PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will travel to Joplin, Mo., to take part in the four-team Chris Tucker Memorial Classic.

The Gorillas will face Truman State University at 5:30 p.m. (CST) Friday (Nov. 19) and Southwest Baptist University at 5:30 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 20) at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center on the campus of Missouri Southern State University.

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

The Records
Pitt State brings an 0-2 record into the weekend action. The Gorillas dropped a pair of hard fought decisions – 79-68 to Winona State University on Nov. 12 and 69-66 to Upper Iowa University on Nov. 14 – in the 16-team Central Region Challenge at Kansas City, Mo., last weekend.

Truman is 2-0 on the young season after sweeping a pair of games at the GLVC/G-MAC Challenge at Quincy, Ill., last weekend. The Bulldogs defeated Cedarville University (87-80) and the University of Findlay (90-61). Truman is ranked No. 6 in the NABC/NCAA Division II preseason Top 25 poll after posting a 20-3 record and advancing to the Elite Eight in 2020-21.

Southwest Baptist is 2-0 heading into a Friday match-up against Missouri Southern. The Bearcats defeated Trevecca Nazarene University, 91-69, at Rolla, Mo., on Nov. 13 and SBU posted a 110-74 victory against Barclay College at Bolivar, Mo., Tuesday (Nov. 16).

Head Coach Kim Anderson
Pittsburg State's Kim Anderson is in his fifth season leading the Gorillas. He has compiled af 56-58 record 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. [for complete biography, see page 3]

He has a 357-220 (.619) overall record 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
Friday's action will mark the 48th all-time meeting between Pitt State and Truman. The Gorillas hold a 36-11 advantage in the series against the Bulldogs. The two teams last met on Mar. 4, 2013, with Pitt State prevailing, 70-62.

The Gorillas and the Bearcats will meet for the 66th time Saturday. SBU holds a slim, 34-31, advantage in the series. Pitt State posted an 87-76 victory in the last meeting on Jan. 9, 2019.

Scouting the Gorillas
Pitt State has two players scoring in double figures early in the season:  senior guard Iziah James and freshman forward Cameron Huefner.

James has contributed a team-leading 17.0 points per game so far. He is shooting 61.1 percent from the field (11-18), including 87.5 percent from 3-point range (7-8).

James (6-0, 180) transferred to Pitt State from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. He averaged 5.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game for the Cougars during the 2020-21 season.

Huefner is averaging 13.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in his second season in the Pitt State program. He is shooting 52.9 percent from the field (9-17) to date.

Huefner contributed 6.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game as a true freshman in 2020-21. He shot 51.1 percent from the floor (45-88), including 50.0 percent from 3-point range (14-28).

Huefner, an international player, signed with Pitt State from his native Australia. He averaged 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists per game for the Under 18 Norwood Flames.

Additionally, the Gorillas have four players scoring 5.0 or more points per game:  junior guard Tyler Hawkins (9.0 ppg), graduate guard Ryan Pippins(6.0 pg), graduate guard Dejon Waters Jr. (5.5 ppg) and redshirt sophomore R.J. Lawrencee (5.0 ppg).

Hawkins has contributed 9.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

Hawkins (6-3, 175) joins the Gorillas from from Brookdale Community College, where he averaged 20.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game for the Jersey Blues during the 2019-20 season.

Pippins is averaging 6.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

Pippins chipped in with 8.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game last year. He shot a team-leading 87.8 percent from the free throw line (43-49).

Pippins (6-0, 240) joined the Gorillas after four seasons at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. Pippins redshirted in 2019-20 while he battled back from an off season injury. 

The Little Rock, Ark., native averaged 5.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game as a junior in 2018-19.

Waters has averaged 5.5 points and a team-leading 8.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

Waters returned after excercising a medical redshirt season in 2020-21. Waters averaged 8.9 points while starting 22 games in 2019-20

Waters (6-4, 220) averaged 8.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 rebounds per game in 2019-20. He shot 47.3 percent from 3-point range, making 44 of 93 long range shots.

The Atlanta, Ga., native transferred to Pitt State from Central Georgia Tech.

Lawrence has contributed 4.0 points per game this season.

Lawrence (5-11, 145) averaged 4.8 points per game in 2020-21. The Blue Springs, Mo., native contributed 9.3 points for the Gorillas in 2019-20, before an injury cut short his season.

Freshman guard R.J. Forney and junior guard Ike Moore are both contributing 4.0 points per game, while senior forward Zach Burch is contributing 3.5 points per game.

Forney started eight games and averaged 3.9 points per game as a true freshman in 2020-21. He made 23 3-point field goals on the season.

Forney (6-3, 175) came to Pitt State from Tulsa's Union High School, where he averaged 10.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists his senior year.

Moore chipped in with 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 51.2 percent (42-82) from the field last year.

Moore (6-3, 175) transferred to Pitt State from Arkansas State University Mid-South. He averaged 16.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game as a sophomore for the Greyhounds.

Burch contributed 6.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game last year, while shooting a team best 61.5 percent from the field (56-91). He also blocked a team-leading 13 shots.

Burch (6-6, 225) transferred to Pitt State from NCAA Division II member Rockhurst University. The Butler, Mo., native contributed 2.7 points and 1.6 rebounds per  game during the 2018-19 season for the Hawks. 

The Gorillas also will look for graduate forward Bobby Arthur-Williams Jr. and junior guard Quentin Hardrict Jr. to be key contributers. Both players have missed Pitt State's first two games.

Arthur-Williams (6-7, 225) averaged a team-leading 12.0 points and 6.7 rebounds a year ago, while starting 19 games for the Gorillas. He shot 45.8 percent from the field (70-153) and went to the foul line a team-leading 121 times on the season.

Arthur-Williams transferred to Pitt State from NCAA Division I University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He redshirted at MKE in 2019-20, after averaging 3.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game as a junior in 2018-19.

Arthur-Williams averaged 17.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Redlands Community College. The Potomac, Md., native played his freshman season at Louisburg (N.C.) College.

Hardrict contributed 10.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 2020-21. He shot 45.0 percent from the field (85-189). 

Hardrict (5-10, 160) came to Pitt State from North Iowa Area Community College.

The Minneapolis, Minn., native was a two-time All-Iowa Community College Athletic Conference selection. Hardrict averaged 16.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game as a sophomore in 2019-20. 

He contributed 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game during his freshman season.

Hardict has contributed 6.0 points and 6.0 assists per game in Pitt State's exhibition action this season.

Graduate forward Antonio Givens II and sophomore guard Magic Relifordalso will look to impact Pitt State's lineup.

Givens averaged 8.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game last year, starting eight of 20 games played. He shot 52.8 percent from the floor (57-108).

Givens (6-9, 260) averaged 8.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in 2019-20, shooting 53.6 percent from the field (89-166). The Columbus, Ohio, native transferred to Pitt State from NCAA Division I Kent State University where he redshirted in 2018-19.

Givens averaged 3.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Wabash Valley College in 2017-18.

Givens averaged 10.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in Pitt State's two exhibition games this season.

Reliford (6-2, 185) came to Pitt State from Neosho Community College. The Parsons, Kan., native averaged 17.7 points per game and earned first-team All-Kansas Jayhawk Conference honors in 2020-21. He scored 30 or more points three times on the season and ranked eighth in the Jayhawk Conference in scoring.

Reliford averaged 7.5 points in the Gorillas' exhibition games against Avila and K-State.