BOONE, N.C. – The App State Mountaineers are set to open the 2023-24 season with a home matchup against the Oakland City Mighty Oaks on Tuesday at the Holmes Convocation Center. Tip off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.
This will be year 104 of App State basketball in the High Country, year 10 in the Sun Belt Conference and year 24 in the Holmes Center.
Kerns enters his fifth season at the helm of the program on Tuesday, compiling a 70-58 record over his previous four years at App State. Last February, he claimed his 100th career win as a head coach after beating Texas State and sits just five wins away from 75 at App State. The Black & Gold have finished over .500 in every season that Kerns has been the head coach.
The Mountaineers look to continue a few notable streaks at their 2023-24 home opener on Tuesday as they have won each of their last nine home openers and have scored 65 points or more in each of their last 14 home openers. Kerns has never lost a home opener as a head coach, compiling a 6-0 record.
- Who: App State (0-0) vs. Oakland City (1-1)
- Where: Holmes Convocation Center // Boone, N.C.
- When: November 7 // 6:30 p.m.
Scouting the Mountaineers
Expectations are high for the Mountaineers coming into Tuesday's matchup as they were picked to finish second in the Sun Belt in the preseason coaches poll, giving them their highest preseason conference ranking since they were picked to be the co-favorites in the Southern Conference in 2010-11.
The Mountaineers were ranked No. 19 in the first College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll, marking the second time the team has been ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25 in Kerns' tenure and the first time the team has been in the first Mid-Major Top 25 poll ever. App State is the only Sun Belt team to be featured in the first ranking.
App State features an experienced group of returners this season, including five of their top six leading scorers from a season ago. The Black & Gold return 4,690 minutes and 133 starts from a season ago, while also returning 71 percent of the scoring, 65 percent of the rebounding, 79 percent of the assists, 73 percent of the steals and 85 percent of the blocks from last season.
Coach Kerns' squad will also introduce a talented group of newcomers to the High Country, including Butler transfer
Myles Tate, first-team NJCAA All-American
Tre'Von Spillers, who led the NJCAA in blocks per game (4.9) and finished third in rebounding average (11.0) last year and freshman
Jordan Marsh, who was named the Big Shots Prep Nationals High School SLAM MVP last season.
Scouting the Mighty Oaks
The Mighty Oaks have already played two games this season, winning their opener against Grace Christian University last Friday before losing to Northwestern College on Saturday. The Mighty Oaks finished 9-19 last season.
Oakland City returns three of their top four leading scorers from a season ago, including Drake Moore who led the team in scoring last year, averaging 12.8 points per game. Head coach Ken French leads an experienced group in his third season at the helm as 11 of his 16 players are upperclassmen.
Series History
The Mountaineers and Mighty Oaks will meet for the first time on Tuesday. Kerns has never coached against Oakland City and none of the players on the roster have played against Oakland City in their career.
Next Up
App State travels to Dekalb, Ill., to face the Northern Illinois Huskies in the first leg of the inaugural SBC/MAC Challenge on Saturday. Tip off is scheduled for 4 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+
