HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will be at home again on Thursday, welcoming Div. II Chowan to the HU Convocation Center for a 7 p.m. tip.
 
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The Series: The Pirates have not faced Chowan since moving up to the Div. I level in 1995.
 
Pirates Against the CIAA: The Pirates were once long-time members of the CIAA, winning championships in 1982, 1984, and 1991. Since joining the MEAC, the Pirates have only faced Winston-Salem State among schools currently in the CIAA, going 5-0 against the Rams between 2007 and 2010. Since going Div. I, the Pirates have not faced Bowie State, Chowan, Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, Johnson C. Smith, Lincoln (Pa.), Livingstone, Saint Augustine's, Shaw, Virginia State, or Virginia Union.
 
Pirates at Home: In head coach Edward Joyner Jr.'s first seven-plus seasons at the helm, the Pirates are 51-33 at home – including a 9-2 mark in the HU Convocation Center last season. That was the team's best home record under Joyner, though the Pirates did go 9-3 at home in 2013-14 and 8-3 in the Convocation Center in 2010-11 – a season in which Hampton won 24 games and made it to the NCAA Tournament. Hampton dropped its home opener this past Friday, falling 67-56 to Rider.
 
Starting Off With Home Cooking: This past Friday's opener against Rider marked the first time since the 2013-14 season – and the third time under head coach Edward Joyner Jr. – that the Pirates opened the season at home. Hampton kicked off the 2013-14 campaign with a 77-69 win over William & Mary, and the Pirates also opened the 2011-12 season with a home game against the Tribe – winning that one 73-58. This will mark the first season during Joyner's tenure that the Pirates have opened with back-to-back home games.
 
Scouting the Hawks: Chowan is entering its fifth season under head coach Brett Vincent, and the Hawks are coming off a 2015-16 season that saw them go 19-9 overall and 11-5 in the CIAA, tying the school record for wins in a season and finishing fourth in the North Division. Chowan was again picked to finish fourth in the CIAA North this season, and reigning CIAA Rookie of the Year Marco Haskins was named Preseason All-CIAA.
 
Pirates Picked to Finish Third: Despite winning back-to-back MEAC titles, the Pirates were picked to finish third in the conference this season in a poll conducted by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. Hampton, which returns just one starter from last season, picked up two first-place votes and racked up 250 points in the poll. Howard was tabbed the preseason favorite, while South Carolina State – which fell to the Pirates in last season's MEAC Tournament championship game – was picked to finish second.
 
Cooks the Only One: Lawrence Cooks is the lone returning starter for the Pirates, and he comes into 2016-17 as the team's top returner in scoring (7.8 ppg), rebounding (3.7 rpg), assists (47), and steals (19). He is also the only player on this year's team that isn't a freshman, sophomore, or junior – though he does have two MEAC championship rings and NCAA Tournament appearances to his credit. Cooks dropped a career-high 22 points at Winthrop last season, a campaign in which he scored in double figures 11 times. Cooks had 10 points in Hampton's season opener against Rider.
 
Wilson-Fisher Looking for a Bigger Role: Charles Wilson-Fisher was a key role player in the Pirates' run through the MEAC Tournament in 2015, and he was a key reserve down low for the Pirates last season. 2016-17 could figure to be a breakout season for the Los Angeles native with the graduation of Jervon Pressley, and Wilson-Fisher will be looking to improve on his scoring and rebounding averages (2.7 and 2.5, respectively) this season. He tied his career high in points with 10 last season against Northern Arizona, and this past Friday against Rider, he set new career highs in rebounds (15) and blocks (two).
 
For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5757, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.