HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. -- Hampden-Sydney College, ranked No. 2 in this week's D3hoops.com Top 25, plays on the road at No. 11 Guilford College in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) basketball action on Saturday, December 2, at 4:30 p.m. in Greensboro, North Carolina. The nationally-ranked Tigers are 5-0 overall, 1-0 in the ODAC, while the nationally-ranked Quakers have an overall record of 5-0, as well, and are playing their first ODAC game of the season. It's a rematch of last season's ODAC Tournament Semifinal on February 25 at the Salem Civic Center when GC banked-in a desperation and game-winning three-point field goal at the buzzer for the 70-69 come-from-behind win. H-SC had led 59-43 with just 4:35 remaining, before the Quakers closed on a 27-10 run for the stunning victory. Saturday's Top 25 contest can be heard locally on WVHL Radio, Kickin' Country 92.9 FM, and will also be available worldwide on the Internet at wvhl.net or via the TuneIn Radio App, pregame airing at 4 p.m., while available to watch, as well, on the Guilford Sports Network.

No. 2 Hampden-Sydney (5-0, 1-0 ODAC) at No. 11 Guilford (NC) (5-0, 0-0 ODAC) | STATS | AUDIO | VIDEO | GAME NOTES (PDF)
Location: Ragan-Brown Field House | Greensboro, NC
Date: Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Radio: Frank Shanaberger (play-by-play), Richard LeSueur (analyst)
 
Head Coach Caleb Kimbrough
H-SC is led by the fifth-year head coach who took over the program on April 4, 2019. The former head coach at Huntingdon (AL) College from 2016-19, Kimbrough is the 19th head coach in the 114-year history of the storied Hampden-Sydney program. He is no stranger to the ODAC, having played four years at Guilford and coached six years with the Quakers, and one year at Washington and Lee University. Kimbrough is 57-35 overall at the College, including 32-21 in ODAC games. Caleb was both the 2022-23 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division III District 6 Coach of the Year, and the ODAC Men's Basketball Bob Johnson Coach of the Year.

Scouting No. 2 Hampden-Sydney
H-SC has been extremely balanced offensively with only two players averaging in double-figure scoring among its five starters that are each scoring at least 7.8 points per game, while 10 Tigers are playing at least 10-plus minutes per game. H-SC has been led by senior forward Davidson Hubbard (Charlotte, NC) with his 13.4 points (10 3FGs) and 8.4 rebounds, along with senior guard and team captain Adam Brazil (Mooresville, NC) with his 10.0 points (8 3FGs) and 6.2 assists. Joining them in the lineup have been fifth-year guard Ryan Clements (Conyers, GA) (9.4 points, 4.2 rebounds), senior guard Alex Elliott (Marietta, GA) (8.2 points, 4.8 rebounds), along with senior guard/forward and team captain Josiah Hardy (Ashburn) (7.8 points). Senior guard DJ Wright (Greensboro, GA) (7.2 points) and junior guard Ayman McGowan (Memphis, TN) (5.8 points) have led the bench scoring. The Tigers are shooting 47% (143-302) from the field, including 40% (51-127) on three-point field goals, and 66% (51-77) at the free throw line. H-SC has averaged 77.6 points, and allowed 58.0 points, for a +19.6 scoring margin.

Scouting No. 11 Guilford
The Quakers are coached by 21st-year head coach Tom Palombo. GC has three players averaging in double figure scoring among seven that are playing at least 10-plus minutes per game. The Quakers have been led by graduate guard Tyler Dearman with his 26.2 points (13 3FGs), 5.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 4.0 steals ... along with graduate forward Julius Burch with his 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds, and junior forward Caleb Farrish with his 10.2 points and 6.0 rebounds. GC shoots 46% (135-296) from the field, including 36% (36-101) on three-pointers, and 78% (70-90) at the line; scoring 75.2 points, and yielding 63.4 points, for a +11.8 scoring margin.

