HACKENSACK, N.J. - FDU men's basketball returns to action after a 232-day hiatus as the Burgundy and Blue begin their 75th season Monday, November 6 at Buffalo. Tip-off on ESPN+ is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Notably, the tilt with the Bulls marks the first game for new head coach Jack Castleberry who was appointed to the role on March 21 following FDU's historic Cinderella run in the NCAA tournament. Castleberry served as an assistant for the Knights last season.
 

About FDU

Coming off a 21-win season after recording just four victories the year prior, FDU had a banner campaign in 2022-23, culminating with the greatest upset in college basketball history when the Knights, seeded 16th in the NCAA tournament, defeated #1 Purdue in the first round of the NCAA tournament, the second-time ever a 16-seed bested a one-seed in March Madness. Before becoming a national story, the Knights, led by Tobin Anderson, went 10-6 in the Northeast Conference en route to a second-place finish in the NEC. Before falling to Merrimack in the conference tournament final, FDU rolled past St. Francis Brooklyn (QF) and Saint Francis U (SF) to punch the Knights' seventh ticket to the Big Dance.

Looking ahead to 2023-24, FDU returns three of five starters with Demetre Roberts and Grant Singleton the duo not returning after exhausting their eligibility last season. Castleberry's FDU squad returns 59 percent of points with junior forward Ansley Almonor the Knights' returning leading scorer (13.6 p.p.g); FDU also returns a staggering 64.3 percent of minutes with all rotation players with remaining eligibility returning (total of eight returners) - a remarkable feat in the transfer portal era. A Preseason All-NEC honoree, Almonor (Spring Valley, N.Y./St. Joseph Regional [Mont.]) is the lone returning All-NEC honoree from FDU last season as the league's Most Improved Player was tabbed to the Third Team All-NEC after his sophomore campaign.

In addition to Almonor, senior Joe Munden Jr. returns for his fourth go-around on the banks of the Hackensack. Munden is the lone four-year Knight from his class, having begun his play and studies at FDU in the 2020-21 academic year. Munden made 20 starts in 30 appearances in 2022-23, scoring 10.6 p.p.g on 47.3 percent shooting from the field.

Castleberry and his new staff brought in seven new faces to FDU's 75th team, among them graduate transfer DeVante Jamison who played four seasons at St. Thomas Aquinas, the same Division II that produced current FDU senior Sean Moore, Roberts, Singleton and Anderson. 'Bullet,' as Jamison is known due to his speed on the court, is expected to make an impact as one of the nation's top dime-dishers delivered 167 assists last season, good for 16th in the nation. From Dorchester, Mass., Bullet reunites with Moore, whom he played one season with at STAC.

After being picked sixth a season ago in the NEC Preseason Coaches Poll, FDU was voted third this season with one first-place vote.
 

Quotable

"DeVante Jamison is a pest of a defender, very good leader, vocal. We're not asking him to be Demetre Roberts. He's DeVante Jamison and is going to be a good version of himself and help us win basketball games."

- Head coach Jack Castleberry on 'Bullet' Jamison

 

Preseason Press Conference

 

About the Opponent

Buffalo enters the season looking to improve on a 2022-23 campaign that saw the Bulls finish 15-17 overall and 9-9 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The Bulls, like FDU, are led by a first-time head coach in George Halcovage III who arrived in Buffalo after a tenure at Villanova as an assistant. Buffalo was selected ninth in the MAC preseason poll.
 

About the Series

FDU is 8-2 all-time against Buffalo with the series commencing with a Knights victory (63-55) back on March 7, 1952 in the first game of the NAIA District 31 playoffs. The last meeting between the Bulls and FDU came on 11/23/04, an 87-84 overtime win for Buffalo. FDU last beat Buffalo on 12/22/03, 79-64.
 

What a Win Would Mean

• FDU would earn its ninth win over Buffalo and first in 20 years
• Be the 30th time FDU won its season opener

Headlines

• FDU first-year head coach Jack Castleberry will make his head coaching debut Monday against a fellow rookie in Buffalo's George Halcovage III. The matchup is one of just two opening night battles between first-year head coaches in Division I, the other being Oral Roberts' Russell Springmann against UT Arlington's KT Turner (Nov. 6).
• A key part of last season's Cinderella squad, former STAC Spartan and FDU Knight Demetre Roberts was announced on Oct. 31 as a member of the Austin Spurs training camp roster. The NBA G League affiliate of the San Antonio Spurs, 'Meech' becomes the first former FDU basketball player to earn a spot in the G League out of 2,992 possible players since 2012.
• Opening the season in the Empire State, FDU has five student-athletes (three returners) from New York: Ansley Almonor; Jo'el Emanuel; Davin Francis; Joe Munden Jr.; Thomas Sutter Jr.

Up Next

FDU hosts Penn State Brandywine at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 8 live on NEC Front Row from Stratis Arena inside the Rothman Center in the first home game of the campaign. Tickets are on-sale now by clicking here or visiting FDUKnights.com/Tickets. The Knights then head to Seton Hall for the first time since 2021 on FS2 at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11.

Connect with FDU men's basketball on X and Instagram, @FDUKnightsMBB.

Bogota Savings Bank is the presenting sponsor for the 2023-24 FDU men's basketball season.