FOLLOW ALONG

• TV: Big Ten Network – Wayne Randazzo (pxp) & Myles Dread (analyst)
• RADIO: Penn State Sports Network – Steve Jones (pxp) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
• NATIONAL RADIO: SiriusXM Ch. 372 & SXM App Ch. 372
• LIVE STATS: StatBroadcast

SETTING THE STAGE  

• UMBC opened their 57th season with a 95-66 victory against Penn State York on Monday. This is the 39th season of DI hoops for the Black and Gold.
• In season openers, UMBC now holds a 16-22 mark in DI play.
• UMBC is 0-4 all-time versus Penn State.
• The Retrievers are 0-3 against the Nittany Lions in University Park.
• In their last meeting in 2018-2019, the Dawgs dropped a 74-52 decision.
• Senior Marcus Banks Jr. was named to the America East Conference Preseason All-Conference Team

ABOUT PENN STATE

• Penn State kicked off the season with a 108-66 drubbing of Binghamton Monday night in the 2024-25 season opener.
• Penn State's 108 points were tied for the fourth-most in a single-game in program history. It marked Penn State's first 100-plus point game since 2017 when the Nittany Lions scored 102 in triple overtime at Indiana and was Penn State's first 100-plus point effort in a regulation game since 2009.
• The 42-point margin of victory was the seventh-largest in program history.
• Six different Nittany Lions scored in double figures in Monday's night's season-opening win vs. Binghamton, marking the first time since Dec. 6, 2020 that Penn State had six double-digit scorers.
• Zach Hicks led the way with 22 points behind a 9-for-12 effort from the field. Yanic Konan Niederhauser (16), Ace Baldwin Jr. (15), D'Marco Dunn (12), Freddie Dilione V (10) and Dominick Stewart (10) also finished in double figures.

HISTORY LESSON

• UMBC is competing in its 57th season as a varsity men's basketball program and has compiled a 658-929 (.413) record during that span.
• The program began DI competition in 1986-87 and has recorded a 442-643 (.411) record.
• Fourth-year head coach Jim Ferry is the program's 10th all-time head coach.  
• The Retrievers have competed in four DI conferences in their history. (East Coast, Big South, Northeast, America East).

 A PROGRAM ON THR RISE

• UMBC is enjoying their best stretch in program history as the Retrievers have gone a combined 147-109 (.614) over the past eight seasons. UMBC enjoyed three straight 20+ win seasons from 2016-17 to 2018-19. Their 25 victories in 2017-18 was a program high.
• UMBC became the first #16 seed to knock off a #1 seed when the Retrievers shocked Virginia, 74-54, in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
•  Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena (formerly the UMBC Event Center) officially opened on Feb. 3, 2018, as the UMBC men's basketball team hosted the Vermont Catamounts before a capacity crowd of 4,753. Both the men's and women's basketball teams played their February and March games in the new facility, which included three post-season victories.
• The on-campus facility can accommodate nearly 6,000 patrons for commencements, concerts, featured speakers, and other events. It includes spectator facilities, such as concessions, catering, hospitality, restrooms, security and guest services.

 COACH FERRY

• Jim Ferry is in his 23rd season as a collegiate head coach and his fourth at UMBC.
• Ferry led the Retrievers to consecutive 18-14 records as well as an appearance in the America East Finals in 2021-22.
• Prior to his arrival in Baltimore, Ferry served in 2020-21 as the interim head coach at Penn State. He led the Nittany Lions to an 11-14 overall mark and a 7-12 Big Ten record that included wins over NCAA Tournament teams No. 14 Wisconsin, No. 15 Virginia Tech, Rutgers, and Maryland (twice).
• Ferry spent 10 seasons as head coach at LIU Brooklyn, guiding the program to unprecedented levels of success. He led the Blackbirds to the Northeast Conference regular-season titles and tournament championships in 2011 and 2012, including their first NCAA Championship appearance in 14 years

AMERICA EAST PRESEASON POLL     
Rank   Team (First-Place Votes) Points
1          Vermont (8), 64
2          UMass Lowell (1), 55
3          Bryant, 52
4          Maine, 39
5          UMBC, 31
6          Binghamton, 30
7          UAlbany, 26
8          NJIT, 15
9          New Hampshire,12
 
MILESTONE WATCH   

• 800 career points -  Marlon Short (726)
• 700 career points - Bryce Johnson (661)
• 800 career points -Marcus Banks, Jr. (750)
• 500 career points, Josh Odunowo, (436)
• 150 career 3-pointers, Marcus Banks Jr. (147(
• 400 career rebounds - Marlon Short (372).
• 300 career field goals - Marlon Short (296) 
• 250 career field goals - Bryce Johnson (227)
• 150 career 3pt-fg - Bryce Johnson (109)
• 125 career 3pt fg -Marcus Banks Jr. (110)

