The Sam Houston State men's basketball team is set to open the season on the road at SMU on Wednesday.
 
The game, which is scheduled to tip at 7 p.m., will be broadcast on ESPN+ with John Liddle and Stephen Howard on the call. Locally, the game will be available on KSAM 101.7 FM with Rob Hipp delivering the play-by-play from Dallas.
 
The Bearkats have four returners who saw action last season. First-team All-Southland Conference junior guard Zach Nutall led SHSU in scoring at 15.4 points a game, while senior Demarkus Lampley was fourth at 8.0 before suffering a season-ending injury.
 
Senior Terryonte Thomas played in 30 games and averaged 3.4 points per game, and redshirt sophomore Cyrus Johnson appeared in 24 games and scored a season-high seven points in a win over Southeastern Louisiana. Guards Pierce Hellums and DJ Kelley each took a redshirt.
 
SHSU added five junior college players this season including forwards Manny Crump, Tristan Ikpe and Dylan Robertson and guards Javion May and Donte Powers. The Bearkats also welcome three high school signees in guards Bryce Monroe and Jarren Cook and forward Kian Scroggins.
 
Crump averaged 9.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Coffeyville Community College last season, while May averaged 11.6 points and 5.5 rebounds at Colby Community College.
 
Ikpe had a stellar sophomore season at Blinn and was named to the Region XIV Conference first team after leading his team in scoring and rebounding with 17.3 points and 10.4 boards. Robertson averaged 10 points and 10 boards a game at Shelton State.
 
Powers averaged 9.1 points, 2.2 assists, 2.0 rebounds and recorded 58 steals in two seasons at East Mississippi Community College where he played alongside Thomas as a freshman in 2018-19.
 
Monroe was the recipient 2019-20 Kevin Restani Basketball Trophy which goes to the high school Player of the Year for the city of San Francisco last season after averaging 20.2 points per game at Bishop Riordan High School. Cook was the District 11-5A Most Valuable Player at Newman Smith High School in Carrollton as a junior after averaging 24 points a game.
 
Scroggins was an all-conference and all-district selection for Raymore-Peculiar High School in Missouri as a junior when he averaged 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and shot 56.5 percent from the floor.
 
SHSU stays on the road for an ESPNU matchup with Texas Tech in Lubbock on Friday at 1 p.m. and will head to Fort Worth to play Boise State at the Dickie's Arena at 1 p.m. Sunday.
 
The Bearkats play their home opener Dec. 1 against Arlington Baptist. For ticket information click here and to view the Athletic Department's COVID protocols and policies for home games click here.