Mid-April Rundown of the Latest NBA Decisions and Coaching Changes

1. Stetson is hoping that Casey Alexander can duplicate the run of success he helped establish at Belmont as the Hatters’ new coach, according to a press release from Belmont that announces the associate coach’s departure. In 20 years with the Bruins’ program, Alexander helped the team transition from NAIA to the NCAA and worked to position the Bruins as a mid-major powerhouse in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

2. As the deadline for early entrants to the NBA Draft passes, here’s a rundown of some of the recent announcements:

• Colorado’s Alec Burks: In draft, with agent.
• Kentucky’s Terrence Jones, Brandon Knight and DeAndre Liggins: All in draft, none with agent.
• Michigan’s Darius Morris: In draft, without agent.
• Northwestern’s John Shurna: In draft, without agent.
• Vanderbilt’s Festus Ezeli, John Jenkins and Jeffrey Taylor: All returning to school.

3. Among the coaching ranks, here’s some more recent movement:

• Penn State assistant coach Lewis Preston is leaving to coach Kennesaw State.
• Former Princeton player Mitch Henderson returns to his alma mater as head coach.
• Syracuse assistant Rob Murphy will move to Eastern Michigan as head coach.

4. And from the rumor mill, Miami’s coaching search continues, with George Mason’s Jim Larranaga as a new target.

USC Upstate Goes to Great Lengths in Transition

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The transition up to Division I isn’t easy. It usually involves a lot of time on the road, a lot of guarantee games that often include blowout losses, and some changes in evaluating a team.

Most of that is the same with USC Upstate, which is currently in its second season of Division I play. Like a number of teams making the transition, the program had some good years leading up to the jump, including back-to-back seasons with over 20 wins in 2004-05 and 2005-06. They even went 17-11 in their final season of Division II.

Where things look a little different is with regard to who they play in those road games. Many teams new to Division I, if they play a full Division I schedule, will play games against a lot of teams in their geographic area. It would make sense from the standpoint that the travel expenses would likely be lower than if they have to go far away, making the guarantee check ultimately worth a little more.

For USC Upstate, that would mean a lot of the guarantee games would come against ACC and SEC schools. But that hasn’t been the case at all. After Sunday’s game at Boston College, the Spartans have played two ACC and two SEC teams in their season-plus of Division I competition. Instead, they have played all over.

Last season, the Spartans played schools from ten different conferences in their non-conference slate. Only two conferences, the MAC and Conference USA, were home to multiple teams. This season, the Atlantic 10 will be the only conference with two opponents on their schedule, as their ten non-conference games will represent nine conferences.

“We do that from a recruiting perspective,” said head coach Eddie Payne. “We know we have to do that because we have to make money in our second year of Division I. We structure that so we go to good places and do good things.”

Payne, who has previously held the head coach position at East Carolina and Oregon State in the Division I ranks, is in his seventh season leading the program. He’s coached at all levels and is well-suited to lead a program into a transition like this. The prior four years, his son Luke was one of the best players and graduated ninth on the school’s all-time scoring list. Now he’s working with a younger bunch.

In the trip to the Boston area, Payne sprinkled in a trip to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. Another reason he has scheduled games all over is to give his kids a variety of experiences off the court. And while the players look at these as business trips, there is an undeniable liking for being able to get another educational part like going to the Hall of Fame.

“It’s a business trip, but at the same time we try to have fun,” said senior forward Bobby Davis, the team’s best player as he leads them in scoring and rebounding after posting a double-double (19 points, 13 rebounds) against the Eagles.

Not only is the program making a jump up, but this team is also inexperienced. Davis is one of just four upperclassmen who play significant minutes. Three underclassmen start, and the top reserve is a freshman, talented but erratic guard De’Marion Gordon, who looks like he can provide instant offense off the bench.

All of it makes for another challenge: evaluating the team. Sports are a bottom-line business as much as any other, and college basketball is no different. While a team transitioning to Division I might have a little more room for struggle allowed than, say, an ACC school, wins and losses are still there and still impact teams since they are made up of human beings. And while wins and losses are the usual measuring sticks, a situation like this calls for a change in that.

“You have to measure success in different ways,” said Payne. “You have to, from game to game, change what you call success.”

Sometimes that comes from how well they play in a half. Sometimes that means looking at whether or not they are in a game. It sounds like talk of moral victories, but that’s the nature of the beast for a program in this kind of transition.

“We’re just making it as best we can. I’m an old fart, so I think I can handle it,” Payne joked. “I know I can handle it, I can help these guys get through it, but it’s not easy. It’s not easy when you’re playing games that, theoretically, on paper, you don’t have a chance to win.”

Payne says his holdover players look more prepared now that they have a year of Division I under their belt. They are used to playing on the road, used to playing a difficult schedule, and have a feel for what competition is like at this level as opposed to Division II. Also helping is that they are playing teams that play some different styles. While they won’t have everything covered in that respect, and Payne says that wasn’t really the idea, that gives them one more thing to help later on.

“We’ve got a smorgasbord of experiences that can help us in our conference,” Payne reflected.

Payne likes the way his team is coming along, and they’re in a conference where they can win with some good recruiting and improvement before long. The challenges are constantly there for him and his players and not just in winning, but they are literally going to great lengths to try to reach the destination.

Atlantic Sun Preview

Atlantic Sun Conference 2007-08 Preview

by Phil Kasiecki

The times are changing for the Atlantic Sun as it enters its 30th year of existence. Most notably, the makeup of the conference has undergone some changes in recent years and continues to this season. Those changes have of late involved newcomers to Division I.

This time around, the conference welcomes two new members, both of whom are new to Division I. Florida Gulf Coast joins fresh off a 27-6 season in their final year of Division II, while South Carolina Upstate joins after going 17-11 in their final season. Neither team projects to contend right away; South Carolina Upstate lost a lot to graduation and will struggle more. They join North Florida among the newest Division I teams in the conference, as the Ospreys completed their first season of competition last year, and Kennesaw State isn’t far behind as they just completed their second season.

Last season saw a few major stories of note in the conference. In just its second season in the conference, East Tennessee State took home the regular season title. But they couldn’t turn that into an NCAA Tournament bid, as for the second year in a row, Justin Hare and Belmont took home the tournament title. Meanwhile, Jacksonville made a big jump in Cliff Warren’s second season at the helm, going from one win in 2005-06 to going over .500 last year with 15 wins.

The conference brings back some of last season’s top talent, as four of the first team all-conference players return. One of them, Campbell’s Jonathan Rodriguez, made it as a freshman in headlining a solid class of newcomers last season. Campbell has a player to build around, while several other teams have players they can continue to build around in their sophomore class.

The conference will also see familiar faces on the sidelines as no schools changed head coaches in the off-season, making it one of just four conferences with no coaching changes.

Preseason Awards
Player of the Year: Courtney Pigram, East Tennessee State
Top Newcomer: Stan Januska, North Florida
Defensive Player of the Year: Courtney Pigram, East Tennessee State
Best NBA Prospect: James Florence, Mercer

All-Atlantic Sun Team
Eddie Ard, Sr. F, Lipscomb
James Florence, So. G, Mercer
Justin Hare, Sr. G, Belmont
Courtney Pigram, Jr. G, East Tennessee State
Shaun Stegall, Sr. F, Kennesaw State

East Tennessee State Buccaneers (24-10, 16-2 Atlantic Sun)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Courtney Pigram (18.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.7 apg, 2.6 spg)
So. G Mike Smith (11.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.1 spg)
So. G Dequan Twilley (5.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 4.0 apg)
Sr. F Andrew Reed (9.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.1 spg, 1.1 bpg)
Sr. F Kenyona Swader (3.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Buccaneers will be challenged in a non-conference schedule that has five home games. Highlighting the home games are Ohio Valley contender Eastern Kentucky, Marshall (whom they also play on the road) and Appalachian State, and they also host a BracketBusters game. They travel to Hawaii for the Rainbow Classic, where they open with Georgia, and challenging true road games include Dayton, Oklahoma State and Syracuse. Atlantic Sun play begins with three straight at home followed by three straight on the road.
Outlook: The Buccaneers have the pieces in place to come out on top once again, although they hope to finish the job in the conference tournament this time around. They have firepower in the backcourt with Pigram and Smith, with Twilley as the quiet third man in the group. Pigram will be a serious contender for Player of the Year, while Smith and Twilley have bright futures in addition to the present. The frontcourt has maturity with senior starters and a couple of newcomers who will help off the bench. The Bucs held opponents below 40 percent from the field last season, and they should be capable of reaching the 73 points per game they averaged last season, but cutting down on their nearly 17 turnovers wouldn’t hurt.

Belmont Bruins (23-10, 14-4 Atlantic Sun)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Justin Hare (14.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.5 apg)
Jr. G Andy Wicke (9.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.1 spg)
Jr. G Henry Harris (5.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.1 apg)
Jr. F Matthew Dotson (7.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.8 apg)
So. F Keaton Belcher (3.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: Four home games are on tap in a challenging non-conference schedule, including half of in-season home-and-homes with Middle Tennessee and Ohio Valley favorite Austin Peay. They open the season in the Cincinnati Shootout and later play in the Dr. Pepper Classic in Chattanooga, and also have road games at Alabama and Xavier. Atlantic Sun play will see them starting out on the road often, as six of the first eight games are away from home.
Outlook: The Bruins should be right in the hunt once again, led by their money player and senior leader in Hare, who has been the Atlantic Sun Tournament MVP each of the past two seasons. He is the only senior on this team, but he has experienced juniors around him as Harris and Dotson started all 33 games last season and Wicke started just 10 but averaged nearly 26 minutes per game. They have plenty of backcourt depth with juniors Shane Dansby and Will Peeples on the wing. They don’t have the greatest size inside, but if Belcher delivers in an expanded role and 6’11″ sophomore Mike Dejworek improves. The Bruins were the top defensive team in the conference last season, and repeating that is among the keys to another conference title.

