre Dame (7)                                      100/1

St. Mary’s (7)                                         125/1

Gonzaga (7)                                          125/1

West Virginia (10)                                  125/1

San Diego State (6)                                150/1

St. Louis (9)                                          150/1

Alabama (9)                                           150/1

Creighton (8)                                          150/1

Texas (11)                                             100/1

Purdue (10)                                           100/1

NC State (11)                                        100/1

Iowa State (8)                                        200/1

Virginia (10)                                           200/1

VCU (12)                                               250/1

Harvard (12)                                           250/1

California (12)                                        250/1

Southern Miss (9)                                  250/1

Long Beach State (12)                            250/1

Colorado State (11)                                300/1

Colorado (11)                                         300/1

South Florida (12)                                  300/1

Montana (13)                                         300/1

New Mexico state (13)                            300/1

Ohio (13)                                               300/1

Davidson (13)                                         300/1

BYU (14)                                               300/1

Iona (14)                                                300/1

St. Bonaventure (14)                               300/1

South Dakota State (14)                         300/1

Lehigh (15)                                            450/1

Norfolk State (15)                                   450/1

Detroit (15)                                            450/1

Mississippi Valley State (16)                   500/1

Western Kentucky (16)                           500/1

NC-Ashville (16)                                     500/1

Long Island (16)                                     500/1

Lamar (16)                                             500/1

Vermont (16)                                         500/1

Loyola Maryland (15)                              500/1

Odds to Win the South Region           

Kentucky (1)                              5/7

Duke (2)                                    5/1

Baylor (3)                                  11/2

Wichita State (5)                        8/1

Indiana (4)                                 12/1

UNLV (6)                                   25/1

Connecticut (9)                          30/1

Notre Dame (7)                          40/1

Iowa State (8)                            60/1

Xavier (10)                                 60/1

VCU (12)                                   100/1

Colorado (11)                             150/1

New Mexico State (13)               200/1

South Dakota State (14)             200/1

Lehigh (15)                                200/1

Western Kentucky (16)               200/1

Mississippi Valley State (16)       225/1

Odds to Win the West Region 

Michigan State (1)                      11/5

Missouri (2)                               9/4

Marquette (3)                             13/2

Louisville (4)                              13/2

New Mexico (5)                          9/1

Florida (7)                                  14/1

Memphis (8)                              14/1

Murray State (6)                         25/1

St. Louis (9)                              30/1

Virginia (10)                               50/1

Long Beach State (12)                75/1

Davidson (13)                             100/1

BYU (14)                                   100/1

Colorado State (11)                    150/1

Iona (14)                                    150/1

Norfolk State (15)                       200/1

Long Island (16)                         200/1

Odds to Win the East Region  

Ohio State (2)                            8/5

Syracuse (1)                              9/4

Vanderbilt (5)                             9/1

Florida State (3)                         10/1

Wisconsin (4)                            10/1

Kansas State (8)                        15/1

Cincinnati (6)                             18/1

Gonzaga (7)                              30/1

West Virginia (10)                      30/1

Texas (11)                                 30/1

Southern Mississippi (9)             60/1

Harvard (12)                               60/1

Montana (13)                             100/1

St. Bonaventure (14)                   150/1

Loyola Maryland (15)                  200/1

NC-Ashville (16)                         200/1

Odds to Win the Midwest Region        

North Carolina (1)                       8/5

Kansas (2)                                2/1

Georgetown (3)                          10/1

Michigan (4)                              15/1

Temple (5)                                 18/1

Purdue (10)                               18/1

Belmont (14)                              18/1

NC State (11)                            20/1

St. Mary’s (7)                             25/1

San Diego State (6)                    30/1

Creighton (8)                              35/1

Alabama (9)                               40/1

California (12)                            50/1

South Florida (12)                      100/1

Ohio (13)                                   100/1

Detroit (15)                                150/1

Lamar (16)                                 200/1

Vermont (16)                             225/1

Courtesy of Bovada (formerly Bodog), www.Bovada.lv,  Twitter: @BovadaLV. 

