Oct. 11, 2007

JACKSON, Miss. - The Jackson State men's basketball team will open the 2007-08 season with its first practice Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center.

The Tigers will return three starters from last year's team. Jackson State will return starting point guard Catraiva Givens, center Jeremy Caldwell and forward Grant Maxey. Givens averaged 5.3 points and dished out 143 assists. Caldwell averaged 7.0 points and pulled down an average of 5.0 rebounds. Maxey averaged 8.9 points and 5.7 rebounds last season.

The Tigers will play two exhibition games before opening the regular season. JSU will host Springhill College on Nov. 1 and Miles College on Nov. 8.

JSU will also have a tough pre-SWAC schedule. JSU will travel to Baylor on Nov.11, BYU on Nov. 16 and Louisville on Nov. 18. The Tigers will host Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 27 and UC Davis on Dec. 21.

Jackson State will begin SWAC play on Jan. 5 with a home game against Alabama A&M.

Last season the Tigers finished with a 21-14 record and won the SWAC Basketball Tournament.