PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will make its home debut Friday and Saturday (Nov. 18-19) when the Gorillas host the four-time Pitt State Classic at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court.

Pitt State will face Quincy University and the University of Illinois-Springfield at 7:30 p.m. (CST) each night. MIAA rival Missouri Southern will tipoff at 5:30 p.m. both nights with the Lions facing UIS Friday and QU on Saturday.

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 is 1-1 on the young season under first year head coach Jeff Boschee who was hired to lead the Pitt State basketball program on Mar. 9, 2022. The Gorillas made their season debut by hosting the Central Region Challenge at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 11-13.

The Gorillas dropped a 60-50 decision to Winona State in the season opener on Nov. 11 as Pitt State shot just 28.9 percent from the field in the game. The Gorillas bounced back with an exciting 82-74 win over Sioux Falls (S.D.) to close out the tournament action in Kansas City. Pitt State shot 555 percent from the floor and knocked down 11 3-point field goals in the contest.

Quincy is 1-2 on the season. The Hawks posted an 88-51 home win over Hannibal-LaGrange Wednesday (Nov. 16) to bounce back from an 0-2 start to the season. QU opened the 2022-23 campaign with high scoring losses to Findlay (96-87) and Cedarville (86-85) at the GMAC/GLVC Challenge Nov. 11-12.

UIS is off to a 3-0 start to the season. The Prairie Stars beat Hannibal-LaGrange, 95-60, Tuesday (Nov. 15). UIS opened the year with wins over Ashland (80-67) and Kentucky Wesleyan (70-58) at the Parkside Crossover Tournament at Kenosha, Wis., Nov. 11-12. The Prairie Starts also scored an 83-77 exhibition game victory over NCAA Division I Northern Illinois on Nov. 7.

Head Coach Jeff Boschee
Jeff Boschee is in his first year as head basketball coach at Pittsburg State.

Prior to accepting the Pitt State position, Boschee served as head coach at MIAA rival Missouri Southern State University the past eight seasons. He compiled a 151-86 (.637) overall record leading the Lions.

Boschee directed MSSU to four 20-win seasons and three consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II National Tournament between the 2017-18 and the 2019-20 campaigns. He was selected the 2017-18 MIAA Coach of the Year and his 2018-19 squad reached the NCAA Sweet 16 while posting a 25-8 record.

As a collegiate player, Boschee was a four-year starter at the University of Kansas under former KU coach Roy Williams from the 1998-99 to 2001-02 seasons. While at KU he helped the Jayhawks win a Big 12 Conference Championship and a Big 12 Conference Tournament title, and he played in the 2002 NCAA Final Four.

Series History
Pitt State and Quincy will meet for the first time in 64 years Friday. The Hawks downed the Gorillas, 67-56, in the only meeting on Dec. 5, 1958.

Pitt State and UIS will meet for the first time Saturday. 

Scouting the Gorillas
The Gorillas have four players scoring in double figures early in the season: senior guard Quentin Hardict Jr. (13.0 ppg), junior guard Albert McBride (13.0 ppg), junior guard/forward Deshaun English II (12.5 ppg) and redshirt sophomore guard R.J. Forney Jr. (11.0 ppg).

Hardrict is averaging 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game this far. He scored a team-leading 23 points in the Gorillas win over Sioux Falls on Nov. 13.

Hardrict averaged 8.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game during his junior campaign. He started 14 of 17 games played, shooting .500 from the field on the year (43-86).

Hardrict (6-0, 165) contributed 10.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 2020-21. He shot 45.0 percent from the field (85-189). He 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.

McBride is averaing 13.0 points per game and shooting 47.4 percent (8-19)from the field thus far.

McBride joined the Gorillas from Coffeyville Community College. He averaged 13.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists for the Red Ravens last year.

McBride (6-3, 190) also played at the University of North Carolina-Asheville in 2019-20. He was a first-team All-District performer at Houston's Manvel High School as a senior in 2018-19 (18.2 ppg).

English has averaged a double double in his first two games in a Gorilla uniform. The Pittsburg native has contributed 12.5 points, a team-leading 12.0 rebounds and shot 50.0 percent (10-20) from the field.

English posted 15 points and 11 rebounds against USF on Nov. 13. He chipped in with 10 points, 13 rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals in the season opener vs. WSU (Nov. 11).

English joined the Gorillas from Butler Community College. He was a two-time All-Jayhawk Conference performer for the Grizzlies, earning third-team All-Conference honors as a sophomore in 2021-22 and honorable mention All-Conference recognition as a freshman in 2019-20. He played at NCAA Division I University of Northern Colorado during the 2020-21 season.

The 2018 Kansas Class 5A Player of the Year, English averaged 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists per game his senior year at Pittsburg High School.

Forney has contributed 11.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in Pitt State's first two games. He has made a team-leading seven 3-point field goals.

Forney (6-3, 195) saw action in 17 games, including one start, a year ago. He has played in 39 career games, scored 103 points (2.6 ppg) and made 27 3-point field goals.

Forney started eight games and averaged 3.9 points per game as a true freshman in 2020-21. He 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.

Senior forward Calvin Poulina also is contributing 7.0 points and 3.5 rebounds on the season.

Poulina, an international player, transferred to Pitt State from Bethune-Cookman University, where he averaged 3.2 points and 2.0 rebounds per game in 2021-22.

Poulina (6-8, 240) contributed 6.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game in 2019-20 at Eastern Florida State College. The native of Leiden, Netherlands played his freshman season at Binghampton University in 2018-19.

Junior guard Magic Reliford has chipped in with 4.5 points and a team-leading 4.0 assists per game.

Reliford returned for his second season with the Gorillas in 2022-23. The Parsons, Kan., native averaged 4.2 points per game, while making three starts on the season a year ago.

Reliford shot .358 from 3-point range, converting 24 of 67 attempts on the season and averaged 12.8 points during the final five games of the season.

Reliford (6-2, 172) came to Pitt State from Neosho Community College where he 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.

Redshirt junior center Ethan Holloway is contributing 3.5 points and 2.0 rebounds per game to date. Holloway has converted 60.0 percent (3-5) of his shots on the young season.

Holloway (6-8, 220) returned for his fifth year in the Pitt State program.

The Iola, Kan., native has played in 31 career games, averaging 1.8 points and 1.2 rebounds per game and shooting .500 from the field (23-46).

He was a two-time Kansas Class 4A All-State performer and a four-year All-SEK League honoree at Iola High School.

Junior guard/forward Jeramy Shaw has added 1.5 points and 1.5 rebounds to the Gorillas stat ledger.

Shaw transferred to Pitt State from the University of Detroit Mercy. He played one season for the Titans, after earning second-team NJCAA All-America honors at North Central Missouri College in 2020-21. He averaged 16.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting .559 from the field during his All-America campaign.

Shaw was a two-time Missouri Class 3A All-District performer at St. Louis' Valley Park High School.

Pitt State Probable Starters
  F   3  Deshaun English II, 6-6, 200, Jr., Pittsburg, Kan.
  F  23  Calvin Poulina, 6-8, 240, Sr., Leiden, Netherlands
  G  00  Albert McBride, 6-3, 190, Jr., Houston, Texas
  G   5  Quentin Hardrict Jr., 6-0, 165, Sr., Minneapolis, Minn.
  G  10  R.J. Forney Jr., 6-3, 195, R-So., Tulsa, Okla.