T W O T H O U2015-16 S A LOUISIANA N D FTECH I MEN’SF T BASKETBALL E E N - S I X T E E N M E N ’ S B A S K E T B A L L LA TECH ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS MBB Contact: Kane McGuire • Email: [email protected] • O: 318.257.5071 • C: 318.548.2161 OPENING TIP GAME 6 Date: Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015 LOUISIANA TECH MEMPHIS Tipoff: 8 p.m. CT BULLDOGS AT TIGERS Location: Memphis, Tenn. (5-0) (3-2) Arena: FedEx Forum (18,400) Series History: Tied 2-2 Rank (AP/Coaches): RV/-- Stat Leaders (per game) Rank (AP/Coaches): --/-- Stat Leaders (per game) Last Meeting: #4 Memphis 76, LA Tech 58 Last Five: 5-0 Points: McCree (15.2) Last Five: 3-2 Points: Lawson (15.2) Dec. 20, 2005 Head Coach: Eric Konkol Rebounds: McCree (7.4) Head Coach: Josh Pastner Rebounds: Lawson (9.0) TV/Internet: CBS Sports Network Record at LA Tech: 5-0 (1st) Assists: Hamilton (5.4) Record at Memphis: 151-60 (7th) Assists: Tarrant Jr. (3.0) Carter Blackburn (pxp) Career Record: Same Blocks: White (2.3) Career Record: Same Blocks: Lawson (2.4) Pete Gillen (analyst) Steals: Hamilton (2.4) Steals: Tarrant Jr. (1.8) Stats: LATechSports.com Twitter: @LATechHoops PROBABLE STARTERS Radio: LA Tech Sports Network Louisiana Tech Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown PPG RPG MPG Dave Nitz (pxp) G 1 Alex Hamilton 6-4 195 Sr. Chipley, Fla. 15.0 7.0 30.8 Jack Thigpen (analyst) G 13 Jacobi Boykins 6-6 170 So. St. Petersburg, Fla. 12.0 1.7 21.7 G 25 Qiydar Davis 6-6 210 Sr. Atlanta, Ga. 10.8 6.2 21.4 F 2 Erik McCree 6-8 222 R-Jr. Orlando, Fla. 15.2 7.4 29.6 C 5 Joniah White 7-0 200 So. Duck Hill, Miss. 4.0 5.0 20.7 2015-16 SCHEDULE Memphis Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown PPG RPG MPG Date Opponent [TV] Time/Result G 20 Ricky Tarrant Jr. 6-2 184 Sr. Birmingham, Ala. 12.2 2.8 30.4 NOVEMBER G 3 Avery Woodson 6-2 189 Jr. Waynesboro, Miss. 9.0 2.2 24.4 13 MILLSAPS COLLEGE W, 95-33 G 5 Markel Crawford 6-5 205 So. Memphis, Tenn. 5.4 3.6 23.4 17 UT ARLINGTON^ W, 80-68 F 1 Dedric Lawson 6-9 228 Fr. Memphis, Tenn. 15.0 9.0 30.0 21 at Grambling State^ W, 86-67 F 5 Shaq Goodwin 6-9 229 Sr. Atlanta, Ga. 12.2 8.4 28.2 24 at Ohio State [BTN]^ W, 82-74 27 NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL W, 71-50 DECEMBER FAST BREAK 1 at Memphis [CBS SN]^ 8 p.m. • LA TECH WRAPS UP BASKETBALL HOF INVITATIONAL AT MEMPHIS 4 JACKSON STATE 6:30 p.m. Louisiana Tech will wrap up its participation in the 2015 Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational on Tues- 8 LSU-SHREVEPORT 6:30 p.m. day night when they travel to take on Memphis at 8 p.m. on the CBS Sports Network. 12 LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE [ASN] 12 p.m. The two returning starters, Alex Hamilton and Erik McCree, are each averaging 15 points per game, 15 at Ole Miss [SECN] 6 p.m. but it has been a collective scoring effort that has helped produce five straight wins. In all, eight 18 SOUTHERN 6:30 p.m. different Bulldogs have scored double digit points in at least one game this season. 22 at Florida Gulf Coast [ESPN3] 6 p.m. 28 PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 6:30 p.m. JANUARY • BULLDOGS STAY UNDEFEATED WITH RALLY AGAINST EAGLES 2 SOUTHERN MISS* 6 p.m. On an off-shooting night, Louisiana Tech had to turn to its defense to try to remain undefeated and that is exactly what it did. The Bulldogs ended up forcing 22 turnovers and held North Carolina Cen- 7 OLD DOMINION* [CBS SN] 8 p.m. tral to 28 percent shooting in coming away with a 71-50 victory. 9 CHARLOTTE* 6:30 p.m. 14 at FIU* 6 p.m. The Bulldogs came into tonight having scored at least 80 points in every game this season, a first 16 at Florida Atlantic* 6 p.m. since 1973, and Alex Hamilton and Erik McCree had scored in double figures in every game this sea- 23 at Southern Miss* [ASN] 7 p.m. son, but none of the above happened yet LA Tech still managed to win by 21 against NCCU who had 28 UTSA* 6:30 p.m. made back-to-back trips to the postseason. 