2023 Veterans Classic 
Friday, Nov. 10 • Alumni Hall • Annapolis, Md.
6 p.m. • College of Charleston (1-0) vs. Duquesne (1-0)
8:30 p.m. • Temple (1-0) vs. Navy (0-1)

Multimedia Information (both games)
Live Television / Streaming
•     CBS Sports Network, https://www.cbssports.com/watch/cbs-sports-network / John Sadak, Steve Lappas, Jon Rothstein
Navy Radio
•     WNAV AM-1430, FM-99.9, www.iheart.com/live/999-wnav-9420, Audacy app / Pete Medhurst, Mike Heary
Live Statistics
•     NavySports.com

Five Starting Notes
1 – Navy and Temple are meeting for the first time since Jan. 9, 1982.  It will be the first game in the series to be played in Annapolis since Dec. 8, 1979.
2 – Navy head coach Ed DeChellis was an assistant coach at Penn State when Temple head coach Adam Fisher was a student manager for the Nittany Lions.  DeChellis also graduated from Penn State.
3 – The College of Charleston won the CAA Tournament in 2023 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.  The Cougars previously played in Annapolis on Nov. 16, 2015, when they lost to Navy, 72-58.
4 – Duquesne has not played a game on The Yard since losing to Navy, 35-33, on Jan. 23, 1926. The Dukes were tied (with the College of Charleston) for being the third-most improved team in the NCAA last season.
5 – 15 Veterans Classic alumni were on NBA rosters at the start of the 2023-24 NBA season.  That brings the total number of Veterans Classic players to advance to the NBA to 32.  Additionally, 53 future NBA players have played a college game in Alumni Hall.

Game Information
•    Navy opens its home season by playing host to Temple in the second game (8:30 p.m.) of the 10th annual Veterans Classic doubleheader.
•    Game one (6 p.m.) features Duquesne playing the College of Charleston.
•    The games will be televised on the CBS Sports Network, with the stream of the telecasts available to those who have subscribed to the network and can access it through a cable television package or other streaming offerings.
•    WNAV will carry both games. 
•    Links to live statistics from the game can be accessed at NavySports.com.

Attending the Games
Fan information such as gate hours, parking and shuttle bus times can be accessed HERE.

Last Game
•    Navy dropped its season opener to Campbell, 59-48, Monday night in Buies Creek, N.C.
•    The Mids fell behind 19-4 at the start of the game.
•    Navy had possession down 10 midway through the second half, but turned the ball over.  That was followed by the Fighting Camels scoring on their next four possessions to pull away.
•    Navy shot just 33.9 percent (19-56) from the field and Campbell made 52.5 percent (21-40) of its field goal attempts.
•    Navy started four first-time starters in the game.
•    Austin Inge led Navy with eight points.

Navy to Wear NASA Uniforms
•    Navy will debut its NASA-inspired uniforms during the game.
•    Fifty-four United States Naval Academy graduates have gone on to become astronauts, the most of any institution. The first Naval Academy graduate to become an astronaut was Alan Shepard ('45), who was the first American in space (May 5, 1961) and was one of NASA's first seven astronauts. Shepard's second space flight was on Feb. 5, 1971, when Apollo 14 landed on the moon and he went on two moonwalks.
•    The Naval Academy Athletic Association and Under Armour partnered with NASA to use the official "meatball" logo to accurately recreate the spacewalk suit.
•    The white uniform with red stripes and the American flag mimic markings on the NASA spacewalk suit. The Helvetica font was used for the numbers and wordmark.  This typeface has been used by NASA extensively for decades, from the space shuttle to signage and printouts. It is one of the most ubiquitous typefaces in the world.
•    The shorts' side-panels feature the NASA astronaut pin which was adopted in 1963. It was first given to Mercury 7 astronauts. The silver pin is awarded to astronauts after completing basic training and the gold pin is awarded after completion of a spaceflight mission.

