ULM Warhawks

ULM (2-5 overall, 0-0 Sun Belt Conference) at Tulane (4-2 overall, 0-0 American Athletic Conference)
6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28, 2022 | Avron B. Fogelman Arena at Devlin Fieldhouse | New Orleans, La.
WATCH: ESPN+ | LISTEN: 105.3 FM KLIP | LIVE STATS
GAME NOTES

MONROE, La. - The ULM Warhawks wrap a five-game stretch away from Fant-Ewing Coliseum when they meet Tulane for just the second time in a regular-season match-up at 6 p.m. Monday at Avron B. Fogelman Arena at Devlin Fieldhouse in New Orleans.

ULM (2-5 overall) lost Saturday's consolation game at the Emerald Coast Classic to Loyola Maryland, 65-64, in Niceville, Florida. The Warhawks trailed by as much as 14 points in the second half before mounting a 13-0 run in the final five minutes to take leads at 60-58, 62-60 and 64-63 before a floater in the lane by Loyola's Kenneth Jones gave the Greyhounds the 65-64 lead. Jamari Blackmon's shot from the top of the key at the buzzer was blocked, as Loyola held on for the win.

ULM's graduate forward Victor Bafutto had a career-day for the Warhawks in the loss. The 6-10 forward from Brasillia, Brazil, scored a career-high 20 points (8-of-9 field-goal attempts, 4-of-4 free-throw attempts) and added eight rebounds to pace ULM. He also blocked two shots. 

Bafutto continues to rank among the best in the NCAA at blocking shots. He is 27th in NCAA Division I and second in the Sun Belt Conference with 12 blocks through Friday's games, and is 34th in Division I and third in the SBC at 2.0 blocks per game. He has had multiple blocks in five games.

Junior guard Tyreke Locure ranks 53rd in Division I and fifth in the SBC with 2.33 steals per game through Friday's games. Senior guard Jamari Blackmon is right behind him, sitting 71st nationally and sixth in the SBC at 2.20 steals per game. ULM is 20th as a team and fourth in the SBC in steals per game, at 10.7 per contest.

MONDAY'S GAME BASICS    
ULM and Tulane clash for the first time in the regular season in 48 years at 6 p.m. Monday at Avron B. Fogelman Arena at Devlin Fieldhouse in New Orleans. The two sides met for a charity exhibition prior to the 2021-22 season to assist victims of Hurricane Ida. The only regular-season meeting between the two was a 95-73 ULM victory on Dec. 28, 1974, in New Orleans.

The Warhawks (2-5 overall) have lost four-consecutive games entering Monday's contest. ULM lost both ends of the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Florida, falling to Omaha, 63-56, on Friday before dropping the finale to Loyola Maryland, 65-64, on Saturday. Despite its struggles, ULM ranks 17th in NCAA Division I in offensive rebounding (14.5 rebounds per game), 20th in steals per game (10.7 pg.) and 43rd in turnovers forced per game (17.33 pg.).

Tulane has alternated wins and losses over the last four games, going 1-2 at the Cayman Islands Classic. The Green Wave lost to Nevada last Monday, 75-66, before bouncing back with a win on Tuesday over Rhode Island, 78-75. Tulane closed out the tournament with a 71-65 loss to Western Kentucky on Friday. The Green Wave has also posted wins over UMBC (89-67), McNeese (75-58) and Charleston Southern (99-79). Tulane ranks ninth nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.75), 10th in turnovers per game (9.3 pg.), 11th in free-throw percentage (.804) and 28th in turnover margin (5.2).

Monday's game will stream on ESPN+. The game will also air on 105.3 FM KLIP, la105.com and the TuneIn app on the Warhawk Radio Network from Learfield with Mike Hammett on the play-by-play.

PREVIEWING TULANE
Tulane is 4-2 overall after a 1-2 showing at the Cayman Islands Classic. The Green Wave picked up a win on Tuesday over Rhode Island, 78-75, with losses to Nevada, 75-66, and Western Kentucky, 71-65. Tulane is 3-0 at home this season with wins over UMBC (89-67), McNeese (75-58) and Charleston Southern (99-79).

