CLEVELAND, Miss.- The Delta State University men's basketball team will tip-off their 2024-25 season as they play two games with the Magicians from LeMoyne-Owen College on Friday in Memphis and on Sunday at Walter Sillers Coliseum
 
Friday's game against the Magicians will tip-off at 6:30 p.m., (CDT) from Bruce-Johnson Hall. Sunday's game will tip off at 3:00 p.m., from Walter Sillers Coliseum.
 
Scouting the Statesmen.

• The Statesmen enter the 2024-25 season picked fifth in the Preseason Gulf South Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Statesmen went 17-12 overall with a 15-9 GSC record. The Statesmen fell in the first round of the GSC Conference Basketball Tournament against the Tigers from West Alabama 90-79.
• The Statesmen return their top two scorers in Preseason All-GSC guard Keithean Brooks, and Chris Terrell. Brooks led all scorers, averaging 18.1 points per game in all 29 games played for the Statesmen last season. Terrell averaged 14.9 points per game and averaged 3.8 assists per game and shot 44.2% from the field.
• The Statesmen bring in three transfers will make an immediate impact to the team in Jesse Washington, Dirk Westbrook, and Dacory Porter. Washington comes to Delta State after a tremendous 2023-24 campaign at Arkansas Mid-South Junior College where he averaged 19 points per game, pulled down 6 rebounds per game and averaged 3.5 assists per game earning him NJCAA All-Region honors. Washington is joined by fellow Arkansas Mid-South transfer Westbrook who averaged 18.3 points per game and pulled down a team high 7.2 rebounds per game. Porter comes to DSU from Hinds Community College where he started in 28 of the 31 games played averaging 9.3 points per game with 3.1 assists per game.

Scouting the Magicians

• LeMoyne-Owen was selected fifth in the Preseason SIAC West Coaches' Poll announced on October, 21. The Magicians went 9-19 in the 2023-24 season with a 6-13 SIAC record. Last season the Statesmen got the best of the Magicians on November 10, 2023 as Delta State won their home opener 99-81.
• The Magicians lose their top scorer from the 2023-24 season in Christian Wells but return three players who have played in all 28 games last season. Phillips Joseph returns to the Magicians after averaging 8.4 points per game and pulled down a team high 6.9 rebounds per game in 27 games played last season. Micah Evans, is another Magician that averaged 8.4 points per game in 23 starts. Austin Jordan started in six of the 28 games played last season where he averaged 6.9 points per game.