HIGH POINT, N.C. – The second and final game of a North Carolina trip for American University men's basketball will take the Eagles (1-3) to High Point (4-0) on Monday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. It will be the first meeting between the teams since the 1929-30 season.
 
Quick Info

• Date/Time: Monday, November 18; 7 pm
• Site: High Point, N.C. (Qubein Center)
• Series History: Tied, 2-2
• TV: ESPN+
• Talent: Luke Hallett, Stan Lewter, Kendall Smith

Inside the Series

• Though the records are spotty, the two teams have met four times, but not since the 1929-30 season. 
• There are four all-time meetings in the AU record book between 1927-1930, with each team winning twice.

What to Know About American

• American is in the midst of six straight games away from home, and is without a win on the road so far this season. Of 13 non-conference games on the slate, only four will be played at home for AU. Next up is a three-game swing at the Puerto Rico Clasico.
• The Eagles got their first win in front of 3,319 fans in Bender Arena on Nov. 10, including former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama who sat in the Harvard section. Colin Smalls scored 16 points and Geoff Sprouse added 15 to lead AU in the 67-55 victory.
• Smalls reached double figures in scoring in the first three games for the Eagles, leading them in scoring twice (at La Salle and vs. Harvard).
• Grad student Matt Rogers, an All-Patriot League First Team honoree last year, was tabbed as the Patriot League's Preseason Player of the Year for 2024-25.
• Rogers exploded for 26 points in the Eagles' loss at Siena last Tuesday, hitting 11-of-22 field goals including 3-of-4 three-pointers. He also led AU in scoring at #10/11 North Carolina with 15 points.
• AU erased a 15-point deficit in the first half at Siena and led by as many as five in the second half, but went cold down the stretch during a 19-3 run for the Saints.
• American returned seven of its nine leading scorers from last season, and all three of its leading rebounders. Last year, the Eagles set a program record with 279 three-pointers made, and hosted a Patriot League quarterfinal game for the first time since 2020. 
• Second-year head coach Duane Simpkins has brought a new energy to the program. American's 10 conference wins were the most since 2020 (12), and just the second time since 2014 that the Eagles reached double-digit wins in the Patriot League. The Eagles finished in a tie for second place in the Patriot League despite being plagued by injuries for most of the conference season.
• Senior Elijah Stephens was named to the All-Patriot League Defensive Team and Second Team in his junior season, averaging 12.1 points per game and 4.9 assists despite battling injuries toward the end of the season. He currently ranks seventh all-time at AU with 363 assists.

What to Know About High Point

• High Point enters Tuesday's game with a perfect 4-0 mark on the season. The Panthers edged UAB on Friday night, 68-65.
• All four of their games have been at home thus far, including wins over Coppin State, Jackson State, and North Carolina Central.
• The Panthers entered the season with high expectations. Picked to finish first in the Big South Conference, High Point came into the year ranked No. 9 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll, where they remained through the season's first week. 
• Kezza Giffa, a senior guard who is averaging 16.8 points per game through the season's first four games, was tabbed as the Big South's Preseason Player of the Year. A First Teamer last year, he was joined on the Preseason All-Big South Team by junior forward Kimani Hamilton and sophomore forward Juslin Bodo Bodo. 
• Alan Huss is in his second season as head coach. Last year, his 27-9 mark was the best for a first-year coach in program history and earned him the Big South's Coach of the Year award.

Keep Up With Us

• For the latest on American University Men's Basketball, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_MBasketball), Facebook (/AU.MBasketball) and Instagram (@au_mbasketball).