ORANGEBURG, SC—The 2025 Defending Regular Season MEAC Champions South Carolina State Bulldogs will look to defend their title as they open the season during exhibition platy Friday (Oct. 31) versus Allen inside Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.

This will be a "Black Out" game and all Bulldog supporters are asked to wear black, tipoff is 7:30 p.m. and you can follow with LIVE STATS.

The Bulldogs finished with the best mark in 22 years with an 20-13 overall record, 11-3 mark in the MEAC to claim to Regular Season Crown.  Sophomore guard Jayden Johnson was picked as the Men's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year.

Johnson, a dynamic guard for the Bulldogs, returns following a strong freshman campaign that earned him a slot on the MEAC All-Rookie team last year. He appeared in 32 games with 12 starts. Johnson shot 42 percent from the field and totaled 156 points, 69 rebounds, 73 assists, and 35 steals during his debut season. His best performance came in a non-conference matchup against Georgia, where he scored 16 points, going a perfect 2-for-2 from three-point range and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.

The Bulldogs were picked to finished 3^rd in the 2026 MEAC Race behind Howard picked 2^nd and Defending Tournament Champion Norfolk State picked to repeat at No.1.

Allen is coming off the 6-21 season and 2-19 SIAC campaign during the 2024-25 season.

NEXT UP: South Carolina State will open the regular season on the road at Louisville Monday (Nov. 3) in Louisville, KY. Tipoff is 9 p.m. (CST) and 8 p.m. (EST).

ABOUT SC STATE ATHLETICS
South Carolina State University is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level intercollegiate athletic program. The university currently fields teams in 14 sports: women's volleyball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track & field, softball, men's and women's outdoor track and field, women's soccer and football with all teams competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), except for women's soccer.
 
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