After beating Wittenberg and Team NIKE in their exhibition season, the UD men's basketball team starts the regular season on Sunday when Delaware State comes to UD Arena. The game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.

Delaware State is coming off of a 16-13 season that included a second place finish in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference behind Hampton.

The Hornets return three starters from last year's team and will run a three guard offense.

Leading the way for Delaware State will be senior forward Andre' Matthews, who was the leading scorer last year and second on the team in rebounds.

Helping him out in the post will be younger brother Aaron Matthews, a junior transfer from Villanova, and senior forward Sergey Stephanenkov, last year's leading rebounder.

Running the point for the Hornets will be 5-5 junior guard Miles Davis. Davis averaged nine points a game and almost four assists a game last season.

Helping Davis out in the backcourt will be last year's sixth man, senior guard James Bowen. Bowen averaged 10 points a game coming off the bench.

'Delaware State is extremely athletic and quick,' UD head coach Oliver Purnell said. 'They are a slashing team and we will have to keep them from penetrating.'

This season Delaware State is predicted to finish fourth in the conference by the MEAC coaches.

Andre' Matthews was named to the All-MEAC preseason first team while Davis made the second team.

Delaware State won their final exhibition game last week when they beat the Delta Jammers 92-74.

Bowen led six players in double figures for the Hornets with 16 points and Davis had 14 points and five assists.

Stephanenkov played in his first exhibition game this season after being informed by the NCAA that he would receive a third year of eligibility, an issue that kept him out of the team's first exhibition game.

Delaware State starts their season on the road against West Virginia Friday night before coming to UD on Sunday.

The Flyers are coming off a 90-57 victory over Team NIKE last weekend.

Senior forward Brooks Hall led the way for the Flyers with 23 points and junior center Sean Finn had 13 points and 10 boards.

'We've got a long week of preparation ahead of us before the Delaware State game,' Purnell said. 'There will be a lot of excitement going into our first game of the season.'