Mercer Bears (13-17, 8-10 Atlantic Sun)
Projected Starters:
So. G James Florence (19.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.7 spg)
Sr. G Shaddean Aaron (15.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.2 bpg)
Jr. F Calvin Henry (9.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.4 apg, 2.7 bpg in 14 games)
Sr. F Brian Pfohl (8.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
Sr. F Sam Dolan (8.1 pg, 5.6 rpg, 1.0 apg)
Schedule Highlights: The Bears have five non-conference home games on tap, including a visit from Alabama. They have some challenging road games on tap, including USC to open the season, Boston College, Southern Conference contender Georgia Southern, Auburn, and two games in the College of Charleston Classic at the end of December. In Atlantic Sun play, February begins with three straight road games, then they come home for three straight.
Outlook: The Bears could make a big jump into contention this season thanks to arguably the best backcourt in the conference. Florence could be the best guard in the conference by the time his career is over, as he’s already among the very best, and Aaron was the team’s second-best rebounder from the wing and does a little of everything. The frontcourt complements them well and has good experience, and that combination along with the guards’ talent can be one for much success. If they are to contend, the Bears must improve on their defense after surrendering more points than all but one team last season, and only one team turned the ball over more as well.

Jacksonville Dolphins (15-14, 11-7 Atlantic Sun)
Projected Starters:
So. G Ben Smith (9.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.3 apg)
Sr. G Evan Jefferson (6.3 ppg, 1.4 rpg)
So. F Derek Duggins (3.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg)
So. F Lehmon Colbert (11.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.1 apg)
Jr. F Marcus Allen (9.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.1 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Dolphins will certainly be challenged in non-conference play, as they have just three home games and no shortage of tough road games. On tap are trips to UAB, Michigan State, Florida, Georgetown and Sun Belt contender South Alabama. They continue the road play early in the Atlantic Sun portion, as they start with two straight at home before playing the next four on the road (though one is the completion of an in-season home-and-home with Savannah State).
Outlook: Cliff Warren’s team made a big jump last season to get over .500 overall, and two players who started as freshmen last season will try to lead them to more success. Smith and Colbert join with Allen to form a solid nucleus, with Smith making a nice transition at the point guard spot. With Allen and Colbert, there aren’t many concerns inside save for the lack of size, as only freshman Szymon Lukasiak stands taller than 6’7″. Jefferson is the only senior on the roster, so the Dolphins might be a year away while making more steps toward being contenders. The Dolphins were second in the conference in scoring last season, and that doesn’t figure to be a major concern this season. Improvement at the defensive end, where opponents shot over 46 percent from the field against them last season, will go a long way towards continuing the improvement they made last season.

Kennesaw State Owls (14-18, 9-9 Atlantic Sun)
Projected Starters:
So. G Zach Berry (2.1 ppg, 1.3 apg)
So. G Keonte Keith (3.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg)
Sr. G-F Ronell Wooten (14.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.2 spg)
Sr. F Shaun Stegall (14.5 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.3 spg)
So. F Jon-Michael Nickerson (4.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: Five home games are on the non-conference schedule, including two in the 100 Club Classic that they will host. Highlights of the road games include Sun Belt favorite Western Kentucky, Auburn, and UNLV and Minnesota in the Duel in the Desert. The Owls get a chance to start Atlantic Sun play with some momentum, as their first three games and five of the first seven are at home.
Outlook: The Owls have wasted little time being competitive in the conference, going 9-9 in their second season. Taking another step forward won’t be easy this time around, as two sophomores project to start in the backcourt. Keith started nine games last season and should be better with more minutes, but Berry averaged just under ten minutes per game last season and has a tall order in replacing departed starter Golden Ingle. Wooten and Stegall ensure there won’t be any questions at the forward spots, and Nickerson started 18 games last season and could be on his way to a nice career. A big key to their success last season was the Owls having the top turnover margin in the conference, helped by only one team turning it over less. That helped mask problems shooting the ball and defending, both areas for improvement.

Lipscomb Bisons (18-13, 11-7 Atlantic Sun)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G LaKory Daniels (3.2 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.2 apg)
Jr. G Michael Lusk (5.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.7 apg)
Sr. F Eddie Ard (15.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.4 spg)
So. F Michael Teller (5.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg)
Sr. C Jason Hopkins (6.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Bisons have three home games on tap in non-conference play and will play in two tournaments to start the season, the Cylcone Challenge at Iowa State and the First Shot Exempt Tournament at Middle Tennessee. Among the road games later are trips to Purdue, Vanderbilt, Marshall, and the road half of an in-season home-and-home with Southland contender McNeese State.
Outlook: Like Kennesaw State, the Bisons lost their starting point guard and it could knock them down a bit. Daniels started eight games last season, so he’s not entirely inexperienced, but the point guard spot wasn’t his. Sophomore Devon Seaford could compete for it as well, but either way, they don’t have a proven starter at the position. Lusk started most of last season and should be well-equipped to increase his production as they will need more from him. Ard is one of the best players in the conference and will be the go-to guy once again while doing a little of everything. Teller and Hopkins should be ready to lead the inside game, with the undersized Hopkins having a promising first season last year. They added some size in the recruiting class with freshmen Adam Hodzic and Brandon Brown. The Bisons turned the ball over less than any other Atlantic Sun team and defended well, and doing both once again would go a long way towards approaching the 20-win mark. When they held opponents below 70 points last season, they were 18-4, but never won when the opponent topped 70 points.

Stetson Hatters (11-20, 6-12 Atlantic Sun)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Garfield Blair (13.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.1 spg)
Jr. G Kris Thomas (9.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.2 spg)
Jr. F Eric Diaz (6.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg)
Sr. F J.J. Hirst (5.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
Jr. F-C Collins Okafor (3.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Hatters have four non-conference home games as part of a challenging slate, including in-season home-and-homes with Bethune-Cookman and Savannah State. Early on, they play in the Glenn Wilkes Classic, first at UAB and then three games in Daytona Beach, including Atlantic 10 contender Rhode Island and Southern contender Georgia Southern. Later, they travel to play Florida, Florida State and Miami. Atlantic Sun play opens with three straight road games, but they close the regular season with three straight at home.
Outlook: The Hatters may be a year away from seriously contending as they have just one senior on the team, so this year will be a vital growth year for the current Hatters. Adding to it is that four starters are back, so they already have experience playing together. The one starter gone from last season’s team is point guard Gabe McMillen, so it’s imperative that Blair or someone else emerges to run the show. Blair and Thomas can both score, while Diaz combines with them to form a perimeter unit that can score but also needs to rebound better to support their inside players. There is some depth with similar experience behind them from sophomores A.J. Smith, Sheldon Oliver and Brandon Williams, all of whom played in every game and averaged double-digit minutes last season. Of concern is that Williams is the only one who had more assists than turnovers last season. Hirst and Okafor have good size inside, and they get help from junior Tim Lang and freshman Graeme Radford, the latter of whom stands 6’10″. The Hatters have several statistical areas for improvement, but defense stands out since they were last in the conference in field goal percentage defense in allowing opponents to shoot 47 percent from the field last year.

Campbell Camels (14-17, 7-11 Atlantic Sun)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Reggie Bishop (8.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.1 apg)
Sr. G Ruell Pringle (8.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.4 apg)
Sr. G Jake Wohlfell (5.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.6 apg)
So. F Jonathan Rodriguez (17.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.1 bpg)
So. F Kyle Vejraska (6.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: Six home games are on tap in non-conference play, including four of the first five to start the season. Included are part of what looks like a Big South schedule, as they have in-season home-and-homes with UNC-Asheville, Radford and Liberty. The most difficult road game figures to be at South Carolina. All in all, it’s a very manageable non-conference slate. Five of the first eight Atlantic Sun games are at home.
Outlook: Robbie Laing’s team has made a couple of nice jumps in the win column the past two seasons in going from two in 2004-05 to 14 last season. To keep that up, the Camels will need their senior perimeter unit to complement super sophomore Rodriguez, one of the best players in the conference. Rodriguez led the team in every major statistical category last season. There is a gaping hole left at the point guard spot, so someone needs to emerge from the trio of Bishop, Pringle and Wohlfell, of whom only Wohlfell had more assists than turnovers last season. Junior college transfer Julius Perkins could also be a candidate. The Camels turned the ball over more than any other Atlantic Sun team last season, and with their best guard at taking care of the ball gone, they could give the ball away a lot again this season. Vejraska showed some promise alongside Rodriguez last season, and behind them will be mostly newcomers, from junior college transfer Eddie Brown to sophomore Oladapo Fagbenle. The Camels led the conference in scoring last season, but their turnovers and allowing opponents to shoot over 46 percent from the field helped negate that.

Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs (9-21, 7-11 Atlantic Sun)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Takayo Siddle (8.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.1 spg)
So. G Grayson Flittner (4.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 1.4 apg)
Sr. G-F Thomas Sanders (11.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.4 spg)
So. F Matt French (5.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
So. F-C Auryn McMillan (3.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Runnin’ Bulldogs have four home games on tap in non-conference play, including half of a home-and-home with Radford and Charleston Southern. They also host Big South contender High Point. They open the season in the 2K Sports Classic in Kentucky, where they play Alabama A&M and could play Kentucky. Later road games of note are at Connecticut, Clemson, Tulane and Charlotte. They get an immediate test in Atlantic Sun play as they open with Belmont at home, then have a three-game road trip a week in.
Outlook: The Runnin’ Bulldogs will be short on experience this season, as Sanders is the only senior on the team and Siddle is one of just four juniors. Sanders does a little of everything from the wing, while Siddle ran the show nicely last season and gives them a solid floor leader. French showed promise last season and will be counted on for more after starting for all but one game in Atlantic Sun play, while Flittner likewise started most of their conference games. The youth movement was in effect late last season, and the Bulldogs could start to see some of it pay off this season. The results just don’t figure to include contention just yet.

North Florida Ospreys (3-26, 1-17 Atlantic Sun)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Chris Timberlake (11.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.2 spg)
Jr. G Aaron Caruthers (8.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.2 apg)
So. G-F Germaine Sparkes (7.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.1 spg)
So. G-F Stan Januska (transfer from Morehead State)
Sr. F-C James Grimball (11.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.0 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: Four non-conference home games are on tap for the Ospreys, who open the season at Maryland in the College Basketball Experience Classic. The slate also includes an in-season home-and-home with Savannah State, and challenging road games at Florida, Miami and Notre Dame. The Atlantic Sun slate has most of their home games in the early going, as six of their first nine are at home.
Outlook: The Ospreys had a rough introduction to Division I last season, losing 15 in a row at one point. This year’s team has a little more experience, but it still figures to be an uphill battle. Timberlake will make this team go, while Carruthers and Sparkes are good complements off the ball to build around. Januska and East Carolina transfer Tom Hammonds could start on the wing in a small lineup, one with four players who stand 6’7″ or 6’8″ and no one taller. Grimball gave them all he could last season and is their leading returning scorer and rebounder. While the Ospreys struggled in many areas last season, their defense was one of the brighter spots as they were fourth in the conference in field goal percentage defense.

Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (27-6 in Division II)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Casey Pond (2.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg in 19 games)
Sr. G Rob Quaintance (3.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 5.3 apg, 2.5 spg)
Sr. G-F Casey Wohlieb (11.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.7 apg)
Sr. F Adam Liddell (11.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.1 bpg)
Jr. F Landon Adler (10.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: Three home games are on tap in non-conference play, all of them challenges: Drexel, Horizon League favorite Butler and Ivy League contender Penn. In November, they play in the South Padre Island Invitational against Iowa, Bradley and Ohio Valley favorite Austin Peay, then later travel to Arizona State and Summit League favorite IUPUI. During Atlantic Sun play, they have two more non-conference road games at DePaul and Marquette. In Atlantic Sun play, they have three early games at home.
Outlook: The Eagles should make the smoother transition to Division I of the two newcomers in the conference, as they return four starters from last season’s 27-game winning squad. Having Quaintance will certainly help, as he doesn’t score much but runs the show very well and can defend, while Pond is the most likely holdover to assume the one open starting job and Wohlieb is the top returning marksman from long range. Liddell and Adler form a solid inside tandem to start with, one that helped the Eagles lead all of Division II in rebounding margin last season. They almost certainly won’t repeat that in Division I this season, but the Eagles have a nice starting point with an experienced squad that has won some games before. They should win their share this season even though they won’t contend.

South Carolina Upstate Spartans (17-11 in Division II)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Jeremy Byrd (10.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.6 apg, 3.5 spg)
Sr. G Luke Payne (11.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.3 apg)
Jr. G Zac Rich (4.3 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 1.2 apg)
Fr. F Matt Preston (redshirt)
So. C Nick Schneiders (2.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Spartans will be road warriors with a non-conference schedule that has just two home games, neither against a Division I school. They open at Utah before heading to the Top of the World Classic, then later play at Cincinnati, Wake Forest, SMU and Iowa State, and they also play in the State Farm Sun Bowl Classic at UTEP, where they open with the host school.
Outlook: The Spartans’ first year in Division I is likely to be a struggle, as they return just four players who have played more than limited minutes in the program, meaning this season is a change-over all the way around. Fortunately, two of them are the senior backcourt of Byrd and Payne, who along with Rich make the perimeter the clear strength of this team. Byrd makes this team go, and they’ll need it this season. Preston and Schneiders are the likely starters on the inexperienced frontcourt. But this team is just getting started at this level, so it’s going to be a long haul at first.

Conference Outlook

The race for the top should be a good one, with East Tennessee State and Belmont as the favorites, but by no means prohibitive ones. They should have company with teams like Mercer and Jacksonville that are on the rise, with the Bears having perhaps the best backcourt in the conference. Teams in the middle of the pack appear to be in different forms of flux, either from losing a lot of players or having been young last year and an important year older now.

The three newest teams to Division I figure to struggle this season, with Florida Gulf Coast likely having the easier transition initially of the two new ones. North Florida had a rough go of it last year, but should take some steps forward this year.

Atlantic Sun Preview

Atlantic Sun Conference 2005-06 Preview

by Michael Protos

The Atlantic Sun Conference danced the realignment shuffle this off-season, though few media sources made much fanfare of their moves. Gone are Central Florida, Georgia State and Troy. In their place, the A-Sun welcomes East Tennessee State, Kennesaw State and North Florida.

Of the departed three, Central Florida made the leap to the most noteworthy conference – Conference USA. However, with the departure of Cincinnati, Louisville, DePaul and Marquette, that conference no longer looks quite as formidable. Troy bolted for the Sun Belt Conference, which is home to mid-major heavyweight Louisiana-Lafayette. Georgia State bounced into the Colonial Athletic Association, which is best known for UNC-Wilmington. The Seahawks have made noise in the NCAA Tournament more than once. Now that conference’s power is centered at Old Dominion.

Of the new arrivals, East Tennessee State is the most significant. The Bucs had a successful run in the Southern Conference and figure to become a perennial power in the A-Sun. Kennesaw State and North Florida are both entering their first seasons as Division I programs, so look for them to struggle for a few seasons. Both were solid Division II programs from the Peach Belt Conference.

A one-bid conference, the A-Sun is all about winning the conference tournament. And the conference handed new arrival East Tennessee State a gift by allowing the Bucs to host the conference tournament March 3-5. Only the top eight teams play in the conference tournament, which generates an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Pre-season Awards

Atlantic Sun MVP: Tim Smith, East Tennessee State
Smith is one of the most dominant players in the conference and most prolific scorers in the country. He finished seventh in scoring in the nation last season, averaging 22.2 points per game. The Bucs return their entire starting lineup, so there’s plenty of experience on this team, which requires defense to respect the second and third scoring options. Smith should have a monster season in the Atlantic Sun after tearing apart Southern Conference foes for the past three seasons.

All-Atlantic Sun Team:
Brian Bender, Gardner Webb
Simon Conn, Gardner Webb
Will Emerson, Mercer
Brian Fisk, Lipscomb
Tim Smith, East Tennessee State

Defensive Player of the Year: Tim Jennings, Gardner Webb
Jennings is a defensive monster in the post, blocking 40 shots last season. A year older, wiser and possibly quicker, Jennings should continue to wreak havoc on opposing offenses and repeat as defensive player of the year.

Coach on the Hot Seat: Robbie Laing, Campbell
Laing has guided the Fighting Camels, one of the least intimidating nicknames in sports, through one of their worst periods. In two seasons, the Camels are an astoundingly bad 5-49. The team won only two games last season and none in conference play. If Laing doesn’t get this team heading in the right direction, he will be heading out of town.

Team Capsules

Gardner Webb Bulldogs (2004-05: 18-12, 13-7)
Projected starters:
Senior center Simon Conn
Senior forward Brian Bender
Senior forward Tim Jennings
Senior guard T.J. McCullough
Junior guard Chris Gash
Schedule highlights:
at North Carolina
at Auburn
at Minnesota

Roster notes:
After sharing the league title with Central Florida last season, the Bulldogs return their entire starting lineup and every major contributor. Senior forwards Brian Bender and Simon Conn are the leaders of this seasoned team. Bender averages 15.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while Conn averages 14.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. That’s a lot of points and significant experience in the frontcourt, and not something many mid-major programs nationwide can claim.

Look for the Bulldogs to dominate most A-Sun opponents. The teams that have the best chance of derailing Gardner Webb are East Tennessee State and Belmont. The Bucs have a great starting five, but Gardner Webb’s depth should allow the Bulldogs to win that match up. Belmont could pose a bigger threat because the Bruins win by firing a bunch of three-pointers. That is the Bulldogs’ one weakness: no player hits more than 35 percent of his three-pointers.

Prediction: First

East Tennessee State Bucs (2004-05: 10-19, Southern: 4-12)
Projected starters:
Senior forward Dillon Sneed
Sophomore forward Andrew Reed
Senior guard Ben Rhoda
Junior guard Travis Strong
Senior guard Tim Smith
Schedule highlights:
at Tennessee
at Clemson
vs. Central Michigan

Roster notes:
The Bucs return diminutive senior guard Tim Smith, the team’s leading scorer and one of the most dangerous guards in the country. At only 5-9, opposing defenses can’t stop Smith. He averaged 22.2 points per game last season, good for seventh in the country. He figures to have another great season, especially with the return of fellow seniors Dillon Sneed and Ben Rhoda.