Ron Hunter is in his fourth season as the head coach of Tulane. Last season, Tulane won 14 games, which tied for the most wins since 2017-18. The Green Wave won 10 games in the American Athletic Conference, their most since joining the league. Hunter previously served as the head coach at Sun Belt Conference rival Georgia State for eight seasons and IUPUI for 17 seasons.

Kevin Cross leads Tulane in scoring and rebounding at 17.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. The 6-8 junior forward has scored in double figures in five of six games, and has topped 20 points three times. He scored a season-high 22 points with a season-best seven assists vs. Rhode Island on Tuesday. He had 21 points in back-to-back games to open the season against UMBC and McNeese. He picked up a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double against Charleston Southern. He is also averaging 4.3 assists per game, which is second on the team.

Jaylen Forbes is second on the team in both scoring and rebounding at 16.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures in all six games, scoring at least 11 points in every contest. He had a season-high 24 points and seven rebounds vs. Nevada last Monday. He tallied 21 points with six boards vs. UMBC. Forbes has at least two steals in all six games.

Collin Holloway is third in scoring at 15.8 points per game and is also pulling in 4.4 rebounds per game. He has played in five games with four starts, and has scored in double figures four times. He had 25 points in his season debut against McNeese, while adding 18 points and a season-best seven rebounds against Charleston Southern.

Sion James has started all six games and is averaging 10.5 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game and leads the team at 4.8 assists per game. He has scored in double figures four times, with a season-high 15 points vs. Nevada. He had 11 points and season bests with eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals vs. Charleston Southern.

BAFUTTO STEPS UP FOR WARHAWKS    
ULM graduate forward Victor Bafutto set career highs in points (20), field goals made (8) and minutes (39) and matched career highs in free throws made (4) and free throws attempted (4) against Loyola Maryland on Nov. 26. He also added eight rebounds, two blocks and one assist in his first start as a Warhawk.

He smashed previous career highs of 14 points, six field goals made and 25 minutes.

The 6-10 forward from Brasilia, Brazil, transferred to ULM after playing in 80 games over four seasons at Mercer. He earned both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in civil engineering from Mercer, and is working on a master's of business administration degree at ULM.

DOUBLE VISION    
Through the first six games of the season, two different Warhawks have posted double-doubles.

Junior forward Nika Metskhvarishvili posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds vs. Dallas Christian on Nov. 10. It was the second double-double of his ULM career, joining a 15-point, 11-rebound effort at Texas State on Jan. 13, 2022.

Sophomore forward Thomas Howell joined the double-double club on Nov. 25 against Omaha, posting season highs with 13 points and 10 rebounds against the Mavericks at the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Florida. It was Howell's second career double-double after picking up 13 points and 11 rebounds against his hometown team, Northwestern State, on Nov. 22, 2021, in a neutral-site game in Ruston, Louisiana.
 
SEVEN WARHAWKS IN DOUBLE FIGURES IN CONSECUTIVE GAMES
ULM put seven players in double figures in back-to-back games against Central Baptist on Nov. 14 and Dallas Baptist on Nov. 10. 

Nika Metskhvarishvili led the Warhawks against Central Baptist with 15 points. Victor Bafutto came off the bench to match a career-high with 14 points (6-of-6 field-goal attempts). Tyreke Locure and Savion Gallion added 13 points apiece. Thomas Howell and Langston Powell posted 12 points each. Devon Hancock picked up 11 points (4-of-5 field-goal attempts).

In the previous game against Dallas Christian, Locure (19 points), Howell (14 points), Gallion (12 points), Bafutto (11 points) and Metskhvarishvili (10 points) were all part of another effort with seven players in double figures. Jalen Bolden scored 13 points and Jamari Blackmon, who missed the Central Baptist game with an injury, had 10 points.

WARHAWKS ACHIEVE BIG NUMBERS AGAINST DALLAS CHRISTIAN
In the home opener against Dallas Chrisitan on Nov. 10, 2022, ULM put up big numbers in several stat categories. The Warhawks put seven players in double figures in the win, marking the first time ULM had put at least six players in double figures since Nov. 16, 2021. ULM also tallied 32 assists in the victory, marking the most assists for the Warhawks since tallying a school-record 34 assists against Arkansas-Monticello on Dec. 3, 1996. ULM also pulled down 27 offensive rebounds in the win, which marks the most since at least the 2009-10 season.

