Morgan State men’s basketball redshirt senior Kam Hobbs has scored 20 or more points in eight consecutive games, averaging 24.8 points per contest during that stretch.
The 5-foot-10, 170-pound guard is averaging 15.0 points through 21 games in 2024-25, up from 10.1 in 31 contests a season ago. Hobbs’ efficiency is on the rise, too. The Stockbridge, Ga., native is shooting 46.8 percent from the field, 36.3 from deep and 84.3 percent from the line, up from marks of 39.6, 35.3 and 81.0 a season ago.
“He’s a seasoned vet. He’s dialed in, he’s locked in and he’s putting the time in,” Morgan head coach Kevin Broadus said. “Some people just go play the games, some people really work at their craft. He works at his craft and it’s paying off. He’s got to keep doing what he’s doing. A lot of you guys are looking at it from the offensive standpoint. He’s doing a better job [from] the defensive standpoint, too. He’s playing well.”
Morgan’s most recent game — an 80-64 win against Coppin State on Jan. 25 — featured a 20-point effort from Hobbs, who went 7-for-17 from the field and 4-for-9 from 3-point range and also dished out three assists.
The Bears improved to 9-12 overall and 3-2 in the MEAC with the victory. Hobbs mostly came off the bench in Morgan’s first 13 games but has been in the starting lineup recently with graduate guard Wynston Tabbs sidelined. Hobbs has started the last eight games and has come through in a time of need for the Bears.
“Just getting in the gym more, being more consistent in the gym,” Hobbs said of why his game has taken off. “My off-the-court habits are getting better. Everything I’m doing is being more in line with what I want to achieve.”
The veteran is in his fifth year of college hoops, having spent his first two seasons at Division II North Greenville and the last three at Morgan. He also has solid chemistry with the rest of the roster, with contributors Tabbs, Daniel Akitoby, Trent Edwards, Rob Lawson, Kiran Oliver, Amahrie Simpkins and Will Thomas all having been on last year’s Bears squad as well.
It’s all apparent when watching Hobbs operate with a sense of calmness with the ball in his hands, though Broadus is quick to point out he’ll still force a shot or two.
“I think as a team these guys have come together,” Broadus said. “[Hobbs has] taken a leadership role, him and Amahrie. The guys like playing with each other and they hold each other accountable, and that’s the thing that’s helping us dig out of a hole that we dug ourselves in.”
Morgan went 6-10 in nonconference play, though three of those losses came on the road to power conference foes Xavier, Iowa State and Minnesota. Now, the Bears are hoping to get better throughout MEAC play and peak in March. They haven’t earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament since 2010.
Maryland Eastern Shore is up next on Feb. 1 at 4 p.m.
“We’ve just got to go game by game,” Hobbs said. “Each game is going to be fight. We can’t underestimate anybody and we don’t want to put anybody too high like they’re better than us, so we’ve just got to take each game day by day — practice hard, play the game hard and we’ve got a chance with anybody.”
LOYOLA MAKING STRIDES
Following a 7-25 season in 2023-24, Loyola has taken a step forward under first-year coach Josh Loeffler, who was an assistant at Loyola from 2013-2017 and the head man at Division III Johns Hopkins from 2017-2023.
The Greyhounds are 8-11 overall and 3-5 in the Patriot League, with their most recent result being a 70-65 loss to Holy Cross. It marked their third conference loss by five points or fewer.
“I think we’re much improved from last year, but it’s still really painful because we’ve had some very, very close losses in [the] league,” Loeffler said. “It feels like we’re right there to take another small step and just get a couple more league wins.”
Senior centers Milos and Veljko Ilic are simultaneously healthy for the first time since the 2021-22 season, and both are enjoying productive seasons. Milos is averaging team-high marks of 13.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, while Veljko is posting 8.2 points and 5.4 boards per game. Milos has started all 19 games. Veljko has come off the bench in all 16 of his games.
The twins from Serbia have formed a productive tandem at the five spot, but they haven’t been on the floor together a whole lot.
“I’d like to do it more. Sometimes it’s hard based on how other teams’ rosters are, just for us defensively,” Loeffler said. “But in reality one of the biggest problems has been usually one of them is in a little bit of foul trouble, which makes it hard.”
Loeffler plays guards and wings around either Ilic brother. That group is led by sophomores Jordan Stiemke (12.6 points per game) and Jordan Theodosiou (11.7) and freshman Braeden Speed (8.1).
“Our top three perimeter scorers are a freshman and two sophomores,” Loeffler said. “We’re asking a lot out of them and I think it’ll be great for us in the long run, but of course there are going to be some issues with consistency with a group that is that young.”
CENTER BY COMMITTEE AT TOWSON
Towson began the 2024-25 season with a 5-8 mark in nonconference play, but the Tigers have started CAA play 7-1. One of the challenges for Towson this year has been finding a way to make up for the loss of center Charles Thompson, who earned four CAA All-Defensive Team nods in five years as a Tiger while averaging 9.0 points in 152 career games.
Towson head coach Pat Skerry has replaced Thompson by committee, with Caleb Embeya, Messiah Jones and Abdou Samb all seeing time at the five spot.
“Their ball-screen coverage has been good,” Skerry said. “Those guys know what they’re supposed to do. I’ve been pleased with them. There’s not one guy that’s ready to do it like Charlie.”
Embeya offers the most upside of the group. The 6-foot-9, 220-pound freshman is a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a graduate of St. Maria Goretti. He is averaging 4.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and has scored nine or more points in three of his last six outings, seemingly getting better as the season moves along. Embeya earned CAA Rookie of the Week honors on Jan. 27.
“From the time he got here to now, he’s just grown so much as a player, as a person,” redshirt senior guard Nendah Tarke said. “I see it, and he wants to learn. You can tell who’s a sponge and who wants to get better and who wants to learn. He just gets it, man. He always wants to learn. All the good things that come to him, he deserves them for sure, 100 percent.”
Embeya, meanwhile, deflects credit for his play.
“I would say I have a good coaching staff,” Embeya said. “They care about me as a person and as a player. All the resources I need to improve I have here. I have a coach who’s taking care of me daily — free throws and during practice when I’m trying to adjust something, they’re always ready to help me to figure it out. That’s how when it came to the game it kind of just seemed easy for me, which, I have big support behind me.”
Photo Credit: Chad Chevalier