31 UTEP* [FSN] 3 p.m. FEBRUARY • WHAT A START 4 at Rice* 7 p.m. The Bulldogs are off to their best start since the 1990-91 season which was the last time they made it 6 at North Texas* [ASN] 3 p.m. to the NCAA Tournament. A win against Memphis would be the best start in program history since 11 MIDDLE TENNESSEE* [ASN] 8 p.m. the 1984-85 Bulldogs who opened the season with 10 straight victories, including a win against No. 13 UAB* [FSN] 1 p.m. 6-ranked Louisville. That squad eventually went on to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. 18 at UTSA* [ASN] 8 p.m. 20 at UTEP* [CBS SN] 5 p.m. 25 NORTH TEXAS* [ASN] 8 p.m. 27 RICE* 6 p.m. MARCH 3 at Marshall* [ASN] 6 p.m. 5 at WKU* [FCS] 7 p.m. 8-12 C-USA Tournament% TBD All home games in CAPS | All times Central and subject to change * C-USA contest | ^ Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational (host sites) % C-USA Tournament (Birmingham, Ala.) #WeAreLATech @LATechHoops | 1 2015-16 LOUISIANA TECH MEN’S BASKETBALL LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGS OVERALL: 5-0 C-USA: 0-0 HOME: 3-0 AWAY: 2-0 NEUTRAL: 0-0 ALEX HAMILTON • Sr. • G • 3L • 6-4 • 195 • Chipley, Fla. • Needs 14 wins to become the all-time winningest Bulldog in program history • Registered third career double-double in season opener vs. Millsaps (11/13) MIN PTS RBS ASTS FG% 3FG% FT% • Poured in a season-high 24 points in win at Ohio State (11/24) • Named second team All-Conference USA and All-Louisiana last season 0 30.8 15.0 7.0 5.4 44% 6% 67% • Has started 80 straight games as a Bulldog DERRIC JEAN • Fr. • G • HS • 6-2 • 185 • Miami, Fla. • Had No. 3 top play on ESPN’s Sportscenter with dunk at Ohio State (11/24) • Came off the bench in first three games to score double figures MIN PTS RBS ASTS FG% 3FG% FT% • Had two highlight dunks and two three’s in 14-point performance in Bulldog debut (11/13) • Rated 24th best player in the state of Florida by ESPN out of McArthur HS 1 21.0 9.4 2.8 2.4 49% 40% 56% • Named first team All-Broward County and first team all-state by Source Hoops ERIK MCCREE • R-Jr. • F • 1L • 6-8 • 222 • Orlando, Fla. • Has started 41 consecutive games for the Bulldogs • Recorded double-double (17 points, 10 boards) in win at Ohio State (11/24) MIN PTS RBS BLKS FG% 3FG% FT% • Led the Bulldogs in scoring in each of the first three games (17, 20, 13) 2 29.6 15.2 7.4 1.2 47% 35% 60% • Named to 11-person Conference USA All-Preseason team • Had five games where he posted 20+ points last season, including career-high 26 vs. UAB LUKE WALKER • Fr. • G • HS • 6-1 • 185 • New Orleans, La. • Saw first career action in season opener, registering two points and one board (11/13) • Walk-on out of Brother Martin HS MIN PTS RBS ASTS FG% 3FG% FT% • Helped the Crusaders to a 23-9 record as a senior 3 2.7 0.7 0.3 0.0 33% ----- 0% • Scored 16 points in first round win in Class 5A tournament LEANTWAN LUCKETT • Sr. • G • TR • 6-4 • 180 • Canton, Miss. • Scored 10 points, all in the first half, at Ohio State (11/24) • Made Bulldog debut at GSU (11/21), recording six points in 15 minutes of action MIN PTS RBS ASTS FG% 3FG% FT% • Transfer from Alcorn State, became academically eligible on Nov. 21 4 18.7 5.7 2.3 0.7 24% 25% 54% • Named first team All-SWAC as a sophomore and junior • Selected to second team Boxtorow All-American team in 2015 (best HBCU players) JONIAH WHITE • So. • C • 1L • 7-0 • 200 • Duck Hill, Miss. • Had career game vs. NCCU (11/27) with eight points, four boards and four blocks • Made first career start at Ohio State (11/24), pulling down career-high seven boards MIN PTS RBS BLKS FG% 3FG% FT% • Became academically eligible on Nov. 21 at Grambling State 5 20.7 4.0 5.0 2.3 55% ----- 0% • Registered 19 blocks last season, third most on the team • Rated 37th best center in the nation and second best player in Mississippi by ESPN DAYON GRIFFIN • So. • G • 1L • 6-5 • 200 • St. Petersburg, Fla. • Came off the bench to score career-high 11 points vs. NCCU (11/27) • One of just three Bulldogs to start the first three games of the season MIN PTS RBS ASTS FG% 3FG% FT% • Recorded 10 points in the season opener against Millsaps College (11/13) 10 21.4 7.6 3.2 1.4 47% 30% 0% • Despite limited playing time, went 5-of-10 from beyond the arc as a freshman • Ranked 38th best player in the state of Florida by Florida Hoops JACOBI BOYKINS • So.