PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will open its 2019-20 season Friday (Nov. 8) when the Gorillas travel to Kansas City, Mo., to take part in the eight-team Central Region Challenge at historic Municipal Auditorium.

The Gorillas will take on Upper Iowa University at 4:30 p.m. Friday and close out the two-day classic format tournament with a 4:30 p.m. match-up against the University of Sioux Falls (S.D.) Saturday.

The Pitt State action can be heard on ESPN 100.7 FM radio, online at espn1007.com/go or through the ESPN 100.7 or KSHQ app for phones or mobile devices.

Central Region Challenge Schedule

Nov. 8                                             Nov. 9
Minnesota State vs. Washburn, Noon                 Missouri Southern vs. Minnesota State, Noon
Winona State vs. Missouri Southern, 2:15 p.m.      Washburn vs. Winona State, 2:15 p.m.
Upper Iowa vs. Pittsburg State, 4:30 p.m.          Pittsburg State vs. Sioux Falls, 4:30 p.m.
Sioux Falls vs. Lincoln, 6:45 p.m.                 Lincoln vs. Upper Iowa, 6:45 p.m.

The Records
Pitt State enters its third season under head coach Kim Anderson. The Gorillas posted a 17-13 overall record during the 2018-19 season.

The Gorillas return one starter and six letterwinners from last year's squad.

Senior forward Christian Edmondson leads Pitt State's returning contingent. Edmondson averaged 6.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last season.

Upper Iowa posted a 7-22 record in 2018-19, including a 4-18 mark in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), after averaging 17+ wins the previous five seasons.

Sioux Falls posted a 19-11 record (13-9 NSIC) a year ago advancing to the second round of the NSIC Postseason Tournament. The Cougars have won 39 games during the past two seasons.

Head Coach Kim Anderson
Pittsburg State's Kim Anderson enters his third season leading the Gorillas. He has compiled a pair of 17-13 records in his first two seasons at Pitt State.

Anderson (Missouri, '79) became the Gorillas' 15th all-time head coach on Apr. 10, 2017, after coaching the previous three seasons at his alma mater – the University of Missouri.

He has a 335-188 (.641) record in 18 seasons as a collegiate head coach, including the 2014 NCAA Division II National Championship as head coach at the University of Central Missouri as well as two more Division II Final Four appearances (2007, 2009) while compiling a 274-95 (.743) record at the school.

Anderson led UCM to seven trips to the NCAA Division II National Tournament and seven 20-win seasons.  In his final season with the Mules he guided the squad to a 30-5 overall record and the D2 national title.

His Mules teams captured six MIAA regular season titles (2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014) and four MIAA Tournament titles (2005, 2007, 2009, 2013).

He was selected the MIAA Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2010, and the NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year in 2014.

Series History
This will be the first all-time meeting for the Gorillas against both Upper Iowa and Sioux Falls.

Scouting the Gorillas
The Gorillas return six letterwinners from last year's squad.

Senior forward Christian Edmondson averaged 6.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game during his junior campaign.

Edmondson (6-6, 215) saw action in 25 games, including eight starts, in the Pitt State frontcourt. The Flower Mound, Texas, native shot 64.9 percent from the field, making 74 of 114 shots from the field. He also grabbed a team-leading 54 offensive rebounds and recorded 32 blocked shots (1.3 bpg) on the season.

Edmondson has scored 311 points (4.6 ppg) and grabbed 240 rebounds (3.6 rpg) in 67 career games for the Gorillas.

Sophomore guard Ray Elliott saw action in all 30 games in a reserve role for the Gorillas in 2018-19. The Tulsa, Okla., native contributed 4.8 points per game. Elliott (6-4, 165) made 27 3-point field goals on the year (27-83, .325).

Elliott led the state of Oklahoma in scoring as a senior at Tulsa's Nathan Hale High School in 2017-18, averaging 36 points per game.

Senior guard Marcel Cherry averaged 4.2 points and 1.7 assists per game in his first season in the Pitt State program in 2018-19. The Merrillville, Ind., native made three starts in the Pitt State backcourt.

Cherry (6-1, 185) averaged 7.7 points and 3.2 assists per game as a sophomore at Wabash Valley College in 2017-18. He posted 9.1 points per game as a freshman at Howard College, earning honorable mention All-Conference honors.

