Game 1
 
Jackson State at Cal Baptist
 
Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019 • 7 p.m. (9 CST) • Riverside, Calif. • CBU Events Center

Live Stats || Live Stream

JACKSON, Miss. - The Jackson State men's basketball team opens the 2019-20 tomorrow on the road at California Baptist University in Riverside, Calif.

The Tigers bring back an experienced team from a year ago as the Blue and White return five players including four starters. JSU has added eight new players to the team that finished 13-19 over a year ago and 10-8 in SWAC play. 

Among the group of returners is Jayveous McKinnis who was voted as the SWAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. The sophomore from Brandon, Miss. is coming off of a season in which he played in 28 games including 25 starts.
He turned in 734 total minutes played (26.2 mpg) with a field goal percentage of .665 and a free throw percentage of .492. He also recorded 7.8 rebounds each game to go along with 28 steals.

The Brandon HS product was also named as the 1^st Team All-SWAC center by the conference.

McKinnis in the group of returning starters also includes Venji Wallis, Lemmie Howard, and Dontelius Ross. 

Wallis, played in 31 games a year ago, starting 27 of those for Jackson State.  

The senior finished first on the team in scoring last season, averaging 12.5 points per game and also dished out 2.13 assists per game.

The Houma, Louisiana native played 968 minutes, averaging 31.2 per game, finishing the season shooting 42.1 (128-of-304) percent from the floor, and 27.3 (18-of-66) percent from beyond the arc. 

Wallis also grabbed a total of 132 rebounds, averaging 4.3 rebounds per game, while recording 44 steals.

Ross enters his final season at Jackson State after playing in 30 games last season with 25 starts.

The senior averaged 30 minutes a game with an average of 5.3 points a game and 2.3 rebounds while having 93 assist and 3 blocks.

Howard comes into the season having played in 31 games a year ago, including 13 starts under his belt. Howard produced 19.5 minutes per game and a field goal percentage of .414 and making 24 three pointers last season.

The junior averaged 6.3 points last season and along with 18 blocks.

Jackson State returns head coach Wayne Brent to the helm of the Tigers program, as he enters his seventh season at JSU. In his seven seasons with the Tigers, coach Brent has compiled an overall record of 81-114 and 57-61 in SWAC play.

The Blue and White take on CBU who is coming off of a historic first season in the NCAA Division I ranks after completing its first season with an overall record of 16-13, including 12 wins over DI opponents. The Lancers are coached by head coach Rick Croy who begins his seventh season at the helm for the CBU with an overall record of 148-44, including an 87-14 mark at home.

The teams 16 wins is the most which wins by a first-year team that is an RPI counter. The Lancers bring back a wealth of experience and welcome six new members to the team.

CBU is comprised of five seniors, five juniors, four sophomores, and two freshmen. The leadership at the top will be led by junior guard Milan Acquaah and senior forward De'jon Davis.

Acquaah and Davis combined for nearly 2,000 minutes on the floor for the Lancers, and return as two of the five starters from the previous season. Acquaah was named as a Preseason All-WAC first-team honoree by the coaches and WAC media. He was also named as the Preseason WAC Player of the Year

Davis led the WAC in rebounds per game with an average of 9.2.

The two team's tip-ff tomorrow at 9 p.m. (CST) on the West Coast in Riverside, California.