Troy University Athletics
Monday, November 4
Troy, Ala.
6 p.m.
Troy University
vs
Toledo
Troy Men’s Basketball Hosts Toledo in MAC-SBC Challenge to Open 2024-25 Season
11/3/2024 11:01:00 AM | Basketball (M)
TROY, Ala. – Filled with a plethora of returning talent and exciting newcomers, the Troy men's basketball teams open its 2024-25 season hosting Toledo in the MAC-SBC Challenge on Monday night in Trojan Arena.
Led by head coach Scott Cross, the Trojans are coming off its third consecutive year with 20 regular season wins and 10-plus conference wins and are the only team in the Sun Belt to achieve both of those marks. Troy's roster has 12 returners and five newcomers. The Trojans are returning 66 percent of its scoring from last season.
Toledo enters the season having won the last four regular season titles in the MAC and are projected to finish fourth in the conference. The Rockets came in at No. 19 in the CollegeInsider.com Men's Basketball Mid-Major Top 25 Preseason Poll.
Game Information
Location: Troy, Ala. – Trojan Arena (5,200)
The Matchup: Troy (0-0, 0-0 SBC) vs. Toledo (0-0, 0-0 MAC)
When: Monday, Nov. 4 – 6 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: Troystats.com
Listen: Troy Sports Media Network
Game Promotion: Pack Trojan Arena
2023-24 Season Recap
The Trojans had one of its best regular seasons in recent memory last year as it finished with a 20-12 record, including 13-5 in conference play. Troy's 13 SBC wins were its most in a season since 2008-09, and helped the Trojans finish third in the regular season standings – it's highest finish since the 2009-10 campaign.
Leading the Troy efforts last season was the dynamic backcourt of Christyon Eugene and Aamer Muhammad. Eugene led the Trojans in scoring with 15.4 points and was named to the All-Sun Belt First Team. Both players graduated from Troy following the season and are now playing internationally.
Troy finished first in the conference in bench points (29.5), fastbreak points (14.6), free throw attempts per game (23.5), free throws made (17.3), offensive rebounds per game (13.3), steals per game (10.3) and turnovers forced per game (15.5). Troy also finished second nationally in steals per game.
The Trojans opened their conference slate 5-0, which was their best conference start since the 2003-04 season when the Trojans opened 6-0 in conference play (ASUN), and its best start since Troy joined the Sun Belt before the 2005-06 season.
In the Sun Belt Tournament, Troy came up short in the quarterfinals to Texas State, and did not take part in a postseason tournament.
Looking Ahead
Myles Rigsby – the 2024 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year – and Tayton Conerway – the 2024 Sun Belt Sixth Man of the Year – will each have an increased role in this year's squad. Both players earned preseason Sun Belt recognition as Rigsby was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team, while Conerway was slotted in on the second team. Both players averaged over 11 points last season.
In the preseason coaches poll, Troy was selected to finish third and received one first place vote. It's Troy's highest selection since before the 2017-18 season, when it was also picked third and got one first-place vote.
The other Troy returners that appeared in a game last season includes Marcus Rigsby Jr., Thomas Dowd, Jackson Fields, Theo Seng, Victor Valdes, Randarius Jones, Kameryn Mitchell and Braydon Whitaker.
Jerrell Bellamy and Kerrington Kiel also return from last year's team, but did not appear in a game as both players took redshirt years.
The Trojans added five new players, which includes four freshman and one JUCO transfer. Included in the newcomers are Alabama natives Austin Cross – Scott Cross' son –, Evan Griffin and Jackson Porch. Troy also added brothers Cooper Campbell and Cobi Campbell. Cobi transferred to Troy after playing his first two seasons at North Idaho College.
The first few weeks of the season will see Troy take on one of the toughest non-conference slates in the Sun Belt, as it will go against two nationally ranked preseason teams and two teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season. Troy will than head to No. 16 Arkansas, to take on a new-look Razorbacks team led by star coach John Calipari. The Trojans than head to the Pacific Northwest to take on Oregon, who made it to the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament last season. The final non-conference road game of 2024 will see the Trojans head to No. 4 Houston.
Scouting Toledo
The Rockets are looking to win an unprecedented fifth consecutive regular season title. The Rockets are returning two starters from last year's squad that posted a 20-12 overall record and 14-4 league mark. Sophomore Javan Simmons and senior transfer Isaiah Adams were named to the Preseason All-MAC First and Second Team in October.
Simmons is the 2024 MAC Freshman of the Year after averaging 12.2 point per game last season. Monday is the first meeting between Troy and Toledo.
Season Opener Notes
• Scott Cross enters his sixth season at the helm for Troy men's basketball, and his 18th as a Division I men's basketball head coach. At Troy he is 80-76 record, and 305-237 overall.
• Monday marks the second straight year of the MAC-SBC Challenge. The Sun Belt finished last year with a 15-9 record, including 10 wins over MAC teams during the February games.
• Troy fell at Ohio in the first game of the challenge last season, and defeated Kent State at home last season.
• The Trojans are returning 100 total starts from last season from seven different players. Eugene and Muhammad were the only players who started games last season that are not on the team this season. The Trojans are also returning 262 total games played between 10 players.
• Myles Rigsby and Tayton Conerway each earned preseason Sun Belt honors following a strong 2023-24. Rigsby was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team, while Conerway was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team. It's the second consecutive season that Troy has had multiple preseason all-conference selections after Muhammad and Eugene each earned the honor prior to last season.
• Jackson Fields, who started 27 of the 28 games he appeared in last season, and Kameryn Mitchell are the longest tenured Trojans as the pair enter their third season under head coach Scott Cross. All other players are either entering their second year in the program or are new to this year's team.
