* This is the 32nd season of West Florida Basketball. UWF has an all-time record of 433-404 (.518) in 837 games. UWF is 121-181 (.400) in 21 seasons of Gulf South Conference play. The Argonauts have made nine conference tournament appearances.
YEAR ONE OF THE JEFF BURKHAMER ERA
• The Argos are in the first season under Jeff Burkhamer, who was announced as the fourth head coach in program history on April 15, 2015. The 31-year coaching veteran entered the year with a 218-153 (.588) record in 13 seasons as the head coach at Lander and Armstrong State. He also has a record of 155-41 in six seasons as a junior college head coach at North Greenville College and Santa Fe Community College. The Ohio native has Division I experience as an assistant at Winthrop (1984-85), Charleston Southern (1985-87) and Morehead State (1987-89), and was on the coaching staff for the Grand Rapids Hoops (1991-94) in the CBA.
ABOUT LEE
• Lee has gotten off to a 2-6 start to the season, most recently dropping an 83-68 home contest against Valdosta State on Thursday. That was the Flames' first home game since Nov. 21.
• Lee is 0-3 in the conference, with its other conference setbacks at Christian Brothers and Union last week.
• Lee has four players averaging double-digit scoring totals, with Keevin Tyus leading the way in scoring (15.5 ppg), rebounds (7.3 rpg) and minutes played (26.1 mpg). CJ Reese is second on the team in scoring, posting 15.4 ppg. Reese also leads the team with 2.3 assists per gameand is first in the GSC with a 65.7 field goal percentage.
SERIES HISTORY VS. LEE
• UWF matches up with Lee for the fifth time in program history. Lee joined the Gulf South Conference and NCAA Division II prior to the 2012-2013 academic year.
• The Argos split the season series against the Flames in 2013-14, as the Argos pulled off an 80-68 win on Feb. 24, 2014. UWF dropped both its contests to Lee last season, including a narrow 68-64 decision in Pensacola on Dec. 13, 2014.
• UWF had four players in double figures in its Jan. 29 contest at Lee, led by Lendward Griffin's 11 points and four rebounds.
ABOUT SHORTER
• Shorter is 4-3 but is currently riding a three-game losing skid. The Hawks will play Valdosta State on Saturday prior to facing UWF.
• SU dropped a pair of GSC contests in the opening weekend, falling at Union 89-86 and Christian Brothers 80-75.
• This weekend's contests against Valdosta State and UWF are the first at home this season for the Hawks men's team.
• Phil Taylor leads the GSC in scoring, averaging 29.1 points per game, which includes a season-high 46 at North Georgia on Nov. 24. He is also handing out five assists per game.
• Chris Daniels leads the teams with 6.7 rebounds per game. Taylor follows Daniels in rebounding, pulling down 6.0 per game. Allajah Bennett and Cole Birchfield are the other two Hawks to average double figures, as they record an average of 14.6 and 12.3 points per game, respectively.
SERIES HISTORY VS. SHORTER
• UWF and SU are playing for the 7th time in men's basketball on Saturday, with the Hawks holding a 4-2 series lead. West Florida is 1-2 all-time when visiting Shorter.
• UWF won its first two games ever against SU, as the Argos swept the 2012-13 season series. Since that point, SU is on a 4-game winning streak.
• Deangelo Legrier had a big game in a 110-78 setback against SU last year, recording 19 points while grabbing eight rebounds.
STRAMAGLIA HEATING UP FROM THREE
• Mario Stramaglia currently stands as the GSC's best three-point shooter, converting on an impressive 51.4% of his long-range attempts. • Stramaglia's three-point percentage of 51.4% is good for 18th best in NCAA Division II. • Stramaglia's 3.6 three-point field goals per game sits as 15th best in NCAA Division II and the second best in the GSC. • Stramaglia swished a career high five three-pointers in a setback against Alabama Huntsville on Dec. 2
PRUITT THE LION TAMER
• Jelani Pruitt scored a career-high 30 points in a 96-85 win over North Alabama on Saturday. Pruitt's previous career-best was 26 points, which he did during his freshman campaign at Neosho Community College two years ago.
• Pruitt also set a career high in rebounds against UNA, pulling down 15 boards.