Sophomore guard R.J. Lawrence (5-11, 145) played in 17 contests during his freshman campaign, averaging 3.5 points per game. The Blue Springs, Mo., native shot 46.7 percent from the field (21-45) in limited action (7.6 minutes per game).

Lawrence was a three-time All-Conference and two-time All-District performer at Blue Springs High School.

Sophomore forward Layton Hartloff (6-7, 195) saw action in eight games as a freshman in 2018-19. The Claremore, Okla., native averaged 21 points, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots per game as a senior at Claremore High School.

Senior guard A.J. Walker will return to action for the Gorillas at the start of the second semester. Walker started all 30 games during his junior campaign, averaging 7.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

The Kansas City, Mo., native transferred to Pitt State from State Fair Community College where he averaged 13.7 points and 7.0 assists per game during his sophomore campaign and earned honorable mention NJCAA All-America honors.

Redshirt freshman forward Ethan Holloway (6-8, 200) and redshirt freshman guard Drew Roelfs (6-1, 180) also return for their second seasons in the Pitt State program.

Holloway was a two-time All-State performer at Iola High School, while Roelfs was an All-League selection at Pittsburg High School his senior year.

In addition to the Gorillas' returners, seven newcomers have joined the Pitt State roster.

Senior guard Jah-Kobe Womack transferred to Pitt State from NCAA Division II member Quincy University.

Womack (6-3, 175) started 25 of 28 games played for the Hawks last year. The St. Louis, Mo., native averaged 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game during his junior campaign, after redshirting at QU in 2017-18. He made a team-leading 41 3-point field goals.

Womack averaged 10.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Allen County Community College in 2016-17. He helped lead Cardinal Ritter College Prep to the Missouri Class 3A state championship as a junior in 2013-14. He averaged 19 points and six rebounds per game, earning first-team All-Conference honors as a senior in 2014-15.

Junior forward Dejon Waters Jr. joins the Gorillas from Central Georgia Technical College.

Waters (6-4, 220) averaged 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists per game as a sophomore at Central Georgia Tech. The Atlanta, Ga., native scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds a game as a senior at Shiloh High School.

Junior forward Antonio Givens II transferred to Pitt State from NCAA Division I Kent State University.

Givens (6-9, 260) redshirted in his only season at Kent State after playing his freshman and sophomore seasons at Wabash Valley College. He averaged 3.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game as a sophomore for the Warriors in 2017-18, shooting 62.5 percent from the field on the season.

Givens was a standout prep performer at West High School in Columbus, Ohio.

Junior guard Xavier Womack comes to Pitt State from Johnson County Community College.

Womack (6-6, 180) started 10 of 35 games played for the Cavaliers in 2018-19, helping JCCC to a 31-4 record and the NJCAA Division II National Runner-Up finish. The St. Louis, Mo., native averaged 8.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the field on the season.

Womack was selected the NJCAA Kansas Jayhawk Community College Division II Freshman of the Year in 2017-18 when he averaged 12.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while starting 26 of 31 games. He posted nine double-doubles during his freshman campaign and garnered second-team All-Jayhawk Conference honors.

Junior guard Grant Harding (6-3, 219) transferred to Pitt State from Hesston College. The Louisburg, Kan., native started 60 games in the backcourt at Hesston the past two seasons. He averaged 17 points and seven rebounds a game as a senior at Louisburg High School.

Freshman guard Jalen Justice (6-3, 170) comes to Pitt State from Robbinsdale Cooper High School. A three-time All-State performer, the New Hope, Minn., native averaged 29 points and eight assists per game as a junior and 28 points and five assists a game his senior year.

Freshman guard/forward Jacob Coleman (6-4, 190) was a Kansas Class 5A All-State performer at Basehor-Linwood High School. Coleman averaged 19 points, nine rebounds and four assists for the Bobcats during his junior season.

Pitt State Probable Starters

 F  12  Dejon Waters Jr., 6-4, 220, Jr., Atlanta, Ga.
 F  33  Christian Edmondson, 6-6, 215, Sr., Flower Mound, Texas 
 G   3  Jah-Kobe Womack, 6-3, 175, Sr., St. Louis, Mo.
 G   4  Ray Elliott, 6-4, 165, So., Tulsa, Okla.
 G  14  R.J. Lawrence, 5-11, 145, So., Blue Springs, Mo.