Tennessee Tech is off to a 4-7 start this season and is coming off a 71-63 loss at Michigan State Saturday.
Sixth-year TTU head coach Steve Payne was the head coach at Knoxvilles Central High School in 1990-91.
In October, the Ohio Valley Conference head coaches and SIDs picked Tennessee Tech to finish fourth in the OVC East Division.
Tech graduated its top two scorers from last seasons squad, which went 19-12 (11-5 OVC) and received an invite to the Vegas 16.
The Golden Eagles top performer has been 6-3 junior guard Aleksa Jugovic, from Serbia. The preseason All-OVC selection leads the team in scoring (17.1 ppg)3-point percentage (.400) and free-throw percentage (.865).
Graduate transfer Kajon Mack (10.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg) joined Tech this season after battling through multiple injuries at Tulane. Mack signed with the Green Wave during the head coaching tenure of former Tennessee director of operations (2001-03) and assistant coach (2003-05) Ed Conroy. Mack transferred from Tulane after Conroys dismissal in March.
TTUs top rebounder, Courtney Alexander II (5.9 rpg), is the son of 2000 NBA Lottery Pick Courtney Alexander Sr. The elder Alexander led the NCAA in scoring with 24.8 ppg as a senior at Fresno State.
Golden Eagles freshman Miles Thomas graduated from Knoxvilles South-Doyle High School this past summer and as a cousin of former Vols guard, JaJuan Smith (2004-08). Thomas has yet to appear in the game this season for TTU and could be a candidate to redshirt.