NJIT (3-2 / 0-0 America East) at Navy (2-3 / 0-0 Patriot League)
Saturday, Nov. 22  I  Noon  I  Alumni Hall  I  Annapolis, Md.

Bring a canned or nonperishable food item to the game and receive free admission (one item = one free ticket).

Five Starting Notes
•    Navy and NJIT are meeting for the fourth time, the second game in Annapolis and for the second year in a row. 
•    Navy returns players who scored 53 of the team's 64 points last season at NJIT.  The Highlanders return players who totaled 30 of their 69 points a season ago against the Mids.
•    The last time Navy played host to a team currently in the America East Conference was during the 2018-19 season when the Mids faced Bryant.
•    This is Navy's only home game in a span of three weeks and six games.
•    Donovan Draper grabbed the 600th rebound of his career during Tuesday's game at North Carolina.  He is one of 13 Mids to have snared 600 caroms.

Game Information
•    The Mids are back in Alumni Hall for its lone home game in a span of six games Saturday when they play host to NJIT at noon.
•    The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried locally on the radio by WNAV.

Attending the Game
•    Only those vehicles driven by someone with a Department of Defense (DoD)-approved identification card will be allowed onto the USNA.
•    Fans without DoD approved vehicle access to the USNA must park outside of The Yard.  The simplest way to do this is to take the free shuttle bus, which starts running at 11 a.m.
•    The shuttle bus will depart from and return to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (550 Taylor Avenue, Annapolis, Md., 21401).  Enter the blue / west parking lot through gate 5 off of Taylor Avenue.  There is a $10 per vehicle parking fee.  The free fan shuttle bus will leave from and return to the Blue Angel jet.  
•    Whether a visitor rides the shuttle bus or walks through one of the USNA gates, everyone ages 18 and over must have a valid picture ID (i.e.: State issued driver's license with REAL ID or a government issued passport). Visitors ages 17 and younger who do not have a valid picture ID must be accompanied by an adult. Foreign passports are not permitted for general access.

A Look Back
•    Nationally-ranked North Carolina scored the first seven points of the game on its way to posting a 73-61 victory over the Mids Tuesday night in Chapel Hill.
•    The Tar Heels, ranked 18th and 19th in this week's polls, built a lead of as large as 12 points in the first half but held just a 38-31 lead at the break.
•    North Carolina extended its lead to 24 points in the second half before Navy scored 15-straight points to make it a 68-59 game with two minutes remaining.
•    The Tar Heels won the rebounding statistic, 45-38, and outshot the Mids, 42.9%-30.4%.
•    Navy forced 13 turnovers and committed just six.
•    Austin Benigni totaled 19 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Jinwoo Kim recorded 14 points and six rebounds.

NJIT Preview
•    NJIT finished the 2024-25 campaign with an overall record of 6-25 and placed ninth in the America East Conference with a 3-13 record.
•    The Highlanders placed eighth in this year's conference preseason poll.
•    NJIT has posted a 3-2 record this season.  This includes a 66-64 victory at Loyola and a 75-43 loss at Drexel Tuesday night.

Series History
•    Navy holds a 2-1 advantage in the series.
•    Navy won the lone prior game to be played in Annapolis, an 84-55 victory on Jan, 2, 2008.
•    NJIT won last year's game played between the teams in Newark by the score of 69-64.

On This Date
•    Navy has posted a 5-7 record in games played on Nov. 22.

Against This State 
•    Navy has posted a 36-40 record against teams located in New Jersey.

Navy vs. America East Conference in Annapolis
•    Navy has posted a 15-6 record against America East teams when the game was played in Annapolis.
•    This includes a 10-4 record when the game was played in Alumni Hall

NJIT vs. Patriot League on the Road
•    NJIT has posted a 6-17 record in road games played against current teams in the Patriot League.

A Look Ahead
•    Navy heads back to North Carolina where the Mids will play games in Wilmington against Gardner-Webb (Nov., 26), UNCW (Nov. 28) and Southeastern Louisiana (Nov. 29).

Service Assignments Announced
•    Seniors at the USNA learned of their service assignments upon graduating from Navy this spring during lunch on Thursday, Nov. 20.
•    Those entering the Navy will do so with the rank of Ensign and those entering the Marine Corps will be 2nd Lieutenants.
•    The seniors on the men's basketball team received the following assignments:

Austin Benigni - Navy aviation (pilot)
Cam Cormany - Navy aviation (flight officer)
Donovan Draper - Navy information warfare
Aidan Kehoe - Navy surface warfare (nuclear)
Sam Krist - Marine Corps ground
Mike Woods - Navy surface warfare

On the Road Again, and Again and Again
•    Navy is playing at least one road game in each of the first five weeks of the season.

