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The Lincoln Memorial men's basketball team, coming off a 2-0 weekend at the South Atlantic Conference / Peach Belt Conference Challenge, is set to host in-state rival King on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the home opener at Tex Turner Arena.
 
The Railsplitters (3-1) posted a pair of easy wins in Greeneville, Tenn., last week, the first being a 97-74 decision over Clayton State on Friday and the second a 90-69 win over USC Aiken.
 
Lincoln Memorial opened the season ranked No. 6 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Poll after a 2021-22 season when it went 26-5 (21-3 South Atlantic Conference) to claim a share of the SAC regular season championship and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
RAILSPLITTER STRIKES

• Lincoln Memorial leads the SAC in average scoring offense (94.0 points), scoring margin (17.5), assists (21.8), blocks (3.5), rebounding margin (14.2), and 3-pointers made (11.8) per game so far in the young season. The assists per game mark ranks seventh in NCAA Division II, while the rebounding margin and scoring offense numbers rank eighth and tenth nationally, respectively.
• Chase Rankin paces the conference in assists per game with 6.2, which ranks 13^th nationally, and total assists with 25 (most in the nation).
• Along with being ranked No. 6 in the NABC Preseason Poll, the Railsplitters were picked to win the SAC with 143 points including 11 first place votes.
• Redshirt sophomore guard Me'Kell Burries, senior forward Jordan Guest and graduate guard Rankin were all selected to the preseason All-SAC First Team.

SCOUTING KING: The Tornado lost to SAC foes UVA Wise (98-89) and Carson-Newman (86-74) last Friday and Saturday to begin the season 0-2. King's scoring offense (81.5 points/game) ranks second in the Conference Carolinas while its field goal (45.6) and 3-pointer (39.1) percentages rank third.
 
Senior guard Michael Mays leads the team in scoring at 20.5 points per game, while Jordan Akal (11.5) and Kenny Turner (10) also average double figures two games into their season. Mays' 41 total points is third in the Conference Carolinas, while Akal's 62.5 percent shooting from behind the 3-point line ranks second in the league.
 
Up Next
The Railsplitters will return to Harrogate for their home opener against in-state rival King on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. in Tex Turner Arena.