Game Notes

URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will resume non-conference play on Wednesday, as the Pirates take on Illinois at 7 p.m. EST in the State Farm Center. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
 
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (4-5) picked up their third straight win on Monday, Dec. 8, defeating Morgan State 62-58 to remain unbeaten in conference play. Junior guard Deron Powers (Williamsburg, Va.) led the Pirates with 17 points, hitting three 3-pointers and going 6-for-7 from the free throw line, while guard Quinton Chievous (Chicago, Ill.) added 13 points and eight rebounds. Junior forward Jervon Pressley (Charlotte, N.C.) grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds to go along with seven points and three blocks.
 
The Series: This will be the first-ever meeting between Hampton and Illinois.
 
The Opponent: The Illini (7-3) are in their third season under head coach John Groce, and Illinois has lost back-to-back games – and three of their last four following a 77-70 loss to Oregon on Saturday. Illinois is 5-0 at home so far this season, and 7-3 overall, and redshirt senior guard Rayvonte Rice leads the team in scoring with 17.8 points per contest – to go along with a team-high 6.7 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Malcolm Hill is averaging 13.7 points and 5.9 rebounds a game, while senior forward/center Nnanna Egwu is also grabbing 5.9 rebounds per contest.
 
Pirates Against the Big Ten: Hampton is 0-8 all-time against schools currently in the Big Ten, following a 90-56 loss at Iowa to open the 2014-15 season. The Pirates squared off against Penn State last season in the first round of the CBI, falling 69-65. The Pirates are 0-1 against Iowa, 0-3 against Maryland, 0-1 against Michigan, 0-1 against Ohio State, 0-1 against Penn State, and 0-1 against Rutgers. The Pirates have never faced Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, or Wisconsin.
 
Pirates on the Road: The Pirates went 8-7 in true road contests last season, including a 6-1 mark in conference play. During Edward Joyner Jr.'s career as a head coach, Hampton is 29-45 overall in true road games away from the Convocation Center. Overall, the Pirates have won eight of their last 14 true road games following a 62-54 win at Tennessee State on Dec. 2.
 
Pirates Taking on the Big Boys: The Pirates' game at Syracuse on Nov. 16 was the second of three contests this season for the Pirates against teams from the so-called "power conferences." After facing the Hawkeyes on Nov. 14, the Pirates took on ACC foe Syracuse, and on Wednesday, the Pirates will face another Big Ten foe when they hit the road to square off against Illinois.
 
Pirates Picked to Finish Second: The Pirates, coming off of last season's runner-up finish, were picked to finish second in the MEAC this season, picking up nine first-place votes in the preseason poll voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors. Defending MEAC champion North Carolina Central was picked to repeat as conference champions.
 
Powers, Darden Earn Preseason MEAC Honors: Powers was named Preseason First Team All-MEAC by the league's head coaches and sports information directors, while junior guard Brian Darden (Hampton, Va.) was a Preseason Third Team All-MEAC selection. Powers was third in the MEAC in free throw percentage, fourth in assists and fifth in assist-turnover ratio last season, while Darden was ninth in the conference in 3-pointers made, averaging 2.0 per contest.
 
Joyner Closing in on 100: Following the game against Morgan State on Dec. 8, head coach Edward Joyner Jr. has 86 career wins as a head coach, leaving him 14 shy of 100. If the Pirates match last season's win total, Joyner – in his sixth season at the helm – will reach that mark this season. Only two coaches in Hampton history have won at least 100 games with the school: Malcolm Avery (140 wins, 1987-95) and Hank Ford (228 wins, 1975-87). Joyner is five wins shy of the all-time program Div. I wins record; Steve Merfeld (1997-2002) won 90 games with the Pirates.
 
Powers Closing in on a Milestone: is sitting on 824 career points after this past Saturday's game against Coppin State, leaving him just 176 points shy of the 1,000-point mark for his career. Powers, the 2012-13 MEAC Rookie of the Year, would be the 27th Pirate to ever reach that mark – and the first since Darrion Pellum reached the mark in the 2011-12 season. Powers scored 366 points last season, ranking second on the team with 11.8 points per game, and he ended the 2013-14 season by scoring in double figures in six of his last seven games – including three straight 20-point efforts from Feb. 24-March 6.
 
Darden Looking for More: Darden was third on the team in scoring last season, averaging 10.4 points per game, and he ended the season on a high note with a career-high 22 points at Penn State in the first round of the CBI. He averaged 2.0 made 3-pointers per game in 2013-14, ranking ninth in the MEAC. Darden, who shot 32.6 percent (63-for-193) from 3-point range last season, was named Preseason Third Team All-MEAC, and he comes into this season as the Pirates' best option from long distance. He had 10 points in the Pirates' opener at Iowa, before pouring in 18 points in the Pirates' win over Alcorn State. He is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 8.9 points per game.
 
Meikle Getting His Chance: Redshirt junior guard/forward Dwight Meikle (Baltimore, Md.) shot just over 48 percent from the floor last season, en route to averaging 5.8 points per game. The rising redshirt junior scored in double figures seven times in 2013-14, tying his career high with 16 points against Winthrop on Dec. 29, 2013. He also showed flashes on defense, blocking 13 shots on the season – including a career-high six at Virginia back on Nov. 26, 2013. He led three Pirates in double figures at Iowa with 14 points, and he has scored in double figures six times so far this season. His 11.2 points per game are second on the team after dropping 15 points against Coppin State on Dec. 6.
 
Pressley Crashing the Glass: Pressley was second on the team in rebounds last season, despite playing in just 21 games. He averaged 5.1 boards per contest in 2013-14, grabbing a career-high 12 boards at Maryland Eastern Shore on Feb. 24 – while also scoring 12 points for his lone double-double of the season. Pressley also scored in double figures four times last season, including a career-high 16 points at Coppin State on Feb. 1. Pressley grabbed at least one rebound in 20 of the 21 games in which he played last season. Pressley grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds on Dec. 8 against Morgan State, and his 4.9 rebounds per game are tied for second on the team.
 
New Faces, Plenty of Experience: Two Hampton newcomers already have Div. I experience: Chievous has seen significant playing time with Tennessee, and guard Reginald Johnson (Chicago, Ill.) comes to the Pirates after time at Miami (Ohio). Chievous was a career 45.3-percent shooter (24-for-53) with the Volunteers, while Johnson averaged 8.4 points per game as a freshman at Miami (Ohio). In all, five players on this year's roster transferred to Hampton from other Div. I programs: Chievous, Johnson, Breon Key (Old Dominion), Darden (Radford), and Pressley (Towson). Chievous scored 12 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds in his Hampton debut at Iowa, before dropping a team-high 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting on Nov. 16 at Syracuse. He has scored in double figures in eight of the Pirates' first nine games following his 13-point, eight-rebound performance on Dec. 8 against Morgan State; Chievous leads the team in both scoring (12.4 ppg) and rebounding (8.1 rpg).
 
For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.