Series History
H-SC and GC are playing for the 63rd time since the Quakers joined the ODAC (1991-92). The Tigers lead the series at 38-24 after the disappointing 70-69 loss in the 2023 ODAC Tournament. H-SC is 3-4 against GC under Coach Kimbrough, who played four years ... and coached six years ... with the Quakers under Coach Palombo. The Tigers last win at GC was on January 21, 2017, a 64-58 victory in Ragan-Brown Field House.

#2 In D3hoops.com Top 25
H-SC has moved up to No. 2 nationally in the week one D3hoops.com Top 25, released on Nov. 27. It's the highest national ranking for the Tigers since 2003-04 when the program was ranked No. 1 during week seven. H-SC earned 570 points in this week's poll, including eight first-place votes. Wisconsin-Whitewater (5-0) was ranked No. 1 with 607 points and 13 first-place votes, followed by the Tigers, John Carroll (OH) (4-0, 568) at No. 3, Mount Union (OH) (5-0, 529) at No. 4, and Calvin (MI) (5-0, 522) at No. 5. Irocnically, UW-Whitewater lost at Carthage (WI) 77-73 on Nov. 28.

HoopDirt.com D3 Coach of the Week
Fifth-year head coach Caleb Kimbrough was named the Week 1 HoopDirt.com D3 Coach of the Week presented by Just Play Solutions. He led the Tigers to a pair of season-opening wins, including the 74-53 home win past CNU, and a 74-48 home win past Greensboro (NC) on Nov. 12. Coach Kimbrough is now eligible for the HoopDirt.com National Coach of the Year Award, which will be announced at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season.

Career Watch
Ryan Clements ranks 33rd in career scoring with 1,146 career points in 92 career games (12.5). Russell Turner '92 is the all-time leader with 2,272 career points. Clements is ninth in career steals with 153 (1.7). Ralph Baker '89 is the all-time leader with 258 career steals. Davidson Hubbard is tied for 10th in career blocks with 46 career blocks in 63 career games (0.7). Mike Thompson '04 is the all-time leader with 136 career blocks.

1st In ODAC Preseason Poll
H-SC was picked first in the ODAC Preseason Poll. It's the first time that the Tigers have been voted preseason number one in the ODAC since prior to the 2003-04 season. H-SC earned 140 points, including eight first-place votes among the 13 conference schools. The Tigers were followed closely in the preseason poll by four-time defending ODAC Tournament Champion and 2022 National Champion Randolph-Macon in second place with 135 points, including the other five first-place votes. Guilford (NC) was picked third with 122 points, followed by Virginia Wesleyan (104), Washington and Lee (102), Roanoke (96), Bridgewater (65), Shenandoah (63), Averett (51), Ferrum (48), Lynchburg (45), Eastern Mennonite (23) and Randolph (20).

2023-24 Team Captains
Leading the Tigers are fifth-year forward Miles Harris, along with seniors Adam Brazil and Josiah Hardy. Harris and Brazil are each serving in the leadership role for their second season, while Hardy is a first-year captain. Miles is the son of Randy Harris and Corey Bacs and is majoring in economics and business. Adam is the son of Mark and Kristen Brazil and is majoring in English. Josiah is the son of Vernal Hardy and Felicia Miller and is majoring in economics and business.
 
Three Former Tigers Are Division I Head Coaches
H-SC currently has three former basketball team members and graduates of the College that are serving as NCAA Division I head coaches. Russell Turner '92 is in his 14th year at UC Irvine ... Ryan Odom '96 is in his first season at VCU and his eighth season as a DI head coach (UMBC, Utah State) ... Griff Aldrich '96 is in his sixth year at Longwood. Entering this season, Turner was 265-170 at UCI ... Odom was 141-85 overall, including 44-25 in two years at USU and 97-60 in five years at UMBC ... Aldrich was 88-72 at Longwood.

Up Next
H-SC will continue early-season ODAC action on the road at four-time defending ODAC Tournament Champion and archrival (RV)Randolph-Macon College on Friday night, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. in Ashland.

Complete game notes are available via the linked PDF above.