PINE BLUFF, Ark. - As the 2018-19 season opens for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff men's basketball team, the Golden Lions are looking to gel as they will take the court Tuesday night against San Diego State. The Golden Lions will meet the Aztecs at 7 p.m. PT in a game slated to be third meeting between the two teams. UAPB comes off a 13-6 conference record and reaching to the conference finals in UAPB Head Coach George Ivory's 10th season. Ivory's frenetic pressure defense and high-paced offense created a lot of highlights in 2017-18, and he hopes for more of that after a full recruiting year heading into 2018-19 season. The team looks to return to the SWAC Men's Basketball Championship Game after falling to Texas Southern in last year's conference final.

The Golden Lions squad features 2017-18 Southwestern Athletic Conference Player and Newcomer of the Year Martaveous Mcknight. The Golden Lions guard was also named 2018-19 SWAC Men's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year and landed a spot on the 2018-19 SWAC Preseason First Team All-SWAC. He is joined in the backcourt by returners Charles Jackson, Cameron Posey and Quamauri Hardy. Terrance Banyard and Christian Robertson are featured front court players that return for the Golden Lions. UAPB added seven newcomers – one redshirt freshman and six transfers - to the roster.

GAME NOTES: UAPB vs. San Diego St.

• ALL-TIME SERIES: San Diego St. leads the all-time series, 2-0. The Aztecs holds a 2-0 advantage in San Diego, the series came at Viejas Arena (2008 and 2012).

* Returning for his senior campaign, Arkansas-Pine Bluff guard Mataveous Mcknight was named the SWAC Preseason Men's Basketball Player of the Year. McKnight ranked third in conference in scoring, averaging 18.6 points per game, was eighth in field percentage at 45.7 percent, fourth in assists at 3.6 per contest, third in steals per game at 1.9 per contest, ninth in 3-point percentage at 36.4 percent, seventh in 3-pointers made at 1.9 per game, fifth in assist to turnover ratio at 1.4, eighth in defensive rebounds per game at 3.9 and was ranked third in minutes with an average of 33.4 minutes logged per game

* Senior guard Charles Jackson (Cleveland, Mississippi)  also earned Preseason First Team All-SWAC honors and averaged 8.5 pointer per game (27th), 2.1 assists per game (11th), 1.1 steals per game (10th), 1.5 3-pointers made per game (14th) and was 15th in minutes per game (28.8) for the Golden Lions

* UAPB led the conference in steals last season with 267 in 34 games, and averaged of 7.9 per game