SAVANNAH, Ga.- There is a old saying that goes "to be the best, you have to beat the best." That will hold true for the Savannah State men's basketball squad as they have released their 2024-25 schedule.
SSU is coming off of a 13-14 overall record in the 2023-24 season and a 10-11 SIAC record that included a trip to the conference tournament quarterfinals.
Horace Broadnax, who has been the Tigers head basketball coach since the 2005-06 season, returns 11 veterans from last year, including Preseason All-SIAC selection
Qua King. The 6-foot-7 senior from Dublin, Georgia finished last season averaging 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He also had 20 blocks.
Ayjay Plain, a 6-foot-4 senior guard who led the conference in assists a year ago, also returns. Plain averaged 11.9 points, 4.4 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 steals per outing.
Jordan Mikel (9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 20 blocks, .516 field goal percentage) and
Chancellor Wilson (8.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.4 steals) return to the post while
Javonte Landy (6.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, .400 3-point shooting percentage),
Michael Swift (5.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 1.0 assists) and
Austin Lewis (3.5 points, 1.5 rebounds) will see time in the back court.
Broadnax added five newcomers during the off-season.
Jeremiah Barze (6'6") averaged 13.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists at Florida Gateway College and
Kasai Fontanez (6-0) comes to SSU from Central Georgia Tech where he averaged 7.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
Other newcomers include
Jerry Maxinaud, a 6-foot-7 transfer from SIAC rival Lane,
Jaydon Cousin, a 6-foot-6 Savannah native who last played at Division III Norwich and 6-foot-8 freshman
Damerius Puttman.
Kelvin Cochran sat out last season with a injury. During his senior year at Bainbridge High School, the 6-6 swingman averaged 13.1 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 40 percent from the field.
The Tigers begin the season with four tough non-conference opponents. Savannah State will open the year with a trip to Florida to play a trio of teams from the Sunshine State Conference. SSU will start the season on the road against St. Leo on November 8 followed by a Nov. 9 game at Florida Southern. The Tigers will play at Embry-Riddle on Nov. 16. Florida Southern and Embry-Riddle both received at-large bid to the NCAA Division II tournament last year.
Savannah State's final non-conference game will be against South Carolina-Beaufort in the 'River Rivalry' at EnMarket Arena on Nov. 21.
The Tigers will begin their quest for a SIAC title on Nov. 30 when they start conference play. SSU will travel to the mid-west to face Kentucky State on Nov. 30 and Central State on December 2. Savannah State will play their first home game of the season on Dec. 7 against Miles. They will also have December home dates with LeMoyne-Owen (Dec. 14) and Lane (Dec. 16). The Orange & Blue will close out the 2024 portion of their schedule on the road at Spring Hill on Dec. 19.
SSU will have a pair of cat fights in Tiger Arena to open the new year with the Golden Tigers of Tuskegee coming to town on January 4 and the Maroon Tigers of Morehouse venturing in on Jan. 8.
Four of the next five games will be on the road as Savannah State will travel to in-state rivals Albany State and Fort Valley State on Jan. 11 and Jan. 13 respectively. A home tilt with Clark Atlanta, the defending SIAC Tournament champion who participated in the NCAA Division II Tournament, awaits on Jan. 18 followed by away games in Columbia, South Carolina at Allen (Jan. 25) and Benedict (Jan. 27).
Savannah State begins Black History Month with a three-game home-stand with Edward Waters (Feb.1), Benedict (Feb. 8) and Allen (Feb, 10) before going on a three-game road swing at Morehouse (Feb. 15), Clark Atlanta (Feb. 17) and Edward Waters (Feb. 22).
The Tigers will close at the regular season at home against Fort Valley State on Feb. 24 and Albany State on Feb. 26.
