The game will feature the two biggest surprises of the young conference season.  ASU was picked to finish seventh in the SWAC and enters the game only a half game out of first.  Alcorn was picked to finish right behind ASU in eighth and they are only a half game behind the Hornets in third.
 
The Braves enter the game 7-11 overall and 4-2 record in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) action.  After Southern's loss Wednesday night at Mississippi Valley, the Braves four-game winning streak is the now the longest in the conference.  They are coming off a convincing 71-45 win at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
 
"Right now they are the hottest team in the league winning their last four ball games," Head Coach Lewis Jackson said.  "We have our work cut out for us.  It's difficult to play down there.  They have their fans that ride the guys as well as the coaches pretty hard."
 
Meanwhile, ASU's (10-6) three-game winning streak is the second longest in the conference, with their last loss coming Jan. 6 on a 30+ foot buzzer beater at Jackson State.
 
The Hornets' Jamel Waters continues to lead the team in scoring (14.8), assists (106) and steals (32).  Two other Hornets are averaging in double digits with DeMarcus Robinson's 13.3 second on the team and after last week's 29 points in ASU's two games Bobby Brown has joined the duo in double figures averaging 11 per game.
 
Maurice Strong continues to lead the team in rebounding at 6.5 per game while Luther Page is averaging 5.9 and Brown 5.3.
 
The Hornets continue to move up the charts as a team.  Behind three double digits scorers, the Hornets are third in the SWAC in scoring at 72.8 points per game, but their offense is not the only part of their game to move up the stat ladders.  ASU's defense has also moved into third only allowing 67.7 points per game, and that number is even better in SWAC action as they allow 61 points per game.
 
"Bobby has been playing well for us all year," Jackson said.  "Jamel has been a steady leader for us.  He leads the league in assists and is 14^th in the nation, so he is doing a real good job plus he gives us double figures in scoring.  We have a good core of guys that any given night can lead us in scoring.  We are just trying to be steady on defense and if we can get some shots to fall we feel we may have a chance to win."
 
Alcorn's LeAntwan Luckett is averaging a team-high 15 points per game.  He shoots 43 percent from the field and that includes a 38 percent shooting percentage on his three point attempts.
 
Octavius Brown is one of the best big men in the conference and he will supply the Hornets plenty of problems around the basket.  He averages 11.4 points per game and is one of the top rebounders in the league at 6.6 per game.  He is knocking down 50 percent of his shots and if he decides to step outside the three point line he is dangerous there as well shooting 34 percent.  If he gets fouled and goes to the line he can score from there shooting over 71 percent.
 
Alcorn does a good job of sharing the basketball as seven players have 10 or more assists.  Luckett leads the way with 41 and he also has a team-high 20 steals.
 
"They have some bigs that play well around the basket, they have guys that can step out and play, and they have a good point guard that can get to the hole," Jackson said.  "We have got to do a good job of playing defense and trying to rebound the first missed shot.  Also in transition we have to get back because they really push the ball."
 
The game is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. or 30 minutes after the completion of the women's game.  Live action can be listened to on WVAS FM 90.7.  The link can be found at bamastatesports.com.