JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps men's basketball program looks to improve on the success it built last season as the 2020-21 campaign officially begins on Jan. 15. The Majors finished last season 17-10 overall and 8-6 in conference action as well as advanced to the semifinal round of the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Tournament. It was the highest overall win total the program had achieved since 2007-08 and most league wins since 2009-10.  

The men will play a 12-game conference-only schedule this season, which will feature six back-to-back games either Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday against the same opponent. Friday's games will begin at 6 p.m. CT, Saturday will either start at 1 or 4 p.m. and Sunday will tip at 1 p.m. 

Head coach Michael Prather enters his first campaign at the helm following two seasons as an assistant at Louisiana College. In 2017-18, Prather was an assistant with the Majors which saw the team improve its win total over the previous year by five games and implemented a defensive system that led the league in defensive field goal percentage. He will be assisted by Millsaps alums Saxton Becker and Michael Sullivan, a First Team All-SAA honoree.

Millsaps welcomes back five returners in sophomores Doug Watson and Rodreekas Bush, junior Newlon Gillihan and seniors Joshua Miller and Drew Burnett. Each will gain a larger role in this season's offense as Newlon led the way with 3.9 points per game and 2.8 rebounds per contest in 26 appearances. Miller played in all 27 games and shot at an effective .492 percent. The Majors will also look to its youth for valuable playing time as the team features eight freshmen.

On the team side, the Majors controlled the scoring (79.4-75.4 ppg), rebounding (43.0-35.1 rpg) and lead opponents in blocks last season (3.6-2.3 bpg). Millsaps entered the SAA Tournament as the No. 5 seed and took down No. 4 seed Oglethorpe in dominating fashion, 93-68. The Majors gave No. 1 seed Centre all it could handle, but ultimately fell 90-70 to end its historic season.  

Key losses from last year's squad include SAA Defensive Player of the Year and All-SAA Honorable Mention Justin Van Pelt, All-SAA Second Team member Anthony Hughes and two additional Honorable Mention student-athletes in Ryan McLaurin and Kaleb Jenkins.

Millsaps' schedule opens at Hendrix on Jan.15-16. The Majors then return home for a six-game homestand with Berry (Jan. 22-23), Centre (Jan. 29-30) and Rhodes (Feb. 12-13). Birmingham-Southern plays hosts to conclude the regular season, Feb. 26-27. Conference supremacy will be on the line when the top seed hosts the eight-team SAA Tournament, March 4-6. Live stats and video will available for all games at gomajors.com.

2020-21 Millsaps Majors Men's Basketball Schedule
Date                 Opponent                     Time (CT)
Jan. 15             at Hendrix                     6 p.m.
Jan. 16             at Hendrix                     1 p.m.
Jan. 22             vs. Berry                       6 p.m.
Jan. 23             vs. Berry                       1 p.m.
Jan. 29             vs. Centre                     6 p.m.
Jan. 30             vs. Centre                     1 p.m.
Feb. 12             vs. Rhodes                   6 p.m.
Feb. 13             vs. Rhodes                   1 p.m.
Feb. 20             at Oglethorpe                4 p.m.
Feb. 21             at Oglethorpe                1 p.m.
Feb. 26             at BSC                          6 p.m.
Feb. 27             at BSC                          1 p.m.
Mar. 4-6            SAA Tournament          TBA
 
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the men's basketball program follow the Majors on Twitter and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook or visit gomajors.com.