Red Flash season tips off Wednesday at Pitt
Miles McQuiggan
PITTSBURGH – The Saint Francis men's basketball team opens a long-awaited 2020-21 campaign when the Red Flash squares off with in-state foe Pitt Wednesday night at the Petersen Events Center.
The Red Flash, a year removed from a 22-win campaign, faces its Pennsylvania foe for the first time in nine seasons.
Wednesday's game can be seen on AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh in the local area, along with NESN, YES Network, and MASN around the Northeast Conference footprint and other regional sports networks to be announced.
The Matchup: Saint Francis at Pitt
Location: Petersen Events Center – Pittsburgh, Pa.
Date and Time: Wednesday, Nov. 25 – 7 p.m.
Watch: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh/RSNs (Eric Collins, Grant Long)
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Game Notes: Saint Francis
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SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Pitt begins the third season under Jeff Capel ranked 13th in the ACC preseason coaches' poll. The Panthers finished 16-17 overall and 6-14 in the ACC last season, tied for 13th in the conference with North Carolina and Wake Forest. Pitt's resume included a season sweep of North Carolina and a 3-1 mark against non-conference Power 5 opponents with wins over Rutgers, Northwestern and Kansas State.
The Panthers return their top two scorers from a year ago in Justin Champagnie (12.7 ppg) and Xavier Johnson (11.7). Johnson had a team-high 4.9 assists per game for Pitt, which ranked 13th in the ACC in assists and 15th in three-point field goal percentage.
30 FOR '20
The Red Flash and Panthers meet for the 30th time in the all-time series Wednesday, but the first since
Rob Krimmel was named Saint Francis head coach in 2012.
Saint Francis opens its season at Pitt for the sixth time in program history and first since 2003. The Red Flash have hosted the Panthers on nine occasions, most recently in 2000.
THE WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART
The delayed start to the season means the Red Flash will match their latest opening night in a quarter-century. Saint Francis last opened the season on Nov. 25 in 1995 with the first of a two-game trip to Xavier and Michigan.
Wednesday's contest is the first in 260 days for the Red Flash and 259 for the Panthers.
THESE ARE YOUR CAPTAINS SPEAKING
Senior
Ramiir Dixon-Conover and junior
Myles Thompson were named the SFU captains prior to the season.
Thompson started 31 of 32 games a year ago and ranked third on the team in scoring at (10.2 ppg) and minutes (25.6). The 6-6 New Jersey native was second in total rebounds and third in rebounding average for the Red Flash.
Dixon-Conover enters his senior campaign as the team's returning leader in assists and steals. The 6-3 guard, also from the Garden State, appeared in all 32 contests with 11 starts.
FLAGG FLIES
Senior
Mark Flagg returns in 2020-21 after seeing an increased role down the stretch in his junior campaign. Flagg made all 11 of his starts in the season's final 12 contests, including all three NEC tournament games. He scored in double figures in five of his first six starts with 19-point efforts against Central Connecticut and Robert Morris.
Flagg's 21 blocks in NEC play were tied for seventh in the conference. The senior from Bucks County begins the season 14 blocks back of fifth in program history.
TY LIKES A TEST
Redshirt-junior
Tyler Stewart looks to play a larger role this winter and will start with an opportunity against a major-conference opponent.
Stewart scored 14 points for the Red Flash last season at Florida State and collected 12 points in 16 minutes as a freshman for Binghamton when the Bearcats traveled to Penn State.
MYLES IS ACC-URATE
Thompson provided a career-best effort in his last outing against an ACC opponent.
Thompson was 9-of-12 shooting and 4-of-5 from three for a career-best 23 points last season at Florida State.
As a freshman, Thompson scored a team-high 14 points on 6-of-10 from the field at Virginia Tech and scored eight points at North Carolina.
INTRO TO COLLEGE HOOPS
Nine players on the Red Flash did not appear in a game last season for Saint Francis. Of that group, four are true freshmen, one is a transfer, and four redshirted a year ago.
TAYLOR HAM OR PORK ROLL?
This year's Red Flash roster features six players from New Jersey. Five Garden State counties are represented: Monmouth (2), Atlantic, Camden, Essex, and Hudson.
NO. 1 SON
Redshirt freshman
Justen Anderson is the son of Saint Francis' all-time scoring leader, Joe Anderson. The elder Anderson scored 2,301 points from 1987-91 and helped the Red Flash to an NCAA Tournament appearance as a senior.
THE POSTAL SERVICE
The Red Flash frontcourt features three forwards at 6-9 or taller. Flagg is the most experienced of the group, having appeared in 31 games a year ago.
Redshirt freshman
Josh Cohen will appear for the first time in 2020-21, as the New Jersey native steps onto the court standing 6-10. Freshman
Jeriah Coleman, at an even 7-0, is the program's first seven-footer during Coach Krimmel's time in Loretto.
TY'S AT HOME ON THE RED LINE
Stewart shot 85.0% from the free-throw line to lead the NEC a year ago. Stewart joined Xeyrius Williams of Akron as the only players at 6-8 or taller to lead their conference in free-throw percentage.
NEXT UP: UMBC
The Red Flash will host a game at DeGol Arena for the first time since March 7 when UMBC makes the trip from Baltimore for a 3 p.m. contest Saturday. The game can be seen on NEC Front Row with
Pat Farabaugh and
Bernie Jubeck on the call.
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To learn more about Saint Francis University, visit
francis.edu.
