ECU To Open Hoops Season At Charlotte

Game One: East Carolina at Charlotte
Date \| Time	Nov. 27, 2020 \| 3:00 p.m.
Location	Charlotte, N.C. (Halton Arena)
Game Program	Hoops Digest #1
Live Game Coverage	Radio: WNCT 107.9FM \| TuneIn Radio Online Stream: YouTube.com
Live Stats	Sidearm Stats
Statistics	ECU \| Charlotte
Game Notes	ECU \| Charlotte
Social Media	Facebook \| Twitter \| Instagram \| YouTube \| #OnePirateNation

GREENVILLE, N.C. --- East Carolina is scheduled to open the 2020-21 season Friday afternoon at Charlotte in the first game of the 49er Tip-Off Classic. This will mark the seventh straight season in which the cross-state foes have met, splitting each of the last six games. The Pirates snapped a three-game series losing streak with a 60-56 win in Greenville last season. East Carolina last opened its season with a true road game on Nov. 22, 2002, winning at Middle Tennessee State, 65-63.

This will mark the latest season opener for the Pirates since the 1993-94 campaign when it tipped off the year with an 82-65 loss to Charlotte at Independence Arena on Nov. 29, 1993. East Carolina has won its season opener each year of the millennium (20 consecutive).

In 55 years as a Division I member (1965-66), ECU is 38-17 in season openers but just 3-13 when those games are on the road.

SERIES AGAINST CHARLOTTE

ECU owns a 9-18 record against Charlotte. Last year, Jayden Gardner scored a game-high 23 points and Tremont Robinson-White added 18 to lift the Pirates to a four-point win over the Niners, 60-56. ECU is 2-11 all-time against Charlotte in the Queen City and has not beaten the Niners in their home city since 1983 (0-11).

PLAYING BELMONT ABBEY

Scheduled to face Belmont-Abbey on Saturday in its second game of the multi-team event, ECU has recorded a record of 13-4 against the Crusaders. The Pirates last faced Belmont-Abbey on Nov. 28, 2004, posting a 77-50 win over the Crusaders inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. Prior to 2004, the two teams had not faced off since 1971. Belmont Abbey won the initial meeting in the series with a 37-31 win over East Carolina Teacher's College in 1938.

WHO'S BACK FOR THE PIRATES?

The Pirates return 13 lettermen, including all five starters, which accounted for 97 percent of their scoring, rebounding, assists and minutes played. ECU welcomes back more than 94 percent of its statistical production in 10 categories. ECU is one of only 14 programs nationally to return 10 or scholarship letterman with 11.

PRESEASON RECOGNITION

Jayden Gardner was unanimously selected preseason first-team all-conference in the American Athletic Conference Coaches' Poll. He received second-team all-league honors last season after leading the conference in scoring (19.7 ppg) and finishing third in rebounding (9.2). ESPN.com's Myron Medcalf and Lindy's Sports dubbed Gardner was selected preseason Player-of-the-Year in The American. He was also named to the initial 2021 Julius Erving Award Watch List, which is given annually to the best small forward in the country.

MORE ABOUT GARDNER

Gardner is one of only three returning Division I players (Luke Garza, Iowa; Terry Taylor, Austin Peay) to average 19 points, nine rebounds and shoot over 50 percent from the field; and the only one of the three to shoot over 70 percent from the free throw line. He is also one of only three returning "Major 7" conference players to rank among the top 5 in his league in points, rebounds and field goal percentage in 2019-20 (Garrison Brooks, North Carolina; Luke Garza, Iowa).

NEWTON LOOKS TO MAKE SOPHOMORE JUMP

As a freshman Tristen Newton ranked among The American conference leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio (2nd), free throw percentage (6th), assists (7th) and minutes played (18th). He returns ranked among the top-5 in each of the categories. Newton posted the highest assists per game (3.7) and assist-to-turnover ratio of any freshman in The American last season. His 114 assists were an ECU Freshman Record and ranked as the fourth-most by a newcomer in conference history.

DON'T SLEEP ON MILES

Senior J.J. Miles was named one of 20 Under-The-Radar Players to Watch this season by CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein. Miles scored double figures in four of the last seven games, shooting 34.7 percent outside the 3-point arc in conference play after connecting on just 31.1 percent of his 3s against non-conference opponents.

ECU HOPING FOR HEALTHIER SEASON

Unlike last season, the Pirates begin the new campaign with their key components ready to play. A year ago, junior college transfers Tremont Robinson-White and Tyrie Jackson were sidelined to start the season. Robinson-White missed the first seven games and Jackson the first four. Ludgy Debaut was lost for the season following game three and Edra Luster missed eight games due to injury. Seven different student-athletes missed a total of 60 games during the 2019-20 season.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jayden Gardner

Tyrie Jackson

Edra Luster

J.J. Miles

Tristen Newton

Tremont Robinson-White

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