MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will hit the road for the first time this season on Sunday, kicking off the 2016 Barclays Classic against Kansas State in the Bramlage Coliseum at 6 p.m. EST.
 
Live Video: Click here.
Radio: WHOV 88.1 FM.
Live Stats: Click here.
 
The Series: The Pirates are 0-1 against Kansas State, with the last meeting coming in the 2000-01 season. The Wildcats won that meeting 86-71 in Manhattan, Kan.
 
Pirates Against the Big XII: The Pirates are 1-1 against teams currently in the Big XII, including an 0-1 mark against Kansas State. Hampton's lone win over a Big XII school is also one of the biggest victories in program history; the Pirates defeated Iowa State 58-57 in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament in what is considered, to this day, to be one of the tournament's biggest upsets. Hampton has never faced Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, or West Virginia.
 
Pirates on the Road: In head coach Edward Joyner Jr.'s first seven-plus seasons at the helm, the Pirates are 43-60 on the road, including an 8-7 mark last season. Hampton has won at least eight road games in three of its first seven seasons under Joyner – and in all three of those seasons, the Pirates made the postseason (2011 and 2016 NCAA, 2015 CBI). Hampton's best road mark came in 2010-11, when the Pirates were 8-5 in true road games.
 
Scouting the Wildcats: Kansas State is entering its fifth season under head coach Bruce Weber, and the Wildcats were picked to finish ninth in the Big XII this season. The Wildcats went 17-16 last season, finishing 5-13 in the Big XII before falling to Kansas in the Big XII Tournament. Kansas State returns all five starters from last season, including reigning Third Team selection Wesley Iwundu and Big XII All-Newcomers Dean Wade and Barry Brown. Brown leads the team in scoring (16.5 ppg) so far this season; four Wildcats are averaging in double figures through two games.
 
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).
 
Strong Start for Marrow: Two games into his collegiate career, freshman Jermaine Marrow leads the Pirates in scoring, averaging 12.0 points per game. He opened his career with 13 points against Rider, before dropping 11 points this past Thursday in an overtime win over Chowan. The Heritage High graduate from nearby Newport News, Va. was 4A East State Player of the Year last season, proving to be one of Virginia's best scorers – averaging over 25 points a game in 2015-16.
 
Astroth Making an Impact: AJ Astroth was key in Hampton's win over Chowan this past Thursday – not just because he poured in a season-high 18 points and nine rebounds in just his second game with the program, but because it was his layup in the closing moments that gave the Pirates the lead. Astroth is tied for second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.5 points per game.
 
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.