Game Notes

WILLIAMBURG, Va. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will kick off a string of nine straight away from the Convocation Center on Wednesday, visiting Kaplan Arena to take on William & Mary at 7:30 p.m.
 
Live Stats: Click here.
Radio: WHOV 88.1 FM.
Live Video: Click here.
 
Last Time Out: The Pirates (2-1) won their 2015-16 home opener this past Friday, defeating Appalachian State 82-61 at the HU Convocation Center. Brian Darden dropped a season-high 21 points on 6-for-11 shooting, hitting four 3-pointers. Reginald Johnson Jr. added 19 points to go along with five assists, four rebounds, and three steals. Quinton Chievous grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds. Jervon Pressley also had 10 rebounds to go along with 10 points for his first double-double of the season, while also blocking a career-high six shots.
 
The Series: Since moving up to Div. I in 1995, the Pirates are 7-10 against William & Mary, and the two teams have traded wins in each of their last five meetings. Hampton won the last meeting, 77-69, at the HU Convocation Center during the 2013-14 season, and the Tribe won the last game at Kaplan Arena between the two teams: 69-51 in 2012-13. Hampton is 3-6 against the Tribe on the road.
 
Pirates Against the CAA: Hampton is 10-23 against teams currently in the CAA. The Pirates are 0-1 against Charleston; 1-5 against Delaware; 1-4 against James Madison; 1-2 against Towson; 0-1 against UNC Wilmington; and 7-10 against William & Mary. Hampton has never faced Drexel, Elon, Hofstra, or Northeastern.
 
Pirates on the Road: The Pirates were 5-11 on the road last season, despite winning two out of their last three true road contests. In 2014-15, Hampton was 1-7 in true road contests in non-conference play, with that win coming on Dec. 2 of last season at Tennessee State. During Edward Joyner Jr.'s tenure as head coach the Pirates are 36-54 on the road after a 61-48 win at American on Nov. 17.
 
Scouting the Tribe: William & Mary (3-1), in its 13th season under head coach Tony Shaver, returns four starters from a squad that won 20 games and tied for the CAA regular-season title last season before being eliminated in the CAA Tournament championship game. The Tribe is coming off its first loss of the season, 69-66 to Dayton this past Saturday. Omar Prewitt leads four Tribe players averaging double figures in scoring, pouring in 16.3 points a contest. Terry Tarpey, on top of averaging 10.5 points a game, is pulling down a team-high 7.0 rebounds a contest.
 
Pirates Picked to Finish Second: The Pirates, coming off of last season's MEAC Tournament championship, 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. The Eagles won the MEAC regular season title in 2014-15, while Hampton wound up sixth in the standings with an 8-8 mark in league play.
 
Joyner Reached 100: Entering his seventh season at the helm, Joyner was one win shy of 100 for his career. But when the Pirates defeated American on Nov. 20, he picked up the 100th win of his career as a head coach. The Pirates won 17 games under Joyner last season, and in his six-plus seasons in charge, Hampton has made three postseason appearances – including two NCAA Tournament appearances in 2011 and 2015. At 101-97, Joyner is already Hampton's all-time winningest Div. I coach, having surpassed Steve Merfield last season.
 
Plenty of Familiar Faces: The Pirates come into 2015-16 off of their fifth-ever MEAC Tournament championship, and many of the players who helped Hampton make that run last season are back for more. There are 10 returners in total for the Pirates this season, led by Preseason All-MEAC honorees Chievous (First Team), Brian Darden (Second Team), and Pressley (Third Team) – as well as Dwight Meikle, who led the Pirates in both scoring and rebounding in 2014-15. Johnson, who was named to the MEAC's All-Tournament Team last season, also returns, as does post player Charles Wilson-Fisher – who contributed big minutes during the MEAC Tournament.
 
Chievous Making His Presence Felt: Chievous, the Tennessee transfer, made his presence felt for the Pirates last season, especially once the MEAC Tournament started. Chievous had three double-doubles in the last four games of the year, including both NCAA Tournament games. Before that, though, he turned in a bull-in-a-china-shop-esque 23-point, 12-rebound effort in the MEAC Tournament semifinals against Norfolk State. Chievous, who was second in rebounding and third in scoring on the team in 2014-15, was named Preseason First Team All-MEAC heading into the 2015-16 campaign. He opened the 2015-16 season in style on Nov. 14, dropping a career-high 29 points and grabbing a career-best 23 rebounds at Winthrop. Dating back to last season, Chievous has four double-doubles in his last seven games.
 
Johnson Lit it Up: Johnson, a transfer from Miami (Ohio), was second on the team in scoring last season – despite not playing his first game until Dec. 17 at Illinois. He averaged almost 12 points a game last season, scoring in double figures 14 times in 26 games. His career high of 27 points came at NJIT last season, and Johnson added 21 points in the next game against UMES. Johnson dropped 20 points in the MEAC Tournament championship game against Delaware State, earning MEAC All-Tournament Team honors, and also had 15 points in Hampton's win over Manhattan in the NCAA Tournament's First Four. He poured in 19 points in Hampton's 61-48 win at American, and after dropping 19 points against Appalachian State, he is tied with Quinton Chievous for the team lead in scoring with 15.0 points per game.
 
Darden Looking for More: Darden was fifth on the team in scoring last season, just shy of averaging 10 points a contest (9.8). On top of being second in the MEAC in free throw percentage (.845), Darden was ninth in the conference in 3-pointers per game. The MEAC Tournament's top 3-point shooter had a career-high 23 points at Morgan State back on Feb. 16, going 6-for-7 from behind the arc, and he had 20 points in the championship game of the MEAC Tournament against Delaware State. Darden comes into 2015-16 as a Preseason Second Team All-MEAC selection, and he had 13 points at Winthrop, and he scored a season-high 21 this past Friday against Appalachian State.
 
Pressley Crashing the Glass: Pressley was third on the team in rebounding last season, averaging 4.8 boards per contest. He was also seventh in the MEAC in blocks (1.4 bpg). He also averaged 6.1 points per game, scoring in double figures four times. Against Manhattan in the NCAA Tournament's First Four, Pressley provided valuable minutes in pouring in eight points and grabbing four rebounds. His size and presence inside is one reason Pressley was a Preseason Third Team All-MEAC selection. He had his first double-double of the season (11 points, 10 rebounds) against Appalachian State. He also had a career-high six blocks in that game.
 
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.