METSKHVARISHVILI NAMED PRESEASON THIRD-TEAM ALL-SUN BELT    
ULM junior forward Nika Metskhvarishvili was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Preseason Third Team following a vote of the conference's head coaches. 

Through five games, Metskhvarishvili is second on the team in scoring at 9.8 points per game and rebounding at 5.8 boards per game. The Tbilisi, Georgia, native opened the season with 10 points and nine rebounds on Nov. 7 at Texas A&M before following it up with a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds on Nov. 10 against Dallas Christian. He added a team-high 15 points with five rebounds against Central Baptist on Nov. 14. He had nine points, four rebounds and two blocks at No. 15/18 TCU on Nov. 17. 
 
A potential breakout player, Metskhvarishvili appeared in 28 games with five starts in his first season at ULM as a second-year sophomore, averaging 10.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He totaled 12 double-figure scoring games, including four games with 20-or-more points and had a double-double with 15 points and 11 boards at Texas State. He scored a career-high 23 points while playing 40 minutes at UT Arlington on Jan. 15.
 
He scored in double figures in five consecutive games from Jan. 8-22, and improved inside SBC action, averaging 11.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

"We need Nika to have a really good year," ULM head coach Keith Richard said. "We think he can and he wants to. He could be an all-conference player in this league."

HOWELL RETURNS FOR THIRD SEASON INSIDE
ULM sophomore forward Thomas Howell is back for his third season with the Warhawks in 2022-23. He is the only returning starter from the 2021-22 team. Through seven games, he is averaging 8.6 points and a team-best 6.6 rebounds per game.

After struggling to two points and five rebounds in the season opener Nov. 7 at Texas A&M, the Natchitoches, Louisiana, native bounced back. He scored 14 points (7-of-10 field-goal attempts) with six rebounds against Dallas Christian on Nov. 10. He followed it up with 12 points, six rebounds and four assists against Central Baptist on Nov. 14. He tallied six points and led the team with six rebounds at No. 15/18 TCU on Nov. 17. He had seven rebounds at Louisiana Tech on Nov. 21 before going off for a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double against Omaha on Nov. 25, the second double-double of his ULM career. He added 12 points and six rebounds vs. Loyola Maryland on Nov. 26.

Howell came into the program as a freshman and has steadily evolved his game. He started 30 of 31 games as a second-year freshman in 2021-22, averaging 8.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 59.4 percent (107-of-180) from the field, ranking as the sixth-best field-goal percentage in a single season in program history. Howell led the Warhawks with 44 offensive rebounds and scored in double figures 10 times.

"I just want Thomas to progress like he has the past two years," ULM head coach Keith Richard said. "If you look from high school to his freshman year, he improved. If you look from his freshman year to the next year, he improved. I want him to take another step and I think he will. Without putting undue pressure on him, he doesn't have to be anybody but himself and keep improving. In this day and time when you get guys three years in your program, that's a luxury now."

POWELL, WILLIAMS PART OF RETURNING GROUP
ULM senior guard Langston Powell and sophomore guard Johnnie Williams IV complete the group of four returning players for the 2022-23 squad.

A local product from West Monroe High School, Powell has battled injuries throughout his career. Last year, he played in 27 games with nine starts as a second-year junior, averaging 4.1 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. 

Through seven games, Powell is averaging 4.9 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. He opened the 2022-23 season with three points, two rebounds and two steals on Nov. 7 against Texas A&M. He added seven points (3-of-3 field-goal attempts), four rebounds and one block on Nov. 10 vs. Dallas Christian. He had his first double-figure performance of the year against Central Baptist on Nov. 14, going for 12 points and two rebounds.

"Before his second injury, he's finally starting to look like he looked then, which is a really athletic player who knows how to play on the floor," ULM head coach Keith Richard said. "He knows who he is as a player. He's a good returner to have back, and he's done well out here in the preseason."

A native of Sarasota, Florida, Williams played in 12 games with one start last season, averaging 1.3 points and 1.0 rebounds per game. He played the final 5:36 of the game on Nov. 7 at Texas A&M, scoring three points on ULM's second 3-pointer of the night. He had five points, including a put-back slam dunk, and one rebound on Nov. 10 vs. Dallas Christian. He had three points, one rebound and two assists on Nov. 14 vs. Central Baptist.