• The Trojans did not add a single player from the NCAA Transfer Portal, nor did they lose a player to the portal. The only non-freshman addition to this year's team is JUCO transfer Cobi Campbell.
• Troy has won its last four season opener, with the last three coming at home.
Led by head coach Scott Cross, the Trojans are coming off its third consecutive year with 20 regular season wins and 10-plus conference wins and are the only team in the Sun Belt to achieve both of those marks. Troy's roster has 12 returners and five newcomers. The Trojans are returning 66 percent of its scoring from last season.
Toledo enters the season having won the last four regular season titles in the MAC and are projected to finish fourth in the conference. The Rockets came in at No. 19 in the CollegeInsider.com Men's Basketball Mid-Major Top 25 Preseason Poll.
Game Information
Location: Troy, Ala. – Trojan Arena (5,200)
The Matchup: Troy (0-0, 0-0 SBC) vs. Toledo (0-0, 0-0 MAC)
When: Monday, Nov. 4 – 6 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: Troystats.com
Listen: Troy Sports Media Network
Game Promotion: Pack Trojan Arena
2023-24 Season Recap
The Trojans had one of its best regular seasons in recent memory last year as it finished with a 20-12 record, including 13-5 in conference play. Troy's 13 SBC wins were its most in a season since 2008-09, and helped the Trojans finish third in the regular season standings – it's highest finish since the 2009-10 campaign.
Leading the Troy efforts last season was the dynamic backcourt of Christyon Eugene and Aamer Muhammad. Eugene led the Trojans in scoring with 15.4 points and was named to the All-Sun Belt First Team. Both players graduated from Troy following the season and are now playing internationally.
Troy finished first in the conference in bench points (29.5), fastbreak points (14.6), free throw attempts per game (23.5), free throws made (17.3), offensive rebounds per game (13.3), steals per game (10.3) and turnovers forced per game (15.5). Troy also finished second nationally in steals per game.
The Trojans opened their conference slate 5-0, which was their best conference start since the 2003-04 season when the Trojans opened 6-0 in conference play (ASUN), and its best start since Troy joined the Sun Belt before the 2005-06 season.
In the Sun Belt Tournament, Troy came up short in the quarterfinals to Texas State, and did not take part in a postseason tournament.
Looking Ahead
Myles Rigsby – the 2024 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year – and Tayton Conerway – the 2024 Sun Belt Sixth Man of the Year – will each have an increased role in this year's squad. Both players earned preseason Sun Belt recognition as Rigsby was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team, while Conerway was slotted in on the second team. Both players averaged over 11 points last season.
In the preseason coaches poll, Troy was selected to finish third and received one first place vote. It's Troy's highest selection since before the 2017-18 season, when it was also picked third and got one first-place vote.
The other Troy returners that appeared in a game last season includes Marcus Rigsby Jr., Thomas Dowd, Jackson Fields, Theo Seng, Victor Valdes, Randarius Jones, Kameryn Mitchell and Braydon Whitaker.
Jerrell Bellamy and Kerrington Kiel also return from last year's team, but did not appear in a game as both players took redshirt years.
The Trojans added five new players, which includes four freshman and one JUCO transfer. Included in the newcomers are Alabama natives Austin Cross – Scott Cross' son –, Evan Griffin and Jackson Porch. Troy also added brothers Cooper Campbell and Cobi Campbell. Cobi transferred to Troy after playing his first two seasons at North Idaho College.
The first few weeks of the season will see Troy take on one of the toughest non-conference slates in the Sun Belt, as it will go against two nationally ranked preseason teams and two teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season. Troy will than head to No. 16 Arkansas, to take on a new-look Razorbacks team led by star coach John Calipari. The Trojans than head to the Pacific Northwest to take on Oregon, who made it to the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament last season. The final non-conference road game of 2024 will see the Trojans head to No. 4 Houston.
Scouting Toledo
The Rockets are looking to win an unprecedented fifth consecutive regular season title. The Rockets are returning two starters from last year's squad that posted a 20-12 overall record and 14-4 league mark. Sophomore Javan Simmons and senior transfer Isaiah Adams were named to the Preseason All-MAC First and Second Team in October.
Simmons is the 2024 MAC Freshman of the Year after averaging 12.2 point per game last season. Monday is the first meeting between Troy and Toledo.
Season Opener Notes
• Scott Cross enters his sixth season at the helm for Troy men's basketball, and his 18th as a Division I men's basketball head coach. At Troy he is 80-76 record, and 305-237 overall.
• Monday marks the second straight year of the MAC-SBC Challenge. The Sun Belt finished last year with a 15-9 record, including 10 wins over MAC teams during the February games.
• Troy fell at Ohio in the first game of the challenge last season, and defeated Kent State at home last season.
• The Trojans are returning 100 total starts from last season from seven different players. Eugene and Muhammad were the only players who started games last season that are not on the team this season. The Trojans are also returning 262 total games played between 10 players.
• Myles Rigsby and Tayton Conerway each earned preseason Sun Belt honors following a strong 2023-24. Rigsby was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team, while Conerway was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team. It's the second consecutive season that Troy has had multiple preseason all-conference selections after Muhammad and Eugene each earned the honor prior to last season.
• Jackson Fields, who started 27 of the 28 games he appeared in last season, and Kameryn Mitchell are the longest tenured Trojans as the pair enter their third season under head coach Scott Cross. All other players are either entering their second year in the program or are new to this year's team.
• The Trojans did not add a single player from the NCAA Transfer Portal, nor did they lose a player to the portal. The only non-freshman addition to this year's team is JUCO transfer Cobi Campbell.
• Troy has won its last four season opener, with the last three coming at home.
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