The East Central University men's basketball team will return to Great American Conference action, Thursday, December 5 when they travel to Searcy, Ark., to battle with Harding at Tucker Coliseum at 7:30 p.m.

Game Notes

The Broadcast
ECU's radio home for Tigers basketball in 2012-13 is Ada's KXFC, 105.5, FM 'The X-Factor'. Kenny Morrison returns to broadcast the games for his 17th season. Morrison, a 1987 ECU graduate, spent two seasons doing color prior to taking over the play-by-play duties during the 1997-98 season.

The Coverage
Fans who can't be at the game can find links to live stats, live video (if available) and the KXFC radio broadcast on ECUTigers.com.  Go to the men's basketball schedule page.

Scouting Harding
The Bison are 3-4 overall and 0-1 in the Great American Conference.  Harding has faced three ranked teams in 2013-14, earning a 1-2 record.  Last weekend the Bison defeated No. 6 Midwestern State, 74-70, and then fell 64-66 to No. 21 Northeastern State.

The Bison are close to their opponents in most of the season box score categories, including a +1.1 scoring and +3.7 rebounding margin.  However, they do trail their opposition in shooting percentage at .442 to .449 overall and .313 to .346 from three-point range.

Harding has a group of four players that have double-digit point totals for the season and account for 62 percent of the points, 57 percent of the rebounds and 55 percent of the shots taken.  Hayden Johnson is at the top of the list with 14.0 points and 5.7 boards per game, while shooting .611 (33-of-54).  Andraz Kavas adds 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds, while Weston Jameson and Jacob Gibson each have tallied 10.1 points per game.  Jameson has 5.0 rebounds and Gibson 4.1 per game.

Against the Bison
Last year each team earned a win on their home court, with both having strong shooting performances against each other.  ECU earned a slight .509 to .490 edge from the floor and a .513 to .343 mark from beyond the arc.

Seniors Chris Fisher and Colby Carr and sophomore Marquis Walters led the Tigers against the Bison.  Fisher tallied 20 points and four rebounds per game, while Carr added 14 points and 6.5 boards.  Walters contributed 11.5 points and 3.5 rebounds.

Weston Jameson and Hayden Johnson are the top returners for Harding.  Johnson garnered 15.5 points and three rebounds, while Jameson added 13 points and two boards per game.

The Series
The all-time series with the Bison dates back to Nov. 26, 1994, with both teams earning seven wins.  Harding has won three of the last four games.

Mitchell Up for Good Works Team
Senior Miles Mitchell was recently named a nominee for the 2014 Allstate Good Works Team. The award recognizes a select group of college basketball student-athletes who have made significant contributions to the greater good of their communities through volunteerism and civic service.

Mitchell is one of 43 nominees for the DII, DIII and NAIA section and the only member of the group from the Great American Conference.  The team will be announced in February and will consist of five student-athletes from the group of 43.

Team Effort
The Tigers new look and focus has resulted in a more even box score, with at most one player not scoring or earning a rebound in each outing so far this season.  At least half of the 10 players in each game have also dished out an assist.

Making a Difference Off the Court
On the court is not the only place that you can find a member of ECU men's basketball team this season.  Since head coach Ja Havens has taken over the program the Tigers have renewed their commitment to community service.  ECU has been a part of several community service projects since the start of the school year, with an emphasis on youth events.  The Tigers have been to several elementary and middle schools in the area to read with the students and to get to know their younger fans.

Consistent Colby
A coaching change did not stop senior Colby Carr from continuing his consistent performances on the court.  Carr has recorded at least one point and one rebound in all 32 games since he joined the Tigers in 2012-13.  The New Orleans, La., native is also not afraid to share the ball, dishing out an assists in the last 21 games for ECU.

Starting Out on the Right Path
For the first time since joining the GAC, the Tigers picked up a win in their first conference game of the season when they defeated Ouachita Baptist 81-54.

Tigers Picked to Finish 10th
The Tigers were picked to finish 10th in the Great American Conference in the 2013-14 GAC Preseason Poll as voted on by the league's head coaches.

ECU received 28 points in the poll and were above Southern Arkansas, with 22 points.

Up Next
The Tigers will continue their four game road trip with a stop at Arkansas Tech, Saturday, Dec. 7 for a 4 p.m. game.  The road trip will end at Rogers State, Dec. 14.