ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AMERICAN UNIVERSITY Men’s Basketball Contact - Tommy Bennett 2020-21 MEN’S BASKETBALL GAME NOTES (M): (717) 342-8100 @AU_MBasketball | Facebook.com/AU.MBasketball | AUEagles.com [email protected] FOUR PATRIOT LEAGUE REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS • 2008, 2009, 2014 PL CHAMPIONS • 2008, 2009, 2014 NCAA TOURNAMENT • 2012 CIT APPEARANCE • THREE NIT APPEARANCES 2020-21 SCHEDULE // RESULTS 0-0, 0-0 Patriot League Date Opponent Media Time/Results Jan. 2 at Loyola Maryland* ESPN+ PPD GAME 1/2 Jan. 3 LOYOLA MARYLAND* ESPN+ PPD Jan. 9 at Lehigh ESPN+ PPD AMERICAN EAGLES NAVY MIDSHIPMEN Jan. 10 LEHIGH ESPN+ PPD vs Jan. 16 at Navy* ESPN+ 12 p.m. 0-0 , 0-0 Patriot League 7-1, 4-0 Patriot League Jan. 17 at Navy* ESPN+ 12 p.m. SERIES HISTORY (before Game 1) Jan. 23 LOYOLA MARYLAND* ESPN+ 12 p.m. All-Time Series: AU leads, 49-44 Jan. 24 at Loyola Maryland* ESPN+ 6 p.m. At American: AU leads, 24-13 Jan. 30 LAFAYETTE ESPN+ 2 p.m. At Navy: Navy leads, 29-21 TM Jan. 31 at Lafayette ESPN+ 4 p.m. Neutral Site AU leads, 4-2 Last Meeting: Home, 2/19/20, W (71-62) Feb. 6 NAVY* ESPN+ TBA @AU_MBasketball @NavyBasketball Feb. 7 NAVY* ESPN+ TBA Feb. 13 at Bucknell ESPN+ 2 p.m. INSIDE THE SERIES Feb. 14 BUCKNELL CBS Sports Net 6 p.m. } AU swept the series against Navy a season ago after previously dropping four of five Feb. 20 LOYOLA MARYLAND* ESPN+ 12 p.m. contests in 2018 and 2019. Feb. 21 at Loyola Maryland* ESPN+ 6 p.m. } American has never faced Navy in a Patriot League opener. } The two programs have faced off 93 times since first meeting on February 2, 1929. It is the PL TOURNAMENT second most-played series for the Eagles behind Loyola (97 meetings). Mar. 6 Quarterfinals ESPN+ TBA Mar. 10 Semifinals CBS Sports Net TBA WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN Mar. 14 Finals CBS Sports Net TBA }The Eagles will be looking to collectively replace their all-time leading scorer and Patriot League Player of the Year, Sa’eed Nelson. The 2,116-point scorer was the heart and soul of * - Patriot League mini-conference games the program the last four years, and Coach Brennan will be leaning on a veteran backcourt in HOME GAMES IN CAPS Jamir Harris and Stacy Beckton Jr. to step up in his place. All times are ET } American will be seeking just its second season-opening win of the Brennan era (currently 1-6). The Eagles topped George Mason, 78-75, to begin the 2018-19 season. In conference Due to COVID-19, Patriot League schedules will be played in openers under Brennan, AU is 2-5, including two losses to Loyola in 2015-16 and 2016-17. mini-conferences. American will compete in the South against } The departure of Sa'eed Nelson is not the only loss for the Eagles. Looking at the numbers, Loyola and Navy. AU will have to replace 1,078 points (50% of scoring) from a season ago. Additionally, AU Broadcast Info will have to replace 2,541 minutes (42.2%) from 2019-20. With six freshmen plus one junior college transfer, Brennan welcomes his largest incoming class since 2017-18 (9 newcomers). TV: ESPN+ Talent: Pete Medhurst (pxp), Joe Miller or Mike Heary (color) WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT NAVY Live Stats: NavySports.com } Buoyed by a veteran core, Navy has jumped out to a 4-0 start in PL play and is riding a six- game winning streak dating back to November 28, 2020 against Mount St. Mary's. The Mids are the only PL program without a league loss through two weekends of play. } Cam Davis, a second-team All-PL player a season ago, looks to be the heart and soul of this team. He was named preseason All-League and averages 18.8 ppg on 53 percent shooting from the field. } Richard Njoku has been hard to stop in the paint all season. The junior big man ranks second in the league by shooting 65.8 percent from the field. } The Mids were predicted to finish fourth in the PL preseason coaches poll. A season ago, Navy earned the No. 6 seed in the PL tournament, dropping a 69-63 nod to the eventual champions, Boston University, in the quarterfinals. PROBABLE STARTERS 4 - Jamir HARRIS 2 - Stacy BECKTON, JR. 5 - Connor NELSON 10 - Ben LUBARSKY 21 - Josh ALEXANDER G / SR / 6-2 / North Brunswick, N.J. G / SR / 6-4 / Daytona Beach, Fla. G / JR / 6-5 / Denver, Colo. G / SO / 6-5 / Palm Beach, Fla. F / JR / 6-8 / Carmel, N.Y. 10.7 ppg / 3.2 rpg / 1.8 apg 9.7 ppg / 4.7 rpg / 1.3 apg 7.9 ppg / 2.6 rpg / 1.4 