TIPPING IT OFF:  The Arkansas State men's basketball team will open regular season action battling the Rebels of Ole Miss Friday night at C.M. “Tad” Smith Coliseum in Oxford, Miss. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

THE SEASON:  The Red Wolves are in their 82nd season of ASU men's basketball. After opening at Ole Miss, ASU opens its 14-game home schedule on Nov. 17 when it hosts Lyon College in a 7:05 p.m. contest at the ASU Convocation Center.

SERIES VERSUS OLE MISS: The Rebels hold a 16-9 advantage over ASU in the all-time series which dates back to the 1926-27 season. In their last meeting, Ole Miss downed ASU 85-78 on Dec. 19, 2005 in Oxford, Miss. ASU's last win in the series came during the 2004-05 season on Dec. 1, 2004, 70-68, at the ASU Convocation Center.

THE PRINCIPALS: The Arkansas State Red Wolves went 2-0 in their exhibition season, beating Henderson State, 93-46, and downing Southern Arkansas, 59-58. ASU has three starters back from last year's squad which went 10-20  with a 5-13 mark in Sun Belt action, finishing sixth in the SBC West Division standings. Senior forward Yima Chia-Kur is ASU's top returning scorer. He averaged 11.1 ppg in 07-08 and pulled down 3.5 rebounds per game. Senior forward Shawn Morgan also returns for the Red Wolves. Morgan averaged 9.0 ppg and pulled down 6.9 rpg. Morgan led the SBC in offensive rebounds (3.31 avg.) and was third in the league in steals (1.93 avg.). ASU head coach John Brady is 11-11 against the Rebels during his career. Ole Miss has three starters returning from last year's squad which went 24-11 and advanced to the NIT Final Four where they fell to Ohio State, 81-69 on April 1, 2008. The Rebels beat North Alabama in their only exhibition matchup 115-81.  SEC All-Freshman team member and National All-Freshman Team honorable mention Chris Warren returns to the starting lineup after he led the Rebels with 15.8 points per game and 156 assists last season. Eniel Polynice and David Huertas are also returning starters who contributed 10.7 ppg each last season. Polynice is the top returning rebounder for Ole Miss averaging, 5.3 rebounds per game in 07-08.

COMMON OPPONENTS: ASU and Ole Miss share two common opponents for the 2008-09 Season. Ole Miss will face Sun Belt Conference opposition South Alabama (11/18) after tangling with the Red Wolves and will play New Orleans (12/6). ASU faces USA at home on Jan. 17 and face UNO twice, first at home on Jan. 3 and on the road Feb. 19.

OLE MISS IN EXHIBITION ACTION: Seven Rebels scored in double-figures, as Ole Miss used a huge second half to blow out North Alabama 115-81 in a their only preseason exhibition Oct. 31 at Tad Smith Coliseum.
Rebel junior DeAundre Cranston paced the way for Ole Miss as he poured in 16 points, including two three-pointers.  Malcolm White, Terrance Henry and Terrico White each chipped in with 14 points as every Rebel on the Ole Miss roster scored at least one point. Ole Miss broke the century mark in an exhibition contest for the third straight year.

IN SEASON OPENERS: ASU is 41-38 all time in season openers. The Red Wolves are 3-2 over the past five years in season opening games, including a win over Ole Miss, 74-69, in 2005. ASU dropped its season opener last season, 67-63, to Utah Valley State at the ASU Convocation Center.

SCORING LEADERS: Seniors Yima Chia-Kur, Shawn Morgan and Ifeanyi Koggu each averaged double figures in ASU's two exhibition match-ups this season. Chia-Kur averaged 12.5 points while Morgan averaged a double-double with 12.0 points and 10.5 rebounds and connected on 86 percent of his shots (6-7). Koggu averaged 10.5 points and 5.5 assists.

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL: ASU took care of the ball during its two exhibition outings, turning over the ball only 20 times during its two preseason matchups.

NEWCOMERS SHINE: ASU got some quality performances from its newcomers in its preseason matchups. Junior transfer Eric McKinney scored 11 points and had 6 rebounds, while connecting on 71 percent of his shots in his one exhibition appearance. Junior transfer JeJuaun Brown averaged 7 points and 7.5 rebounds in two exhibition starts, while playing an average of 27 minutes - the most of any ASU player during the preseason. Junior transfer Donald Boone averaged 7 points in the two preseason contests, while sophomore transfer Brandon Ayers had 8 points and went 3-3 from the free throw line in one exhibition contest.

MULTIPLE THREATS: ASU had six players score in double-figures during its exhibition outings. Morgan, Chia-Kur, Koggu and Boone scored double-figures during the Henderson State exhibition, while Brown and McKinney scored in double-figures against Southern Arkansas.