SIX TRANSFERS HIGHLIGHT NEWCOMERS
Nine newcomers have arrived to bolster the 2022-23 Warhawks team, with six of them having previous NCAA Division I experience including 6-10 center Victor Bafutto (Mercer transfer), 6-0 guard Jamari Blackmon (North Alabama transfer), 6-11 forward AD Diedhiou (UAB transfer), 6-4 guard Savion Gallion (South Plains College/Buffalo transfer), 6-3 guard Devon Hancock (Milwaukee transfer) and 6-0 guard Tyreke Locure (UAB transfer).

ULM expects big things from the new additions, especially the combo guard Locure. He spent last season at UAB but began his collegiate career at Sun Belt Conference rival South Alabama, where he started 34 of 49 games over two seasons. As a sophomore in 2020-21, Locure started 25 of 26 games and averaged 13.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists.

"He's already averaged double figures at South Alabama two years ago," ULM head coach Keith Richard said. "He's proven that he can score in this league."

Locure has speed and a versatile offensive skillset that can fill up a box score.

"He's a scoring guard, make no mistake about it," Richard said. "It's all about scoring with him. He can bounce around from two to one."

Locure leads the team at 13.0 points per game through seven games, including 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He had a tough start to the season on Nov. 7 at Texas A&M, scoring seven points on 2-of-12 shooting, including 1-of-7 from 3-point range. He added five rebounds, two assists and one steal. He bounced back with a huge game on Nov. 10 vs. Dallas Christian with a team-high 19 points (3-of-5 3-point field goals), eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals. He had 13 points with three rebounds and four assists against Central Baptist on Nov. 14. He paced ULM with 14 points at No. 15/18 TCU on Nov. 17. He paced ULM with 18 points, six rebounds and four steals at Louisiana Tech on Nov. 21. He added 14 points with two assists and two steals vs. Omaha on Nov. 25.

Blackmon will supplement ULM's options at point guard. He played four seasons at North Alabama, ranking as the sixth all-time leading scorer in UNA history with 1,346 points after starting 111 of 113 career games from 2018-22. 

He is averaging 10.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game while playing in six of the first seven games in 2022-23. He came off the bench on Nov. 7 at Texas A&M and matched Nika Metskhvarishvili for the team lead with 10 points while adding four rebounds, three steals and one assist. He picked up 10 points, matched a career-high with nine assists, tallied five steals and added three rebounds on Nov. 10 against Dallas Christian. After missing a game due to injury, he returned to the lineup at No. 15/18 TCU with nine points on Nov. 17. He had 10 points with six assists at Louisiana Tech on Nov. 21. He scored a season-high 15 points with three rebounds and two steals against Omaha on Nov. 25. He had 10 points, five assists and three rebounds against Loyola Maryland on Nov. 26.

"He's a great defender, a good scorer," Richard said. "At North Alabama, I think he scored over 1,300 points. He's a scorer and gets to the foul line a lot, as opposed to Elijah, who is more run the team and shoot 3-point shots; this kid is more physical defensively. He gets fouled a lot and can knock down the occasional three. It gives us another guy up there."

Bafutto and Diedhiou bring size to the roster that ULM was missing a year ago.

"We're going to need it," Richard said. "There were games last year where Thomas or Nika at the five was not good in that particular game. It wasn't every game, but there were some where the other team's players were just bigger and stronger and they got that offensive rebound, just because they were bigger and taller.

"So, we signed both those kids with the thought that we don't want that to happen anymore."

Bafutto has played in all seven games, averaging 8.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. He made his season debut on Nov. 7 at Texas A&M, scoring four points with two rebounds while adding a career-high three blocks. He exploded for 11 points, eight rebounds and three blocks on Nov. 10 vs. Dallas Christian. He went for 14 points (6-of-6 field-goal attempts) and nine rebounds against Central Baptist on Nov. 14. He picked up three points, five rebounds and two blocks at No. 15/18 TCU on Nov. 17. He had a monster game against Loyola Maryland with 20 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and one assist on Nov. 26.