East Tennessee State also returns starters Andrew Reed and Travis Strong, who must learn from the seniors in preparation for next season when they will have to run the team. The rest of the lineup is inexperienced, so the Bucs can ill afford an injury and will need the reserves to learn on the job. The lack of depth will prevent the Bucs from overcoming Gardner Webb, but the starting five is probably the best in the conference. It’s certainly good enough to carry the Bucs to second and guarantee a spot in the A-Sun Tournament, which will be held on the Bucs’ home court. East Tennessee State’s gym is more than double the size of any other school’s gym in the conference.

Prediction: Second

Belmont Bruins (2004-05: 14-16, 12-8)
Projected starters:
Junior center Andrew Preston
Senior forward Dan Oliver
Sophomore guard Justin Hare
Senior guard Brian Collins
Junior guard Josh Goodwin
Schedule highlights:
at Oklahoma
at Ohio State
at Kansas State

Roster notes:
The Bruins’ M.O. for the past few seasons has been to jack up enough three-pointers to out-score opponents. This season figures to be no different as Belmont plans to use a three-guard lineup most of the time, which features reigning A-Sun Rookie of the Year Justin Hare. Although Hare did not start for the Bruins last season, he logged plenty of minutes.

Hare and company must overcome the loss of Jese Snyder, who led the team in scoring last season at 11.8 points per game. But Hare, Josh Goodwin and Brian Collins also averaged in double-figures, so they will merely need to step up. With such an experienced lineup, look for Belmont to contend with the conference heavyweights, Gardner Webb and East Tennessee State. The Bruins will definitely be in the top eight and playing in the conference tournament in March.

Prediction: Third

Lipscomb Bisons (2004-05: 16-12, 11-9)
Projected starters:
Senior center Shaun Durant
Senior forward Cameron Robinson
Sophomore guard Eddie Ard
Junior guard Brian Fisk
Senior guard James Poindexter
Schedule highlights:
at Auburn
at Tennessee
vs. Liberty

Roster notes:
Lipscomb returns all five starters from last season’s squad and has an excellent opportunity to challenge for a top spot in the A-Sun. Labrian Lyons is the only significant contributor from last season who does not return. The Bisons get back junior guard Brian Fisk and senior guard James Poindexter, who both averaged in double figures last season. Seniors Shaun Durant and Cameron Robinson form a potent pair in the paint as both attack the glass to grab rebounds.

Although the Bisons return the nucleus of their team, Lipscomb lacks the same talent that Gardner Webb and East Tennessee State possess. For the Bisons to climb above those squads and Belmont, this team must play more consistently and polish off weaker A-Sun competition.

Prediction: Fourth

Mercer Bears (2004-05: 16-12, 11-9)
Projected starters:
Senior center Will Emerson
Sophomore guard Shaddean Aaron
Junior guard Jacob Skogen
Senior guard Damitrius Coleman
Junior guard Ross Alacqua
Schedule highlights:
at Oklahoma State
at Colorado
at Georgia Southern

Roster notes:
The Bears liked to score early and often last season, averaging nearly 81 points per game. But Mercer loses two of its four double-digit scorers from last season, so it must find some new contributors or slow down the pace. Senior center Will Emerson returns and is probably the best big man in the conference. He averaged 15.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last season, but is one of only four forwards on the roster.

With so few post players, opponents will likely collapse on Emerson whenever he touches the ball. Therefore, it’s critical for junior guard Jacob Skogen to continue to be a scoring threat after averaging 14.7 points per game last season. The rest of the guards do not have gaudy statistics, but they are a solid bunch that should help propel the Bears into the middle of the pack. Mercer likely won’t join the conference’s elite, but the Bears should still be on the prowl during the conference tournament.

Prediction: Fifth

Jacksonville Dolphins (2004-05: 16-13, 11-9)
Projected starters:
Junior center Ljubisa Vrcelj
Senior forward Mario Brown
Senior forward Antonio Cool
Senior guard Jesse Kimbrough
Senior guard Aubrey Conerly
Schedule highlights:
vs. Florida State
at Florida
at Georgia Tech

Roster notes:
The Dolphins switched their coach after last season, as longtime coach Hugh Durham moved on. Jacksonville tabbed Georgia Tech assistant Cliff Warren, who enters his first year as a head coach and will have his hands full.

Jacksonville loses several critical members of last season’s team, including Haminn Quaintance, David Lee and B.J. Surry. Those three accounted for nearly half the Dolphins’ point production from last season. Returning starters Antonio Cool and Jesse Kimbrough must step up, and the same is true for several other seniors and juniors. This team will probably struggle to find an identity under new coach Warren and inexperienced starters. But Jacksonville was among the A-Sun’s defensive leaders, and good defense always gives a team a chance to win. Look for the Dolphins to win enough to reach the conference tournament.

Prediction: Sixth

Florida Atlantic Owls (2004-05: 10-17, 10-10)
Projected starters:
Senior forward Rodney Webb
Senior forward Fred Marshall
Sophomore forward Derrick Simmons
Senior guard Quinton Young
Sophomore guard Ty McTyer
Schedule highlights:
at Northwestern
at South Florida
vs. College of Charleston

Roster notes:
The most significant roster changes for the Owls this off-season is the addition of Matt Doherty as head coach. After taking a year off, Doherty is back in the coaching game after a rough three-year tenure at North Carolina, where he recruited the likes of Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants and Sean May. If Doherty can get just one player of that caliber to come to Boca Raton in three years, the Owls will have received more than they could have hoped for.

Doherty has a tough road ahead this season, however, because the Owls lost four of their top six scorers. The team does return senior guard Quniton Young, who averaged 12.3 points per game. He must fill the shoes vacated by Mike Bell, who averaged 19.1 points per game. Senior Rodney Webb is the other most significant returning Owl. He averaged 9.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game last season. The rest of the lineup is a hodge-podge of inexperienced and unproven players. The Owls should finish in the top eight and reach the conference tournament, but primarily thanks to a terrible Campbell team and two Division II arrivals in the conference. The other eight teams have to make the conference tournament.

Prediction: Seventh

Stetson Hatters (2004-05: 10-17, 8-12)
Projected starters:
Senior forward J.J. Hirst
Sophomore forward Collins Okafor
Senior guard Anthony Register
Senior guard E.J. Gordon
Junior guard Will Holloman
Schedule highlights:
at Georgetown
at Florida State
at Miami

Roster notes:
The Hatters return senior guards Anthony Register and E.J. Gordon, who combined for more than 30 points per game last season. That is nearly half of the Hatters’ production last season, and they will continue to be the driving force for the Hatters since they lack any type of viable post presence.

The graduation of Borislav Djordjic and Mark Stiles hurts Stetson’s frontcourt. Senior forward J.J. Hirst will need to become a leader in the frontcourt despite averaging less than two points and rebounds per game last season. Stetson features one of the best names in all of college basketball: Chief Killingstallionsims. The 7-1 center doesn’t see much playing time, much to the chagrin of college basketball writers nationwide. The bottom line for the Hatters is that they’ll go as far as Register and Gordon can carry them. Without a real frontcourt, that’ll only be the middle of the A-Sun pack.

Prediction: Eighth

Campbell Fighting Camels (2004-05: 2-25, 0-20)
Projected starters:
Senior forward Comerlee Poole
Senior forward Maurice Latham
Junior forward Diego Aguiar
Sophomore guard Jake Wohlfeil
Sophomore guard Ruell Pringle
Schedule highlights:
at Florida State
at Indiana State
at Evansville

Roster notes:
The good news for the Fighting Camels is that they return almost of all their lineup from last season. That means more experience, including the services of sophomore Ruell Pringle, who led the team with 12.6 points per game in his freshman season. And senior forward Comerlee Poole is a solid big man who averaged 8.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game last season.

The bad news is that this team – with the same players from last season – won only two games and none in conference play. That does not bode well for this season. Fortunately, Kennesaw State and North Florida are Division I newcomers, so the Camels should find a way to avoid finishing last, but not by much. And it won’t be enough to get them into the conference tournament.

Prediction: Ninth

Kennesaw State Owls (2004-05: 24-6, Division II)
Projected starters:
Freshman center Dusty Moore
Senior forward Kenan Knight
Sophomore guard Ronnell Wooten
Senior guard Israel Ingle
Junior guard Golden Ingle
Schedule highlights:
at George Washington
at St. Louis
at Furman

Roster notes:
Kennesaw State makes the switch from Division II to Division I at a time of transition. The Owls have virtually no one from last season’s roster left on the team. Gone are the top three scorers, and nine of the top 10 contributors. That’s a brutal turnover for a perennial D-II powerhouse that must now adjust to D-I.

Sophomore guard Ronnell Wooten is the leading man on this team after averaging 9.1 points per game. He will likely be the go-to man for points this season. But unless some of the youngsters develop quickly, opposing defenses will be able to shadow him with their best defensive stopper – or two. Luckily, Wooten is a sophomore, and with seven freshmen on the team, the Owls’ best days are ahead.

Prediction: Tenth

North Florida Ospreys (2004-05: 14-17, Division II)
Projected starters:
Junior forward James Grimball
Senior forward David Ashwell
Senior guard Derrick Scott
Senior guard Riley Didion
Sophomore guard Chris Timberlake
Schedule highlights:
at College of Charleston
at Binghamton
vs. Savannah State

Roster notes:
North Florida enters its first Division I campaign without last season’s leading scorer, Donny Lotz, who graduated after averaging 13.7 points per game last season. Against Division II competition, the Ospreys only managed to score a little more than 66 points per game. So without Lotz, the Ospreys must find a new leader and put up more points, or else this team will lose badly in a lot of games this season.