Week of  /  Road Games
Nov. 2-9  /  at Presbyterian (Nov. 3)
Nov. 10-16 /  at Penn State (Nov. 11)
Nov. 17-23 /  at North Carolina (Nov. 18)
Nov. 24-30 /  3 Games at UNCW (Nov. 26-29)
Dec. 1-7  /  at Delaware State (Dec. 3)

Navy in the NCAA Rankings
•     Navy as a team and several of its players are scattered through the NCAA statistical rankings released the morning of Friday, Nov. 21.

Team (top 100)
Free Throw Pct.    59th    76.4%
Individuals
>> Austin Benigni
Assists    65th    25
Assists / Game    87th    5.0
Free Throw Attempts    94th    31
Free Throws Made    62nd    26
Minutes    56th    34:12
Steals    57th    11
>> Donovan Draper
Rebounds    96th    39
Steals    57th    11
>> Aidan Kehoe
Field Goal Pct.    44th    65.0%

Three-Point Plays 
•    Austin Benigni (44) and Donovan Draper (26) lead the team for the most career three-point play opportunities.
•    Benigni has had at least one three-point play opportunity in 33 career games, as well as in 28 of the 70 games since the start of his sophomore year.

Benigni Scores 1,000th Point
•    Austin Benigni became the 27th Mid to score 1,000 career points during Navy's Jan. 18, 2025, game at Bucknell.
•    He reached the milestone in his 81st career game.  That ranks him 12th for the fewest games needed to score 1,000 points.
•    Benigni is in 13th place for the most career points by a Mid with 1,378 points.  

Donovan Draper's Double-Doubles
•    Though he has played a little more than only two full seasons, Donovan Draper ranks ninth at Navy with 15 career double-doubles. 

Draper's Steals and Rebounds
•    Donovan Draper spent the 2021-22 academic year as a football player at the Naval Academy Prep School.  He then was wide receiver at Navy on the 2022-23 team.
•    Draper, who was an all-county basketball player in high school, joined the Navy basketball team in the spring of 2023.
•    After going 994 days between his last high school basketball game and first as a Mid, he made an immediate impact as he ranked among the Patriot League and NCAA leaders in multiple statistical categories (steals, offensive rebounds, total rebounds).
•    Draper ranks among the Navy leaders for the most career offensive rebounds and the highest career offensive rebounding average.

Most Career Offensive Rebounds (since 1986-87)
1.    331    Eddie Reddick, 1988-91
9.    191    Nick Marusich, 1989-92
10.    189    Chris Williams, 1999-01
    189    Jordan Sugars, 2009-12
12.    186    Donovan Draper, 2024-pres.

•    He is one of five Mids have posted 500 points and 500 rebounds by the end of their junior season.
•    He grabbed the 600th rebound of his career Nov. 18 at North Carolina and now ranks 13th at Navy for the most career caroms.
•    Draper snared the 600th board of his career in his 70th game, making him the third fastest to 600 rebounds.

Most Career Rebounds (Games)
1.    1,314    David Robinson, 1984-87 (127)
2.    1,115    Vernon Butler, 1983-86 (127)
3.    875    Eddie Reddick, 1988-91 (111)
4.    797    Kevin Sinnett, 1976-79 (98)
5.    785    Don Lange, 1952-54 (66)
6.    749    Hank Kuzma, 1975-78 (97)
7.    702    Larry Wigley, 1952-55 (85)
8.    645    Richard Brown, 1958-60 (66)
9.    628    Hassan Booker, 1995-98 (101)
10.    624    Jordan Sugars, 2009-12 (116)
11.    611    Tom Lacey, 2015-18 (111)
12.    603    Worth Smith, 2012-15 (111)
13.    600    Donovan Draper, 2024-pres. (70)

Kehoe Shooting
•    Aidan Kehoe also ranks among the Navy leaders for career field goal percentage.

Highest Field Goal Pct. / Career (Min. 300 FGA)
1.    .625    Evan Wieck, 2017-20
2.    .613    David Robinson, 1985-88
3.    .611    Aidan Kehoe, 2023-pres.