The Game: Towson (3-2, 0-0 CAA) vs. San Francisco (6-0, 0-0 WCC)
When: Thursday, Nov. 25 – 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. PT)
Where: Orleans Arena – Las Vegas, Nev.
TV/Online Broadcast: FS1
Radio/Online Broadcast: Towsontigers.com
Series: San Francisco leads 1-0
 
LAS VEGAS – For the second year in a row, the Towson University men's basketball team will be playing San Francisco on Thanksgiving, taking on the Dons on Thursday, Nov. 25 at 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. PT) in the first round of the Las Vegas Invitational.
 
This game will be broadcast nationally on FS1.  Check your local listings for channel information.  In addition, Spiro Morekas will have the radio call live from Las Vegas.
 
Tomorrow's games will be a tournament format, with the victors of Towson-USF and New Mexico-UAB playing each other at 9 p.m. ET and the losers playing each other at 11:30 p.m. ET.  All games of the invitational are being played at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
 
Towson, Colonial Athletic Association member, got back in the win column on Tuesday afternoon with a 76-61 home victory over Penn to stand at 3-2 overall.  West Coast Conference member San Francisco is undefeated thus far, the last game an 83-67 home win over Morgan State, to put its overall record at 6-0.
 
Towson and San Francisco met up last year on Thanksgiving (Nov. 26) in the Mohegan Sun Bubbleville in Uncasville, Connecticut, for the first all-time meeting.  San Francisco won the game 79-68.
 
THOMPSON - 2020-21 CAA ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Charles Thompson was selected to the 2020-21 CAA All-Defensive Team last year, making it the third year in a row where Towson had a representative on the CAA All-Defensive Team.
 
Thompson finished second in the CAA in total blocks with 28, including 26 against league competition, the best mark in league-only play.  He also finished eighth in the league with 6.4 rebounds a contest.
 
Dennis Tunstall '20 was on the CAA All-Defensive Team for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
   
TOWSON PREDICTED TO FINISH EIGHTH IN CAA
Towson was predicted to get eighth in the CAA in the league's preseason poll, voted on by the conference's head coaches, SIDs and media.
 
This past year, Towson finished the year at 4-14 overall and 3-9 in the CAA, plus had three pauses due to COVID-19.
 
Delaware is predicted to finish first in the preseason poll with 19 out of 36 possible first-place votes, followed by Northeastern at second with seven.  Reigning league champion Drexel is third followed by James Madison, Hofstra, Elon, Charleston, Towson, UNCW and William & Mary.
 
SKERRY - 150 WINS AT TOWSON
Pat Skerry earned his 150th victory as head coach of the Tigers on Nov. 23, 2021 with Towson's 76-61 win over Penn.
 
Currently, Skerry has amassed 150 victories at Towson, including six years of at least 18 wins since the 2012-13 season.
 
Skerry is the third Towson men's basketball head coach with at least 150 wins.  Vince Angotti won 229 games as Towson's head coach from 1966-83 while Terry Truax notched 202 wins with the Tigers from 1983-97.  Skerry is also the third longest-tenured coach in Towson history.
 
Including two seasons leading Curry from 1996-98, Skerry has 174 wins as a head coach.  His teams have won double digit victories in 11 out of 13 seasons as a head coach.
 
In June, Skerry served as a court coach for the 2021 USA Basketball Men's U19 World Cup training camp on the campus of Texas Christian University (TCU).  He was one of three coaches across the country selected for this role, working with some of the top up-and-coming talent in the country.  That team went on to win the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup in July.
 
REPPING THE HOME STATE
Towson's represents its home of the Old Line State well, having eight players from Maryland on the roster.
 
Baltimore-native Terry Nolan Jr. is back home after graduating from Bradley, having spent two years with the Braves and two more at George Washington.
 
From Severna Park comes Jason Gibson, who earned All-CAA Rookie Team honors in 2019-20.  Charles Thompson, from Fort Washington, earned a spot on the CAA All-Defensive Team last season.  Joining the team is Mount Airy-native Chase Paar after two years at George Washington.
 
Five more Tigers call Maryland home: Chris Caliguiran from Accokeek, Brandon Held from Marriottsville, Curtis Holland III from Churchton and two Bowie natives: Olugbemi Joseph and Justin Patterson.
 
TU.....TRANSFER U.....
    Towson has six players who have come to Towson from other NCAA Division I programs.
--#0 Antonio Rizzuto, transfer from UAlbany (2018-21)
--#1 Terry Nolan Jr., transfer from Bradley (2019-21) and GW (2017-19)
--#5 Curtis Holland III, transfer from High Point (2018-20)
--#12 Juwan Gray, transfer from San Diego (2016-18)
--#13 Chase Paar, transfer from GW (2019-21)
--#55 Cam Holden, transfer from UT Martin (2020-21)
 
......BIG TIME TRANSFERS
Three of Towson's incoming transfers earned a league award with their respective teams last season.
 
Cam Holden was the second-ever UT Martin player to earn all-league honors, being Second Team All-OVC with 14.9 points and 8.3 rebounds a contest.
 
Antonio Rizzuto was Second Team All-America East last year at UAlbany with 12.5 points a game in 2020-21.
 
Terry Nolan Jr. picked up an MVC Scholar-Athlete Team selection with 11.2 points and 3.3 assists a game last year.
 
