TOWSON, Md. – Beneath the soothing soundtrack of squeaking sneakers and bouncing balls, the Towson University men's basketball team held its first official practice of the 2019-20 season inside of the Towson Center Wednesday afternoon.
It's the first of 30 scheduled practices leading into the Tigers' season opener against George Washington at SECU Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m.
It was also the last first day of practice for Towson's senior quartet of
Brian Fobbs,
Tobias Howard,
Nakye Sanders and
Dennis Tunstall. Each student-athlete is expected to play a key role this season for the Tigers.
"I felt like practice was great today," Tunstall said. "We had a lot of energy. For some of us this was the last official first day of practice of our college careers so we were excited. We all know that we have go out as leaders this year. I feel like we have the right pieces in place this year. We have to continue to work hard and improve everyday in practice."
Fobbs and Tunstall earned All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) postseason honors last season. Howard was Towson's second leading scorer and Sanders was second on the team in rebounding.
Towson didn't ease into its first practice as it featured plenty of intensity, dunks and tough defense. It set the tone for what many believe could be a memorable season. Overall, Towson returns 10 players from last season. Of those 10, eight of them played at least 10 minutes per game and made at least three starts.
As a team, the Tigers were 32nd nationally in rebounding margin (5.0) and 37th in offensive rebounds per game (12.2). The Tigers also ranked 73rd in fewest turnovers and 94th in total rebounds (1,182), a total that was second in the CAA.
In addition to leading the CAA in rebounding margin and offensive rebounds per game, Towson also had the top-ranked field goal percentage defense (43.6). The Tigers were second in the CAA in rebounds per game (36.9) and third in scoring defense (71.7).
"Practice was fun and there was a lot of intensity," Fobbs said. "We were all working together as a team and that was fun to see. It was a nice time playing with my teammates and I am excited for the start of the season."
The Tigers will play 13 home games this season highlighted by visits from George Washington, Bryn Athyn, Kent State and UMBC. Towson will also participate in a pair of in-season tournaments: The Charleston Classic and the Battle For the Capital in Washington, D.C.
Each event has a strong field of opponents. Every game of the Charleston Classic beginning with its opener against Xavier on Thursday, Nov. 21 will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks.
A trip to Florida on Thursday, Nov. 14 in a game that will be televised by ESPN2 highlights the non-conference road slate. Towson will also visit Cornell, Morgan State and Vermont during the first week of December.
The Tigers will participate in two media days in October. The third annual Baltimore Basketball Media Day hosted by Coppin State will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 8. The CAA's annual digital media day in which the preseason all-conference team and predicted order of finish will be released will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
