Coming into the season, Hampton had just six returning were back from last year' 17-16 squad.

But the Pirates returned two important players from a season ago: sophomore guard Daniel Johnson and senior forward Xzavier Long.

Through the first eight games, the two have combined for 21.8 points and 15.9 rebounds per game. Johnson leads the team in scoring (11.4 ppg) and Long is the top rebounder (11.0 rpg).

Both players have greatly upped their numbers from 2025-26. In 2024-25, Johnson sported a 7.6 ppg norm while Long averaged 5.0 rpg.

Johnson has tallied double figures five times in eight games while Long leads the Coastal Athletic Association in rebounding.

Others players have made major contributions. In the 74-68 victory over UMES, newcomer Josh Ogundele was the team's leading scorer with 17 points.

The Game
Although Hampton (3-5) and the Apprentice School (3-3) are just 8 miles apart, the Dec. 10, 2024 meeting was the first-ever between the two schools.

Hampton won that match-up by an 86-68 count. Daniel Johnson scored 15 points and Xzavier Long added 10 points for the Pirates. The Builders Adrion Wall led all scorers with 30 points and Kyrese Mullen was Hampton's leading scorer with 22 markers.

The game is the first at the Convocation Center for the Pirates since Nov. 6. Since then, Hampton has played six consecutive road games. Coach Ivan Thomas's team has played Virginia, Brown, Holy Cross, Boston College, Norfolk State and UMES over the last three weeks. 

The Pirates are led by preseason All-CAA picks Daniel Johnson (11.4 ppg) and Xzavier Long (10.4, 11.0 rpg. Michael Eley averages double-figures at 10.4.

The Builders boast a balanced offense paced by sophomore forward Shamon Rosser (14.5 ppg), sophomore forward Davon Brown (14.2 ppg) and sophomore forward Jahlil Brown (11.5 ppg). Sophomore guard Jabari Brackett has an 8.5 scoring norm.

Michael Gainey Jr. is in his second year as head coach of the Builders after seven seasons as an assistant at the Apprentice School. He led the Builders to a 19-7 mark a year ago and the USCAA national championship. The Apprentice School has won four USCAA national titles including the last two.