UWF MBB QUICK FACTS

PENSACOLA, Fla. – No. 9/12 UWF men's basketball will open its regular season this weekend with the GSC-SIAC Crossover at Albany State. The Argos will take on Fort Valley State Friday at 5:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. CT and battle host ASU Saturday at 4:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. CT. The Crossover will also feature Valdosta State.
 
"I think it's a great event for all four teams," said fourth-year UWF head coach Jeff Burkhamer. "It's just a good weekend to kind of test your team, to find out where you're at with your progress on the season."
 
The Argos have won two straight season openers. The program hosted last year's GSC-SIAC Crossover to open the season and scored a 77-68 win over Albany State before downing Fort Valley State in overtime 75-68. UWF is 5-3 in season openers since 2010 and 2-1 in season openers under Burkhamer.
 
"We've still got some guys banged up and not playing yet, but we are getting better," said Burkhamer. "I think the scrimmages have helped us, and hopefully going into this weekend, we've improved enough to be very competitive and find a way to win two games."
 
UWF EARNS NO. 9 RANKING IN DII BULLETIN POLL
* UWF men's basketball checked in at No. 9 in the Division II Bulletin preseason poll released in early October.
* The Argos were the only Gulf South Conference team featured in the poll. The Bulletin, a leading publication covering Division II basketball since 1991, rated the Argos the top team in the GSC for the upcoming season.
* The No. 9 ranking matches the highest in program history. The team was also No. 9 in the NABC poll last season. It is the first time the team has ever been ranked in the national top 10 in a preseason poll.
 
ARGOS RANKED NO. 12 IN INITIAL NABC POLL
* UWF men's basketball has entered the first National Association of Basketball Coaches preseason poll at No. 12.
* The No. 12 Argos came in right behind the only other GSC team in the poll. Valdosta State checked in at No. 11 and will also participate in the GSC-SIAC Crossover, though they will not face UWF. The Argos and Blazers will meet for the first time this season Jan. 3 at Valdosta State. 

ARGOS PICKED SECOND IN GSC PRESEASON POLL
* UWF men's basketball was picked to finish second in the Gulf South Conference preseason poll released Oct. 11.
* Senior point guard Rashaan Benson was named to the preseason All-GSC team. Jon Brown, a redshirt freshman transfer from North Alabama, was named the squad's top newcomer.
* Valdosta State, which entered last year's GSC Tournament as the one-seed after an 18-2 conference slate, was picked to finish first in 2018-19 with 11 first place votes and 143 total points. West Florida came in at number 2 with 118 points. The Argos did not receive any first place votes.
* UWF continued a steady rise in preseason conference polls with this year's No. 2 ranking. The Argos were picked to finish 10th in the 2016-17 and picked to finish fifth in 2017-18.
 
A LOOK AT THIS YEAR'S ROSTER
* West Florida adds seven newcomers to the roster this year and returns six players who saw the floor last season, plus redshirt post player Conor Flanagan, who is expected to be sidelined for the upcoming season because of injury.
* The team will look to continue its success despite losing last year's All-American selection Darryl Tucker as well as DJ Thorpe, Marvin Jones and Moter Deng.
* This year's squad features three freshmen, two sophomores, five juniors, three seniors and one graduate student. The roster features players from seven different states and five different countries.
 
BENSON POISED FOR RECORD-SETTING SEASON
* Senior guard Rashaan Benson currently ranks second in UWF history in career assists (396), fifth in UWF history in career field goal attempts (823), sixth in career steals (112) and seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.387).
* He is also in the program's top-10 in career points (893), free throw attempts (293) and made free throws (196).
* Burkhamer on Benson: "Rashaan is a terrific leader and playmaker. We need him to have a great year for us to have a great year," said Burkhamer. "Not bad for a kid we got from an open tryout. Benson is a winner and will be a UWF Hall of Famer."
 
ARGOS DROP EXHIBITION AT FLORIDA STATE
* UWF dropped an exhibition game vs. Florida State 96-56 Oct. 26 at the Tucker Center on the campus of FSU. Rashaan Benson netted a team-high 17 points, and Jon Brown added nine in the loss.
* Benson went 6-of-11 from the field and 3-of-7 from beyond the arc on his way to 17 points. The preseason All-GSC selection added two assists, one rebound and one steal.
* Brown, a transfer from North Alabama, turned in a solid Argo debut, posting nine points, three rebounds and two assists. Henri Ventoniemi scored eight points and grabbed six boards. Jarrett Henderson chipped in five points and eight rebounds. Bryan Chalifoux and Anthony Gomes each scored six points.
 
SCOUTING FORT VALLEY STATE
* Fort Valley State is making a coaching transition this season. The program is now under the management of Mark Sherrill, who comes to the team from Johnson C. Smith University.
* FVSU finished last season 13-16 overall and 9-10 in SIAC play. The Wildcats are seeking their first winning season since 2013-14, when the team went 21-9 and 15-3 in conference play on their way to a SIAC championship berth.
* The Wildcat squad features three seniors, including Tyler Edwards. The guard led the team with 15.8 points per game last season.
* The Argos are 2-1 vs. Fort Valley State in the last three seasons. This is the fourth straight season that the teams will meet, and the first time they will tangle on a neutral court. The Argos are looking to extend their head-to-head win streak to three straight.
 
SCOUTING ALBANY STATE
* Albany State is also making a coaching transition this season. The program is now under the guidance of Patrick Gayle, who comes to the team from St. Thomas University.
* The Golden Rams finished last season 8-21 overall and 7-12 in SIAC play. ASU is seeking its first winning season 2013-14, when the team went 15-13 overall and 11-7 in conference play.
* This year's ASU team features five seniors, including last year's co-leading scorer Michael Green (10.9 points per game).
* UWF is 4-0 vs. ASU in the last four seasons. This will be the first time in that span that the Argos will meet the Golden Rams in Albany.

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