Alcorn State is off to a 1-3 start with two players in double figures.

The Braves have defeated Paul Quinn on Nov. 12, but suffered losses at DePaul, Louisiana-Monroe and Memphis. The Tigers game and Tuesday’s contest against NC State is part of the Barclay’s Center Classic.

Alcorn State was picked for ninth in the SWAC preseason poll, with junior wing Troymain Crosby on the second team and senior point guard Maurice Howard was picked first-team All-SWAC. The latter missed the Memphis game.

Here is a preview of Alcorn State at NC State (3-1) at 7 p.m. tonight at Reynolds Coliseum.

The backcourt of Crosby and Howard has combined to average 24.7 points per game.

Memphis blasted Alcorn State 102-56 last Saturday, without suspended star freshman center James Wiseman. Howard didn’t play for the Braves.

Rankings

KenPom.com has Alcorn State at No. 336 in the country this season, and ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) has the Braves at No. 325 in the country.

The Braves are ranked No. 302 in the old RPI formula used by the NCAA — according to RealTimeRPI.com. In the newly established NET rankings done by the NCAA, Alcorn State finished No. 347 in the country last year.

Shooting

Alcorn State is shooting 38.2 percent from the field and 30.6 percent on three-pointers, and four players have made at least five three-pointers. Power forward Deshaw Andrews is the best of the group, going 7 of 12 from beyond the arc, and Howard is 7 of 21. Junior guard reserve Isaiah Attles comes off the bench and has gone 5 of 13 from beyond the arc.

Rebounding

The Braves are averaging 39.8 rebounds per game, with 6-9, 220-pound Kobe Wilson leading the way with 8.5 boards a contest. Wilson grabbed 12 rebounds against Paul Quinn and 10 boards at DePaul.

Crosby chips in 5.0 boards, and both Andrews and freshman wing Dominic Brewton average 4.3 rebounds a game.

Defense

Alcorn State is allowing 76.5 points per game, but opponents have shot a blistering 50.9 percent from the field. The three-point defense has been particularly good, limiting teams to shoot 17 of 67 on three-pointers. Starting center Devon Brewer has 67 career blocks.

Depth

Alcorn State usually plays at least five players off the bench. Attles has started one out of four games, and is the top scorer off the bench at 6.8 points per game. Wilson has been the impact performer off the bench, leading the team in rebounding and blocks per game, to go with 5.0 points a contest.

Brewton, senior center Alonzo Campbell and junior power forward Anthony Fairley have also played in all four games.

The 6-4, 200-pound Crosby of Laurel, Miss., has been a steady contributor who has improved each season at Alcorn State.

Crosby averaged 7.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 19.4 minutes per game off the bench his freshman year, and then moved into the starting lineup last year. He improved to 10.7 points and 4.9 boards, but his percentage fell to 38.6 percent from the field and he wasn’t much of a threat beyond the arc (6 of 33).

The step up in competition affected Crosby last year. In games against Tulsa, Vanderbilt, South Florida and Alabama-Birmingham, he shot a combined 9 of 36 from the field for 28 points last year. He had 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists last year against Champion Christian on Dec. 8, 2018. He also has three double-doubles in his career for points and rebounds.

Foul trouble limited Crosby against Memphis last Saturday. He ended up scoring 10 points and grabbing five rebounds in just 13 minutes of action. He had 20 points against Paul Quinn.

NC State

PG — 11 Markell Johnson (6-1, 175, Sr., 7.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 7.7 apg, 1.7 spg)

SG — 13 C.J. Bryce (6-5, 210, 5th-Sr., 20.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.0 spg)

G — 10 Braxton Beverly (6-0, 180, Jr., 11.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.8 apg)

PF — 4 Jericole Hellems (6-7, 205, Soph., 9.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 0.0 apg)

C — 15 Manny Bates (6-11, 230, R-Fr., 8.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.5 apg, 4.0 bpg)

Alcorn State

PG — 11 Maurice Howard (6-1, 190, Sr., 10.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.3 spg)

SG — 0 Troymain Crosby (6-4, 200, Jr., 14.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.3 spg)

SF — 12 Deshaw Andrews (6-4, 240, Sr., 9.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.0 agp)

PF — 3 Corey Tillery (6-3, 180, Sr., 9.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.5 spg)

C — 33 Devon Brewer (6-8, 260, Sr., 3.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.5 apg, 1.0 spg)

3: Players from the Carolinas at Alcorn State — senior wing Deshaw Andrews is from York (S.C.) Comprehensive, junior wing Jael Scott is from Charlotte (N.C.) Berry High and junior guard Arne Morris is from Cary (N.C.) Panther Creek High.

31.2: Percentage from three-point land by opponents last year, which ranked second in the SWAC. Teams have shot 25.4 percent this season.

45: Games where senior guard Maurice Howard has scored at least 10 points in his career. He missed the Memphis game Saturday.

The 6-4, 240-pound Andrews is a unique forward due to his football player build, but he’s scored at least 11 points in three of the first four games.

Andrews attended junior college, where he averaged 16.8 points and 7.1 rebounds a game at South Carolina Salkehatchie, and transferred to Alcorn State last year.

Andrews averaged 8.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 18.6 minutes per game last year. He had 26 points, seven rebounds and four steals in a 88-65 loss against Mississippi State on Nov. 26, 2018.

NC State redshirt senior wing C.J. Bryce is shooting 60.4 percent from the field and hasn’t shot as many three-pointers this season (2 of 7), but leads the Wolfpack in scoring at 20.3 points per game. He’ll be giving up 30 pounds against Andrews.

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