Blue Raiders travel to take on Jax State, Kennesaw State

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – After a three-game homestand, the Middle Tennessee men's basketball program is set to hit the road once again. The Blue Raiders will travel to Jacksonville, Ala. to take on first-placed Jacksonville State Thursday at 6 p.m. before driving east to Kennesaw, Ga. to play Kennesaw State Saturday at 4 p.m. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+ and the Blue Raider Network.

Series History
Middle Tennessee owns the all-time series record 5-2.
The Blue Raiders defeated the Gamecocks 81-64 at the Murphy Center on January 11, 2025 and hold a one-game winning streak in the series.

Blue Raider Notes
• Jestin Porter surpassed the 1,000 career points milestone Saturday against UTEP. He became the 35th Blue Raider to tally 1,000 points and just the 12th to do it in three years or less.
• Cam Weston is also on the hunt for 1,000 career points, amassing 949 so far in his collegiate journey.
• Cam Weston demonstrated his on and off ball prowess as a point guard against UTEP Saturday, dropping 14 dimes in the victory. The mark is good for a career high and the fifth-most in a single game in program history, as well as CUSA history.
• After sitting out due to injury Thursday, Essam Mostafa went out and secured his 10th double-double of the season against UTEP Saturday with a 17-point, 11-rebound performance, good for his 48th career double-double contest.
• The Blue Raiders rank 4th in the country in three-point percentage defense, only allowing opponents to score on 28.2 percent of their three-point shots, good for second in the conference.
• Blocking an average of 4.4 shots per contest, Middle Tennessee ranks 57th in the country.
• With an average of 3.48 offensive rebounds per game, Essam Mostafa is ranked 18th in the nation, first in the conference.
• Shooting an average field goal percentage of 59.2 percent, Mostafa ranks 19th in the nation.
• In the latest NCAA NET rankings, Middle Tennessee sits at 108.
• The Blue Raiders have outscored opponents 1680-1454 in the opening 22 games of the 2024-25 campaign.
• With 9.0 rebounds per game, Essam Mostafa is first in the conference in boards per contest.
• Blocking an average of 1.18 shots per game, Chris Loofe ranks fifth in the conference.

Gamecock Notes
• Jax State enters the game on a six-game winning streak, the longest streak in Conference USA and the 17th longest streak in Division I.
• For the third consecutive week, Jax State earned a Conference USA sweep, this time over FIU and Liberty in Jacksonville. The Gamecocks last loss came to MTSU on Jan. 11.
• Jax State enters the week a perfect 9-0 at home this season. Over the course of the last five seasons, Jax State boasts a record of 45-19 at The Pete.
• The Gamecocks sit one game ahead of the Blue Raiders courtesy of a six-game winning streak that includes a 4-0 CUSA record at the Pete Mathews Coliseum halfway through the conference slate.
• Jax State guard Quel'Ron House was selected as the Conference USA Freshman of the Week for his performance in two key wins last week. The Louisville native had 14 points, five assists, and four rebounds in a 73-66 win at UTEP on Thursday and added 11 points, five assists, and five rebounds in a 65-59 win at New Mexico State on Saturday.

Series History
Middle Tennessee holds the all-time series record 7-0 over Kennesaw State.
The Blue Raiders defeated the Owls 84-79 in the last meeting between the two in the Glass House January 9.

Owl Notes
• Kennesaw State enters the second half of its first year of Conference USA play in a six-way tie for third place in the league standings at 5-4.
• The Owls have one of the top home court advantages in the nation over the past three years. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, KSU is 34-6 on its home court, including 10-1 this year.
• KSU has made a complete turnaround in 2024-25, ranking 53rd in the nation in field goal defense at 40.9%, which is also sixth in Conference USA.
• KSU has been pounding the boards this season, as the Owls currently rank fourth in the nation in rebounding at 42.6 per game, which paces Conference USA. They are also 19th in rebound margin at +7.2, second-best in the league.
• Guard Adrian Wooley is currently the sixth-highest scoring freshman in the nation at 18.2 ppg.
• KSU's freshman class is currently the third-highest scoring freshman class in the nation at 40.1 points per game, trailing only Duke (49.8 ppg) and Rutgers (44.4 ppg).

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Players Mentioned

Chris Loofe

Essam Mostafa

Jestin Porter

Middle Tennessee State University Athletics