About Temple
•    Temple posted an overall record of 16-16 last season and placed fifth in the 11-team American Athletic Conference regular season with an 10-8 record.  The Owls lost in the quarterfinal round of the AAC tournament.
•    Temple placed 12th in this year's 14-team AAC Preseason Poll.
•    The Owls opened the 2023-24 season with an 85-65 win over UMES in Philadelphia.

Navy-Temple Series
•    Temple leads the series with Navy, 22-14.  The Owls hold a slim 12-11 advantage in games played at Navy. 
•    The teams first met on Feb. 16, 1938, in Annapolis,  Temple recorded a 61-58 victory in that game.
•    The last meeting in the series occurred Jan. 9, 1982, when the Owls won an 80-64 decision in Philadelphia.
•    The last game in the series to be played in Annapolis was Dec. 8, 1979.  Temple recorded a 55-50 win in that game.
•    The teams last played 15,280 days ago. The number one song in the US on the date of the last game was Physical by Olivia Newton John, the top movie at the box office was Modern Problems starring Chevy Chase and Dallas was the top-rated program on television that week.  Additionally, the last Navy-Temple game was played one day before the NFL's two conference championship games in which Cincinnati defeated San Diego in the "Freezer Bowl" that saw temperatures drop to -9 degrees and San Francisco defeated Dallas in "The Catch" when Joe Montana found Dwight Clark in the end zone with 58 seconds left.

Navy-Temple Venues
•    Alumni Hall in Annapolis will be the sixth venue to play host to the Navy vs. Temple game.

Navy-Temple Venues (date of first game in facility)
Dahlgren Hall / Annapolis (2-16-1938)
Convention Hall / Philadelphia (1-9-1954)
Halsey Field House, Annapolis (1-30-1957)
The Palestra / Philadelphia (1-31-1959)
McGonigle Hall / Philadelphia (1-9-1982)
Alumni Hall / Annapolis (11-10-2023)

Navy vs. AAC
•    Navy has posted a 35-48 record against teams currently in the American Athletic Conference.  
•    Navy has tallied a 1-2 record against the current AAC membership under Ed DeChellis.
•    The Mids last played an AAC team when the Mids defeated East Carolina, 62-57, in the 2019 Veterans Classic.
•    Navy also has lost to Tulane (51-41, Dec. 1, 2012) and UAB (82-634, Nov. 18, 2012) under DeChellis.

Temple vs. Patriot League
•    Temple has compiled a 132-40 record against teams currently in the Patriot League.
•    Temple last played a Patriot League foe when it defeated American, 40-37, on Nov. 14, 2015, in Philadelphia.

On This Date
•    Navy has posted a 3-0 record in games played on Nov. 10.

Year    Opponent    W/L    Score
2006    vs. Loyola, Md.    W    73-61        (at Queens, N.Y.)    
2017    Pittsburgh    W    71-62
2019    Washington, Md.    W    87-56

Against This State
•    Navy has posted a 387-262 record in games against opponents located in Pennsylvania.
•    The Mids have played 39 different teams located in the Keystone State.

Veterans Classic
•    Traditionally held on or around the Veterans Day holiday weekend, the event pays tribute to veterans of all our armed forces.
•    Now in its 10th year, teams immerse themselves in the USNA on Thursday through tours of ship simulators, helicopters, and ships.  They then eat lunch in King Hall with members of the Brigade of Midshipmen.
•    Veterans of all service branches are honored during the course of the doubleheader.
•    Temple is the first team to make a second appearance in the Veterans Classic.  The Owls lost, 91-67, to No. 1 ranked North Carolina in the 2015 event.