Senior guard Derrick Scott and junior forward James Grimball will carry much of the load. Scott averaged 12.3 points per game, and Grimball was good for 11.3 points per game. They are the only other Ospreys who averaged more than 10 points per game. North Florida did not shoot particularly well from three-point land or rebound effectively, and those trends figure to continue this season. The Ospreys will do well to evade last place in the A-Sun this season.

Prediction: Eleventh

Final thoughts

The Atlantic Sun Conference will likely be hierarchical this season. The best teams – Gardner Webb, East Tennessee State, Belmont and Lipscomb – contrast greatly with the worst teams – Campbell, Kennesaw State and North Florida. The top four will likely battle for seeding in the conference tournament, which could be huge because the fourth team will likely have to play a dangerous Mercer team.

Florida Atlantic, Stetson and Jacksonville do not appear particularly strong on paper, but they could still surprise the heavyweights. If nothing else, they should avoid the conference’s cellar and earn a trip to the conference tournament.

A conference championship between Gardner Webb and East Tennessee State would be worth of national attention because either team has the potential to upset an opponent in the NCAA Tournament.

A-Sun Tournament Recap

Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Recap

by Michael Protos

Quarterfinals

No. 1 Gardner-Webb 64, No. 8 Troy 62

Despite poor shooting and no support from its bench, No. 1 Gardner-Webb slipped past No. 8 Troy 64-62, overcoming a four-point halftime deficit. Junior center Simon Conn was a beast in the paint, scoring 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, including nine on the offensive glass. The Bulldogs annihilated the Trojans in the rebounding category 41-21. With 19 offensive rebounds, Gardner-Webb managed to work through a sub-40 percent shooting day to advance to the semifinals. Senior forward Corey Hornsby finished his Troy career with 26 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

No. 2 Central Florida 81, No. 7 Mercer 68

No. 2 Central Florida started the defense of its conference title with an 81-68 quarterfinal win against No. 7 Mercer that wasn’t close by halftime. The Knights jumped out to a 45-24 halftime lead, which allowed Central Florida to give its bench players more playing time to rest the starters. Fresh players are a luxury in conference tournaments in which teams play several games in consecutive days. Sophomore guard Joshua Peppers led the Knights with 16 points and also grabbed six rebounds. Central Florida lit up the nets with three-pointers, sinking 12-of-27 attempts. The Bears were less fortunate, making only two three-pointers. Senior guard James Odoms led Mercer with 14 points.

No. 3 Belmont 67, No. 6 Georgia State 61

No. 3 Belmont used a three guard lineup to maximize the team’s perimeter game, and the Bruins hit 11 three-pointers en route to a 67-61 win against No. 6 Georgia State. Host of the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament, Belmont was led by junior guard Brian Collins, who scored 15 points, and senior guard Jese Snyder, who scored all 12 of his points from three-point territory. Georgia State had no answer for Belmont’s long-range accuracy and couldn’t keep pace at the end. Senior forward Sylvester Morgan junior guard Herman Favors each scored 12 points for the Panthers.

No. 4 Jacksonville 68, No. 5 Lipscomb 64

The No. 4 Dolphins can thank the No. 5 Bisons’ inability to sink critical free throws for Jacksonville’s 68-64 quarterfinal win. The Bisons missed 12 free throws to go 15-of-27 from the line. Jacksonville’s 50 percent field goal shooting approached Lipscomb’s 55 percent free-throw shooting, which created the room for the Dolphins to win. Junior guard Jesse Kimbrough had a great game with 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists. The Dolphins ruined an outstanding performance by junior guard James Poindexter, who scored a game-high 24 points.

Semifinals

No. 1 Gardner-Webb 77, No. 4 Jacksonville 76

The top-seeded Bulldogs once again escaped defeat with a 77-76 squeaker against No. 4 Jacksonville. Junior center Simon Conn had another amazing game with 29 points and 12 rebounds, including seven offensive rebounds. Conn single-handedly kept Gardner-Webb in the tournament in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. The Bulldogs rely almost entirely on their starters as the bench scored only three points. Four of the five starters played at least 36 minutes. The strategy was necessary for the Bulldogs to defeat the upset-minded Dolphins, but it also takes a toll on these players as they play so many minutes on such little rest.

Jacksonville’s upset bid fell short despite great efforts by junior guard Jesse Kimbrough and sophomore forward Haminn Quaintance, who each scored 16 points. Jacksonville shot better than 50 percent from the field but allowed the Bulldogs to win the rebounding battle and collect far too many offensive rebounds. A few defensive boards here and there would have allowed the Dolphins to advance to the championship game. Instead, Gardner-Webb will attempt to make its first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament appearance.

No. 2 Central Florida 66, No. 3 Belmont 61

Despite playing in front of a No. 3 Belmont-friendly crowd, No. 2 Central Florida moved within a game of a second consecutive Atlantic Sun title by winning 66-61. The Knights led 35-22 at halftime and outlasted the Bruins in the second half, despite a valiant run by the host. Senior guard Gary Johnson hit four three-pointers and scored 17 points to lead the Knights. But defense continued to be the modus operandi for Central Florida, as the Knights held Belmont to less than 39 percent shooting from the field.

Belmont facilitated Central Florida’s defensive pressure by settling for three-pointers. The Bruins shot 7-of-24 from behind the arc, but they had little choice after trailing by double digits at the half. Junior guard Brian Collins led the Bruins with 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds, six of which were on the offensive end. With 11 second chances, Belmont stayed closer than Central Florida would have preferred. But in the end, Central Florida advanced to play No. 1 Gardner-Webb for the Atlantic Sun’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Championship

No. 2 Central Florida 63, No. 1 Gardner-Webb 54

Great play from junior guard Gary Johnson and suffocating defense secured No. 2 Central Florida a second consecutive Atlantic Sun title and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Johnson scored 19 points to lead the Knights, who held No. 1 Gardner-Webb to 16 first half points in a 63-54 win in the conference championship. The Bulldogs could not figure out the Knights’ defense until late in the second half, shooting only 35 percent from the field.

In addition to Johnson, the Knights got 14 points from sophomore guard Joshua Peppers as Central Florida’s backcourt outplayed its counterparts from Gardner-Webb. The Bulldogs’ junior center Simon Conn had a third consecutive strong game with 15 points and seven rebounds. But Central Florida contained him compared to his previous two performances with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. Junior forward Brian Bender led the Bulldogs with 17 points.

When the Bulldogs attempted to rally in the second half, Central Florida finished the game with good free-throw shooting. The Knights hit 17-of-20 free throws to close out the deal and give Central Florida a second consecutive opportunity to pull off a major upset in the NCAA Tournament.

Last year, the Knights gave the Pittsburgh Panthers all they could handle in the first round before losing a tight game. This year, Central Florida will likely draw a No. 14 or 15 seed, so the Knights will be scouting some of the major conferences’ top teams in the days to come.

Atlantic Sun Notebook

Atlantic Sun Conference Notebook

by Darren Lowry

Two Schools Join A-Sun

With the conference set to lose four schools in the next two years, there was no secret that the A-Sun was going to have to replace them sooner rather than later. On Jan. 5, the A-Sun announced that Kennesaw State University, located in a northern Atlanta suburb, and North Florida, located in Jacksonville, would both join the conference in the fall of 2005.

The two schools will join East Tennessee State next season as the incoming schools that will replace outgoing Georgia State, Troy, and Central Florida.

Both schools have records of recent athletic success.

Kennesaw State has won five NCAA Division II championships in their ten years in the conference, including 2003-2004 titles in women’s soccer and men’s basketball.

North Florida has won five consecutive Peach Belt Conference Commissioner’s Cups for overall athletic excellence.

Reason for Concern, Reason for Hope

Jacksonville has been in a downward spiral of late, first dismissing starting center Joey Robinson for the season for violating team rules, then dropping their next three games.

However, their key forward, Haminn Quaintance, has been playing much better of late, racking up double-doubles in three straight games, and recently setting new career highs in points and rebounds.

Gardner-Webb

After starting off the season undefeated in A-Sun play, it was inevitable that the Bulldogs (8-5, 5-1) would eventually lose a conference game, but their solid play early in the season has earned them the top spot in the A-Sun. Their start has been stark contrast from a year ago, when the school struggled to be consistent and finished with just nine wins on the season. The team remains undefeated in six games at home this season.

Forward Brian Bender leads the A-Sun in scoring, averaging 19.1 points per game, and teammate Tim Jennings leads the league in steals with 2.8 per game.

Gardner-Webb embarrassed Lipscomb 72-55 at home on Jan. 3, mostly on the strength of holding Lipscomb to just 1 for 15 on three-point shooting for the game. The Bisons shot less than 37 percent for the game.

Jennings had a great game, netting a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds to go along with 6 assists and 6 steals. He leads the league in the latter category, averaging 3 per game. Bender also added 15 points, and forward Simon Conn also had a double-double, getting 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The Bulldogs then held off a late rally by visiting Belmont, winning at home 79-75 on Jan. 5. Gardner-Webb was ahead 72-62 with 3:07 to play, when Belmont cut the lead to just four with 1:40 left. However, that’s as close as the game got, as the Bulldogs held on for the win.

Bender led all scorers with 27 points to go along with a game-high 14 rebounds, and Conn also chipped in 20 points and 8 boards. Jennings, a guard, also had 11 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

Despite shooting just 38 percent from the floor, the Bulldogs squeaked out a 69-66 home win over Campbell on Jan. 7. The contest between the A-Sun’s leading team and basement team was surprisingly close, mirroring the parity in the conference this season.

