"For they can conquer who believe they can." -- Virgil
 
TOWSON, Md. – It's out of the frying pan and into the fire.
 
The ferocious challenges continue for the Towson University men's basketball team when it meets 18th-ranked Xavier in the first round of the Gildan Charleston Classic.
 
The Musketeers are the third consecutive postseason opponent from last season and second straight ranked squad Towson will oppose during an arduous 10-day stretch. Xavier is also the only unbeaten and ranked squad in this week's tournament.

 

When:	Thursday, November 21, 2019
Where	TD Arena  -- Charleston, S.C.
Time:	7 p.m.
Records:	Towson (2-2); Xavier (4-0)
Television/Internet:	ESPNU with Kevin Fitzgerald and Debbie Antonelli
Radio:	CBS Sports Radio 1300AM with Brandon Sacks
Series History:	First Meeting
Streak/Last Meeting:	N/A
Social Media Updates:	@Towson_MBB

 
The Tigers have a terrific opportunity to do something special against their Big East opponents. Former USA hockey coach Herb Brooks once said, "great moments are born out of great opportunity." The word opportunity inspires hope, faith and passion. Forget luck because when preparation and opportunity collide, success usually follows.
 
The Tigers are prepared, focused and excited for the chance to compete against some of the top programs in college basketball over the next few days in Charleston.
 
Along with Towson and Xavier, the field includes Florida and Connecticut, who have combined to win six national championships since 1999. Saint Joseph's, Miami (Fl.), Buffalo and Missouri State, all solid programs who have enjoyed various degrees of success during that same time period, are also part of this quality tournament.

Opening Statement
Towson head coach Pat Skerry on competing in the Charleston Classic.
"The Charleston Classic is one of the prime ESPN tournaments and the field is probably the strongest they've ever had. We're going to get some great opportunities against some brand names in college basketball. We're excited about participating in this tournament. These are teams that will definitely prepare us for CAA play. Our administration has been supportive of letting us play in these multi-team tournaments."
 
Starting Five

• Sophomore guard Jakigh Dottin leads the NCAA in assist to turnover ratio.
• The Tigers competed in the 2015 Charleston Classic against Oklahoma State, Mississippi and Bradley. Towson was seventh overall.
• Towson is in a stretch where it is playing nine of 10 games away from home (five neutral site and four away).
• Towson has advanced to the championship in three of its last four regular season tournaments it has competed in. The Tigers won the Gulf Coast Showcase and Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic in 2017. Towson advanced to the championship game of the Boardwalk Battle in 2018.
• This is a week for Tiger birthdays as Juwan Gray celebrated his birthday on Sunday and Jason Gibson is celebrating his birthday against Xavier.

 
Towson Update

• The Tigers are coming off of a 66-60 loss at Florida last Thursday. The game was tied at 60 with 81 seconds remaining.
• Allen Betrand led Towson with 14 points. Brian Fobbs had 12 points and Jakigh Dottin added 10 points and four assists.
• The Tigers also won the rebounding battle, 34-32.
• Charles Thompson is ranked eighth in the CAA in rebounding (7.8) and fifth in blocked shots (1.3). He's also tied for seventh in steals (1.5). Thompson is third CAA in offensive rebounding (3.3) and fourth in blocked shots (1.3).
• Gray is tied for the CAA lead in 3-point field goal percentage (6-for-10, .600). He's tied for seventh in blocked shots (1.0).
• Towson has enjoyed scoring runs of 10 or more points in three of its four games.
• Fobbs leads Towson with a 13.5 point per game average. Also averaging double digits for the Tigers are Betrand (12.8 points per game), Gray (11.3) and Gibson (10.5).

