DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –– The Rattlers travel to the east coast of Florida for their Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) opener at Bethune-Cookman on Saturday, January 6.
 
When, Where, How to Watch: 
When: Saturday, January 6, 4 p.m. Eastern
Where: Daytona Beach, Florida 
Watch: CatEye Network
 
Coaches in the game
Robert McCullum (Birmingham Southern, 1976) 
Career Record: 147-240 (14th season)
Record at FAMU: 63-119 (7th season)
 
Reggie Theus 
Career Record: 120-177 (10th season) 
Record at BCU: 26-49 (3rd season)
 
Florida A&M Rattlers
The Rattlers enter SWAC play after finishing 2-9 during the non-conference with wins over Presbyterian and LeMoyne-Owen.
 
The Rattlers enter the game with one of the best players in the SWAC, Keith Lamar, leading the Rattlers in scoring (14.3 points per game) and rebounding (6.5 rebounds per game). Lamar has also had multiple double-doubles and 20+ scoring outputs. The Rattlers will look to get a boost from the bench with their second-leading scorer, Love Bettis (11.3 points per game), and the midseason addition of returning guard Jalen Speer, who played for the Rattlers in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. Speer debuted in the final non-conference game at South Carolina, where he scored ten points off the bench.
 
The Rattlers are also led by true freshman K'Jei Parker as the floor general, leading the team with 32 assists, second in rebounding, averaging 3.7 rebounds per game, and fifth in scoring, averaging 8.2 points per game. Center Shannon Grant has also improved throughout the season, as he's fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 8.5 points per game, and second in rebounding, averaging 3.7 rebounds per game.
 
As a team, the Rattlers are in the top half of the SWAC in 11 team categories:
Assist/Turnover Ratio (0.89) - 5th
Assists Per Game (13.4) - 3rd
Bench Points Per Game (23.18) - 6th
Blocks Per Game (2.9) - 5th
Effective Field Goal Percentage (45.7%) - 6th
Field Goal Percentage (41.4%) - 5
Field Goal Percentage Defense (46.6%) - 5th
Free Throw Percentage (71%) - 6th
Defensive Rebounds Per Game (24.45) - 3rd
Rebounds Per Game (34.36) - 6th
Three Point Percentage (34.3) - 2nd
 
Bethune-Cookman Wildcats
The Wildcats enter the game after finishing the non-conference season with a 5-8 record with wins over Trinity College, Trinity Baptist, Charleston Southern, Incarnate Ward, and South Carolina State.
 
The Wildcats will possess a challenge for the Rattlers with the ability to force turnovers, as they lead the nation in turnovers forced per game (19.46) and steals per game (12.8). The two primary players on the defensive side of the ball forcing these turnovers are Damani McEntire (4th in the nation with three steals per game) and Dhashon Dyson (39th in the nation with 2.23 steals per game). The Wildcats also do an excellent job of turning those turnovers into points, as they're ranked 11th in the nation in fastbreak points per game (16.77).
 
Offensively, the Wildcats have three primary scorers: Jakobi Heady (15.1 points per game), Zion Harmon (13.8 points per game), and Dhashon Dyson (13.2 points per game). Harmon is the leader of the offense, leading the team with 49 assists. Harmon is also exceptional once he reaches the free throw line, shooting 92.1%.
 
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