PREVIEW: #10 CHIPOLA HOSTS MILTON H. JOHNSON CLASSIC THIS WEEKEND

MARIANNA, Florida – The defending FCSAA/Region VIII & Panhandle Conference Champions open the 2024-2025 Men's Basketball season this weekend at home as they host the Milton H. Johnson Classic.

Admission to the games each day is $10/adults and $5/students (K-12). Chipola College students are admitted free. Games are also available on Chipola's Hudl Network. You can access the network by going to ChipolaAthletics.com and clicking on Watch Live then selecting Hudl. The links for each game are also listed below.

Milton H. Johnson Classic Tournament Schedule

Friday – November 1, 2024

5 PM     Southwest Mississippi CC vs. Tallahassee State College Livestream

7 PM     #10 Chipola vs. Albany Tech Livestream

Saturday – November 2, 2024

1 PM     Albany Tech vs. Tallahassee State College Livestream

3 PM     #10 Chipola vs. Southwest Mississippi CC Livestream

Coach Donnie Tyndall's #10 Indians will begin their season with Albany Tech, members of the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA). Chipola will tip it off with the Titans following the first game of the Classic between fellow Panhandle Conference team, Tallahassee State College and Southwest Mississippi Community College, members of the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC).

Albany Tech just missed the 2024 NJCAA D1 Tournament after falling to Georgia Highlands College, 56-53 in the GCAA Championship game. In his first season as Head Coach of the Titans, Rachard Lofton, guided the Titans to a 22-11, including a 10-2 record in the final two months of the season.

The Titans return just three players from the 23-24 squad.

• Chase Hill, guard, averaged 15.9 points per game and shot 42.7% from the floor, including 41.3% from three-point range. He was the leading scorer for the Titans in 2023-2024.
• Brandon Williams, guard, averaged 6.4 points/game and shot 43.4% from the floor.
• Te'Andre Summons, guard, scored 3.5 points/game and shot 38.8% from the floor.

Chipola's opponent on Saturday afternoon, the Bears from Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit, Mississippi, finished 2023-2024 with a 17-13 after falling in the first round of the MACCC/NJCAA Region 23 Tournament.

Head Coach Corey Schmidt, in his fourth season at the helm, returns three players from last year's team.

• LeVionne Lindsey, guard, averaged 8.1 points/game and shot 43.8% from the floor.
• Tylik Weeks, forward, was the Bear's leading scorer a season ago. weeks shot 52.5% from the floor and averaged 17.2 points in 30 games played. In Chipola's 78-70 win a season ago, Weeks led the Bears with 18 points.
• Daylen Thomas, forward, averaged 1.5 points/game in limited action in 23-24.

The Bears have played in the Milton H. Johnson Classic the last two seasons. Both years, Chipola and Pensacola have come away with victories. Southwest Mississippi will face off with a different Panhandle team in this year's version of the Classic when they open with Tallahassee.

After a successful 20-13 record in his first season, Coach Corey Hendren enters his second season with two players returning from a season ago.

• Justin Britt, guard, averaged 8.6 points per game and shot 46.5% from the floor.
• Julius Clark, wing, shot 50.0% from the floor and averaged 5.9 points/game.