Veterans Classic Annual Results 
Nov. 14, 2014 - (15 AP / 16 USA Today) VCU 85, Tennessee 69 / (18 / 18) Michigan State 64, Navy 59
Nov. 13, 2015 - (1 / 1) North Carolina 91, Temple 67 / Florida 59, Navy 41
Nov. 11, 2016 - Marquette 95, Vanderbilt 71 / Ohio State 78, Navy 68
Nov. 10, 2017 - (RV / 25) Alabama 82, Memphis 70 / Navy 71, Pittsburgh 62
Nov. 9, 2018 - Wichita State 83, Providence 80 / Maryland 78, Navy 57
Nov. 8, 2019 - (24 / 23) Auburn 76, Davidson 66 / Navy 62, East Carolina 57
Nov. 25, 2020 - Navy 78, George Washington 71
Nov. 12, 2021 - Utah State 85, Richmond 74 / Virginia Tech 77, Navy 57
Nov. 11, 2022 - (3 / 3) Houston 81, Saint Joseph's 55 / Navy 74, Princeton 73

From the Veterans Classic to the NBA
•     15 Veterans Classic alumni were on NBA rosters at the start of the 2023-24 NBA season.
•    That brings the total number of Veterans Classic players to advance to the NBA to 32.

Veterans Classic Players on 2023-24 NBA Rosters (as of opening night)
Josh Richardson, Tennessee, 2014 -- Miami
Dorian Finney-Smith, Florida, 2015 -- Brooklyn
Sam Hauser, Marquette, 2016 -- Boston
Luke Kornet, Vanderbilt, 2016 -- Boston 
Keita Bates-Diop, Ohio State, 2016 -- San Antonio
Micah Potter, Ohio State, 2016 -- Utah
Jae'Sean Tate, Ohio State, 2016 -- Houston (a)
Herbert Jones, Alabama, 2017 -- New Orleans (b)
Bruno Fernando, Maryland, 2018 -- Atlanta
Jalen Smith, Maryland, 2018 -- Indiana
Aaron Wiggins, Maryland, 2018 -- Oklahoma City 
Isaac Okoro, Auburn, 2019 -- Cleveland (a)
Jacob Gilyard, Richmond, 2021 -- Memphis
Marcus Sasser, Houston 2022 -- Detroit
Jarace Walker, Houston, 2022 -- Indiana
a= Was named to the 2021 NBA All-Rookie Team
b= Was named to the 2022 NBA All-Rookie Team

Little Veterans Classic Experience
•     Only four current Mids have played in the Veterans Classic.
•    Lysander Rehnstrom played in the 2021 game against Virginia Tech (7 minutes).
•    Austin Inge (started, 7 points), Kam Summers (started, 2 points) and Austin Benigni (13 minutes, 6 points) played in the 2022 game against Princeton. 

College of Charleston vs. Duquesne
•    The game between the College of Charleston and Duquesne will be the second meeting between the teams.  The Cougars defeated the Dukes, 69-66, Nov. 24, 2000, in a game played in Honolulu, Hawaii.
•    The College of Charleston compiled a 31-4 record during the 2022-23 season and shared the Colonial Athletic Association's (now Coastal Athletic Association) regular season title with a 16-2 record.  The Cougars went on to win the CAA Tournament and advance to the NCAA Tournament. 
•    The Cougars have played one prior game in Annapolis and that was a 72-58 loss to the Mids on Nov. 16, 2015.
•    Duquense was one of the most improved teams in the country last season.  The Dukes tied for third in the ranking –– with the College of Charleston –– as they went from posting a 6-24 record in 2021-22 to compiling a 20-13 mark in 2022-23.  Duquesne tied for sixth place in the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season this past year with a 10-8 record and ended the campaign by playing in the College Basketball Invitational.
•    Duquesne has not played a game on The Yard since it posted a 35-33 win over Navy on Jan. 23, 1926.

Up Next
•    Navy heads to California for the first time in 13 seasons for games Nov. 18 at UC San Diego and Nov. 20 at San Diego.

Kim Was Rare Plebe Starter
•    Jinwoo Kim became the fourth Navy freshman to start the opening game of the season during the 13-year Ed DeChellis era.