Bender led all scorers with 22 points, and Conn added 12 points and 9 rebounds. Guard TJ McCullough had 10 assists on the game, but did not score.

Gardner-Webb finally suffered their first A-Sun defeat of the season at Troy on Jan. 10, falling 77-71 despite overcoming a 14 point halftime deficit to take a one point lead with 1:15 to play. A late Troy basket followed by two technical fouls made up the late scoring differential. Bender led the Bulldogs with 21 points, while Conn added 18 and Jennings chipped in 11.

The Bulldogs will look to continue their strong play when they head to Georgia to play Mercer on Jan. 15 and Georgia State on Jan. 17.

Belmont

The Bruins (5-8, 4-1) currently sit in sole possession of second place in the A-Sun, matching the school’s best start in A-Sun play.

Guard Justin Hare is looking like the runaway A-Sun freshman player of a year at this point in the season. He is playing important minutes for the team, and has been named the A-Sun player of the week twice this season already. He is averaging nearly 9 points a game along with 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.

Belmont nearly pulled of an upset of Auburn on Dec. 30, but ultimately were unable to pull ahead of the Tigers in Alabama, and fell 73-69. The Bruins outscored Auburn 45-41 in the second half, but that was not enough to make up the deficit. Forward Dan Oliver led the Bruins in scoring with 15 points, with center Andrew Preston netting 12 and guard Justin Hare scored 10 points.

Belmont then defeated Campbell on the road in overtime on Jan. 3, making 75 percent of their shots in the extra period to put up 23 points for the win. Guard Josh Goodwin scored 9 of his game-high 18 points in overtime to lead the Bruins to victory. He also added 7 steals and 3 assists on the game. Guard Jese Snyder also had 16 points, and Preston added 7 points and 6 blocks.

Belmont came to within 4 points of knocking off the current A-Sun leading Bulldogs, but were unable to defeat host at Gardner-Webb 79-75 on Jan. 5. The Bruins rallied from a 10-point deficit to pull within 4 before time expired. Preston led Belmont with 19 points and 5 rebounds, and forward Will Peeples added 13.

Guard Brian Collins made 1 of 3 free throws after being fouled during a three-point attempt to put the Bruins ahead with just 3 seconds left to lift Belmont to a thrilling win over Mercer 74-73 on Jan. 8. Collins had 17 points on the game, and also added 7 rebounds and 4 assists, while Hare chipped in 15 points.

The Bruins capitalized on poor Panthers shooting to defeat Georgia State 59-46 at home on Jan. 10. The Bruins held the team to the lowest opponent scoring output since Air Force managed just 38 points in game last season. Snyder led the Bruins with 12 points, and Collins added 11 points, 6 points, and 4 assists.

Belmont will hit the road to take on Stetson on Jan. 15 and Jacksonville on Jan. 17.

Mercer

The Bears (8-4, 4-2) are slowly creeping up the A-Sun standings, recently moving up to third place after knocking off previously second-place Lipscomb. Guard Damitrius Coleman continues to lead the NCAA in assists, averaging 8.5 per game.

Mercer defeated Savannah State 98-81 on Dec. 30, dominating the winless Tigers in the second half 59-43. The Bears led the game by as much as 19 points in the half. Guard James Odoms led the team with 19 points, and forward Wesley Duke had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Coleman added 11 points and 8 assists.

Mercer then played in a thrilling triple-overtime contest with Florida Atlantic, falling 104-101 at home on Jan. 3. The Bears had plenty of opportunity to win the game, as they were just 23 for 40 from the free throw line. Coleman managed a triple-double in the loss, finishing with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. Odoms led all scorers with 30 points, adding 10 rebounds of his own. Duke also got a double-double, getting 20 points and 11 boards.

Reserve guard Ross Alacqua had a career night to lead Mercer over UCF 80-71 on Jan. 5. Alacqua, who has only been averaging 11 minutes a game for the Bears, scored 26 points in just 21 minutes of play, making 6 three pointers and hitting all 6 of his free throws. Forward Will Emerson earned a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Duke earned a double-double for a third straight game, scoring 12 points to go along with his 11 rebounds.

Mercer then suffered another heart-breaking last-second loss to an A-Sun opponent, falling at Belmont 74-73 on Jan. 8 on a last-second free throw. Guard Jacob Skogen hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 73 with 34 seconds remaining, but a Belmont free throw with 3 seconds left cost the Bears the game. Odoms finished with 25 points and 9 rebounds, and Coleman had 10 assists, 8 rebounds, and 2 points in a losing effort.

The Bears will return home to host Campbell on Jan. 13 and Gardner-Webb on Jan. 15.

Lipscomb

Even after a loss to Mercer dropped the Bisons (8-4, 3-2) from second place to fourth, the team is still performing far above expectations this year, and still has plenty of momentum that could carry them into the playoffs this year.

Lipscomb lost an ugly game with Gardner-Webb 72-55 on Jan. 3, as the Bisons shot just 36 percent from the field, and were just 1 for 15 from long range in the game. Center Shaun Durant was really the lone bright spot for the Bisons in the game, scoring 17 points and 10 rebounds. Guard Brian Fisk did score 11 points on the game, but was harassed by Bulldogs guard Tim Jennings all game, limiting Fisk to just 4 of 17 shooting on the night.

The Bisons rebounded by getting a come-from-behind victory at Campbell 60-56 two nights later. Lipscomb held the Camels scoreless over the last five minutes of the game, using that time to turn a five point deficit into the win. Fisk scored 22 points in the game, but still shot just 6 for 17 from the floor. Guard Brandon Hartwell added 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in the contest.

Lipscomb scored another come-from-behind win over the Panthers 59-57 at home in overtime on Jan. 8. Fisk tied the game with 0.4 seconds left, and forward Matt Jarboe hit the go-ahead three-pointer to seal the game. The two teams scored just a combined 6 points in the extra period. Fisk had 19 points in the game, and Durant had 6 points and 14 rebounds. Jarboe only had 7 points on the game, but none were bigger than the 3 he scored in overtime.

Despite leading at halftime 50-43, the Bisons dropped a home match-up with Mercer 82-73 on Jan. 10. Lipscomb went cold in the second half, making just 8 baskets, after sinking more than double that in the first half. Guard James Poindexter had 28 points, mostly on the strength of 7 three-pointers. Fisk added 12 points and 6 rebounds in a losing effort.

The Bisons will begin a three-game road series at Jacksonville on Jan. 15 and Stetson on Jan. 17.

Troy

The Trojans (5-9, 3-2) have rebounded from a poor start to win four of their last five games, including ending Gardner-Webb’s undefeated A-Sun run with a home victory on Jan. 10.

The Trojans were unable to upset New Mexico in the final round of the Lobo Invitational, losing to the hosts 88-66 on Dec. 29. Troy fell behind in the first half after the Lobos had an 11-0 run late in the first half, giving New Mexico a 44-27 lead at the break. Forward Corey Hornsby led Troy with 19 points, and also added 7 rebounds. Guard Bobby Dixon chipped in 13 points and 6 assists in a losing cause.

Troy rebounded to defeat Jacksonville 87-76 on Jan. 5, using a 15-2 run in the second half to open up a 13 point lead that the Dolphins were unable to overcome. Two Trojan players had career nights, as guard Jacob Hazouri, and forward Eddie Baker scored 29 and 28 points, respectively. Hornsby also made a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.

The Trojans used a similar high-scoring run to defeat host Stetson 56-53 on Jan. 7. Trailing 19-18 late in the first half, Troy went on a 16-2 run to build up a 13 point lead, and managed to hold off a late Hatters rally in the closing minutes. Hazouri led all scorers with 15 points, and Dixon added 10 points and 7 rebounds in the win.

The Trojans then beat the previously unbeaten Bulldogs 77-71 at home on Jan. 10, when a Hornsby lay-up gave Troy a two-point lead with six seconds remaining. Troy had led the game by as much as 17 in the second half, but ultimately were able to hold off a Gardner-Webb rally. Hornsby scored a career-high 26 points on the night to go along with 5 rebounds. Baker and Dixon each added 16 points.

Troy will host Georgia State on Jan. 13, then will begin a Florida swing with a stop at UCF on Jan. 16.

Florida Atlantic

The Owls (3-9, 3-2) were unable to secure a victory in their non-conference schedule, but that hasn’t mattered to them, as they have picked up two overtime wins in their last three games to leap into sixth place in the A-Sun.

Forward Mike Bell picked up the A-Sun’s player of the week award after hitting the game-winning shot against Mercer in a thrilling triple-overtime victory, and was also instrumental in the Owls’ other overtime win over Stetson.

Florida Atlantic’s last non-conference game ended in disappointing fashion, as the Owls blew a 41-36 halftime lead to ultimately fall 81-75 at home on Dec. 30. Guard Quinton Young led the team with 17 points, while guard Kahleaf Watson had 16 points, 5 assists, and 4 steals in a losing cause. Bell finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds.

The Owls then outlasted Mercer in a triple overtime classic 104-101, when Bell hit a key three-pointer that secured the victory for the team. Florida Atlantic prevailed despite shooting an abysmal 45 percent from the free throw line in the game. Each of the team’s starters finished with 11 or more points in the game. Bell led the team with 29 points, and also had 15 boards in the contest. Forward Fred Marshall also earned a double-double, getting 11 points and 10 rebounds. Forward Rodney Webb had 14 points, while Young added 22, while Watson managed 13 points and 8 assists in the win.

