A start to a new season awaits for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff men's basketball team on Wednesday night at Marquette in a 9 p.m. game which will be televised live on Fox Sports 1.
 
With COVID-19 protocols in place, UAPB head coach George Ivory, now the dean of Southwestern Athletic Conference men's basketball coaches in his 13th season, has worked to keep things as normal as possible in a season which could be anything but.
 
"Our preparations have changed tremendously because of the COVID-19," Ivory said. "We have started practicing in masks to help keep everyone safe."
 
The Golden Lions return four starters and nine veterans to this year's squad, highlighted by the return of redshirt junior guard Shaun Doss, a 2019-20 Preseason All-SWAC second-team selection who returns to the lineup after missing the final 27 games due to injury.
 
A trio of seniors who started last season, forwards Markedric Bell (a 2020-21 Preseason All-SWAC second team selection) and Terrance Banyard and guard Dequan Morris, provide experience and leadership to this season's squad.
 
Among the newcomers to watch are junior college transfers Joshuwan Johnson and Jalen Lynn. At Glendale (Ariz.) Community College, Johnson averaged 17.6 points and more than four assists per game, shooting nearly 45 percent from three-point range. Lynn, a Mid-South (Tenn.) Community College transfer, averaged 17.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
 
"The experienced guys on the roster have been a tremendous help with implementing our system with the new guys on the team," Ivory said. "They've shown great leadership since the start of practice, and that has been a great benefit to us."
 
The Golden Lions departed earlier this week for a five-game, two-week road trip as part of a nine-game non-conference schedule. Wednesday's game at Marquette and Friday's 8 p.m. game at Wisconsin on the Big Ten Network are part of a season-opening MTE event. Most of the games on this opening-season trip will be televised or video streamed online.
 
UAPB will conclude the five-game trip with a Sunday tip at noon at Iowa State on ESPN+, a Wednesday, Dec. 2  game at Northwestern at 8 p.m. on the Big Ten Network, and a Saturday, Dec. 5 game at Saint Louis, with game-time TBA.
 
The Golden Lions will conclude non-conference play with road games at Arkansas St. (Wed. Dec. 9 – 6 p.m.), Tulane (Sat. Dec. 12 -1 p.m.), North Texas (Tue. Dec. 15 – 7 p.m.), and Baylor (Mon. Dec 21 – TBA).  UAPB will then have time off to prepare for SWAC play beginning Jan. 2 at home in the nightcap of women's and men's doubleheader vs. Miss. Valley State in the H.O. Clemmons Arena.
 
"Playing five games in two weeks will really help us learn a lot about our team," Ivory said. "We'll face some good teams, and it will allow us to see what we need to improve on."
 
Marquette is coming off an 18-12 campaign, which included an 8-10 mark in the always tough Big East conference. They lost the nation's leading scorer in Markus Howard due to graduation and will look to score by committee with a trio of seniors leading the way.
 
"Marquette presents a big challenge for us because of their size and athleticism," Ivory said. "It will be important for us to care of the basketball, control the boards, and not allow any fast-break points to have an opportunity to win."