SATURDAY: STATS | VIDEO
SUNDAY: STATS | VIDEO
ARGOS QUICK FACTS | CROSSOVER NOTES PACKET
PENSACOLA, Fla. – The University of West Florida men's basketball team will open the 2017-18 regular season at home Saturday and Sunday, playing host to the GSC-SIAC Crossover at the UWF Field House. The Argos will face Albany State on Saturday and Fort Valley State on Sunday. Both games will tip at 4:00 p.m.
"It's a neat thing to be able to host it," head coach Jeff Burkhamer said of the GSC-SIAC Crossover. "It's a four-year cycle with the same teams, and it's nice to have them here in our Field House. It's three good Division II teams with Fort Valley and Albany State and Valdosta State out of our own league. It's a good way to tip off the season."
Other games in the Crossover will be Valdosta State vs. Fort Valley State at 6:00 pm on Friday and Albany State vs. Valdosta State at 2:00 pm on Saturday. All games will be broadcast live through goargos.com/live.
ABOUT UWF
* Third-year head coach Jeff Burkhamer has gone 27-28 at UWF, which includes last year's record-setting 20-9 campaign. He is 245-181 as a 4-year college coach and 400-222 all-time in 21 seasons as a head coach. His 33 years' coaching experience includes his NCAA, Junior College and Continental Basketball Association career.
* UWF returns seven letterwinners and four starters from a year ago, when the team set the school-record for wins in a season with 20 and shattered the record for conference victories, going 14-8 in the Gulf South Conference.
* Last year, the Argos finished in the GSC top five in a number of categories, including scoring offense (78.9 PPG, 3rd GSC), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.15, 3rd GSC), offensive rebounds (13.3 per game, 2nd GSC, 26th NCAA Div. II) and free throw attempts (724, 2nd GSC, 38th NCAA Div. II).
* UWF is 21-12 all-time in season openers, including a 9-4 mark over the past 13 years. The Argos opened the season vs. Albany State in 2016-17 as well as 2014-15, winning both matchups. UWF began last year's regular season by reeling off five consecutive non-conference wins and did not drop a regular season matchup in regulation until Dec. 17.
EXHIBITION AT MISSISSIPPI STATE
* Senior DJ Thorpe led all players with 21 points and classmate Moter Deng added 11 as the West Florida men's basketball team dropped an exhibition contest to Mississippi State 87-62 at Humphrey Coliseum Thursday, Nov. 3.
* Thorpe was 9-of-13 and made both of his 3-point attempts in a game-high 39 minutes. He had 12 in the second half and ended the night making his last five shots and six of his final seven.
* "When we stayed in character and executed we did some good things and played well," UWF head coach Jeff Burkhamer said of his team's performance vs. the SEC squad. "Coming in, we knew that live-ball turnovers would be a problem because they are so successful in transition. We shot some shots too quickly and it turned into easy baskets for them."
GSC PRESEASON COACHES POLL
* UWF received one first-place vote and was picked to finish fifth in the Gulf South Conference preseason poll that was released in mid-October. The Argos received 130 total points and one first-place vote in the poll, finishing ahead of Montevallo, North Alabama, West Georgia, Union, Lee, West Alabama, Mississippi College, Shorter and Auburn Montgomery and just one point behind fourth place Delta State.
* Christian Brothers was picked to finish first in the GSC, garnering 158 total points and eight first-place votes. Valdosta State finished second, picking up 144 total points and four first place votes. Alabama Huntsville checked in at third with 139 total votes and one first place vote. Delta State finished fourth but did not receive any first place votes.
* Owens Community College transfer Shondell Jackson and Kankakee Community College transfer Latrell Tidwell were selected as UWF's top newcomers.
D2SIDA SOUTH REGION POLL
* UWF men's basketball program came in at No. 10 in the South Region in the first edition of the Division II Sports Information Directors Association poll released Tuesday.
* Barry has the top spot in the poll, garnering 57 points and three first-place votes. Christian Brothers checked into the poll at No. 2, piling up 51 total points and one first place vote. Rollins received two first place votes and came into the poll at No. 3. They were followed by Valdosta State, Alabama Huntsville, Eckerd, Delta State, Tampa, and Benedict, who like West Florida garnered 12 points.
SCOUTING ALBANY STATE
* The Golden Rams finished 2016-17 with an overall record of 10-19 and a final mark of 5-13 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
* UWF defeated Albany State 72-63 last year at the GSC-SIAC Challenge in Fort Valley, Ga. behind 17 points and 4 assists from current graduate assistant Jason Laatsch and 11 points and 4 assists from point guard Rashaan Benson. UWF is 4-0 all-time vs. Albany State.