• Pruitt's first half against UNA entailed 17 points and converting seven of his first 10 shots. Prior to facing UNA, Pruitt had totaled 19 points over the span of three games, while battling an ankle issue suffered in the season opener against Benedict in Valdosta, Ga.
SOMERFIELD BECOMING HARDER AND HARDER TO GUARD
• Austin Somerfield is UWF's leading scorer and rebounder, as the junior averages 16.4 points per game and 9.8 rebounds per game.
• Somerfield's 9.8 rebounds per game is the second best average in the GSC.
• Somerfield went off against Fort Valley State on Nov. 14, scoring a career-high 35 points and grabbing a career high 18 rebounds.
• Somerfield has recorded double-digit point totals in four out of five games this season.
• Somerfield stands 37th in NCAA Division II in rebounds per game and 43rd in offensive rebounds per game (3.4).
JUSTIN WILLIAMS NAMED TO ALLSTATE NABC GOOD WORKS TEAM
• Justin Williams was named to the 2016 Allstate NABC Good Works Team® as announced by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the Allstate Insurance Company in early December.
• Williams is one of 257 players named and one of 48 non-NCAA Division I players recognized.
• Williams is a physics and mathematics major with extracurricular activities including volunteering at Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen, a mission trip to Nicaragua last August, vice president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and helps out with the Miracle League of Pensacola.
JAN. 23 DOUBLEHEADER AT UAH TO BE TELEVISED NATIONALLY ON ASN
• The UWF basketball programs will receive some national exposure when their games at Alabama Huntsville on Jan. 23 will be televised as part of the American Sports Network's Division II Basketball Showcase.
• To accommodate the television broadcast of the doubleheader, the women's game will now tip-off at 1 p.m. followed by the men's contest at 3 p.m.
• The games will stream live on NCAA.com and the NCAA Sports Mobile App. WFGX MyTV 35 in Pensacola/Mobile Ala. has carried ASN broadcasts in the past.
2015-16 SCHEDULE ANALYSIS
• UWF will play 26 games this season, including 12 at home in the UWF Field House.
• The Argonauts will play nine games against five teams that qualified for the 2015 NCAA Division II Championship - Alabama-Huntsville, Benedict, Union, West Alabama, West Georgia. The first of those cAme in the season opener against Benedict in Valdosta, Ga. on Friday, Nov. 13.
UWF PICKED 11TH IN GSC POLL
• UWF was picked to finish 11th in the Gulf South Conference in the preseason coaches poll. The Argonauts received 26 total poll points and one first place vote.
• Alabama Huntsville received nine of 11 first place votes and was picked to finish first with 95 points. West Georgia (78 pts), Union (76) and Delta State (73) were bunched together in the next three spots.
NEW LOOK FOR UWF FIELD HOUSE FLOOR
• The UWF Field House floor received a new paint scheme over the summer, with an emphasis on cleaner design and less color. The court now features a darker wood stain in the lane and a similar darker stained GSC logo near midcourt on opposite sides of the floor.
• The 4-foot restricted arc in the lane was added in preparation for its implementation at the Division II level next season.
• The Argonaut head at midcourt remained in color as did the navy blue border that surrounds the court.
• Social media identifiers of '#GoArgos' and '@GoArgos' were placed in front of the bench areas.
NCAA RULES CHANGES
• The NCAA made a number of rules changes to both the men's and women's games this season. Some of the more visible changes in the men's game include:
• Shot clock reduced from 35 seconds to 30 seconds.
• Restricted area arc expanded from three feet to four feet - Division I in 2015-16; D-II & III in 2016-17.
• Timeouts:
- Reduction of 30-second timeouts from four to three; only two carry over to the second half.
- A 30-second timeout called within 30 seconds of a media timeout will become the media timeout.
- Coaches can only call timeouts during a dead ball situation.
• The 10-second backcourt count resets except when:
- Defender causes the ball to go out of bounds;
- Offense retains possession on a held ball; or
- A technical foul is called on the offensive team.
Note: A charged timeout by the offensive team results in a new 10-second count.
• Removed the five-second closely guarded count on a dribble.
• Guarding in the post: Arm bar allowed in post area when offense has back to the basket with or without the ball.
• The offense can no longer score on a charging foul.
• Removed the prohibition against dunking the ball while the ball is dead; teams will be allowed to dunk during pregame and halftime.
