February 16, 2017
 
Full Release and Game Notes in PDF Format
 
Thursday vs. North Alabama – 7:00 p.m. – Florence, Ala.
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Saturday vs. Alabama Huntsville – 4:00 p.m. – Huntsville, Ala.
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PENSACOLA, Fla. – The University of West Florida men's basketball team looks to build upon its already successful 2016-17 season with road games against North Alabama and Alabama Huntsville this weekend. UWF will play at North Alabama on Thursday at 8 p.m. CT before facing Alabama Huntsville on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.
 
CLINCHED A SPOT
- For the first time since 2013-14, UWF will make an appearance in the GSC Tournament after a West Georgia loss earlier in the week clinched a tournament spot for the Argos.
- West Florida currently stands in fourth place in the conference standings with an 11-7 record. Christian Brothers owns an identical league mark and sits in fifth place with UWF owning the tie breaker.
- It will be the 10th GSC Tournament appearance for the Argos in program history.
- Jeff Burkhamer becomes the first UWF head coach to ever reach the GSC Tournament within two seasons of being hired.
 
HOPING TO DANCE
- The NCAA released its first regional rankings on Wednesday and the Argos came in at No. 6 -- the fourth highest ranking in the GSC.
- Should the Argos land in the top 8 spots, it would be the first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.
- It is the first time since 2012 the Argos have been ranked and UWF was also at No. 6 in those regional rankings.
- The DII South Regional will be made up of five at-large teams and three automatic qualifiers of the conference tournament champions of the Gulf South, Sunshine State and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic conferences.
- The NCAA will announce region rankings for the next two weeks – on Feb. 22 and March 1 – leading up to selection Sunday on March 5 at 9:30 p.m. Central time on NCAA.com.
 
NCAA DII SOUTH REGION RANKINGS
1          Alabama-Huntsville                          19-5
2          Valdosta State                                  19-4
3          Delta State                                        16-6
4          Barry                                                 15-4
5          Eckerd                                               16-6
6          West Florida                                     16-7
7          Christian Brothers                              14-10
8          Shorter                                               12-9
9          Claflin                                                 15-6
10       Lane                                                    15-8
 
 
RECORD SETTING SEASON
- UWF set a new school record with its 10th GSC win of the season last Thursday against Christian Brothers, besting the previous single-season conference win total of 9 set in 1997-98.
- UWF entered 2016-17 with an all-time .388 winning percentage in GSC play. With an 11-7 record so far in conference action this year, UWF has increased its 23-year conference winning percentage by .012 (.400) in just an 18-game span.
 
WHAT A YEAR
- With a 16-7 record on the year UWF is on track for one of its best seasons in program history.
- If UWF maintains its current .696 winning percentage, it would be its best since the 1997-98 season and the third-best single-season win percentage in program history.
 
BEST SEASON WIN % IN PROGRAM HISTORY
1. 1967-68 - .864 (19-3)
2. 1997-98 - .714 (20-8)
3. 2016-17 - .696 (16-7)
4. 1968-69 - .692 (18-8)
5. 2000-01 - .667 (18-9)
 
SENIORS ENGRAVING NAMES IN
RECORD BOOKS
- Seniors Jason Laatsch and Deangelo Legrier will finish their college careers this year and are poised to have their names all over the UWF record book when their careers end later this year.
- Laatsch, UWF's all-time three-pointers made leader, is also 10th in program history with a 35.3% three-point field goal percentage and eighth with 227 career assists. He is 39 points shy of breaking into UWF's top 10 career points leaders, having 811 for his career at this point.
- Legrier is currently third in program history in field goal percentage (53.1%), total rebounds (559) and blocked shots (99). He is the only player in program history to be in the top 3 of all of those categories and is 26 points shy of breaking into UWF's top 10 scorers with 824 career points.
 
LAATSCH BREAKS UWF 3-PT
RECORD
- Senior guard Jason Laatsch set the program record for career three-pointers made on Saturday with two threes against Mississippi College. Leading up to Saturday's record-setting performance, he hit six in back-to-back games, at West Georgia and at Delta State. Heading into this weekend, Laatsch stands atop the leaderboard, two three-pointers ahead of Marcus Tanner (1999-2002).
 
UWF CAREER 3-POINTERS MADE
1. 132 - Jason Laatsch (2012-pres)
2. 128 - Marcus Tanner (1999-02)
3. 121 - Mario Stramaglia (2013-2017)
2. 109 - Sean Ryals (2001-02)
3. 108 - Noah Haynes (1994-95)
 
LEGRIER NEAR CENTURY MARK
- Just ome blocks shy of 100 blocks for his career, Deangelo Legrier is looking to become the third player in program history to pass 100 blocks for his Argonaut career.
 
UWF CAREER BLOCKS
1. 148 - Charles Bouie (2007-09)
2. 111 - Kelly Powe (2000-01)
3. 99 - Deangelo Legrier (2013-pres)
4. 94 - Anthon Russell (1995-98)
5. 79 - Terrence Harris (1994-96)
 
- As a sophomore in 2014-15, Legrier posted the seventh-most blocks in a single season by a UWF player with 37.
- The senior from Orlando has collected 24 this season, passing his junior season total of 22 with nine games remaining on the 2016-17 regular season schedule.
 
CLOSE CALLS
- UWF has set a new school record with five overtime games this season, and the Argonauts  have won each of their last three overtime contets.
- Rashaan Benson is averaging a team-high 17.4 points in overtime contests this season, followed by Deangelo Legrier who owns a 14.4 ppg average with a 61 percent field goal percentage in overtime games.
- Darryl Tucker is nearly averaging a double-double in UWF's five overtime contests this year with 10.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
- Overtime periods have been tightly contested as well, but the Argonauts have outscored its opponents in overtime 69-64 over five games.
 
AMONG THE NATION/CONFERNECE
 
TEAM
Offensive rebounding (14.35 orpg): 10th in Division II/1st in GSC
Turnover margin (+2.4 pg): 48th in Division II/2rd in GSC
Turnovers forced (15.78 tpg): 50th in Division II/2nd in GSC
Three point field goal defense (32.1%): 32th in Division II/3rd in GSC
 
INDIVIDUAL
Jason Laatsch (2.79 assist-to-turnover ratio) 25th in Division II/1st in GSC
Deangelo Legrier (3.43 offensive rebounds per game): 26th in Division II/2nd in GSC
 
HOLDING ON
- UWF is 10-1 when leading at the half and 12-0 when leading with five minutes remaining this season.
- The Argos have particularly thrived in the second half, scoring 55 percent of its points after the halftime break.
 
 
For information on all UWF athletics, visit GoArgos.com.