PRESEASON COACHES POLL: ASU has been tabbed to finish fourth in the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference by the SBC Preseason Coaches' Poll announced by the league office at the SBC Basketball Tip-Off.
“I've never put a lot of stock in preseason polls; most of the polling is based on what you did the year before. It is a position better than where the team finished a year ago, but the reality of it is it isn't really where you start its how you finish,” said ASU head coach John Brady. “I anticipate our team playing its best basketball in February and the first of March.”
UALR was picked to finish in a tie with North Texas for the top spot in the West Division, each receiving 76 points. The Trojans received six first-place votes while the Mean Green got four first-place nods. Louisiana-Lafayette was picked third, followed by the Red Wolves, Louisiana-Monroe was tabbed sixth with Denver and New Orleans coming in sixth and seventh, respectively.
Middle Tennessee was picked atop the East Division with 11 first-place votes, followed by South Alabama, which netted the other two first place votes. Reigning league champion Western Kentucky was picked third with Florida Atlantic (fourth), Florida International (fifth) and Troy (sixth) rounding out the poll.
Desmond Yates from Middle Tennessee was voted the SBC Preseason Player of the Year and was joined by Carlos Monroe from FAU, Russell Hicks from FIU, Josh White from North Texas and Brandon Davis from South Alabama on the Preseason All-SBC first team.

ASU'S BROWN NAMED BLUE RIBBON SBC NEWCOMER OF YEAR: Arkansas State junior forward and Los Angeles Southwest College transfer JeJuan Brown has been tabbed the Preseason Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year by Blue Ribbon publications.
Along with forward Eric McKinney, Brown was announced as new ASU Head Coach John Brady's first signee at Arkansas State on April 25.  Brown transferred from Vanderbilt to LASC for his sophomore season, where he averaged 17 points and seven rebounds.  He  helped lead the Cougars to a 23-9 record and the South Coast Conference regular-season title and was named a first team all-conference selection in 2007-08.
“We are excited about the possibilities JeJuan brings to our team,” said Brady.  “We feel he will be an outstanding player for us.”
The Biloxi, Miss. native originally signed with Vanderbilt out of high school, playing in all 34 games as a true freshman on a team that advanced to the Sweet 16.  Brown averaged 3.1 points and 2.5 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per game during his lone season with the Commodores, while scoring his SEC-high nine points  on 4-of-6 shooting with four rebounds and two assists at South Carolina.  He posted season highs of 10 points (twice) and eight rebounds and finished the 2006-07 campaign with a .511 (48-of-94) shooting percentage.
Brown finished his prep career as an all-state and all-district selection at Biloxi High School and was a Rivals.com national top 150 (No. 121) ranked player in the class of 2006.  He was ranked as the 26th-best small forward in the nation by Rivals.com as well.  He was named the Sun Herald Gulf Coast Player of the Year after averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds, four blocked shots and three assists as a senior.  He helped lead Biloxi to four District 8 titles from 2003-06 and graduated with honors as a Mississippi Scholar.

FINN SIDELINED 6-8 WEEKS: ASU head men's basketball coach John Brady has disclosed that the Red Wolves will be without the services of freshman Trey Finn for the beginning of the season and possibly longer due to a foot injury he sustained during a conditioning workout  this past week.
“It is unfortunate that Trey has had this injury occur. He was making real progress in his preparation for the beginning of practice and I was excited about the possibilities he would bring to the team,” said ASU head coach John Brady. “We have talked with the doctors, trainers, and of course his parents and will make a determination on his freshman year once he is completely healed. Whichever decision is made, Trey will have an excellent career at Arkansas State.”
Finn will be out 6-8 weeks and the Red Wolves are looking at the possibility of redshirting the freshman standout that joined the Red Wolves from Parkview High School in Little Rock.
At Parkview, Finn earned AHSAA Class 6A All-State honors in 2007-08. He also led Parkview to the state semifinals and was named to the All-Tournament team as a senior.

THE RED WOLVES AT HOME:  Over the 21 years that ASU has competed in the ASU Convocation Center, the Red Wolves have compiled a 204-78 record (.723). Arkansas State has gone undefeated twice during a single season at the Convocation Center; they were a perfect 14-0 in 1988-89 and went 13-0 in 1990-91.

CHANGES AT THE CONVO:  During the offseason, the Clopton Clinic Strength and Conditioning room was unveiled at a ceremony in the Convocation Center.  The strength and conditioning room used by the Red Wolves features new weights, lighting, floor and wall coverings and entrance doors.  Also completed during the offseason was the resurfacing and repainting of the Convocation Center playing court.  The court now features the new Red Wolves logo and a large “stAte” logo at center court.

