The Blackburn Men's Basketball team opens their 2020-21 season on Saturday, February 27th, 2021. They will host Iowa Wesleyan at 3:00 p.m. to open their season. 

In their 2019-2020 season, head coach Austin Kirby entered his first season as Blackburn's head coach. He led the Beavers to an overall record of 13-13, and finished with an overall conference record of 12-6. Kirby will enter his second season as head coach and hopes to lead a group of strong returners as well as a handful of talented recruits towards a SLIAC tournament victory.

Key Returners:

Senior guard Bryson Kirby returns to the Beavers as a key offensive weapon. Kirby played in 26 games in his last season, starting in all 26. He shot 41.5% from beyond the arc last season on a total of 61-147. The senior guard finished 7th in the SLIAC last season in three point percentage. He averaged 9.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.8 APG and 1.5 SPG. In each of his seasons as a Beaver, Kirby has totaled over 100 points every season.

Senior guard Javon Stovall enters his senior year as a Beaver. During the 2019-20 season, Stovall played in 26 games, starting in six. He averaged 9.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 2.3 APG. The senior guard also shot 36.0% from beyond the arc and 52.0% from the floor. Stovall proved to be a solid contributor for the Beavers last season and looks to take on a bigger role this season. He was a key defensive player for Kirby, as he finished with 20 steals last season.. 

Junior guard Chanz Aldridge returns to the Beavers coming off his best season offensively. In his freshman year, Aldridge totaled 185 points overall. In his last season, he racked up an astounding 240 points (12.0 PPG) for the Beavers. Aldridge had a three point percentage of 39.6% overall and a SLIAC best 49.2% in conference play. Aldridge was also named the SLIAC 6th Man of the Year in the 2019-20 season. Kirby looks for him to be a big contributor this season. 

Junior guard David Lopez returns to the Beavers coming off an impressive 2019-20 season. He played in 26 games, starting in eight. He averaged 7.1 points per game, with a 36.9% three point shooting percentage. He also totaled 65 rebounds in his last season, with 54 defensive and 11 offensive. Lopez will provide even more experience to the backcourt.

Junior guard/forward Cristian Wagner enters his third season as a Beaver. In the 2019-20 season, Wagner shot 54% from the field, 42.2% from behind the arc overall and 43.5% in the SLIAC. Wagner finished the year 5th overall in 3PT% and 8th in league play. Wagner was a key defensive weapon last season, tallying 113 rebounds and ten blocks on the season. He was named to the SLIAC All-Tournament Team for the 2019-20 season.  

Other players to watch out for: 

Jarrius Burnett, 6’5” Freshman 

Tim Marston, 6’4” Senior 

Matt Moseley, 6’3” Senior 

Mystikal Suggs, 6’0 Junior 

Jaedon Johnson 5’11” Sophomore

Payton Krager 5’10” Freshman 

Key Losses: 

Guard Nigel Ferrell was a big loss for the Beavers on both sides of the floor. During his three seasons with Blackburn, he played in 78 games, finishing with 674 points. Ferrell averaged 12.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.2 APG and 1.6 SPG in the 2019-20 season, Ferrell was named to the SLIAC All-Conference 3rd Team and SLIAC All-Defensive team. He was also named to the SLIAC All-Defensive Team in the 2017-18 season.  While finishing his degree, Ferrell has joined the coaching staff. Blackburn is thankful to have him return as a student assistant coach, as his experience and achievements on the court will prove to be useful for the current players.   

Blackburn also graduated senior guard Karson Hayes following the 2019-20 season. Hayes was a crucial part of the Beavers' success. Hayes finished third on the SLIAC leaderboard for points per game, averaging 20. Hayes also was 1st on the SLIAC leaderboard in his last season for free throws, draining 103-146. Hayes’ offensive leadership and elite skill on the court are a huge loss for the Beavers as they enter the 2020-21 season. Hayes is considered one of the best basketball players to ever play for Blackburn, as he is a three time All-Conference selection and finished his career with a total of 1,450 points, earning him a spot on the Blackburn all-time points list. 

The SLIAC preseason poll placed Blackburn at 5th on the list. It is important to note that as a result of COVID-19, all teams will earn a spot in the SLIAC tournament following this season. 

“Our coaching staff is extremely excited to take the floor with our guys tomorrow. It’s been a long wait, but we are very thankful and excited to be able to play our first game this season. This is a fun, coachable and hardworking group. We reached the SLIAC tournament for the 3rd consecutive year last season and fell short of our goal. We have a large group of returners and talented newcomers that come in and work hard every day. They are tremendous, unselfish guys and I’m excited to see them compete this season.” - Head Coach, Austin Kirby