Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Blue Raiders to host Winthrop on Tuesday
11/15/2021 2:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – After two 20-plus point victories to begin the season for the second time under Head Coach Nick McDevitt, Middle Tennessee men's basketball (2-0) welcomes Winthrop (2-0) to the Murphy Center at 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday night.
Tuesday night's game can be seen on CUSA.tv, fans are also encouraged to tune into the radio broadcast on WGNS 1450 AM/100.5 FM; The Game 2 94.9 FM/95.1 FM. Masks are recommended but not required at the Murphy Center. Tickets are available at GoBlueRaiders.com/Tickets for this matchup.
In the first two games of the season, the Blue Raiders have been anchored by graduate student Josh Jefferson. The New Albany, Ind., product is leading the team in scoring at 13.5 points per game in his first season with MT. He is accompanied by a starting lineup filled with contributing upper-classmen in redshirt junior DeAndre Dishman (9.0 PPG) and graduate student Donovan Sims (5.5 PPG).
Newcomer Isaiah Turner is averaging 11.5 points per game off the bench. The transfer sophomore hit two threes in back-to-back possessions in the second half against Bethune-Cookman to help salt away the 71-51 victory.
Freshman Teafale Lenard Jr. has also provided a strong interior presence for the Blue Raiders. The 6-7 guard is shooting .875 from the floor and bringing down 6.5 rebounds per game through the first two contests.
Game 3: Middle Tennessee (2-0, 0-0 C-USA) vs. Winthrop (2-0, 0-0 Big South)
» Tuesday, November 16, 2021 – 6:00 p.m. CT.
» Murphy Center – Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Promotions
» Blue Zoo Night
» National Fast Food Day
» Best chicken costume has a chance to win free Zaxby's for a year!
» Giveaway: 250 tumblers, 100 Zaxby's chicken sandwiches
About the Blue Raiders
» MT looks to go 3-0 to begin their season for the second time under Nick McDevitt and just the third time in the last 11 years.
» The Blue Raiders have brought the defensive pressure so far, having forced 48 turnovers through two games, their most in the first two games of a season in the last 20 years.
» Donovan Sims is 10th all-time in career steals at MT with 114. The Murfreesboro native needs 19 assists, 12 3-pointers made, 14 games played and 331 minutes from the top 10 in those respective categories. He is also 243 points from joining the 1,000-point club. An average of 8.2 points per game in all 31 games would get him to that mark in the regular season.
» The Blue Raiders welcome six newcomers to the roster for 2021-22 season: graduate transfer Josh Jefferson, JuCo transfers Justin Bufford, Isaiah Turner and Camryn Weston, true freshman Teafale Lenard Jr. and walk-on Jaellan White.
All Time vs. Winthrop
» Tuesday's game is the first-ever matchup between MT and Winthrop.
Scouting the Eagles
» Mark Prosser is in his first season at the helm of the Winthrop program after posting a 37-53 record in three seasons at Western Carolina.
» Last season the Eagles finished 23-2 (17-1 Big South) while also winning the conference tournament, earning an automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA Tournament as a No. 12 seed.
» Redshirt junior and Tennessee transfer D.J. Burns Jr. is leading the Eagles in scoring (23.0 PPG) and rebounding (7.0).
» Four Eagles are averaging double figures in the scoring column through two games.