HEAD COACH JOHN BRADY:  With a Final Four appearance and 281 career victories already to his credit, John Brady was announced as Arkansas State's 15th head men's basketball coach by Director of Athletics Dr. Dean Lee at a press conference on March 18 held in ASU's Convocation Center.
Brady spent the last 10-plus seasons serving as LSU's head coach, leading the Tigers to six postseason berths, two SEC championships and three SEC Western Division titles. Twice named the SEC Coach of the Year,  Brady is a proven winner who brings a well-documented record of success and a long list of accomplishments with him to Arkansas State.
Brady's 16-year tenure as a head coach at both LSU and Samford in Birmingham, Alabama, has been decorated with achievements.  He has coached a combined 25 All-TAAC and SEC selections, 48 academic all-conference choices, posted 11 winning seasons and collected five division championships.  Brady piled up the third most wins in LSU history with 192 and left Samford after the 1996-97 season as the Bulldog's all-time leader in coaching victories (89) as well.
He quickly turned around an LSU's men's basketball program that had suffered four consecutive losing seasons prior to his arrival, leading the Tigers to a 28-6 record, an SEC championship and an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in just his third season (1999-00) at the helm.  Under Brady's direction, the Tigers recorded six consecutive winning seasons from 2001-02 to 2006-07 while making three trips to the NCAA Tournament and two more to the NIT. The 2005-06 campaign saw LSU post a 27-9 record and advance to the Final Four for the first time in 20 years.
Not only did Brady coach the Tigers to 23 wins versus ranked opponents, he also led them to victories over two teams ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Poll (Arizona in 2002-03 and Duke in 2005-06).  Additionally, he orchestrated a 19-game home winning streak over SEC opponents, the third longest stretch in LSU history.
While at LSU, Brady coached two NBA Lottery picks and six current NBA players.  The Tigers signed nine Parade All-Americans and four McDonald All-Americans under Brady, who also coached three SEC Players of the Year, four players named SEC Freshman of the Year, one SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and 17 All-SEC selections.
Prior to taking over the reigns at LSU, Brady served as Samford's head coach from 1991-92 through 1996-97.  It didn't take long for him to turn around a Samford program coming off six straight losing seasons, either, guiding the Bulldogs to a 17-10 record in his second season.  He led Samford to three straight winning seasons (1995-97) for the first time since 1982-84, all leading up to a 19-9 record and division title in 1997.  Samford won  the TAAC West Division each of Brady's final two seasons at the school for the first time in school history.
His four winning campaigns at Samford were the first for any coach at the school, and he led the Bulldogs to an 89-77 record after they went 27-83 the four seasons prior to his initial year.  He coached eight All-TAAC and 14 Academic All-TAAC players over six seasons.
The McComb, Miss., native earned his bachelor's degree in 1976 from Belhaven College, where he was three-year starter and scored over 1,000 points during his college playing career.  Brady was a two-time All-Southern States Conference selection and was later inducted into his alma mater's Hall of Fame.
He got his coaching start as a graduate assistant with the Mississippi State men's basketball program while earning his master's degree from 1976-77.  Brady took his first head coaching position in Louisiana at Crowley High School in 1977 and led the basketball squad to a 129-49 (.725) record in five seasons.  He was named the 1981 Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 3-A Coach of the Year.
Brady returned to the college coaching ranks in 1982 as an assistant coach at Mississippi State.  He spent the next eight years with the Bulldogs, the first four seasons under coach Bob Hoyt and the next four as a chief recruiter for coach Richard Williams.  Following his tenure in Starkville, Brady returned to Louisiana for the second time, this time to serve as an assistant coach at the University of New Orleans.  Brady helped lead UNO to the NCAA Tournament during his only season with the Privateers.

ASU'S DOLLAR NAMED TOP-10 MID-MAJOR ASSISTANTS IN NATION: Fox Sports recently polled head coaches, assistants and others who deal with assistants on a daily basis to get their take on who should be included among the nation's elite assistant basketball coaches and Arkansas State associate head coach Chad Dollar was included among the top-10 mid-major coaches receiving votes.
The article, written by FOXSports.com senior college basketball writer Jeff Goodman, stated Fox Sports wanted to “target the guys that instill a level of fear into their colleagues when they stroll into the gym”.
The article included a few brief notes on each coach and listed some of their “key recruits”.  Included among the key recruits listed for Dollar were Jarvis Hayes and Elton Nesbitt.  Hayes was the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year at Western Carolina and Nesbitt the league's player of the year and an honorable mention All-America selection at Georgia Southern.