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HBU Huskies (0-0) at Providence Friars (0-0)
Friday, Nov. 10 – 6:00 p.m. CST
Alumni Hall – Providence, R.I.

Audio (Jeff Sutton)
TV: Fox Sports Network
Live Stats
Game Notes

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – HBU is set to open the 2017-18 men's basketball season on Friday, Nov. 10, at 6:00 p.m. CST with its first game of the 2017 2K Classic Benefitting Wounded Warrior Project against Providence on the Friars' campus at Alumni Hall in the first men's game played in the building since 1972. Friday's game will be aired on FSN with Bob Picozzi and Tarik Turner on the broadcast. Husky fans can also listen to the Legacy Sports Network audio broadcast with Jeff Sutton available at HBUHuskies.com.
 
HBU (0-0) returns a pair of starters in senior center Josh Ibarra and junior point guard Braxton Bonds from last season's team that finished 17-14 and tied for second in the Southland Conference standings at 12-6. Ibarra, a second team All-Southland honoree from last season was also named second team Preseason All-SLC after a junior year in which he averaged 12 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while leading the league with a .595 shooting percentage. Bonds led the Huskies in both assists (103) and steals (58) while averaging 9.7 points and five rebounds per outing.
 
Last season, HBU enjoyed its most successful season since returning to NCAA Division I and played in a postseason tournament (the 2016 College Basketball Invitational and the 2017 CollegeInsider.com Tournament) for the second-consecutive season. The Huskies lost five seniors and three starters from last year's team, including second team All-Southland Conference selections Colter Lasher and Reveal Chukwujekwu. Lasher and Chukwujekwu were first and second on the team in scoring with Chukwujekwu leading the team in rebounding. HBU closed the 2016-17 regular season with nine-straight victories.
 
Providence (0-0) returns every starter and 10 letterwinners from last season's 20-13 squad that made the NCAA Tournament. So far in 2017-18 in three exhibition games, the Friars have been without seniors Jalen Lindsey and Emmitt Holt who started a combined 60 games last year. So far in their preseason exhibition games, sophomore Alpha Diallo has averaged more than 18 points and rebounds per game with a double-double in the Friars' 87-53 win over Baruch
 
Rodney Bullock, a 6-8 senior forward, led the team in scoring and rebounding last season with 15.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Senior Kyron Cartwright dished out 222 assist as a junior to go along with 10.7 points per outing. As a team, Providence out-scored opponents 70.3 to 66.9 while opponents held a 34.6 to 33.3 rebounds per game advantage.
 
Friday's game marks the first ever meeting between the Huskies and Friars.
 
HBU returns home for a mid-week game at home in Sharp Gym against Arlington Baptist on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 7:00 p.m. before heading to Nashville, Tenn. to continue play in the 2K Classic with a game against Belmont at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, before playing either Detroit Mercy or Seattle on Sunday, Nov. 19. The Huskies will then close out the 2K Classic with a game at Virginia Tech on Nov. 21 at 6:00 p.m. CST in Blacksburg, Va.