Game #0
Lindenwood (0-0, 0-0 OVC)
vs. Hannibal-LaGrange (0-0, 0-0 AMC)
Match Information:
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024
Location: St. Charles, Mo.
Venue: Hyland Arena
Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m. CT
All-Time Series: 6-0, Lindenwood
Live Stats: Stats

Matchup
The Lindenwood men's basketball team hosts their only exhibition game of the preseason on Tuesday, Oct. 29th when they host Hannibal-LaGrange starting at 7:00 p.m. CT inside Hyland Arena. Lindenwood is entering their third Division I season in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Coming off a 9-22 season and a 3-15 OVC record, head coach Kyle Gerdeman brought in a lot of new pieces to the roster that was picked to finish ninth in the OVC. Lindenwood returns only six players from the 2023-24 roster.

Jeremiah Talton and Jaylon McDaniel return as the Lions leading scorers both averaging 7.0 points per game last season. Talton started 25 of 31 games last season and scored in double-digits 10 times including a season-high 18 vs. SIUE. McDaniel had nine double-digit scoring efforts including three times during the final five games.

Player to Watch
Reggie Bass is one of the 10 newcomers to the roster this season after playing last season at Kent State. Originally from Muncie, Ind., Bass appeared in 29 games for the Kent State Golden Flashes making 13 starts. He averaged 8.2 points per game while posting 10 double-digit scoring efforts including a season-high 23 at Northern Illinois.

Prior to his time at KSU, Bass was the was named the Mid-Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year while attending Central Michigan during the 2022-23 season. While at CMU, Bass averaged 12.4 points per game, 3.3 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game. 

OVC Preseason Rankings
The Ohio Valley Conference released their 2024-25 men's basketball preseason predicted order of finish earlier this offseason. Lindenwood was selected to finish ninth after going 9-22 a season ago. This marks LU's third season in the OVC as they are in the third year of the transition process to Division I.

Lindenwood received 67 points in the poll, good for ninth in the OVC. This marked the highest the Lions have ranked since joining the conference. Under Gerdeman, Lindenwood's team will look vastly different as LU brought in 10 newcomers including five transfers and five freshman.

Little Rock was selected as the OVC preseason favorite with 200 points (20 first-place votes). Western Illinois (172 points), SIUE (151 points, 2 first-place votes) and Tennessee State (134) round out the top four in the OVC. Defending OVC Champions Morehead State were selected to finish fifth this season followed by Eastern Illinois, SEMO, Southern Indiana, Lindenwood, UT Martin and Tennessee Tech.

The Ohio Valley Conference also selected two 'Players To Watch" from each OVC school to start the upcoming season. Talton and newcomer Markeith Browning II were tabbed as Lindenwood's players to watch for the 2024-25 season.

Head Coach: Kyle Gerdeman
Gerdeman enters his sixth year at the helm of the Lindenwood men's basketball program during the 2024-25 season. Gerdeman changed the look of this year's squad bringing in 10 newcomers including key transfers Reggie Bass and Markeith Browning II.

Last season, Gerdeman coached Keenon Cole to second team all-conference honors. The Streamwood, Ill.native averaged 18.1 points per game, which ranked fourth in the OVC. Cole poured in a career-high 42 points in a 74-68 road win over SEMO on January 11. For his performance, Cole was tabbed the OVC Player of the Week as well as being recognized as one of the Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week. 

Lindenwood ranked fifth in free throw percentage last season in the OVC with a 73.2%. The Lions also finished fourth in turnover margin with a 0.48. They also finished sixth in steals per game with an average of 6.16.

During Lindenwood's first season in the OVC, Gerdeman led the team to the OVC Tournament in Evansville, Ind. The Lions took down in-state rival Southeast Missouri State in double-overtime to keep their postseason hopes alive.  In the final game of the regular season, Lindenwood needed a win to move on, and Kevin Caldwell Jr. answered the call with a game-winning bucket in overtime.

Up Next
The Lions will start their 2024-25 regular season with a trip to Norman, Oklahoma on Monday, Nov. 4th when they take on the Sooners of Oklahoma University starting at 8:00 p.m. CT and streaming on SEC+. For more information go to lindenwoodlions.com.