Setting the Scene
• Bulldog Men's Basketball heads to Russellville, Ark., to open the 2019-20 season at the GAC / MIAA Crossover, where they will face Emporia State and Fort Hays State
• SWOSU will open the new season at the same site where they ended the 2018-19 season, Tucker Coliseum, with the Crossover being hosted by Arkansas Tech this season
• The Bulldogs enter their second season under head coach Terry Evans, whose team struggled to a record of 5-23 last season and they've been picked to finish 12th in the conference this year
• SWOSU will be facing two opponents they have not seen in quite some time, with this being their first matchup against Emporia State since the 1984-85 season and the first time facing Fort Hays State since a neutral site meeting in Bartlesville during the 2010-11 season
• As the head coach at Central Oklahoma, Coach Evans faced both ESU and FHSU multiple times and he's 7-4 against the Hornets and 4-5 against the Tigers in his career
 
About the Opponents
Emporia State (0-0)
• The Hornets were picked eighth in the preseason MIAA media poll and 10th in the coaches poll after finishing 14-16 last year with an 8-11 record in conference play
• Emporia State features an all-new roster this season with only one senior on the roster in addition to 9-of-13 players on the team entering their first year with the program
• In their lone exhibition contest, ESU was drubbed by Kansas State, falling 86-49 at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan
• ESU is coached by Craig Doty, who is in his second season with the Hornets following three national championships in six seasons as a head coach at Graceland and Rock Valley College
 
Fort Hays State (0-0)
• The Tigers are receiving votes in the NABC Preseason Division II poll and they were picked to finish 4th in the MIAA this season by both coaches and media
• FHSU finished 18-11 last season and took fourth in the MIAA with a 12-7 conference record and their top returner this season is Aaron Nicholson, who averaged 9.0 points and 1.9 assists per game last season
• The lone exhibition contest for the Tigers came against Kansas, who defeated FHSU 86-56 on October 24th at historic Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence
• Mark Johnson is the all-time winningest coach in Fort Hays State history and he's guided the Tigers to seven NCAA appearances in 18 seasons
 
SWOSU Notes
• With a roster comprised of three returning players with experience and 12 newcomers, SWOSU has been picked to finish 12th in the GAC this season
• Among the returners for SWOSU are sophomore guards Kamden Gipson and Chris Braggs, Jr., and Phill Baker, who will join the team at the conclusion of football season
• Braggs was the Bulldogs second-leading scorer by the end of last season as he averaged 9.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game as a freshman, finishing the year with a career-high 25 points against Arkansas Tech at Tucker Coliseum
• Gipson also had a strong freshman campaign, averaging 8.4 points and 3.2 rebounds while leading his team with 104 assists
• Junior transfer Jaylan Williams led the Bulldogs in exhibition play with 13 points and four rebounds in the Dawgs loss at Arkansas
• Also reaching double figures in scoring during the exhibition contest was Damion Thornton, who hit 6-of-10 free throws in a 12-point effort before he fouled out against the Razorbacks
• SWOSU's projected opening day lineup consists of five new faces as guards Marquis Johnson, Bralyn James and Thornton are expected to join Wiliams and Anthony Love to start the season
• One other returner for the Bulldogs is forward Shane Didiuk from Norman, who redshirted during his first year with the program
 
Looking Ahead
• SWOSU's next action comes next Friday evening in Lawton as they take on Cameron in a game set to tip off at 7:00 pm
• The Dawgs then host Oklahoma Christian on November 18th in their home opener before opening GAC play against East Central on November 21st at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center in Weatherford