This afternoon the Flames take on the Hampton University Pirates. Both teams are struggling here in the early part of the season. The Flames enter the contest with just one win on the season, the Pirates with two. They have played similar schedules, facing three common opponents: William and Mary, Missouri State, and Virginia. Hampton beat one of those teams (William and Mary) and Liberty lost to all three.
1. Introduction. Coached by Edward Joyner Jr., the Pirates finished 3rd in the MEAC last season, with an 11-5 conference record, while going under .500 overall, at 14-17. This season, they’ve started off 2-4, beating William and Mary and Saint Peters in their first two games; however, they are coming into this game on a losing streak, dropping their last four games.
2. Offense. The Pirates’ offense is led by Maxwell Du’Vaughn, and Deron Powers. As a team, they are putting up 65.8 points per game, good for 305th in the country, and shooting at a rate of .41%, 278th in the country. This is essentially the same line that Liberty has put up so far this year.
3. Defense. Hampton is giving up points at a clip of 73.2 per game, 7.4 more than they score. They are 282nd in the country in rebounding, with 33 per game. They gave up a season high 90 points to Delaware, but did hold UVA, a team on the fringe of the top 25, under 70 points.
4. Player Turnover. Hampton didn’t lose any impact players from last year, returning all of their top contributors. The only newcomer making a significant impact is Lawrence Cooks, who redshirted last season, and is averaging 4.5 ppg this year.
5. Possible Starters. Here is the probable starting five for the Pirates in today’s game:
Point Guard: Deron Powers (#11) is a 5’11”, 165 pound sophomore who is second on the team in scoring with 13.2 ppg, and leads the team in assists with 4.5 per game. A couple of games ago, he put up a career high 29 points on 10 of 15 shooting, going 4 of 6 from three.
Shooting Guard: Brian Darden (#14) is a 6’2”, 183 pound senior sophomore averaging 7 ppg. He leads the Pirates with 9 three-pointers made, shooting the long-ball at a .37% rate so far. Darden put up a career high 18 points in the Pirates’ win over William and Mary to open the season, but has not reached double digits since.
Wing: Ke’Ron Brown (#21) is a 6’3”, 215 pound sophomore averaging 3.7 ppg and 5 rebounds a game. He’s struggling from the field, shooting just .30%, the lowest percentage in the starting line-up.
Maxwell Du’Vaughn is the Pirates’ offensive and defensive leader (photo from dailypress.com)
Forward: Maxwell Du’Vaugn (#20) is a 6’7”, 215 pound senior who is the Pirates’ leading offensive and defensive player. He’s leading the team in scoring (13.3 ppg), rebounding (6.8 per game), and blocks (3.2 per game). He will look to neutralize Liberty’s front court.
Center: Emmanuel Okoroba (#5) is a 6’8”, 225 pound Junior averaging 9.7 ppg, along with 5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per contest. His season high is 17 points, put up against William and Mary.
6. Prediction. This should be a competitive game against evenly matched teams. Also, both teams are hungry, with lengthy losing streaks in tow. The Pirates look like they have the advantage down low, with Maxwell Du’Vaughn’s shot blocking ability and over .50% shooting, so I believe that Liberty’s best chance to win is to contain him and his front court helper Emmanuel Okoroba. I think the Flames can get it done against the Pirates: Liberty 74, Hampton 68
