Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina looks for its sixth-straight victory to open the 2023-24 season on Tuesday night as the Catamounts open a three-game road swing, visiting Tennessee Tech at the Hooper Eblen Center in Cookeville, Tenn. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. in a game that will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with StatBroadcast live stats available through CatamountSports.com.
 
Off to the program's best start since the 1981-82 season – and ranked at No. 10 in the latest Mid-Major Top 25 from CollegeInsider.com and seventh in the Field of 68 Media Network poll – the Catamounts (5-0) are one of just 24 remaining unbeaten teams in the nation entering the week, five of which reside in the mid-major poll. WCU has a trio of home victories including Dalton State, McNeese State in a battle of unbeatens, and Sunday's commanding win over North Alabama. The squad's road resume is equally as impressive as the perfect start with road tallies over ACC-foe Notre Dame and Conference-USA preseason co-favorite, Middle Tennessee.
 
On the line Tuesday is a 6-0 start to the schedule which would represent the best since the 1965-66 Catamounts opened the season with the same mark.
 
Matchup: Western Carolina (5-0) at Tennessee Tech (2-4) 
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 28
Time: 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT
Site: Hooper Eblen Center (Cookeville, Tenn.)
Live Stats: TTU StatBroadcast
Live Video: ESPN+
Twitter: @CatamountMBB
 
Tuesday's foe presents another strong mid-major challenge as Tennessee Tech was picked sixth in the preseason Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) poll, just a handful of points outside the preseason top five. The Golden Eagles are coming off a 16-17 overall record last year that ended with a seven-point defeat in the OVC Championship game in Evansville, Ind.
 
Tech enters Tuesday's home date against the Catamounts at 2-4 on the year with victories in two of their last three games after an 0-3 start. Most recently, Tennessee Tech upended a then 5-1 Presbyterian squad that owns a victory over SEC-foe Vanderbilt.
 
Four Golden Eagles average double-digit scoring entering the week, paced by Weatherford (Texas) College junior transfer Rodney Johnson Jr. at 14.3 points per game. Preseason All-OVC guard Jayvis Harvey is scoring at a 13.3 point per game clip with 5.7 rebounds per game, with David Early (11.5 ppg) and Josiah Davis (10.8 ppg) rounding out the four in double figures with Davis pacing the squad at just over six rebounds per game.
 
The Catamounts likewise have four averaging double digits to date, paced by SoCon Preseason Player of the Year senior guard Vonterius Woolbright with a double-double season stat line of 19.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. The Albany, Ga., product also paces the team with 28 assists, second in the SoCon with a 5.6 assist per game average. His backcourt classmate Russell Jones Jr., who was sidelined for Sunday's win over North Alabama by illness, is averaging 13.5 points per game with slashing sophomore DJ Campbell on his heels with a 13.4 scoring average. Sharp-shooting senior guard Tre Jackson has rebounded from a sluggish start to boost his seasonal scoring average to 10.6 points per game on the strength of back-to-back double-digit efforts while averaging just over two made 3-pointers per game.
 
WCU has seen a consistent rotation at the low block from transfer Charleston Charles Lampten (4.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg), LSU transfer Corneilous Willaims (5.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg), and Colin Granger (2.2 ppg, 1.4 rpg), with Bernard Pelote (7.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg) sliding into the starting lineup on Sunday for the Catamounts.
 
With Jones Jr. out of the lineup against North Alabama, Woolbright guided the Catamount offense with his third double-double of the year, scoring 19 and matching a career-high with 15 rebounds. Tre Jackson dumped in 18 points with four made triples while Campbell scored 10 of his 12 points in the opening 20 minutes. Down a guard, Mercer transfer Kamar Robertson stepped up to have his best day in the Purple & Gold, hitting 7-of-8 from the field for a WCU-high 16 points as the Catamounts never trailed and cruised to the 18-point victory.
 
Western Carolina is riding a five-game series winning streak over Tennessee Tech as the chromatic rivalry series stands tied at five games apiece, according to available records with Tuesday serving as the series rubber match. Tech won the first five games against WCU with the Catamounts returning the favor with a handful in a row since 1991, twice going to overtime in games played in Cullowhee in 2020 and 2021.
 
Last year in Cookeville, Woolbright captured a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds while Jackson pumped in 18 points to lead WCU to a 10-point, 75-65 victory. TTU's Harvey led the Golden Eagles with 19 points among the top returners for the home squad entering this year's meeting. WCU connected on 10 3-pointers a year ago and held a 35-29 edge on the boards in the winning effort.
 
Following Tuesday's road game at Tennessee Tech, the Big South Conference portion of the tour opens for the Catamounts as the next three opponents each hail from the same league. WCU visits Gardner-Webb on Saturday (Dec. 2) and High Point on Tuesday (Dec. 5) with a special Catamount Alumni Central Pregame Party scheduled beginning at 5 p.m. in the Triad.
 
WCU's next home game is Saturday, Dec. 9, with a men's (4 p.m.) and women's (7 p.m.) basketball doubleheader against mountain-rival UNC Asheville. WCU will honor the No. 32 jersey of Catamount men's basketball alum Kevin Martin as his number is enshrined in the rafters of the Ramsey Center.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount men's basketball and WCU Athletics through our social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@catamountmbb @wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@CatamountMBB @catamounts).