ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – For the second year in a row, the Henderson State men’s basketball program will open the season in Kansas City, Missouri as part of the Central Regional Challenge. The Reddies begin play from the Municipal Auditorium with Washburn Friday, Nov. 11 at 5 p.m. before finishing the weekend with Minnesota State-Mankato Saturday, Nov. 12 at 3 p.m.
REDDIES REPORT
Henderson brings into the new season eight returners from last year’s 17-12 squad. Among the returners is graduate student Malik Riddle, seniors Franck Kamgain and Ryan Boyce and junior Alvin Miles. Riddle, a 2022 All-GAC Honorable Mention, Miles and Kamgain all averaged over 20 minutes per game last season. Miles led the team with 10.2 points per game while Boyce shot 45 perfect from the field and 36.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Seven newcomers will be added to this year’s unit, including six transfers. Highlighting the new faces are junior transfers Zyon Patterson from Eastern Oklahoma State and Clarence King from Cowley Community College. While at EOS, Patterson averaged 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists per game while shooting 56 percent from the field and 37 percent from deep. King was a 2022 Third-Team All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference selection and played in the NJCAA Division I National Championship game.
Head coach Jimmy Elgas enters his eighth season at HSU, having led the Reddies to four consecutive GAC Tournaments, including a GAC Championship and berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament in 2020. Joining Elgas on the sideline are assistant coaches DJ Balentine and Jeff Jones. Balentine is the all-time leading scorer in Evansville program history, claiming the NCAA scoring title in 2016 as he joined Hall of Famers Larry Bird and Oscar Robertson as the only players to lead the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring three years in a row.
Henderson St. is 109-86 overall and 77-72 in GAC play under Elgas. The Reddies have eclipsed double-digit conference wins in each of the last four seasons and five times in the last seven years. During the Elgas era, HSU is second among Arkansas schools with total conference wins and fifth among all league teams.
SCOUTING WASHBURN
Friday will serve as the season opener for both Henderson and Washburn and just the second ever meeting between the two schools and first since the 1988-89 season. Prior to Friday’s tip, the Ichabods faced Division I program Kansas St. a little over a week ago in an exhibition game, falling to the Wildcats, 76-49.
Washburn comes into the 2022-23 season with only three upperclassmen on the squad as just six players on the Ichabods’ 15-man roster are returners from last year’s NCAA Tournament team. While WU loses its top three scorers from last season, it retains sophomore guard Michael Keegan and junior guard Connor Deffebaugh, who were fourth and fifth among the team’s leading scorers with 9.4 and 9.1 points per game, respectively.
Washburn is led by head coach Brett Ballard, who is beginning his sixth season at the helm of the Ichabod program. During those five campaigns, Ballard led WU to four NCAA postseason tournament appearances and has compiled a 104-49 overall record and a 45-15 mark in MIAA play.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA STATE – MANKATO
When the Reddies and Minnesota State-Mankato meet, it will be the Mavericks’ second game of the season after having kicked off play against Missouri Southern a day prior. Saturday will only be the second meeting ever between HSU and MSU. Mankato won the inaugural contest back in the 1977-78 season, 75-70.
After going 16-10 and 9-9 in NSIC play, Minnesota St.-Mankato returns nine players from last season while rostering seven newcomers. Despite losing last year’s leading scorer, the Mavericks retain sophomore forward Brady Williams, who averaged 12.2 points per game to sit second on the team. Highlighting the newcomers is senior transfer Trevor Moore from Division I Morgan State where he started 16 contests during the 2021-22 season and averaged 6.3 points per game.
Minnesota St.-Mankato is led by head coach Matt Margenthaler as he is beginning his 22nd season at the head of the Maverick program. During his tenure, Margenthaler has led MSU to a 436-197 record, claiming seven conference championships and 13 NCAA Tournament appearances.
