The Bison (3-13) will complete one of the program's most challenging non-conference schedules in recent history.  The young team, which has nine freshmen, four of whom start, has played as far north as Boston (vs Harvard), as far south as Florida (vs University of Central Florida), in the Southwest (vs Houston), the Midwest (South Dakota State) and the West Coast (vs USC in Los Angeles).

The matchup against the Cougars (7-7) will be the first game of the 2014 season and a prep for the MEAC schedule, which resumes on January 13 when the Bison host Savannah State at 7:30 pm in Burr Gymnasium.

"We hope to build off our efforts in the first half of the game at USC," said Howard head coach Kevin Nickelberry.  "In College of Charlestion, we are facing a very good basketball team that will help us in preparation for our conference schedule."  The Cougars enter the game on a two-game win streak, having defeated Davidson, 76-64 on the road on New Year's Day.

The Bison played the Trojans tough in the first half and trailed 29-26 at intermission, in the strength of some opportunistic defense that forced 12 first half turnovers and blocked a season-high seven shots.  But the lack of depth, foul trouble and fatigue proved to be too much to overcome as the Bison fell, 82-60 to the Trojans.

Much of Howard's scoring woes can be attributed to the absence of two of its top freshmen, guards James "J-Bird" Daniel and James "JT" Miller.  Daniel leads the team in coring at almost 20 points per clip, but he has missed the past four games, nursing a sore toe.

Miller has played in only seven games due to a knee injury, but he has proven to be a factor when he has played, evidenced by his game-winning shot in the overtime win over Delaware State in December.  Miller is fourth on the team in scoring with seven points per game.  He and Daniel have combined for 49 three pointers and making almost 40 percent from beyond the arc.

In their absence, junior forward Prince Okoroh, has picked up the slack.  He is second on the team in scoring at almost 16 points and he leads the team in rebounding.  But he has struggled of late as teams have focused their attention on stopping the talented forward, who has a career-best 40-point effort this season.

"We need to get Prince going again," said Nickelberry.  "He has struggled some lately so we need to get him going again in preparation for the conference schedule."

The absence of Daniel and Miller and the mini slump of Okoroh has forced some of the other players to step up and gain valuable playing time.  Freshman center Marcel Boyd, red-shirt sophomore center Oliver Ellison, freshman forwards Solomon "Solo" Mangham  and Tyler Stone along with freshmen guards Keon Hill, Ausar Madison, Kofi Andoh and Damon Collins, have all received extended playing time.

"This is yet another chance for us to get playing experience and develop depth," said Nickelberry.  "I think it will really pay off when we get Daniel and Miller back."  He added that they both could be ready for the first conference game on January 13.