DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Bethune-Cookman University men's basketball returns to Historic Moore Gymnasium for a pair of games this week against non-conference foes. The Wildcats host Trinity Baptist College on Tuesday, Nov. 13, and Johnson University (FL) on Thursday, Nov. 15. Tip-off for each game is set for 7 p.m. and each game will be aired on the CatEye Network (click
here to subscribe).
Tickets
Please click
here to purchase your tickets, including the popular "Three Throw Package" that includes a reserved seat for all men's and women's home games, and a general admission ticket for all baseball games.
Starting Five
1 For the first time in program history, BCU was predicted to finish first in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference by major publications and the conference's head coaches and sports information directors
2 BCU finished second nationally in rebounding average behind North Carolina. The 42.1 average and 1346 total marks set single-season Wildcat records
3 BCU returns three members of its final 2018 starting five in Soufi Diakite,
Shawntrez Davis, and
Isaiah Bailey.
Malik Maitland started the first 21 games of the year before seeing his season cut short due to injury
4 The Wildcats set new program records in four major offensive categories last season- points, rebounds, assists, and free throws
5 The last number you would have if you added the digits of BCU's miles traveled this season. The Wildcats embarked on 17,926 miles starting with a road trip to DePaul last week
Pre-Season Honors
#1 Predicted Order of Finish: MEAC, Lindy's, Athlon, Blue Ribbon
Shawntrez Davis: All-Conference (First Team MEAC, Blue Ribbon, Lindy's), Player of the Year (Lindy's), Most Versatile (Lindy's), Best Rebounder (Lindy's)
Isaiah Bailey: All-Conference (Second Team MEAC, Blue Ribbon, Lindy's)
Soufiyane Diakite: All-Conference (First Team MEAC), Best Defender (Lindy's)
Experience = Overrated
With props to Eric Beovich of Middle Tennessee State, it was determined that BCU's roster of four coaches, Ridder, Clapacs, and the Taylors, make up the youngest coaching staff in Division 1 basketball. The last coach 32 years-old or under to win a conference regular season title in his first year was then 31 year-old Brad Stevens of Butler in 2008. The following is a breakdown of the youngest staffs in Division 1.
Bethune Cookman 31 years, 19 days
Nicholls State 32 years, 53 days
South Alabama 33 years, 67 days
Princeton 33 years, 68 days
UNC Asheville 33 years, 274 days
Record Breakers
Last season rewrote numerous team records. Below are notable marks from the 2017-18 squad:
| Category |
Rank |
Value |
| Scoring |
1 |
2622 |
| Scoring Average |
1 |
81.9 |
| Free Throws |
1 |
575 |
| Free Throw Attempts |
1 |
820 |
| Rebounds |
1 |
1346 |
| Rebounding Average |
1 |
42.1 |
| Assists |
1 |
501 |
| 3pt Made |
2 |
241 |
| 3pt Attempts |
2 |
749 |
| Win Streak |
2 |
6 |
| Blocks |
4 |
123 |
Alumni Bag Season
A pair of recent Bethune-Cookman graduates signed professional contracts overseas this offseason.
Reggie Baker ('17) joined Cab Madiera (Portugal), and defending MEAC Player of the Year
Brandon Tabb ('18) inked with Horsens IC in Denmark.
Tabb also competed in the inaugural Dos Equis 3-on-3 Tournament in San Antonio following the 2017-18 season where he and the MEAC alumni placed second.
Coach's Couch
The trio of Preseason All-MEAC Wildcats joined
Nolan Alexander for preseason interviews on the "Coach's Couch". Click the links below to watch their respective interviews:
Isaiah Bailey
Soufiyane Diakite
Shawntrez Davis
Coming Soon
Up next, the Wildcats travel to fellow Floridian, the University of Miami, on Saturday, Nov. 17. The action begins at 2 p.m. nd will be shown on ACC Network Extra.
