By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team is set to kick off the 2020-21 season after much anticipation Wednesday evening, making a trip to Bloomington, Ind. for a match-up with the Hoosiers of Indiana.
Tennessee Tech (0-0) at Indiana (0-0)
Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020
7:00 p.m. CT
Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) – Bloomington, Ind.
The Broadcasts
TV: Big Ten Network (Brandon Gaudin & Robbie Hummel)
Radio: None
Webcast: None
Game Notes
Tennessee Tech
Indiana
SERIES/OPPONENT NOTES
Wednesday marks the fifth meeting all-time between Tech and Indiana, with the Hoosiers owning a 4-0 lead in the series.
All four previous meetings came in Bloomington and at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, giving the Hoosiers an unblemished mark in one of the most historic arenas in the country.
In the last match-up, back on Dec. 21, 2017, Indiana took down Tech, 87-59. Josh Newkirk paced the Hoosiers with 20 points while Roberts Johnson (12) and Freddie McSwain Jr. (10) both chipped in with double figures.
Leading the Golden Eagles in the loss were Kajon Mack with 14 points and Mason Ramsey and Micaiah Henry with 10 points apiece.
Two of the greatest players ever to suit up for both the Hoosiers and Golden Eagles squared off in the second meeting between the two programs back in 1983: Tech forward Stephen Kite (pictured to the left at Assembly Hall) and Indiana guard Steve Alford.
One of four Tech players to have his jersey hanging from the rafters of the Hooper Eblen Center, Kite finished his career as the program's all-time leading scorer and still ranks third to this day with 1,806 points.
The Golden Eagle scored 14 points in the contest in Bloomington while hauling in six boards and shooting 50 percent from the field.
Alford also finished as his program's all-time leading scorer, accounting for 2,438 points in his four seasons as a Hoosier.
During the tilt with the Golden Eagles, Alford dropped a game-high 26 points with an 8-for-11 showing from the charity stripe as a freshman.
QUICK HITTERS
Tech was predicted to finish 9th overall in the 2020-21 OVC race in voting by the league's head coaches and SIDs. The Golden Eagles were selected to finish 8th in the OVC media poll.
Last season, Jr. Clay and Keishawn Davidson became the first pair of Tech teammates to each total at least 100 assists in the same season since 2001-02. That year, Cameron Crisp dished out 122 dimes while DeAntoine Beasley doled out 104 assists.
With an 83-70 win over Martin Methodist on November 9, 2019, Tech head coach John Pelphrey earned his first victory as the leader of the Golden Eagle program.
Pelphrey, who was named the 13th head coach in Golden Eagle history in April, also earned career win No. 150 on the night, the same day the Tech football team earned its 150th victory in Tucker Stadium on the day they celebrated the 150th anniversary of college football.
Both Davidson and Sylla were honored by the OVC on Nov. 11, picking up two of the league's first three weekly honors of the 2019-20 campaign. Davidson was named OVC Freshman of the Week while Sylla was recognized as the OVC Newcomer of the Week.
It marked the first time since 2015-16 that Tech claimed two of the OVC's three weekly accolades. The last time it occurred was Feb. 1, 2016 when Torrance Rowe won OVC Player of the Week and both Ryan Martin and Hakeem Rogers shared OVC Newcomer of the Week honors.
TOP IN THEIR STATES
Three of Tech's players for the 2020-21 season boast a particularly impressive feat as part of their respective resumes, all finishing as finalists for the Mr. Basketball Award for their state during their high school careers.
Junior guard Jr. Clay was a two-time finalist at the TSSAA Division II Class AA level while at The McCallie School in Chattanooga, earning the honor in 2017 and again in 2018.
Transfer sophomore guard CJ Gettelfinger was one of three finalists at the TSSAA Division II Class A level in 2018 while competing for Grace Christian Academy in Knoxville.
Freshman forward Kenny White Jr. was named a finalist for Kentucky's Mr. Basketball Award in 2020 while starring for Madisonville-North Hopkins High School in Madisonville, Ky.
Head coach John Pelphrey, a University of Kentucky Hall of Famer, was a Mr. Basketball Award winner during his high school days, claiming the honor for Paintsville High School in 1987.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
The 2020-21 Tech roster features 15 players (13 scholarship student-athletes) representing six states and three countries.
Six Golden Eagle players hail from the state Tennessee, while Arkansas and Illinois each boast two Tech players. Alabama, California and Kentucky are represented by one Tech player each.
Two international players round out the roster, including one Golden Eagle from Canada and another from Mali.
Tech has one graduate student, one senior, five juniors, four sophomores and four true freshmen.
Nine Golden Eagles stand 6-foot-5 or taller while the other six measure in at 6-foot-4 or shorter.
Nine members are new to the Tech squad for 2020-21, including Damaria Franklin, CJ Gettelfinger, Shandon Goldman, Austin Harvell, Marcus Hopkins, Taelon Peter, Jalen Stayton, Jamaal Thompson and Kenny White Jr.
Photo by Thomas Corhern
