By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team will take on its first, unofficial test of the 2024-25 season Tuesday evening, playing host to in-state rival Austin Peay as part of a charity exhibition contest in the Hooper Eblen Center.
The event will feature a 6:00 p.m. CT tip at the Hooper Eblen Center. Fans unable to attend the event in person can follow the action live on ESPN+ with Dylan Vazzano and Steve Smith providing coverage.
Tickets for Tuesday's game will be $10 each and are available for purchase. To order, call 931-372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office, or visit TTUSports.com.
Donations from Tuesday's charity exhibition against the Govs will go to support the Cookeville Regional Medical Center Charitable Foundation. A QR code will be available for fans to give donations, while cash donations will also be accepted. The QR code will displayed on the video board at times during the contest, as well as on the free roster cards available at select entrances.
The CRMC Charitable Foundation is the largest charitable outreach organization in the Upper Cumberland working to help struggling patients with vital healthcare services. Gifts to the CRMC Charitable Foundation have gone to help 528 cancer patients, 129 heart patients, 38 hospice patients, 74 pediatric patients, help 310 with medical equipment, cover 752 screenings and 497 other procedures across the Upper Cumberland area.
Tuesday's match-up will mark just the second time the two programs have squared off in any manner since the Govs' departure from the Ohio Valley Conference following the 2021-22 season. That year, both sides captured victories on the other's home court, but the Golden Eagles got the final word in, besting Austin Peay, 78-51, in the first round of the OVC Tournament in Evansville, Ind.
The two squads met in Clarksville last season for a charity exhibition affair as well, with the Govs picking up the win on their home court.
The contest will represent the Golden Eagles' first of two exhibitions of the preseason, with another home tilt scheduled next Tuesday against Oakland City as part of Tech's annual Purple Palooza. The purple and gold will square off with Oakland City at 7:30 p.m., following the women's charity exhibition tilt with Lipscomb.
During last week's OVC Virtual Media Days, it was announced that Tech forward Daniel Egbuniwe and Rodney Johnson Jr. were selected as players to watch in the league for the upcoming season.
Egbuniwe, a transfer from Little Rock, paced the Cookeville crew and ranked among league leaders with 5.8 rebounds per game a season ago, contributing 7.6 points per game as well. The Memphis native made 29 starts while playing all 31 games for Tech, shooting 46.4 percent from the floor and 35.8 percent from distance.
Johnson battled through illness and injuries during his first campaign in the purple and gold, but made his time on the court count. Playing in 26 games, the Bryan, Texas native averaged 10.7 points, and 5.1 rebounds per game, shooting 45.8 percent from the floor and 82.9 percent from the charity stripe. He also ranked second on the team with 25 blocks.
Also joining Egbuniwe and Johnson as returners to this year's squad are sophomore guard Kyle Layton, redshirt junior guard Grant Slatten, redshirt sophomore guard Grant Strong, sophomore forward Rylee Samons, senior guard Bogdan Zimonjic, and junior center David Craig.
New to the crew for 2024-25 campaign are senior guard Mekhi Cameron (Atlanta, Ga. / Northern Colorado), junior guard Jaylon Johnson (Houston, Texas / College of Southern Idaho), junior guard Ray Glasgow (The Bronx, N.Y. / Yavapai College), sophomore forward JaJuan Nicholls (Scranton, Pa. / Spartanburg Methodist), junior forward Ola Ajiboye (Chicago, Ill. / Central Michigan/Valparaiso), senior guard Matthew Sells (Rickman, Tenn. / Lincoln Memorial), freshman guard Josh Heard (Cookeville, Tenn. / Cookeville HS), and freshman guard Colin Ayers (Cookeville, Tenn. / Cookeville HS).
Season tickets for Tennessee Tech men's basketball are now on sale. To order, call 931-372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office, or visit TTUSports.com.
Photo by Jim Dillon