The Owls then lost a heart-breaker to host Georgia State, falling on a buzzer-beater to lose 75-73 on Jan. 5. Florida Atlantic had just tied the game with five seconds remaining before the final shot. Bell narrowly missed out on another double-double, finishing with 23 points and 9 rebounds. Marshall was the only other Owl in double-digits, ending the game with 11 points.

Florida Atlantic outscored Stetson 14-2 in overtime to put away the Hatters 81-69 at home on Jan. 9. Neither team played an impressive game, as the two teams combined for 37 turnovers in the game. Bell earned a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Marshall had 10 points and 7 rebounds, and Young had 17 points. Reserve guard Tywain McTyer only scored 6, but he also had 10 assists in just 21 minutes of play.

Florida Atlantic will continue their five game home stand when they host Jacksonville on Jan. 11and UCF on Jan. 13.

UCF

After starting strong, the Golden Knights (9-4, 2-3) have recently been victimized by several badly-timed, long scoring droughts in their games, which seem to occur right after the team builds up a lead.

UCF held off a late Fordham rally in the closing minutes to salvage a 65-61 victory at the UCF Holiday Classic on Dec. 29. The Golden Knights won despite going nearly six minutes without a basket early in the second half, allowing Fordham to catch up. Guard Gary Johnson led UCF with 14 points, and guard Justin Rose had 8 rebounds to go along with his 5 points.

Two separate unanswered scoring runs by Georgia State again victimized the Golden Knights, as UCF ultimately fell to the host Panthers 76-63 on Jan. 3. An 8-0 run preceded by a 10-0 run by Georgia State gave the Panthers a 43-30 lead at the half, and despite an 8-0 run by UCF at the start of the second half, the Golden Knights could not overtake their opponents. Forward Anthony Williams led the team with 21 points, and Johnson added 12 in a losing effort. Center William Bakanowsky nearly had a double-double, finishing with 9 points and 9 rebounds.

Two days later, UCF dropped an ugly contest with host Mercer 80-71. Except for a brief 47-46 lead with about 12 minutes remaining, the Golden Knights were playing from behind for most of the game. Forward Joshua Peppers scored a team-high 15 points, and Johnson added 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. Rose also chipped in 12 points.

In an up-and-down affair, UCF finally prevailed over Jacksonville 75-57 at home on Jan. 9. The team blew a 50-39 lead by allowing the Dolphins to tie the game at 52, before pulling away with a 19-3 run in the final minutes to secure the victory. Five players scored in double digits for UCF, with forward Marcus Avant leading the way with 14 points. Peppers and center Adam Gill each had 11, while Johnson and Bakanowsky both had 10.

UCF will host Stetson on Jan. 11 before traveling to take on Florida Atlantic on Jan. 13.

Stetson

No doubt a little bit homesick, the Hatters (4-8, 2-3) nonetheless scored an upset win over Georgia on Dec. 31, its first victory over an SEC team in more than 20 years, and its first win over Georgia since 1936. The victory came at the end of a brutal six-game road trip that saw the team get beaten by several major programs.

Stetson upset host Georgia 56-52, mainly because Georgia was just 2 for 17 on three-pointers. The team led 23-20 at halftime after scoring 6 points in 40 seconds to close out the half. Stetson’s starters accounted for all 56 of their points. Guard Anthony Register led all scorers with 22 points, and forward Karl Hollingsworth had 14 points and 6 rebounds.

Stetson then scored a come-from-behind win over the host Dolphins 68-63 on Jan. 3. Jacksonville led 38-34 at halftime, and led for most of the second half. However, a late rally put the Hatters ahead for good 63-61 with 1:35 to play. Guard Will Holloman, who sunk a pair of key free throws in the closing seconds to help secure the victory, had 14 points. Guard E.J. Gordon also scored 14, but he also added 16 rebounds. Register and Hollingsworth each had 12 points.

The Hatters were unable to overcome another deficit at home against Troy, falling 56-53 to the defending league champions on Jan. 7. Stetson clawed all the way back to 51-49 with 38 seconds left in the game, but could not force overtime. Hollingsworth led Stetson with 14, while forward Boris Djordjic netted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Register chipped in 13, and Gordon added 12.

Stetson then was outmatched in overtime at Florida Atlantic, falling 81-69 on Jan. 9. The Hatters were out-scored 14-2 in the extra period in a game dominated by sloppy play and lots of turnovers. Hollingsworth had 18 points, while Gordon added 17 points and 7 rebounds and Register had 14 points.

The Hatters will complete their trip through Florida when they take on UCF on Jan. 11, before heading to Tennessee to play Belmont on Jan. 15 and Lipscomb on Jan. 17.

Georgia State

The Panthers (5-9, 2-4) have been a Jeckle and Hyde team this season. The Panthers are undefeated at home, going 4-0 in Atlanta. However, the team is a pathetic 1-9 on the road, including a conference-worst 0-4 road A-Sun record. Georgia State clearly must become more consistent if they are to move up.

The Panthers were blown out by Bobby Knight’s Texas Tech squad 98-56 on Dec. 29. The Red Raiders doubled their 18-point lead to start the second half, putting the game far out of reach early on. Guard Malcom Manier led all scorers with 24 points, and forward Marcus Brown added 15 in the losing effort.

The Panthers easily disposed of UCF 76-63 at home on Jan. 3, using several unanswered scoring runs to overwhelm the Golden Knights. Georgia State never trailed after taking the lead midway in the first half. Forward Kevin Thomas led all scorers with 25 points. Brown added 14 points, and Manier chipped in 10.

The Panthers then defeated Florida Atlantic in thrilling fashion, winning on a buzzer-beater by guard Boyd Copeland. Georgia State used a 27-9 run to take a 40-37 lead before the exciting ending. The game-winning shot was Copeland’s only points of the game, although he did add 6 assists. Brown led all scorers with 26 points, while Thomas had 16 points and Manier netted 15. Center Sylvester Morgan scored 11 points to go along with his 5 blocks. He leads the league in blocks, averaging 2.6 per game.

The Panthers then spoiled their chance to secure their first road win of the season by allowing the Bisons to come from behind to win 59-57 in overtime on Jan. 8. Georgia State led the game by as many as 10 points in the second half before Lipscomb tied things up with 0.4 seconds left in the game. Brown missed two free throws with 1 second left in the extra period that would have sent the game to a second overtime. Brown led the Panthers with 18 points, and Copeland had 10. Morgan added a double-double, netting 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Georgia State then was victimized by poor shooting against Belmont on Jan. 10, falling on the road 59-46. The Panthers shot just 35 percent in the contest. Brown was the only Georgia State player in double digits, managing 12 points in the loss.

The Panthers will try to break their road curse when they take on Troy on Jan. 13, before beginning a four-game home stand with games against Campbell on Jan. 15 and Gardner-Webb on Jan. 17.

Jacksonville

Despite ending their non-conference schedule on a positive note with a win over Eckerd, the Owls (5-6, 1-3) dropped to second-to-last place in the A-Sun with three consecutive losses, and seem to be in a state of disarray.

Prior to their win over Eckerd, Jacksonville dismissed their starting center, Joey Robinson, from the team for violating team rules. He was averaging 5.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and was also eighth in the league in blocks with 1.8 per game.

On a bright note, forward Haminn Quaintance seems to have found his game again after struggling earlier this season, posting career highs in points and rebounds in a loss to the Trojans on Jan. 5. He currently leads the league in rebounding, averaging 9 rebounds per game.

The Owls used a 14-1 run to turn a one-point deficit into a 12-point lead over the Eckerd Tritons with 59 seconds to play, and held on for a 71-65 win at home on Dec. 29. Jacksonville held Eckerd to just 31 percent shooting on the night, while the Owls made over 48 percent of their shots. Guard Aubrey Conerly scored a career-high 16 to lead the Owls, and also added 5 assists on the night. Guard David Lee also netted 16 points for the team. Quaintance again had a solid game, narrowly missing out on another double-double with 11 points and 9 rebounds to go along with 5 blocks.

Jacksonville then dropped a close contest with Stetson 68-63 at home on Jan. 3. The Owls led for most of the game, including a 38-34 lead at the half. The Hatters tied the game at 61, then took the lead for good 63-61 with 1:35 remaining in the game. Jacksonville was just 4 for 23 from three point range for the game. Guard Antonio Cool led all scorers with 22 points, while Quaintance added another double-double, grabbing 16 rebounds to go along with 11 points. Lee chipped in 12 points as well.

Despite career highs in points and rebounds from Quaintance against Troy, the Owls fell then fell to the Trojans at home 87-76 on Jan. 5. Overall, Jacksonville played a sloppy game, committing 20 turnovers and missing half of their free throws. Quaintance posted 26 points and 21 rebounds in the losing effort, with Cool getting 14 points and guard Jesse Kimbrough adding 12.

Jacksonville then lost a 75-57 effort at UCF on Jan. 9 that saw the Dolphins held to just one field goal in the final seven minutes of the game. After coming from behind to tie an early deficit mid-way through the second half, the Dolphins allowed a 19-3 run by UCF put the game away. Quaintance had a double-double for the third straight game, getting 11 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Lee was the only other Jacksonville player in double digits with 11 as well.

The Dolphins will try to regroup when they take on intra-state rival Florida Atlantic on the road on Jan. 11 and host Lipscomb on Jan. 15 and Belmont on Jan. 17.

Campbell

The Camels (2-10, 0-5) are struggling to find wins this season, and currently find themselves in the A-Sun’s basement. However, there are signs that the team’s fortunes could be changing. In each of their five conference games this year, the margin of defeat has grown smaller and smaller each game, meaning Campbell might be close to picking up their first A-Sun win of the year.

