Game Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will return home on Saturday for its MEAC opener, as the Pirates square off against the Eagles of Coppin State at 6 p.m. at the HU Convocation Center.
 
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (2-5) defeated Tennessee State 62-54 on the road this past Tuesday, with four Pirates scoring in double figures. Redshirt junior guard/forward Dwight Meikle (Baltimore, Md.) led the way with 15 points and three blocks, while junior guard Ke'Ron Brown (Savannah, Ga.) added a season-high 14 points. Junior guard Deron Powers (Williamsburg, Va.) added 11 points, and guard Quinton Chievous (Chicago, Ill.) recorded his first double-double as a Pirate with 10 points and a team-high 13 rebounds.
 
The Series: Hampton is 16-18 against Coppin State, and Coppin State is one of just two teams in the MEAC against whom the Pirates are under .500 all-time (North Carolina Central is the other). The two teams split last year's regular-season meetings, with each team winning on the road, before the Eagles defeated the Pirates 83-77 in the quarterfinals of the MEAC Tournament. Coppin State has won five of the last seven meetings.
 
The Opponent: The Eagles (1-5) are in their first season under head coach Michael Grant, and they are coming off an 84-76 loss at Towson this past Wednesday. Coppin State went 12-20 last season, finishing seventh in the MEAC with ua mark of 7-9. The Eagles return three starters from last year's squad, and senior forward Arnold Fripp leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 12.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest. Senior guard Taariq Cephas is averaging 10.0 points per game.
 
Pirates Against the MEAC: Hampton is 220-130 all-time as a Div. I program (since 1995) against teams currently in the MEAC, including an 11-5 mark in the conference last season. The Pirates went 13-3 in the MEAC last season, finishing second in the final regular-season standings. Since joining the MEAC in 1995, the Pirates have won two regular-season conference titles (2000-01, 2001-02) and four MEAC Tournament crowns (2001, 2002, 2006, 2011).
 
Pirates at Home: During Edward Joyner Jr.'s career as a head coach, Hampton is 36-26 overall in the Convocation Center, and the Pirates were 9-3 at home last season. Overall, the Pirates have won four of their last five home games following a 64-60 loss to American back on Nov. 26.
 
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 Dec. 17, 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 Tuesday's game at Tennessee State, Joyner has 84 career wins as a head coach, leaving him 16 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 seven 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: Powers is sitting on 790 career points after this past Tuesday's contest at Tennessee State, leaving him just 210 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 third on the team in scoring, averaging 10.7 points per game.
 
Meikle Getting His Chance: Meikle 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 four times so far this season. His 11.7 points per game are second on the team after dropping a team-high 15 points at Tennessee State this past Tuesday.
 
Pressley Crashing the Glass: Forward Jervon Pressley (Charlotte, N.C.) 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.
 
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 six of the Pirates' first seven games following his 10-point performance at Tennessee State; Chievous leads the team in both scoring (12.3 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 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.