INDIANA, Pa. -- Point Park men's basketball is set for two games this weekend when it meets Clarion and Indiana (PA) in the Hilton Garden Inn Tip-Off Classic. The Pioneers will play Clarion on Friday at 5:30 p.m, and IUP on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
 

TOP OF MIND

Point Park dropped its opening match of the year on Monday in an 84-72 effort at D'Youville. Obi Okafor recorded a double-double in his Pioneer debut with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Jayden Davis and Jackson Rhodes both scored in double figures, posting 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Point Park is in its 60th season as a program which dates back to 1967. The Pioneers are led by Head Coach Joe Long, who is in his first season at the helm. Long served as an assistant coach on the team during the 2025-26 season.

DOUBLE O

Obi Okafor, a fifth-year transfer from Virginia Commonwealth University of the Atlantic 10 Conference, recorded a double-double in Point Park's opening game last Monday. Okafor's 16 points and 11 boards led the team, and he hit on five of his 10 field goals. 

He leads the Mountain East Conference in rebounds per game and is tied for sixth in points per game. Okafor is the only player in the MEC to have recorded a double-double in the young season. oA native of Hampton, Va., Okafor also tallied a team-leading three blocks in the game. 

RUNNING IT BACK

Point Park's six returners are highlighted by Grant Welch, a junior winger from Molline, Ill. Welch tied for third on the team in scoring last season, averaging 11.3 points per game and draining a team-best 72 3-pointers. He finished third among qualified Pioneers in 3-point percentage (.393) and fifth on the team with 38 assists. 

Welch started 26 of Point Park's 27 games, and led the team in minutes per game, averaging 32.1. He scored 9 points with six rebounds and three assists on Monday against D'Youville.

Jayden Davis finished fourth on the team with 42 assists last year. A Pittsburgh native, Davis averaged 12.3 minutes per game off the bench and posted 4.3 points per game in 2025-26. Davis scored 14 points with a team-leading five assists on Monday in Point Park's season opener.

IMMEDIATE IMPACT

In addition to Okafor, Jackson Rhodes and Josh Frazier posted strong performances in their Pioneer debuts on Monday. Rhodes, a fifth-year transfer from Waynesburg, finished third on the team in scoring with 13 points, shooting 3 of 6 from the field and 2 of 3 from beyond the arc.

Frazier, the only freshman to start for Point Park, scored 9 points with a .571 field goal percentage. He chipped in three rebounds of his own, all on the defensive glass.

SCOUTING CLARION

Clarion opens its 2026-27 season on Friday when it plays Point Park. The Golden Eagles finished the 2025-26 season with a 12-16 record, including a 7-13 mark in PSAC play. Clarion failed to qualify for the PSAC Tournament.

CU loses its top three scorers from last season in Gavin Cote (14.5 points per game), Trey Nelson (14.4 ppg) and Jeremy Thomas II (12.4 ppg).

SCOUTING IUP

IUP, the host of the Hilton Garden Tip-Off Classic, opens its season on Friday against Concord and will play Point Park in its second game of the campaign. The Crimson Hawks finished with a 24-8 record in 2025-26, including a 15-5 mark in PSAC play. IUP was eliminated by Gannon in the PSAC Semifinals and took down Fairmont State and Virginia Union in the NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament before falling to Gannon in the Regional Championship.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Point Park's roster includes eight transfer players, highlighted by the arrival of fifth-year player Obi Okafor from Virginia Commonwealth of the Atlantic 10 Conference. In addition to Okafor, Nicco DiGuilio (Canisius), Caleb Whitaker (Seton Hill), Jordan Lucas-Johnson (Saint Vincent), Jackson Rhodes (Waynesboro), Vasilije Serafimoski (Robert Morris), Jordan Reed (Northern Oklahoma College) and David Popson (Lackawanna College) are set for their first season as Pioneers.