Pirates Host N.C. Wesleyan Monday To Tip-Off 2024-25 Season

Game 1: N.C. Wesleyan at East Carolina
Date \| Time	November 4, 2024 \| 7:00 p.m. ET
Location	Greenville, N.C. \| Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum
Game Program	Digital Game Program #1
Coverage	Stream: ESPN+ Radio: 107.9WNCT Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Statistics	East Carolina \| N.C. Wesleyan \| The American
Game Notes	East Carolina \| N.C. Wesleyan \| The American
Social Media	Facebook \| Twitter \| Instagram \| YouTube \| #1ECU

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The East Carolina men's basketball team will open the 2024-25 season and its third year under head coach Michael Schwartz on Monday evening when the Pirates welcome North Carolina Wesleyan to Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.

The game is slated to tip at 7 p.m. and will be streamed via ESPN+ with Patrick Johnson (play-by-play) and Si Seymour (analyst) on the call. Monday's game can also be heard on 107.9 WNCT with Daron Vaught on the call.

The Pirates return only 36 percent of their scoring from last season, headlined by AAC Preseason First Team senior guard RJ Felton, who averaged a team and career-high 17.3 points per game in 2023-24. In addition to returning starters Cam Hayes and Cyr Malonga, the Pirates added nine new faces in the offseason comprised of six transfers in C.J. Walker (UCF), Jordan Riley (Temple), Julien Soumaoro (Gardner-Webb), Yann Farell (St. Bonaventure), Jayshayne Woodard (Indian River CC) and Trevion LaBeaux (Indian Hills CC) as well as three freshmen in Ladontae Felton, Tybo Bailey and Reid Cason.

Season-Opening Success
ECU will look to continue its winning ways in season-openers as the Pirates will look to start the season on a winning note for the 25th straight time on Monday night. The last time that the Pirates dropped a season-opener was on the road against Robert Morris on Nov. 19, 1999 when ECU fell 58-53.

Scouting the Battling Bishops
N.C. Wesleyan returns 15 players from last season's team that went 14-12, led by top returning scorer Marquis Eskew, who averaged 14.5 points on 48 percent shooting from behind the arc. Justin Burden also averaged 10 points per contest last year for N.C. Wesleyan. The Battling Bishops posted an overall record of 14-12 last season, including an 8-6 record in conference play.

Series History
East Carolina leads the all-time series with N.C. Wesleyan 8-1 as the last meeting between the two programs took place on Dec. 1, 2020 with the Pirates winning by a comfortable margin of 91-62. The Battling Bishops' lone win of the series came in the teams' second meeting on Nov. 27, 1989 when N.C. Wesleyan defeated East Carolina 70-69 at home.

On This Date
ECU's game against N.C. Wesleyan on Nov. 4 will be the first time that the Pirates have played on the date. The earliest previous season-opener date was Nov. 5 against VMI to start the 2019-20 season.

Up Next
The Pirates will remain at home on Saturday for the second contest of their four-game homestand when they take on Coastal Carolina at 4 p.m. on ESPN+.

Pirates Host N.C. Wesleyan Monday To Tip-Off 2024-25 Season

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Tybo Bailey

Reid Cason

Yann Farell

Ladontae Felton

RJ Felton

Cam Hayes

Trevion LaBeaux

Cyr Malonga

Jordan Riley

Julien Soumaoro

C.J. Walker

Jayshayne Woodard

Footer