Washington, DC---The Howard University men's basketball will try to pick up its second win of the season when it travels across town to take on the Colonials of George Washington University on Saturday in a non-conference game at the Charles E. Smith Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 pm. The game will be broadcasted LIVE on RISETV.
The Bison (1-6) got off to a good start in Wednesday's game against the Terrapins of the University of Maryland, once leading by six and only trail by eight at the half.
But the injury bug again reared its ugly head and this time it was to James "JT" Miller who fell victim. The 6-4 red-shirt junior guard from Clinton, NC, who came into the game on a hot streak and averaging 18 points a game, suffered a wrist injury that sidelined him for most of the game. He will be out for four weeks.
Miller joins senior guard James "J-Byrd" Daniel, III, who has not played this season and is out for at least three more weeks with a high ankle sprain and red-shirt senior center Marcel Boyd, who has missed the last two games with a foot injury.
Daniel, last year's leading scorer in college basketball with 27 points per game and Boyd, who averaged a double-double last year, are both pre-season All-MEAC first team selections.
Miller, who missed most of last season with a wrist injury, had taken up the slack of late by tallying 85 points in the previous three games before the Maryland contest.
The scoring load will now fall on the shoulders of senior forward Solomon "Solo" Mangham and senior guard Damon Collins. Mangham, who missed the second half of last season with an injury, is having an outstanding season. He is averaging 14 points a game and he leads the team in rebounding and in three-point shooting performance (46 percent). It was Mangham, who carried the Bison in the first half of the Maryland game with 13 of his 16 points.
Collins, a 6-5 native of Dallas, TX, was moved to the point guard position and has responded to average 10 points while also leading the team in assists.
Despite the loss of these key players, Howard may have found yet another option on the offense in Charles "CJ" Williams. The talented 6-4 freshman from Richmond, VA, put on a show against the Terps, leading all scorers with 21 points that included some long-range shooting and an emphatic dunk for good measure. Williams started three of the last four games and is sure to be factor with the absence of Daniel and Miller.
In George Washington (6-4), the Bison face a team that has been a surprise this season. The Colonials won the NIT last year with a team that featured four seniors. GW also has a new coach in Marcus Joseph. The Colonials start two freshmen, but the big key for them is the play and leadership of graduate student Kyle Cavanaugh. He leads the team in scoring at almost 18 per game and in rebounding with seven a game.
"GW played really well in their win (66-63) over a good Temple team on the road," said Howard head coach Kevin Nickelberry. "Cavanaugh makes them go with his experience. We have to make sure that we control him. We need to get back to the defense that we played in the second half of the
Georgetown game, the entire American game and the first half of the Maryland game. We were not as active in our zone defense and did not get our hands on loose balls. We need to get back to that and improve on our offense."
GAME NOTES: /documents/2016/12/10//MBBALL_8.pdf?id=484
NEXT UP: The Bison host Jacksonville State on Wednesday at 7 pm in Burr Gymnasium.
SERIES RECORD: This is the eighth meeting between the two schools, which a few minutes apart and the Colonials lead the series, 6-1.
INJURY UPDATE: Daniel, high ankle sprain (out); Miller, injured wrist (out); and Boyd, foot injury (questionable).