 SEVEN TALENTED NEWCOMERS ENTER THE FOLD

• Graduate student Josh Odunowo (Laurel, Md./Perkiomen School/Columbia University), junior Chaydon Stone (Macon, Ga./Jones County/New Mexico State Junior College), sophomore Daylon Dickerson (Kaufman, Tex./Kaufman/McLennan Community College), junior Louie Jordan (Leicester, England/Charwood College/Weber State), freshman Tim Eze (Kleinburg, Ontario/Bill Crothers Prep), freshman Jake Stout (Catonsville, Md./Boys Latin), and freshman Torin Bosch (Chandler, Ariz./Perkiomen School (Pa.)) will all wear the black and gold this upcoming season.
• "I'm really excited about this group and the skill level that every student-athlete will bring to the program," Ferry said. "It's a class of very versatile players who are all true competitors. They have blended in great with our returners and will be able to fill in many of our needs."
• Josh Odunowo, F, 6-6, 215 
• At Columbia: Made 56 starts throughout his career at Columbia…Led the Ivy League with a 61.1 field goal percentage in 2023-2024…Finished tied for eighth in the conference and paced the Lions with 19 blocks. High School: A 2020 graduate of Perkiomen School …Three-time letter winner with the Panthers … First Team All-County in 2019 and 2020…Helped the Panthers become Regional Champions in 2020 … Perkiomen School basketball MVP during his post-grad year…Team captain 2019-2020.
• Chaydon Stone, G, 6-3, 180
• At New Mexico Junior College: Averaged 12.6 points per game in just 17.5 minutes per game…Shot 35.3 percent (54-of-153) from behind the arc and 79.1 percent (72-of-91) from the free throw line…Also added 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Helped lead the squad to the Region V Semifinals last season and was named to the Region V All-Tournament Team…Scored 34 points in a double-overtime game against Clarendon and splashed seven treys in the contest. High School: Averaged 19.2 points at Jones County as a senior and was named First Team All-County.
• Daylon Dickerson, F, 6-6, 200
• At McLennan Community College: Produced 16.8 points on 55.6 percent shooting in 2023-24. Also grabbed 9.0 rebounds and added 2.2 assists over 30 games played...Named to the North Texas All-Region and All-Conference squads. High School: Averaged 18.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 3.2 steals and 2.5 blocks…Two-Time First-Team All-District selection…District MVP… Two-time All-Region selection… Two-time All-State selection…McDonald's High School All-American Nominee.
•  Louie Jordan, F, 6-9, 215
• At Weber State: Played two seasons at Weber State and appeared in 40 career games… Knocked down 17 career 3-pointers… Earned Big Sky Academic All-Conference honors in Professional Sales…Made three 3-pointers in wins over Colgate, Navajo Tech, and Park Gilbert… High School: Played for Charnwood College in Leicester for three seasons…Named D2 MVP…Participated in the Hoopsfix All Star game and scored 22pts 7/8 fg 5-6 3's.
•  Tim Eze, F, 6-7, 200
• High School: Averaged 21.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game as a senior…Shot .468 from the floor and .769 from the foul line…Enjoyed a monster game with 38 points and four blocks against United Scholastic Academy…Named to the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association First Team All-State team and was the league's leading scorer…Helped lead the squad to the OSBA Quarterfinals.
•  Jake Stout, G, 6-5, 200
• High School: Averaged a team-high 17.0 points and 6.0 rebounds during his senior year and was named to the MIAA All-Conference squad as a senior at Boys' Latin…Also averaged 13.0 points and 5.0 boards as a junior and earned MIAA All-Conference accolades.
• Torin Bosch, G, 6-4, 185
• High School: Averaged 14.8, 5.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game as a senior. Shot 49.8 from the floor and 37.4 percent from deep…Was named to the Arizona Interscholastic Athletics Conference 6A Premier Region First Team in 2023-23 and earned Second Team accolades as a junior…Was also named the Chandler Unified School District Defensive Player of the Year in 2022-23. 

 
LAST TIME OUT

• Senior guard Marcus Banks Jr. swished a career-high seven triples en route to 27 points as the UMBC men's basketball team cruised to a 95-66 season-opening victory against Penn State York on Monday afternoon at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena.
•  Banks went 10-for-16 overall and connected on 7-of-11 from deep, finishing just one point shy of a career-high. Four other Retrievers, including three newcomers, were in double-figures in scoring on the night. Freshman forward Tim Eze (14 points, six rebounds), sophomore forward Daylon Dickerson (13 points, five rebounds), and junior forward Louie Jordan (10 points, 3-for-6 treys) were all impressive in their UMBC debuts. Senior guard Marlon Short added 12 points and five boards.
•  UMBC led 55-25 at the break as they used a 28-2 run midway through the opening half to pull away from the Nittany Lions. Banks had 17 points and was 5-of-6 from deep in the opening stanza.
•  Quentin Wells scored 22 points and added a game-high nine rebounds to pace the visitors, who were held to just 30.9 percent shooting by the Retrievers. Marquise McClean added 19 points and eight rebounds.
•  UMBC, who never trailed, shot 45.9 percent for the game and were 10-of-28 (35.7 percent) from downtown.
•  The Retrievers held a 48-26 advantage inside the paint.