"He's 6-10, not a big jumper, but he has a 7-3 wingspan," Richard said. "Just those arms have bothered some of our guys in practice. We get both of them out there, it just gives us a stronger team."

Richard identified Hancock and Gallion as "key players" because of their experience and ability. Both players were in the season opening starting lineup on Nov. 7 at Texas A&M. 

Gallion has played in all seven games, starting five, averaging 8.3 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. He had nine points on the strength of a 7-of-8 night at the free-throw line against Texas A&M on Nov. 7. He followed it up with 12 points and two assists on Nov. 10 against DCC, before adding 13 points and three rebounds against CBC on Nov. 14. He returned to the starting lineup vs. Loyola Maryland on Nov. 26 and had 11 points, four rebounds and two assists.

Hancock has played in all seven games with two starts, averaging 5.7 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. He was scoreless with one rebound, one assist and one steal in 18 minutes at Texas A&M, but came off the bench for eight points and five assists against DCC on Nov. 10. Due to Blackmon's injury, he had a second starting assignment against CBC and responded with 11 points (4-of-5 field-goal attempts) and two rebounds. He had five rebounds and four assists off the bench at No. 15/18 TCU on Nov. 17. He had a season-high 13 points (4-of-9 3-point shooting) at Louisiana Tech on Nov. 21.

"They are two good-looking guards, who look like what we play against in the Sun Belt," Richard said. "They're both here for a reason, just like a lot of guys when they transfer. They're here because for whatever reason, it didn't work out as well as they wanted it to at their other place. If both of them can work out here, if this is the spot that was good, we have a chance to have a good team. It gives us really good depth on the perimeter and multiple guards we can throw out there."

THREE FRESHMEN ROUND OUT NEWCOMER GROUP
Three true freshmen complete the nine-player newcomer group for ULM in 2022-23, including 6-4 guard Jalen Bolden (Zachary High School), 6-5 guard Jacob Wilson (Liberty Magnet High School ) and 6-7 walk-on forward Edwin Litolff (Doyle High School).

Bolden led Zachary to back-to-back Class 5A Championships in 2021 and '22 and averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds as a senior. He was the Class 5A Player of the Year in and selected the Outstanding Player in the Class 5A Championship Game after posting 23 points and 11 rebounds in an 84-63 victory over Northshore. 

Bolden has played in six of the first seven games, averaging 4.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. He made his collegiate debut on Nov. 7 at Texas A&M, scoring six points with one rebound and one steal at Texas A&M. He had his first double-figure game on Nov. 10 against Dallas Christian, scoring 13 points (5-of-7 field-goal attempts, 3-of-3 3-pointers) with four rebounds and two steals. He picked up eight points and eight rebounds on Nov. 14 against Central Baptist.

"He's coming here with a Sun Belt body," ULM head coach Keith Richard said. "He's strong, one of the things that happens to freshmen sometimes, is the players are stronger than they thought it would be or even ready for physically. Because of his body, he's a strong player. That's going to give him the opportunity to play earlier."

Wilson was a First-Team All-State Class 4A selection by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association and Second-Team All-State by the Louisiana High School Basketball Coaches Association after averaging 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game as a high school senior. He was selected to play in the Louisiana East-West All-Star Game.
 
Wilson scored 1,875 career points, pulled down 646 rebounds, handed out 469 assists and totaled 272 steals, helping the Liberty Magnet Patriots to a Division II state semifinals appearance in 2021 and a state runner-up finish in 2022. 

Wilson has played in five games. He made his collegiate debut on Nov. 7 at Texas A&M, playing 11 minutes while tracking down three rebounds with one steal and one assist. He had four points and six rebounds on Nov. 14 against Central Baptist. He had six points at No. 15/18 TCU on Nov. 17.
 
"Adding Jacob is an intriguing addition to our program," Richard said. "He is a 6-5 player who handles the ball well and can play multiple positions who we think can help us. It was widely recognized that Jacob and Jalen were two of the top senior high school prospects in the state last year."

Litolff finished his high school career as a small forward at Doyle after playing three seasons at Holden High School. He made his collegiate debut on Nov. 10 vs. Dallas Christian, scoring two points with two rebounds. He also saw time against Central Baptist on Nov. 14.