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RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University's men's basketball team will begin its 2024-25 season on Monday against Alice Lloyd College at the Seabury Center in Berea, Kentucky.
 
The game will begin at 7 p.m. ET and air live on ESPN+.  The live radio broadcast of the game is available in the Richmond area on WCYO 100.7 FM, or worldwide on EKUSports.com.
 
EKU will play four games at the Seabury Center on the campus of Berea College while construction continues on the renovation of Baptist Health Arena.  The first phase of the Baptist Health Arena renovation will be completed prior to the first Atlantic Sun Conference home game on Jan. 9 against North Florida.
 
For the Colonels' season opener against Alice Lloyd, there will be a canned food drive and a pom pom giveaway.  Fans who donate a canned food item will receive FREE admission to the game.
 
THE COLONELS
-  EKU finished last season 17-14 overall and 12-4 in the ASUN Conference.  The Colonels won the 2023-24 ASUN regular season championship, the program's first regular season conference title since 1978-79.
 
-  A.W. Hamilton was chosen by his peers as the 2023-24 Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year.  He is the first coach in EKU program history to be chosen as the conference coach of the year twice, having earned Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2020.
 
-  Devontae Blanton is the only returning starter from last season's team.  The Colonels lost four starters and two of the first three players off the bench.  EKU lost 82 percent of its rebounds, 77 percent of its assists, 77 percent of its minutes and 75 percent of its points from last year's squad.
 
-  Blanton was selected by head coaches to the Preseason All-ASUN Team.  EKU was picked to finish second this season in the ASUN Media Poll.  The Colonels were picked fourth in the ASUN Coaches Poll.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
-  Alice Lloyd College went 17-16 last season and was 5-12 in the NAIA's River States Conference.  The Eagles finished fifth in the NCCAA National Tournament.  ALC will begin its 2024-25 season with games against Boyce on Friday (Nov. 1) and Welch on Saturday (Nov. 2).  
 
- Jared Strickland, a 6-foot-4 senior guard, returns for 2024-25 after leading the team in scoring  at 16.5 points per game.
 
-  Ben Soumahoro, a 6-foot-3 senior forward, led the team in rebounding (6.7 rpg) and was second on the squad in scoring (14.6 ppg) last year.
 
-  In 2023-24, ALC shot 46 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3-point range.
 
INSIDE THE MATCH-UP
-  Last season, both teams averaged more than 80 points per game.  The Colonels were 29th in NCAA Division I with 80.8 points per game.  Alice Lloyd averaged 81.2 points per game.
 
-  A year ago, the Eagles averaged 9.0 steals per game and forced their opponents into 14.5 turnovers per game.  EKU gave the ball away just 11.5 times per game last season.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
-  EKU is 2-0 all-time against the Eagles with the two previous meetings coming during the 2019-20 season and the 2021-22 season.  The Colonels have averaged 102.5 points per game in the series.
 
-  In the most recent meeting, EKU earned a 106-52 victory over ALC on Dec. 31, 2021.  As a sophomore, Blanton scored what was then a career-high 29 points on 13-of-19 shooting from the field.  He also pulled down 14 rebounds and had three steals.