OCU vs. Manhattan Christian men's basketball preview

Stars to be honored for their second consecutive Directors' Cup title

4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2
Abe Lemons Arena inside the Freede Center

THE MATCHUP
• Oklahoma City University makes its 2018-19 regular-season debut against Manhattan Christian (Kan.)
• Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for students and OCU students, faculty and staff get into all regular-season OCU home athletics events free with their ID
• OCU athletics will be recognized at halftime for taking its second consecutive Directors' Cup. The Stars edged Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) by 1.75 points for the smallest margin of victory ever in the NAIA Directors' Cup standings in 2017-18. Amber Armstrong, senior director of client development and experience from Learfield Sports, will present the trophy to OCU President Martha Burger, athletic director Jim Abbott and the rest of the Stars
• When the Stars score 70 points, fans get a 2-for-1 combo coupon for Raising Cane's

ABOUT THE STARS
• Southwestern Oklahoma State rallied past Oklahoma City 101-97 on Wednesday night in Weatherford, Okla., in an exhibition. Elijah Christman put OCU ahead 69-62 with 12:04 left. Chris Williams, a 6-foot-2 senior from Denver, supplied the Stars with 26 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Williams collected second-team all-Gulf South Conference last season at Montevallo (Ala.)
• Joe Clarke, a 6-3 senior from New Rochelle, N.Y., picked up 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots on Wednesday. Clarke took honorable-mention all-Lone Star Conference as a junior with Eastern New Mexico
• OCU has been slotted at No. 5 in the preseason NAIA Division I rankings. Oklahoma City has made 24 NAIA Division I Tournament appearances and won six national championships in 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2007 and 2008
• The Stars have been picked to finish first place in the Sooner Athletic Conference according to the preseason coaches poll. OCU owns 13 SAC regular-season titles and nine SAC Tournament crowns
• OCU has gone 2-0 against Manhattan Christian, ripping the Thunder 106-81 on Oct. 28, 2017 at Abe Lemons Arena. Ridell Camidge turned in 23 points

ABOUT THE THUNDER
• McPherson (Kan.) sank Manhattan Christian 90-73 on Wednesday in Manhattan, Kan. Manhattan Christian went to 0-1, but also fell 96-73 on Oct. 26 at Mid-America Christian and lost 107-61 on Oct. 27 at Southwestern Christian in exhibitions
• Zach Smalley, a 5-10 junior, totaled 14 points while shooting 8-for-11 from the free-throw line
• Trayveon Smith, a 6-foot freshman, added 12 points with 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the 3-point line

ABOUT THE COACHES
Vinay Patel (60-31, fourth season with OCU)
• Patel has guided three OCU all-Americans, including the Stars' first first-teamer since 2008, 2017 Sooner Athletic Conference player of the year, the 2017 and 2018 SAC co-defensive player of the year, a finalist for the Dark Horse Dunker competition, 11 all-conference performers and four academic all-SAC choices. He is the 2018 John Hudson SAC coach of the year
• Before coming to OCU, he spent one season as Rogers State's assistant coach and aided the Hillcats to a 20-8 season led by the conference player of the year
• Patel spent nine years as assistant before serving as the head coach at West Texas A&M. During that time, West Texas went to the NCAA Division II Tournament five times, won the Lone Star Conference championship and took two Lone Star South Division titles

Shawn Condra (486-301, 25th season with Manhattan Christian)
• In 1996, Manhattan Christian captured the NCCAA Division II-A championship and he was named the NCCAA IIA Coach of the Year
• He has also been named the NCCAA Central Region coach of the year seven times (2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008 & 2009, 2015)

ON THE AIR
• Oklahoma City University athletics provides live and on-demand audio, stats and video of its contests on OCU's Stretch portal. Cost to watch the game is $7.95 per game, $34.95 for a men's basketball season pass and $79.95 for an all-season pass in 2018-19
• Joel Reagan will provide the play-by-play. He has been calling OCU baseball the past couple of years. Reagan served as the Stars' regular play-by-play man in 2005-06 and announced OCU's national championship game appearances in 2006, 2007 and 2008
• Fans can access regular-season broadcasts from NAIA institutions as well as from NAIA Championships postseason contests via Stretch Internet through custom apps on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV. Users can search for "NAIA" on the app interfaces on any compatible device, and then download the free NAIA Network app

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Players Mentioned

#3 Ridell Camidge: F; 6' 4"; Senior

#10 Elijah Christman: F; 6' 5"; Senior

#2 Chris Williams: G; 6' 2"; Senior

#11 Joe Clarke: G; 6' 3"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#3 Ridell Camidge
: 6' 4"; Senior
: F

#10 Elijah Christman
: 6' 5"; Senior
: F

#2 Chris Williams
: 6' 2"; Senior
: G

#11 Joe Clarke
: 6' 3"; Senior
: G