* Albany State is coached by Michael D. Moore, who is entering his third year as head coach. He previously coached Fort Valley State University from 1993-2004.
* This year's squad is comprised of exclusively sophomores and above. There are no freshmen on this year's opening night roster.
* The team returns six players from last year's roster: Rahdin Hughes, Juwan High, Jayson Snearl, Randy McClure, JaDon Davis, and Tylen Walker.
SCOUTING FORT VALLEY STATE
* The Wildcats finished 2016-17 with an overall record of 12-18 and a final mark of 6-10 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
* UWF defeated Fort Valley State 73-67 last year at the GSC-SIAC Challenge in Fort Valley, Ga. behind 19 points from Austin Somerfield. Marvin Jones netted 12 points in the win. UWF is 4-2 all-time vs. Fort Valley State.
* The Wildcats are coached by Sammy Jackson, who was named head coach in May 2011. He previously served as an assistant at the University of Alabama, Georgia Southern, Tennessee State, Auburn and Alabama A&M.
* This year's Fort Valley team returns eight players from last year's roster: James Barnes, Jamaal Garror, Shaquil Barfield, Tyler Edwards, Jaylon McMillan, J.R. Bryant, Chris Smoak, and Kionnis Bell.
BENSON IS BACK
* Third-year guard Rashaan Benson started all 29 games for the Argos last season, finishing second on the team with 30.9 minutes per game. He led the team in assists per game (4.5) and second on the team in steals (35). He led the team in assists in 17 games last season, including 6 games in a row to end the season.
* UWF went 5-1 during the regular season last year when Benson had at least seven assists in a game. Among returning players with at least 25 attempts, Benson shot the most efficiently from the line last season, racking up a 67.3% final mark at the charity stripe in 2016-17.
* "I think your point guard has to be the one to run the show for you, and Rashaan has been that guy," Burkhamer said of Benson. "We expect him as a junior to come in and be a leader and to run our squad. He's a guy who can make plays. He's made big plays in the past. The ball will be in his hands a lot."
OTHER KEY RETURNERS
* DJ Thorpe enjoyed the best night offensively among the Argos vs. Mississippi State last week, posting 21 points, just one off his career-high of 22 set Jan. 2, 2017 vs. North Alabama.
* Darryl Tucker led the Argos in rebounding last year with 7.6 per game, including 2.7 per contest on the offensive end. He also led the team with 219 total points. He posted double-digit rebounds in nine different games and led UWF in rebounding in 11 different games.
* Tucker led the team in scoring in five different games. He led the team in blocks in three different games and steals in three different games. The Argos were 8-2 last regular season when Tucker led the team in rebounding. He ranked 9th in the GSC with his 7.6 rebounds per game. He was a major part of a UWF rebounding unit that finished second in the GSC with 13.3 offensive rebounds per game.
* Burkhamer on Tucker: "That needs to be one of his goals: to lead the conference in rebounding. He's very good at going to the offensive glass, and he's very good at going to the defensive glass, using his athleticism and length. And that's got to be something he's really got to do well for us in order for us to be successful."
* Burkhamer on Moter Deng: "He's probably our most improved player. Just in all areas, he's gotten better. But I think more than anything else because he's gotten better in those areas, his confidence has grown."
NEWCOMERS
* This year's five newcomers are Conor Flanagan, a 6-8 forward from Auckland, New Zealand, Shondell Jackson, a 6-6 wing from Warren, Ohio, Latrell Tidwell, a 6-7 forward from Cincinnati, Ohio, Jarrett Henderson, a 6-7 forward from San Marcos, Texas and Cameron Cox, a 6-2 point guard from Canton, Georgia. A redshirt last year, Brett Carter Jr. will be active for the team this year.
2017-18 SCHEDULE ANALYSIS
* The two contests this weekend will be the first of fourteen this season at home for the Argos. The Argos welcome Miles to the UWF Field House November 15. After, the team will return home for four contests in the UWF Field House in December, beginning Dec. 2 vs. Valdosta State, which will also serve as the team's GSC opener.
* This year's schedule features 20 GSC games spanning Dec. 2 through Feb. 22. The squad's first three conference games will be at home Dec. 2-18. It will be the longest span of consecutive conference games at home for UWF this season.
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