Freshman to Start Season Opener Under DeChellis
2011-12    Kevin Alter at Longwood (3 rebs.)
2012-13    Tilman Dunbar, Marymount (8 pts., 7 asts.)
2018-19    John Carter Jr. at ODU (10 rebs., 8 pts.)
2023-24    Jinwoo Kim at Campbell

Four First-Time Starters
•    Jinwoo Kim joined Mitch Fischer, Mike Woods and Lysander Rehnstrom as Mids who made the first start of their respective careers in Navy's opening game at Campbell.
•    It is the first time since starts began being tracked with the 1982-83 season in which four Mids made their first career starts in a season opening game.
•    Additionally, Kim, Donovan Draper, Carnegie Johnson, Jack Medalie and Jordan Pennick all played in the first game of their respective careers against the Camels.

About Navy
•    Navy returns one starters, eight letter winners and 13 players from last year's team.  There are 13 newcomers on the squad.
•    The Mids lost four starters, eight letter winners and 11 players from last season.
•    The Mids posted an overall record of 18-13 and, with an 11-7 record, tied for second place in the Patriot League and earned the No. 2 seed in the league tournament.
•    Navy tied for seventh place in the 2023-24 Patriot League Preseason Poll.

Navy's Experience
•    Navy returns from 2022-23 (returning leader)...
    43% of games played (31 / Austin Benigni)
    25% of games started (23 / Austin Inge)
    30% of minutes played (682 / Austin Inge)
    22% of field goals made (63 / Austin Inge)
    21% of 3-point field goals made (20 / Mac MacDonald)
    32% of free throws made (45 / Austin Benigni)
    21% of rebounds (58 / Austin Benigni)
    37% of assists (70 / Austin Inge)
    18% of blocked shots (3 / Three Players)
    30% of steals (23 / Benigni, Inge)
    23% of points (180 / Austin Inge)

•    Navy has 10 players on the roster who have played in at least one game in their careers.  Those 10 players enter the season having combined for ...
    18 seasons
    224 games played
    51 games started
    700 points
    278 rebounds
    237 assists

•    Navy ranks among the youngest teams in the country in terms of average age of the roster.

Youngest NCAA Teams (includes walk-ons)
Rnk.    Ave. Age    Team
1.    19.1    Virginia Military Institute
2.    19.66    Marquette        
3.    19.68    Saint Francis    
4.    19.77    Arizona        
5.    19.81    Siena        
6.    19.9    Elon        
7.    20.0    Kentucky        
8.    20.0    North Carolina A&T    
9.    20.1    UCLA        
10.    20.1    Pepperdine        
11.    20.1    Oregon State        
12.    20.12    Vanderbilt        
13.    20.15    Belmont        
14.    20.20    Ohio State        
15.    20.31    Navy

In the Family - USNA
•      Several Mids have had relatives graduate from the USNA.
•    Boston Bonifay
    -- Grandfather, Buck Bonifay, Class of 1960
•    Kam Summers
    -- Brother, Greg Summers, Class of 2022
•    Reiss Whitaker
    -- Dad, Kylor Whitaker, Class of 1986

