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TALKING POINTS
» The Kennesaw State basketball team concludes its non-conference schedule on Saturday (Jan. 3) when it hosts NAIA foe Thomas University at the KSU Convocation Center beginning at 2 p.m. (ET).
 
The Owls (4-11) will be attempting to a break a four-game losing streak and post their third home win of the season when it hosts the Night Hawks. KSU has home victories over Samford (84-71) and Chattanooga (77-69).
 
» Saturday's contest marks Kennesaw State's final tune-up before it opens its 14-game Atlantic Sun Conference schedule at USC Upstate on Saturday, Jan. 10 beginning at 2 p.m.
 
the competition
THOMAS UNIVERSITY
The Night Hawks are coming off an 85-48 exhibition loss at High Point on Dec. 28. Thomas University competes at the NAIA level and has compiled 11-2 overall record, including a 2-0 mark in the Sun Conference. Head coach Stephen Cox is in his second season leading the Night Hawks. Thomas University has four players averaging in double figures and is led by sophomore forward Alan Love who tops the team with 18.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and a .627 field goal percentage.
 
All-Time Record: 0-0
Last Meeting: First Meeting
 
Last time out
The Owls are coming off a 73-62 loss to Tennessee State on Dec. 31. Junior guard Yonel Brown led KSU with a game-high 21 points.
 
» NEWS AND NOTES
THIS WEEK IN KSU MEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday's game against Thomas University marks one of two contests Kennesaw State will play against non-Division I teams. The Night Hawks compete at the NAIA level and Division II Paine College will visit the KSU Convocation Center on Tuesday, Feb. 3.
 
The Owls are returning to the KSU Convocation Center after two road straight road games. Kennesaw State traveled into Big Ten Country on Dec. 27 and lost 93-45 to Illinois. KSU then fell 73-62 at Tennessee State on Dec. 31.
 
KSU AS A TEAM
Kennesaw State will hope a return to the friendly confines of the KSU Convocation Center will lead to a strong shooting percentage. Through five games this season, the Owls have shot 42.9 percent from the field in five home contests, and have had difficulties on the road, shooting just 36.5 percent from the field. It is four wins this season, Kennesaw State has converted 49.3 percent of its field goal attempts, including 39.2 percent from behind the 3-point line.
 
The Owls are 4-1 when the team had the lead or was tied at halftime.
 
Kennesaw State currently leads the Atlantic Sun Conference in free throw percentage with a 71.3 percent mark. The Owls have made 169 of 237 attempts.
 
KSU has been a dominant force inside on the defensive end as it leads the A-Sun Conference with 66 blocks and a 4.4 blocks per game average.
 
KSU INDIVIDUALLY
Junior Nigel Pruitt set a career high with 29 points at Youngstown State hitting six threes to tie a Kennesaw State record. At one point in the first half he scored 14 straight points for the Owls. Earlier in the season, Pruitt got off to a hot start earning 2K Classic All-Tournament Team honors after scoring 20 points against North Dakota State followed by 11 against Alcorn State.
 
Yonel Brown, who leads the team in scoring with 13.7 points a game, has paced the Owls in scoring a team-high seven times, including in his most recent outing against Tennessee State when he tallied a game-high 21 points. Brown has three games of 20 or more points, including a career-high 32 points against Chattanooga on Nov. 29.  The Owls' junior guard leads the team with 11 double-digit scoring games, including his last six.
 
Brown also leads the A-Sun Conference in free throw shooting at 86.6 percent as he has converted on 58 of 67 attempts.
 
Brown has been a marathon man for Kennesaw State as he leads the A-Sun Conference in minutes played, averaging 36.7 minutes per game.
 
Senior guard Delbert Love has 289 career assists and is 11 shy of reaching 300. He currently ranks third all-time in KSU history and is 18 shy of tying Spencer Dixon (2008-12) who is second with 307. Golden Ingle (2005-07) is the program's all-time leader with 339.
 
Junior center Willy Kouassi ranks second on Kennesaw State's all-time blocked shots list with 56. His 21 this has moved him three shy of tying LaDaris Green's (2008-11) total of 59.
» Program mainstays
ABOUT THE OWLS
• The 2014-15 season marks the 30th year of basketball at Kennesaw State. The 1985-86 campaign marked the first season of Owls basketball and the team posted a 7-21 overall record, including a 6-12 mark in the Georgia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, while competing as an NAIA member.
• Kennesaw State moved to the Division I level for the 2005-06 season and has compiled a 69-257 (.225) record in eight seasons. The Owls' best year at the D-I level was the 2006-07 season when the club posted a 13-18 (.419) mark.
 
ABOUT KENNESAW STATE
• Kennesaw State University is the third-largest university in Georgia, offering more than 80 graduate and undergraduate degrees, including doctorates in education, business and nursing and a new Ph.D in international conflict management. A member of the 35-unit University System of Georgia, Kennesaw State is a comprehensive, residential institution with a growing student population of more than 24,100 from 130 countries.
 
ATLANTIC SUN CONFERENCE
•Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun footprint reaches into seven of the top media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, Northern Kentucky University, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.
 
ABOUT THE KSU CONVOCATION CENTER
•The Owls will play all of their 2014-15 home games in the friendly confines of the KSU Convocation Center, the home to the basketball program since 2005. The 4,600 seat arena underwent renovations as recently as 2012 in which a new Daktronics video board was installed as well as the new department logo at center-court.
 
NEWCOMERS
•The Owls bring in six players to the court in 2014-15 that were not on the floor last season, making over a third of the roster newcomers to the squad. Along with the athletes, KSU also added four new assistant coaches to the mix for the campaign.
 
ITALY
•Kennesaw State enjoyed an overseas trip back in July, spending 10 days touring Italy as a team. The Owls played a total of four games in that span and one scrimmage against US Army soldiers on Del Din Army base. KSU was the first team to ever play an organized game at the base.
 
2K CLASSIC
•This season KSU will take part in the prestigious 2K Classic Tournament, taking on Syracuse, Cal, North Dakota State and either Alcorn State or Hampton.
 
NATIONAL STAGE
•Kennesaw State will play a record number of games on television this season with 22 games being broadcast. The games can be seen on ESPN3, the Big Ten Network, Fox Sports 1 and the Pac 12 Network. The number shatters the previous high of 16 games from one year ago.
 
NEW-LOOK A-SUN TOURNAMENT
•For the first time in 2014-15, each member of the A-Sun will make an appearance in the postseason conference tournament, making it an eight-team affair with the highest seeded team hosting each game.
 
FROM THE BOX OFFICE
•With a new excitement surrounding the Kennesaw State basketball program, the Owls have sold a record-setting amount of season tickets, more than tripling what was sold in previous seasons.
 
MEDIA INFO
•Coach Lallathin is available for interviews every Monday morning from 8:30-9:30 a.m. ET. All interviews must be arranged 24 hours in advance through Joseph Feldman (678-787-0988).
 
•Credentials for games must be requested 24 hours before the start of the contest and are reserved for working media only.
 
•The Jimmy Lallathin Show is recorded live every Tuesday at O'Charley's in Kennesaw, Georgia and is re-aired on 1160 News Talk every Wednesday and Saturday.

To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State men's basketball news follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsMBB or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.
 
Season tickets are currently available for all the home court action for the Owls and can be purchased by following the link here.