Game Notes
WICHITA, Kan—The South Carolina State men's basketball team will open the 2016-17 season on the road against the Wichita State Shockers Friday night (Nov. 11) at Charles Koch Arena. Tip-off is 8:30 p.m. (CT) /9:30 p.m. (EST) and will be televised live on ESPN3.
 
THE SERIES: This is the first meeting between the two programs. The Shockers are 10-2 overall against current members of the MEAC
 
TV & RADIO: The 8:30 p.m. CT tip will air statewide on Cox Channel Kansas (Cox HD 2022) and in the Kansas City area on Time Warner Sports Channel. Fans outside of the two viewing areas can catch the game via ESPN3

Wichita State vs. South Carolina State
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=146942
ESPN3: http://es.pn/2fdcT5L
Shocker Radio: goshockers.com/listen
 
SC State enters the contest after being picked second out of 13 teams to capture the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular season title. The Bulldogs closed out last season 19-15 overall, 12-4 /2^nd in the MEAC with its best finish since 2005. SC State fell to Hampton in the MEAC Tournament final but still earned its first postseason bid since 2003 with a trip to the CIT.
 
The Bulldogs are led by senior guard Eric Eaves a preseason First Team All-MEAC pick after making the second team as a junior… Eaves, a 6-3 guard, return as the team's leading scorer from last season at 17.3 ppg, along with junior guard Edward Stephens a preseason Second Team All-MEAC selection, who was second on the team in scoring with 13.0 ppg

Also returning from last year's squad is senior guard Greg Mortimer who averaged 7.9 ppg and 2.6 rebounds. Holding down the frontcourt will be junior forward Tashombe Riley after coming off a solid year, where he averaged 8.1 points and 5.2 rebounds and was named to the MEAC All-Tournament team along with teammate Eaves. Senior's Jaylen Reid and Bobby Williams also return as key reserves this season.

The Bulldogs added six newcomers to the rosters looking to make an impact in JUCO transfer guard James "JJ" Richardson, freshmen forward Ian Kinard, forward Ozante Fields, guard/forward Earnest "LB" Jones, forward David Bottenberg and forward Damni Applewhite.

Head Coach Murray Garvin is entering his fourth full year at the helm of and is the reigning MEAC Coach of the Year.

BULLDOG BITE: In 1979, WSU hired Willie Jeffries to be its head football coach. In the process, Jeffries became the first African American head coach of an NCAA Division I-A football program at a predominantly white college. He spent five seasons on the Shocker sideline before accepting a similar position at Howard University, and then returned to SC State from 1989-2001. Jeffries was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
 
For more information on South Carolina State Athletics visit www.scsuathletics.com or call the Office of Athletic Media Relations at (803) 536-7060.