In the Family - Sports
•      A number of Mids have had relatives play collegiate or professional sports.
•    Tony Atkinson
    -- Brother, Paul Atkinson - Yale, basketball
•    Austin Benigni
    -- Mom, Jessica Benigni - Clearwater Christian, softball
•    Cam Cole
    -- Dad, Roland Cole - Howard, basketball
    -- Uncle, Ricky Cole - Georgia Tech, track
    -- Cousin, Ricky Cole III - Football, Wagner / SMU
    -- Uncle, Carlton Myers - Boston U., football
    -- Cousin, Aria Myers - NJIT, basketball **
•    Ethan DeLaurier
    -- Mom, C'ta DeLaurier - Rutgers, basketball
    -- Brother, Javin DeLaurier - Duke, basketball
•    Mitch Fischer
    -- Sister, Addie Fischer - Villanova, lacrosse
•    Julian Gabbidon
    -- Brother, Jalen Gabbidon - Yale / Colorado, Basketball
•    Nyles Howard
    -- Dad, Roderick Howard - Charlotte, Basketball
•    Austin Inge
    -- Dad, Anthony Inge - James Madison, Basketball
•    Carnegie Johnson
    -- Brother, Cassius Johnson - San Diego, football
    -- Brother, Cornelius Johnson - Michigan, football **
•    Aidan Kehoe
    -- Sister, Molly Kehoe - New Orleans, volleyball **
•    Jinwoo Kim
    -- Cousin, Justin Kim - Princeton, baseball **
    -- Sister, Hope Kim - St. Louis, soccer (2024 commit)
•    Sam Krist
    -- Dad, Stephen Krist - West Virginia, track & CC
•    Mac MacDonald
    -- Dad, Farley MacDonald - Marymount, basketball
•    Jack Medalie
    -- Grandfather, Tom Parker - Kentucky, basketball
    -- Great Uncle, Harry Parker - 6 years in MLB
    -- Cousin, Jim McConkey - Davidson, basketball
•    Jordan Pennick
    -- Sister, Morgan Pennick - Stevenson, basketball
•    Lysander Rehnstrom
    -- Dad, Doug Rehnstrom - Shippensburg, basketball
•    Chandler Schmidt
    -- Dad, Travis Schmidt - Purdue Calumet, basketball
    -- Mom, Cristina Schmidt - Purdue Calumet, basketball
•    Kam Summers
    -- Dad, Greg Summers - South Florida, basketball
    -- Mom, Kristi Summers - South Florida, tennis
    -- Brother, Greg Summers - Navy, basketball
•    Reiss Whitaker
    -- Dad, Reiss Whitaker - Navy, basketball
•    Jalen White
    -- 1st Cousin, Elorod Morris - Win. Sal. St., football
    -- 1st Cousin, James Morris - NCA&T, football
•    Mike Woods
    -- Brother, Mark Woods - Fairmont State, football
** = active

Mids Earn Another First Round Bye
•    Navy and Colgate are the only two teams to not appear in a first-round Patriot League Tournament game over the last seven years (2017-23).

Team    First-Round PLT Games (2017 to '23)
American    2017, 2018, 2022, 2023
Army    2017, 2018
Boston U.    2019, 2021
Bucknell    2020, 2022, 2023
Colgate    ––
Holy Cross    2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Lafayette    2017, 2018, 2019, 2022
Lehigh    2020, 2021
Loyola    2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023
Navy    ––

Davis Leads Patriot League Coaches
•    Navy assistant coach Emmett Davis is in his 29th season as a Patriot League coach.  That leads all men's basketball coaches for the most Patriot League seasons in a career.
•    Davis also coached at Navy for five seasons (1987-91)prior to the Mids joining the Patriot League.
•    The Patriot League is in its 34th season of sponsoring men's basketball (began 1990-91).

Most Patriot League Seasons -- MBB Coaches
29    Emmett Davis
    1991-92 to 1997-98 - Navy Assistant Coach
    1998-99 to 2010-11 - Colgate Head Coach
    2015-16 to pres. - Navy Assistant Coach
27    Fran O'Hanlon
    1995-96 to 2021-22 - Lafayette Head Coach
22    Brett Reed 
    2002-03 to 2006-07 - Lehigh Assistant Coach
    2007-08 to pres. - Lehigh Head Coach

Not Getting to the FT Line 
•    Navy ranked 343rd nationally last season with an average of 13.5 free throws attempted a game, and 344th with an average of 9.5 free throws made a game.
•    The Mids were -13 in free throw attempts in their season opener at Campbell.  Navy attempted nine foul shots and the Camels had 22 attempts.

Navy Bench Has Been a Strength 
•    The Mids have received an average of at least 20 points a game from their bench since the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

All Games
Bench Point Totals / Ave.    Navy    Opponents
2020-21 (18 gms.)    443 / 24.6    263 / 14.6
2021-22 (32)    766 / 23.9    413 / 12.9
2022-23 (31)    669 / 21.6    538 / 17.4
2023-24 (1)    25 / 25.0    8 / 8.0
Totals (82)    1,903 / 23.2    1,222 / 14.9