LIVE STATS | TICKETS
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Fans will get their first look at the 2026-27 Morehead State men's basketball team Wednesday night, if they make the short trek to Richmond, Ky., as the Eagles will play the Eastern Kentucky Colonels in an exhibition game at 7 p.m. ET at Baptist Health Arena.
The game will not be streamed, and no radio broadcast is planned. Live stats will be available. Although it won't count for each team's records, this will mark the 199th all-time men's basketball meet-up between MSU and EKU. The two units met last October for an exhibition contest at Johnson Arena, with the visitors prevailing 107-93 in a shootout.
Head coach
Jonathan Mattox embarks on his third campaign leading the program, coming off an Ohio Valley Conference co-regular season title last winter. The Eagles return six members of the squad who were on the 2025-26 roster, including four who saw action and three who made significant contributions.
Point guard
Chase Dawson, from Durham, N.C., returns to lead the back court. He averaged better than eight points and dished out more than 90 assists last season. Fellow guard
Vince Dawson III is also back. The Georgetown, Ky., native led the team with a 38-percent three-point accuracy last season.
Also back in the front court is 6-8 forward
Clayton Parker. The Montgomery City, Mo., product was averaging 4.1 points before an ailment sidelined him after 14 games played. The final player who saw limited action last season is guard
Jace Winkleman, a Morehead, Ky, native.
The roster features two returnees who sat out last season in guard
Jarvis Wright and forward
Jaden Priester. Both hail from Georgia.
New to the roster this year includes transfer guards
Justin Payne (Young Harris [Ga.]),
Kenyata Carbon (Lindsey Wilson [Ky.]),
Kyrell Shaw (Hutchinson [Kan.]) and
Izaiah Day (Taylor [Ind.]). Forward transfer newcomers include
Lonnie Bass, Jr. (Independence [Kan.]),
Dalman Alexander (California [Pa.]) and
Tayvion Tangiora (Davidson-Davie [N.C.]).
The lone true freshman is
Malik Gillespie, a guard from Warner-Robins, Ga.
Under long-time head coach A.W. Hamilton (at EKU since 2018-19), the Colonels finished 11-21 last year with a 7-11 A-Sun mark.
Following mid-week action, the Eales close the exhibition season on Saturday night at Dayton at 7 p.m. ET. The regular season tips off at Western Kentucky on Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
HISTORY WITH EKU
2025-26 RECORDS
MSU: 20-13, 15-5 OVC | EKU: 11-21, 7-11 A-SUN
THE SERIES
Record vs. EKU: 87-110
First Meeting: 2/10/31 EKU won 32-20 at EKU
Last Meeting: 3/5/21 MSU won 67-64 at Evansville, Ind.
Streak: MSU, W2
Record in Richmond, Ky.: 33-60
Record in Morehead: 49-42
Neutral Record: 0-0
10 RECENT GAMES
2/10/18 Richmond, Ky. (A) L 75-73
2/24/18 MOREHEAD, KY. W 70-66
2/14/19 MOREHEAD, KY. W 78-72
3/2/19 Richmond, Ky. (A) W 78-77
2/13/20 MOREHEAD, KY. L 78-71
2/29/20 Richmond, Ky. (A) L 80-76
12/7/20 Richmond, Ky. (A) L 71-68
12/14/20 MOREHEAD, KY. W 75-62
3/5/21 Evansville, Ind. (NS) W 67-64
10/27/25 MOREHEAD, Ky. L, 107-93 (Exhibition)
