Complete Game Notes
SIUE Cougars (4-10, 1-0 OVC)
vs. Tennessee State Tigers (9-5, 1-0 OVC)
Sat., Jan. 4, 4:00 p.m.
Gentry Center (9,100)
Nashville, Tennessee
LAST TIME OUT
SIUE opened 2020 with its biggest win of the NCAA Division I era, stunning
Ohio Valley Conference favorite Belmont 79-69 to open conference play at Curb Event Center. SIUE used a dominant second half to score its first win in nine tries all-time against Belmont. Belmont was 55-3 all-time at home in OVC play before Thursday's loss to the Cougars.
ROAD SHOW
Eight of SIUE's 13 nonconference games were on the road. The schedule included road games in seven different states. The OVC schedule for the Cougars begins with four consecutive road games.
BARONE DEBUTS
Head Coach Brian Barone takes over at the top after two seasons as the Cougars' top assistant. He has previous Division I stops at Green Bay, Indiana, Marquette and Illinois State. He also brings junior college experience as a head coach and assistant.
BARONE'S PEDIGREE
Brian's father is the late Tony Barone, Sr., who played at Duke before beginning his coaching career. After stops at Duke and Bradley as an assistant, Tony was the head coach at Creighton (1985-91) and Texas A&M (1991-1998). He also coached the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies during the 2006-07 season.
BARONE SIGNED THROUGH 2024
On November 13, SIUE Director of Athletics Tim Hall announced an extension of Head Coach Brian Barone's contract through the 2023-2024 season.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
Unofficially, Barone is one of nine current Division I head coaches whose father also was a Division I head coach. The List:
Tony Bennett, Virginia (Dick Bennett)
Jeff Capel III, Pittsburgh (Jeff Capel II)
Kermit Davis, Jr., Mississippi (Kermit Davis, Sr.)
Scott Drew, Baylor (Homer Drew)
Mark Prosser, Western Carolina (Skip Prosser)
Richard Pitino, Minnesota (Rick Pitino)
Jay Spoonhour, Eastern Illinois (Charlie Spoonhour)
Kevin Willard, Seton Hall (Ralph Willard)
FAMILY MATTERS
SIUE freshmen Lamar and
Shamar Wright are the sons of former NBA player, the late Lorenzen Wright. Their older brother, Lorenzen, Jr. played at UT Martin during the 2017-18 season.
OH BROTHER
Lamar and Shamar are one of 16 sets of brothers nationally who are playing on the same Division I team this season. The twins join brothers playing at Boston College, The Citadel, Coppin State, Eastern Washington, Iowa, Maryland, Mount St. Mary's, Navy, Northwestern State, Oklahoma State, Ohio, Ohio State, Pepperdine, Robert Morris and Vermont.
CONFERENCE CALL