apg 3.2 ppg / 1.5 rpg / 0.4 apg 2.7 ppg / 2.7 rpg / 1.0 apg Jan. 16 & 17 / American vs Navy Head Coach MIKE BRENNAN • Mike Brennan is in his eighth season at the helm of American University. He was named the 17th head coach of the American University men’s basketball program on April 30, 2013. • Last season, Brennan led the Eagles to a 12-6 record and the No. 2 seed in the PL Tournament. It was the highest seed for American since 2013-14 and marked the second straight season that the Eagle hosted a playoff game in Bender Arena. • Brennan was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year and was honored as a finalist for the Joe B. Hall (top first-year head coach) and Hugh Durham (top mid-major head THE BRENNAN FILE coach) Awards in 2013-14. Year at American: Eighth Season • Brennan goes down as one of the greatest first-year coaches ever at AU, winning Hometown: Hillside, N.J. more conference games (13) than any other coach, and tying Ed Tapscott for most overall High School: Elizabeth HS victories (20). He is the only coach to lead his squad to the NCAA Tournament in his first Elizabeth, N.J. season. College: BA, Princeton, 1994 • Came to AU from Georgetown and previously his alma mater, Princeton University. He ATHLETIC PLAYING BACKGROUND spent four seasons with the Hoyas after two as an assistant with the Eagles from 2007- Elizabeth High School Elizabeth, N.J. 09. Prior to that, he spent seven seasons with the Tigers, guiding the squad to three Ivy League titles as the top assistant. Princeton University Princeton, N.J. • Spent a total of 12 years with Ivy League institutions, serving one season as a volunteer BASKETBALL PLAYING CAREER assistant coach at Columbia University after culminating an impressive playing career at Germany, Belgium and Portugal Princeton. BASKETBALL COACHING EXPERIENCE • Was a four-year starter as an undergraduate at Princeton under legendary head coach 1999-2000 Pete Carril. Brennan helped lead his team to Ivy League championships and the NCAA Volunteer Assistant Coach Tournament in 1991 and 1992. He was named Second Team All-Ivy in 1994. Columbia University // New York, N.Y. • After earning his bachelor of arts in English from Princeton in 1994, Brennan went on 2000-2007 Assistant Coach to play professionally in the European Basketball League for teams in Germany, Belgium Princeton University // Princeton, N.J. and Portugal. 2007-2009 • Married to Alana Woodard of Seattle, Wash. They currently reside in Northwest D.C. Assistant Coach American University // Washington, D.C. 2009-2013 BRENNAN’S COACHING RECORD Assistant Coach Year School Position Record Postseason Georgetown University // Washington, D.C. 00-01 Princeton Asst. Coach 16-11 NCAA 1st Round 2013- Present 01-02 Princeton Asst. Coach 16-12 NIT 1st Round Head Coach 02-03 Princeton Asst. Coach 16-11 American University // Washington, D.C. 03-04 Princeton Asst. Coach 20-8 NCAA 1st Round 04-05 Princeton Asst. Coach 15-13 AMERICAN ALL-TIME COACHING LIST (BY WINS) 05-06 Princeton Asst. Coach 12-15 Coach Years W L PCT 06-07 Princeton Asst. Coach 11-17 Jeff Jones 2000-13 212 182 .538 07-08 American Asst. Coach 21-12 NCAA 1st Round Pop Cassell 1937-42, 1946-52 150 78 .657 08-09 American Asst. Coach 24-8 NCAA 1st Round Ed Tapscott 1982-90 109 117 .482 09-10 Georgetown Asst. Coach 23-10 NCAA 1st Round David Carrasco 1956-62 101 51 .664 10-11 Georgetown Asst. Coach 21-11 NCAA 1st Round Mike Brennan 2013-Pres. 94 123 .433 11-12 Georgetown Asst. Coach 24-9 NCAA 2nd Round Chris Knoche 1990-97 77 118 .394 12-13 Georgetown Asst. Coach 25-7 NCAA 1st Round Garry Williams 1978-82 72 42 .631 13-14 American Head Coach 20-13 NCAA 1st Round Jim Lynam 1973-78 70 61 .534 14-15 American Head Coach 17-16 Tom Young 1969-73 61 37 .662 15-16 American Head Coach 12-19 Hugo Schultze 1952-56 60 53 .530 Walter Young 1929-36 46 66 .410 16-17 American Head Coach 8-22 Alan Kyber 1965-1969 42 53 .442 17-18 American Head Coach 6-24 Arthur Boyd 1944-46 32 5 .864 18-19 American Head Coach 15-15 George Springston 1926-29 30 20 .600 19-20 American Head Coach 16-14 Art Perry 1997-00 27 48 .360 20-21 American Head Coach 0-0 Jimmy Williams 1962-65 20 51 .281 Bernhard Kalijarvi 1942-44 9 18 .333 Head Coach (American) 94-123 (.433) Twitter: @AU_MBasketball | Instagram: @AU_MBasketball | Facebook: /AU.MBasketball Jan. 16 & 17 / American vs Navy 2020-21 AMERICAN UNIVERSITY EAGLES NUMERICAL BY CLASS # Name Pos Yr.