MOREHEAD, Ky. — The Morehead State men’s basketball team will host its only exhibition game on Wednesday when NAIA opponent St. Catharine (Ky.) visits Johnson Arena at 7 p.m. ET. The Eagles posted a 107-85 victory over the Patriots in preseason action last season.
St. Catharine is 0-2 this year, with a 102-99 defeat at IU-Southeast and 102-86 setback at Bryan (Tenn.). Morehead State opens regular-season action on Nov. 14 at Mountain West Conference opponent UNLV. The Eagles’ home opener is set for Nov. 17 against Cincinnati Christian.
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Notes heading into the contest:
THE RETURNEES
Morehead State returns nine players from the 2013-14 season. The Eagles welcome back four starters in senior Angelo Warner (17.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.0 apg), junior Brent Arrington (11.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg), senior Kareem Storey (6.8 ppg, 5.1 apg) and senior Billy Reader (6.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg).
WE’RE READY TO GO
Morehead State’s roster also features three players who sat out in 2013-14 due to NCAA transfer rules. Senior Jalen Courtney and sophomore Corban Collins joined the Eagles from Southeastern Conference member LSU, while junior Lyonell Gaines came to MSU from IUPUI.
THE NEWCOMERS
Morehead State welcomes seven newcomers for the 2014-15 campaign, and all seven will be eligible immediately. The list includes a Division I transfer, former Division II player and two junior college products.
THE MAN IN CHARGE
Sean Woods, who has been associated with six Division I men’s basketball programs, is in his third season as the head coach at Morehead State. It is also his seventh season as a Division I head coach and 12th year of coaching at the collegiate level. Woods guided Morehead State to a 20-14 overall record and 10-6 Ohio Valley Conference mark in 2013-14, despite over half the team suffering significant injuries.
WHO ELSE IS ON THE STAFF?:
Associate Head Coach Dylan Howard, Assistant Coach Brian “B.J.” Ellis, Graduate Manager Martiese Morones and Graduate Manager Jonathan Mattox all return to the staff in 2014-15. The newcomer is Assistant Coach Preston Spradlin, who was a member of the Kentucky staff from 2009-14.
A CHALLENGING SCHEDULE
Morehead State will play 31 regular-season contests in 2013-14. The slate features 10 dates against postseason teams from a year ago, including American Athletic Conference opponent Cincinnati (Nov. 19) and Big Ten Conference member Ohio State (Dec. 13).
SATISFYING THE HOME CROWD
Morehead State will host 13 regular-season tilts at Johnson Arena, including dates with Southern Conference school East Tennessee State (Dec. 1), Horizon League foe Oakland (Dec. 6) and Atlantic Sun Conference member Northern Kentucky (Dec. 19).
NATIONAL EXPOSURE IS BIG
Morehead State will have at least three nationally-televised contests in 2014-15, plus one regionally-televised affair. The Eagles will face Cincinnati (Nov. 19) on Fox Sports Ohio, Ohio State (Dec. 13) on the Big Ten Network, Eastern Kentucky (Feb. 11) on ESPNU and Tennessee Tech (Feb. 26) on CBS Sports Network. The Eagles can add to their TV schedule if they advance to the semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
MSU’S GOLD MEDAL WINNER
Former Morehead State star and current Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried helped the United States Basketball Team capture a gold medal in the 2014 FIBA World Cup. The U.S.A., which won all nine of its games, has now secured an automatic bid to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Faried, who earned a spot on the FIBA All-Tournament Team, averaged 12.4 points and 7.8 rebounds while shooting 64 percent from the field.
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