 
A Look At Xavier

• Members of the Big East, Xavier defeated Missouri State, 59-56, in the finale of its four-game homestand.
• Xavier is ranked 18th in the Associated Press Top 25, rising three spots from last week. The Musketeers are also ranked 21st in the USA Today Coaches' Poll.
• Senior Tyrique Jones led the way in scoring for the Musketeers with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field in 27 minutes of play. Jones grabbed six rebounds and had one blocked shot in the game.
• Paul Scruggs, who was named 2019-20 preseason honorable mention All-BIG EAST, scored 14 points for the Musketeers on 5-of-8 shooting. Scruggs connected on two three-pointers and dished out five assists in 37 minutes of play.
• Naji Marshall and Jason Carter combined for six steals in the game and each played over 30 minutes in the contest. Scruggs and Bryce Moore both added two more steals for the Musketeers, who forced 10 total in the game.
• The Musketeers shot 42 percent from the floor and connected on five three-pointers in the game. They scored 10 second-chance points and 10 points off the bench. The past three seasons.
• Xavier has three players averaging double figures led by Marshall's 16.5 points per game average. Jones scores at a 14.5 point per game clip and Scruggs chips in 12.7 points per contest.
• Xavier has made just about as many free throws (65) as its opponents have attempted (66).

 
Towson Tough

• This tournament is part of the Tigers brutal non-conference schedule.
• In this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll, Kent State is ranked 22nd. The Tigers dropped an 84-80 overtime decision to Kent State on Nov. 11.
• The Tigers still have games against Vermont (Dec. 7) and Liberty (Dec. 20), NCAA Tournament teams last season. Vermont is third in this week's Mid-Major poll and receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 25. Liberty is fourth in this week's Mid-Major poll.
• Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) opponents College of Charleston (No. 17) and Delaware (No. 24) are ranked in this week's Mid-Major poll.
• Potential opponents Buffalo and Akron are receiving votes in the Mid-Major poll.
• Florida and UConn are receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
• In addition, future opponents Northeastern, William & Mary, Hofstra and UMBC are also receiving votes.

 
Sound Smart With Your Friends

• Gray and Thompson are a combined 27-for-50 from the field (54 percent).
• Betrand and Fobbs are a combined 19-for-23 from the foul line (82.6 percent).
• Towson has shot at least 40 percent or better in three of its four games.
• The Tigers are 30-for-40 from the free-throw stripe (75 percent) in their last two games.
• At least three players have scored in double figures in every game this season for the Tigers.
• Fobbs has scored in double figures in five consecutive games dating back to last season and in 11 of his last 12 games.

About The Gildan Charleston Classic
The Gildan Charleston Classic is part of ESPN's early-season tournaments tip-off as part of Feast Week where 16 ranked teams will play across ESPN's networks. Feast Week Presented by Lowe's (Thu, Nov. 21 – Sun, Dec. 1) will showcase a number of top matchups and events on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNEWS. This week's schedule features: Myrtle Beach Invitational, Charleston Classic, 2K Empire Classic, Air Force Reserve Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off, MGM Resorts Main Event, National Invitation Tournament (NIT), Maui Jim Maui Invitational, Roman Legends Classic and Hall of Fame Classic Powered by ShotTracker. Ranked teams include No. 1 Duke, No. 2 Louisville, No. 3 Michigan State, No. 4 Kansas, No. 5 North Carolina, No. 7 Virginia, No. 9 Kentucky, No. 16 Memphis, No. 17 Villanova, No. 18 Xavier, No. 19 Auburn, No. 20 Tennessee, No. 21 VCU, No. 22 Texas, No. 23 Colorado and No. 24 Baylor. More than 175 games will be available across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, Big 12 Now on ESPN+, ESPN3, ESPN+, SEC Network + and ACCNX.

Tigers in the Community
The Towson University athletics department deems community service as one of its highest priorities to give back to the Greater Baltimore area. For the seventh consecutive year, the department exceeded 10,000 hours of community service to the Greater Baltimore region, finishing with 11,162 hours of community service in the 2018-19 academic season. Towson ranked No. 1 nationally for community service and won the 2018 National Championship for Community Service through the Helper Helper NCAA Team Works Competition. Towson had a 97% participation rate, attended 118 community service opportunities and volunteered with 19 organizations. Towson won the 2018 Volunteer of the Year Award from Susan G. Komen of Maryland.
 
Up Next
Towson will play either Buffalo or UConn on Friday, Nov. 22 at either 7 p.m. or 9:30 p.m. The network will be determined late Thursday evening.

Next Home Game
Towson will return to SECU Arena on Tuesday, Dec. 10 when it hosts UMBC at 7 p.m. CLICK HERE TO FIND TICKETS