NORFOLK, Va. — Coppin State senior Tony Gallo has been selected to the Mid-Eastern Athletic All-Conference First Team and freshman Taariq Cephas was named to the All-Rookie Team the league announced on Sunday as selected by the conference head coaches and sports information directors.

Gallo was joined on the first team by Player of the Year Kyle O’Quinn of Norfolk State, Darrion Pellum of Hampton, Jay Threatt of Delaware State and Dominique Sutton of North Carolina Central.

Gallo was the Eagles most consistent player during the season and led the team averaging 17.0 points per game and 78 three-point baskets. He also averaged 3.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

He reached double figures in scoring in 24 games this season and topped 20 points in 13 different games.

Cephas earned All-Rookie honors after averaging 5.7 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. He also shot 39.7 percent from the three-point line and averaged 2.4 assists per game.

Coppin State will open MEAC Tournament play on Tuesday (March 6) against Florida A&M at 9 p.m. in the Lawrence Joel Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.

He was joined on the All-Rookie Team by Rookie of the Year Tahj Tate of Delaware State, Tyshawn Bell of Delaware State, Prince Okoroh of Howard and Ishaq Pitt of Maryland Eastern Shore.

The all-conference second team was comprised of Ray Willis of North Carolina Central, Tate of Delaware State and Marques Oliver, Chris McEachin of Norfolk State and Deric Rudolph and Rashad Hassan of Savannah State.

O’Quinn was also named the Defensive Player of the Year and Horace Broadnax of Savannah State was named the Coach of the Year.

Loyola To Participate In ’12 Hall Of Fame Tip-Off Tournament

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Loyola University Maryland will participate in the 2012 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament, an annual NCAA men’s basketball exempt tournament sponsored by the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

The event will take place the weekend of November 16th-18th at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., featuring eight schools in two four-team brackets. All teams will also compete in two campus round games.

Teams scheduled to participate in this year’s Tip-Off tournament are Loyola, Norfolk State University (MEAC), Ohio State University (Big Ten), Seton Hall University (Big East), University of Albany (America East), University of Missouri-Kansas City (Summit League), University of Rhode Island (Atlantic 10) and University of Washington (Pac-12).

“This year’s Tip-Off Tournament will once again showcase some of the best college basketball programs in the country,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “We are looking forward to welcoming each of these teams, as they compete at Mohegan Sun, one of the finest facilities in the country.”

The 2012 Tip-Off Tournament game schedule will be separated into two brackets. The Springfield bracket will include Albany, Loyola, UMKC and Norfolk State. The Naismith bracket will consist of Ohio State, Washington, Seton Hall, and Rhode Island. Game times and sessions for both rounds will be announced at a later date.

“On behalf of Mohegan Sun, we are excited to be able to once again host one of the most prestigious tournaments in college basketball,” said Jeffrey Hartmann, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mohegan Sun. “We appreciate the Hall of Fame’s passion for basketball, and we look forward to continuing our relationship and hosting another great event in November.”

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference will serve as the host conference for the annual event. The MAAC will host the men’s and women’s basketball championships at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, MA this March and has developed a strong partnership with the Basketball Hall of Fame, including the opening of a MAAC exhibit in the Hall of Fame museum.

“The MAAC is excited to extend its support of the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Tip-Off Tournament again in 2012,” said Rich Ensor, Commissioner of the MAAC. “The MAAC and the Hall of Fame continue to expand its relationship and we look forward to working together in the future on many projects, including the annual Tip-Off Tournament.”

Loyola Head Coach Jimmy Patsos added, “We are looking forward to participating in the Tip-Off  Tournament. The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference has formed a strong partnership with the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and we are honored to be selected to participate in the event next year.”

Tickets for the 2012 Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off at Mohegan Sun Arena will go on sale in the near future. For more information on the event, log on to www.halloffametipoff.com.