RETURNING THREE STARTERS.....
Three players who were primary starters during the 2020-21 campaign are back to help bolster the ranks.
 
Nicolas Timberlake, the 2019-20 CAA Sixth Man of the Year, averaged 12.1 points per game and led the team with 31 three-point field goals, scoring in double digits in 13 of 18 games played.  Timberlake is the only Tiger to have started all 18 games last year.
 
Jason Gibson, a member of the 2019-20 CAA All-Rookie Team, led all Towson returners in assists with 28, averaging 9.6 points per game.  He has 104 assists in his collegiate career.
 
Charles Thompson, named to the 2020-21 CAA All-Defensive Team, was Towson leader in rebounds with 116, averaging 6.4 a game, blocks with 28 and steals with 17.  He also shot 55% from the floor for 9.1 points a contest.
 
Juwan Gray was a starter and team captain before his injury after five games.  Including time at San Diego, Gray has 647 career points and 417 career rebounds.
 
SECU ARENA - TRUE HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
Since SECU Arena opened in 2013, Towson has defended home court well with a 72-38 record in home games.
 
Of the first eight years, Towson has won at least two-thirds of its home games in five seasons. The 2013-14, the opening year of SECU, Towson went 15-1.
 
NATIONALLY TELEVISED TIGERS
Towson will have several opportunities to shine on the national stage this year with multiple appearances on national television. (all times ET)
--Nov. 19, 6 p.m. at Pittsburgh - ACC Network
--Nov. 25, 9:30 p.m. vs. San Francisco - FS1
--Nov. 26, 2nd game Vegas Invitational - FS1/FS2
--Dec. 8, 9 p.m. at Ohio State - ESPNU
--Jan. 3, 8 p.m. at Drexel - CBS Sports Network
--Jan. 11, 5 p.m. vs. Hofstra - CBS Sports Network
 
In addition, Towson may have other chances to be on the CBS Sports Network as part of the CAA TV package with the channel.  Other CAA regular season games plus the CAA Tournament semifinal and championship contests will air nationally.
 
ALUMNI PLAYING IN THE PROS
Towson currently has several alumni playing in the professional ranks across the world.
 
Mike Morsell signed a contract with the Memphis Hustle in the NBA G League before the 2021-22 season.
 
Dennis Tunstall '20, who signed with Basketball Academic Limburg in the Netherlands for the 2021-22 campaign.  Brian Fobbs '20 got his first professional contract for the 2021-22 season, going to Finland to play for the Vilpas Vikings.  Zane Martin and Alex Gavrilovic are playing in Sweden and Romania respectively.
 
Several of Towson players under Skerry have played professionally.  Signing contracts since 2020 include Tunstall, Nakye Sanders, Brian Fobbs, Alex Gavrilovic, Zane Martin, Timajh Parker-Rivera, Arnaud William Adala Moto and Brian Starr.  Many other players under Skerry have played professionally: Jerrelle Benimon, Mike Burwell, Marcus Damas, John Davis, Bilal Dixon, Four McGlynn and Mike Morsell.
 
CHANGES TO THE COACHING STAFF
11th-year head coach Pat Skerry announced a couple of changes on his coaching staff this season.  Pat O'Connell has been elevated to associate head coach in his sixth year with the program while Parfait Bitee, also in year six with Towson, moves up from director of player development to assistant coach.  Chris Conway joins the team as the new director of player development from Millersville.
 
Returning as well for the 2021-22 season is associate head coach Kevin Clark for his 11th year and director of operations Jordan Malkin for his second season.
 
Skerry, in year 11 with Towson, is the second-longest tenured coach among current CAA head coaches, only behind Bill Cohn of Northeastern, who is in his 16th year with the Huskies.
 
THANKSGIVING RE-RUN
Last season, Towson played San Francisco on Thanksgiving in the Mohegan Sun Bubbleville.  This year on Thanksgiving, Towson again will play San Francisco, this time in the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.  The game will be televised nationally on FS1.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT:
San Francisco currently ranks at #6 in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll.  Two-time All-WCC guard is the team's top scorer with 19.2 points per game, adding 24 assists.  San Diego transfer Yauhen Massalski shoots 57.8% for 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds a game.
 
CAM OFF TO A STRONG START
In his first year with the program after transferring from UT Martin, Cam Holden is having a very strong start.
 
Earning three double-doubles this year, Holden thus far is averaging 17.6 points and 11.6 rebounds a contest through the opening four games, each team-highs.  He currently ranks seventh in all of Division I in rebounding and 13th in double-doubles.
 
ALL HOME GAMES TO AIR ON FLOSPORTS
For the 2021-22 season, all Towson men's and women's basketball home games will be broadcast online on FloSports, the exclusive online broadcast partner of the Colonial Athletic Association. Nearly all CAA conference games will be broadcast on FloSports.
 
Spiro Morekas, the voice of the Towson Tigers, is in his 31st season calling games for the men's basketball team.
 
FOUR TIGERS EARN CAA ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL
Four Towson men's basketball players were selected to the CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll for Spring 2021 for maintaining a 3.0 GPA through that semester.
 
Chris Biekeu, Chris Caliguiran, Jason Gibson and Justin Patterson all earned this honor after the Spring 2021 semester.