Marrow and Heckstall bolster Pirates after an 18-win season

Hampton University men at a glance

Last year:

(tied-5th)

Coach: Buck Joyner (11th season,171-156).

Season opener: Wednesday at home vs. Mid-Atlantic Christian, 7 p.m.

18-17, 9-7 Big South

Strengths

Although the Pirates were hit by graduation, seniors Jermaine Marrow (24.4 ppg, 4.9 apg, 4.1 rpg) and Greg Heckstall (9.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg) should be an effective one-two punch. Marrow is going into his final season with 1,987 points, the most in HU’s Division I era and second in history.

Heckstall is a good shooter and a better slasher.

Guard Dondre Griffin, who began his career at Murray State, has shown flashes.

Forward Ben Stanley is that blue-collar player every team

needs.

Weaknesses

Of the 14 players on Hampton’s roster, seven are newcomers. That might not turn out to be a weakness in the long run, but team chemistry won’t come overnight. More pressing is the team’s defense, which cost it some wins last season. The Pirates were 10th out of 11 Big South teams in scoring defense (76.1 ppg). HU also must replace 16 rpg from three lost starters.

Prediction

Hampton is one of four teams in the Big South that returns its leading scorer. Marrow, in fact, is the top returning scorer in the nation. But he and Heckstall are the only known commodities, which means some newbies must step up. If they do, HU can contend with preseason favorite Radford.

Schedule

6: Mid-Atlantic Christian, 7 p.m.; 12: Apprentice School, 7 p.m.; 15: at William & Mary, 7 p.m.; 21: Regent University, 7 p.m.; 23: at Illinois, TBA; 26: at San Francisco, TBA; 29: at CSU Bakersfield, 10 p.m.

3: Richmond, 7 p.m.; 5: Howard, 7 p.m.; 7: Norfolk State, 6 p.m.; 18: at Southern Illinois, 8 p.m.; 21: at Kent State, 7 p.m.; 28: St. Peter’s, 1 p.m.

4: Charleston Southern, 6 p.m.; 8 : at USC Upstate, 6 p.m.; 11: Longwood, 6 p.m.; 16: Winthrop, 7 p.m.; 18: at UNC Asheville, 2 p.m.; 20: at Gardner-Webb, 7 p.m.; 23: Campbell, 7 p.m.; 25: at Radford, 4 p.m.

1: Presbyterian, 4 p.m.; 6: at High Point, 7 p.m.; 8: at Charleston Southern, 5:30 p.m.; 10: UNC Asheville, 7 p.m.; 13: at Campbell, 7 p.m.; 15 : at Longwood, 6 p.m.; 20: Gardner-Webb, 7 p.m.; 22: at Winthrop, 1 p.m.; 27: Radford, 7 p.m.; 29: USC Upstate, 4:30 p.m.

3, 5-6, 8: Big South Tournament.