Campbell’s 82-50 loss at Kentucky on Dec. 29 was a notable one, as Wildcats coach Tubby Smith earned his 200th victory at the school. The Camels were purely dominated in the game, scoring just 11 points in the first half. After Smith put in his bench players in the second half, however, Campbell actually started out-playing the Wildcats’ reserves, going on a 20-3 run to bring the score to 51-33 before Kentucky’s starters re-entered the game. Guard Anthony Atkinson led the Camels with 14 points, and added 4 assists. Forward Comerlee Poole added 9 points and 9 rebounds, while forward Dominique Klein grabbed 10 rebounds and scored six points.

The team then fell to Belmont 78-71 in a high-scoring overtime at home on Jan. 3. The two teams scored a combined 39 points in the extra session, compared to just 51 in the first half. Guard Ruell Pringle led Campbell with 16 points. Klein narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with 13 points and 9 rebounds. Forward Maurice Latham scored 14 points to go with his 6 rebounds.

Campbell then lost to Lipscomb 60-56 at home on Jan. 5 in a rather sloppy game that saw neither team make 40 percent of their shots and 25 percent of their three-pointers, and featured a combined 34 turnovers. Pringle and forward Diego Aguiar each had 15 points, with Aguiar finishing with 6 rebounds to Pringle’s 5. Klein again reached double-digits in rebounds with 10.

In their closest A-Sun contest yet, the Camels fell to league-leading Gardner-Webb 69-66 on Jan. 7. Despite the loss, the Camels held the Bulldogs to under 40 percent shooting from the floor, marking the third game in a row that Campbell has done that to an opponent. Pringle led Campbell with 20 points and 5 assists. Klein also scored 12 points and had 6 rebounds, and Poole added 12 points and 9 boards.

The Camels are moving in the right direction. They’re getting contributions from a number of players of offense, and are starting to come together defensively as a team. They may not be as far out in the playoff picture as their record might suggest.

The team will head to Georgia to play Mercer on Jan. 13 and Georgia State on Jan. 15 to see if they can put everything together for their first A-Sun win of the year.

Atlantic Sun Notebook

Atlantic Sun Conference Notebook

by Darren Lowry

Conference turns upside down

The Atlantic Sun Conference has been turned on its head in the early going, with the cellar-dwelling teams of last year leading the conference and the conference heavyweights from last year stuck at the bottom of the standings.

In an odd quirk, home court has actually been a disadvantage for in-conference play, as no team has better than a .500 record at home against A-Sun opponents this year. In fact, the top four teams in the division haven’t hosted any A-Sun games this season, with all six of their combined wins coming on the road.

Mercer and Gardner-Webb sit atop the division right now, sharing a 2-0 in-conference record, while Lipscomb and Belmont are each 1-0 in A-Sun play.

Meanwhile, former conference powerhouses Florida Atlantic, Georgia State, and Troy State (which is phasing out the “State” following this season) all sit at the bottom of the division, with the defending regular season champion Troy in last place.

Despite suffering an upset loss to Gardner-Webb earlier this season to knock them out of first place, UCF still is one of the strongest teams in the early going, as they sport a 7-2 overall record.

Mercer has also been very consistent this year. It will be tough to knock the Bears out of first place.

Notable performers include Mercer guard Damitrius Coleman, who leads the NCAA in assists per game with 8.9, and Lipscomb forwards Shaun Durant and Cameron Robinson, who are both shooting at or over 70 percent from the floor for the year. Freshman Belmont forward Justin Hare has also been named A-Sun player of the week twice this season, earning it on Dec. 13 and on Dec. 27.

Mercer

The Bears (2-0 A-Sun, 5-2 overall) unexpectedly sit atop the A-Sun, as their road wins against Stetson and Jacksonville have been good enough to place them atop the rest of the conference. The team has gotten valuable contributions from a number of players this year on their way to the top.

Guard Damitrius Coleman leads the NCAA in assists at 8.9 per game, while forward Will Emerson and guard Jacob Skogen are tied for second place in the A-Sun with 17.6 points per game. Coleman also leads the league in steals per game, with Skogen right behind him in third place. In addition, Mercer has two of the top rebounders in forwards Wesley Duke and Emerson, who rank fourth and seventh in the conference, respectively. Emerson was named the A-Sun player of the week on Dec. 6.

Mercer disposed of local rival Georgia Southern 103-94 on Nov. 29, then leaped into first place in the A-Sun with road wins over Stetson 89-76 on Dec. 2 and Jacksonville 71-67 on Dec. 4. Three days later, the Bears returned home to defeat Fort Valley State 89-68 before traveling to Ohio to take on the Buckeyes, falling 102-77.

Mercer doesn’t need to change anything to stay successful. They simply need to keep doing what they’ve been doing: spread the ball around on offense and play solid team basketball. They are going to be a very tough team the rest of the year if they continue playing the way they are now.

The Bears will travel to Savannah State on Dec. 30 before returning
home to begin A-Sun play, starting with FAU on Jan. 3 and UCF on
Jan. 5.

Gardner-Webb

The Bulldogs (2-0 A-Sun, 5-4 overall) started A-Sun play with a huge road upset win over the defending A-Sun champion UCF Knights, and followed that with another win against division foe Florida Atlantic, which was good enough to catapult them into second place in the conference. However, they were unable to pull off what would have been more stunning upsets against Georgia, UNLV, or Colorado.

They scored their first A-Sun victory over UCF 67-55 on Dec. 2, before picking up their second A-Sun win with a win over Florida Atlantic on the road 76-69 on Dec. 4. However, the Bulldogs could not pull off the road upset trifecta, and fell to Georgia 67-62 on Dec. 8. Gardner-Webb returned home briefly on Dec. 11 to dispose of Kenyon 92-61, before losing on the road to UNLV 80-65 on Dec. 21. The team also fell to Colorado on the road, losing 97-88.

Forward Brian Bender has continued to be one of the best players in the league. He’s second in the conference in scoring with over 17 points, and is also averaging 7 rebounds a game, which puts him among the league leaders in that category.

However, a huge part of Gardner-Webb’s success has been the team’s depth at guard this season. For example, Tim Jennings leads the conference in steals per game, with 3, and is also averaging nearly 13 points a game. T.J. McCullough ranks fourth in the league in assists, averaging nearly 4 a game. Chris Gash has also been a key contributor for the Bulldogs this season.

Gardner-Webb will begin their defense of their second-place spot at home, starting with Lipscomb on Jan. 3, Belmont on Jan. 5, and Campbell on Jan. 7.

Lipscomb

The Bison (1-0 A-Sun, 6-2 overall) have continued their very strong play this year, and sit a surprising third in the division. While their most recent loss at Arkansas may have provided some harsh reality for the young squad, they have been nothing less than impressive so far in the season.

There was really no question that Lipscomb had improved in the off-season. It was expected that the Bison’s guards, the lone bright spot of the team last season, would improve this season.

Indeed young guards Brian Fisk and James Poindexter have been twin terrors for opposing teams so far, as they have combined to average more than 28 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals per game.

The bigger question was whether Lipscomb’s forwards would be good enough to advance the Bison into the playoffs. Eight games into the season, it seems the answer is a resounding yes.

Not only has Lipscomb gotten strong contributions from their post players this year, one of them even leads the league in rebounding. Forward Cameron Robinson, whose 9.6 rebounds per game is best in the A-Sun, is also averaging 11.1 points a game with a 69.8 shooting percentage. As high as that is, it’s not good enough for the best in the league. That honor goes to teammate Shaun Durant, who is shooting 72.5 percent on the year.

The key in their success may be moderation. Neither player averages more than 7 shots a game.

An upset 77-68 road win over the defending A-Sun champion Troy Trojans on Dec. 4 vaulted the Bison into third place in the A-Sun. The team helped to solidify their place with a 71-56 win at Savannah State on Dec. 6 to complete a home-and-away series sweep. Lipscomb also defeated Nicholls State 83-74 on Dec. 11 and Rust College 103-82 on Dec. 18 to stretch their winning streak to six games. The streak was finally snapped with a road 83-54 loss against Arkansas on Dec. 20.

The team will look to continue their winning ways into 2005 when they travel to face A-Sun foes Gardner-Webb on Jan. 3 and Campbell on Jan. 5.

Belmont

The Bruins (1-0 A-Sun, 2-6 overall) are living and dying by the three point shot this year, having attempted 226 shots from beyond the arc in just eight games this season. They lead the nation in shots made per game, averaging around 10.8 per contest. In one game against Troy alone, Belmont attempted an astounding 43 three point shots.

Guard Nick Otis leads the team in scoring, averaging 10.4 points per game despite not starting any of the team’s first eight games. Guard Brian Collins leads the team in many offensive categories, including rebounds, assists, and steals. Guard Jese Snyder is averaging 13.5 points over his last four games. Center Andrew Preston leads the league in blocks, averaging 2.4 per contest.

Freshman guard Justin Hare earned A-Sun player of the Week honors for the second time this season, on the strength of a strong performance against Tennessee on Dec. 20. Hare scored 20 points in just 21 minutes of play. He also leads A-Sun freshmen in most offensive categories this year, and is looking like a strong early favorite for Freshman of the Year.

Belmont suffered a dismal 66-47 road loss to local rival Middle Tennessee State on Nov. 29, making just 2 of 17 three pointers in the contest. Belmont bounced back in their next game, however, burying Troy with 19 three pointers on the road 86-73 on Dec. 2. Belmont used a 52-point second half to defeat Navy 91-66 at home on Dec. 6. The Bruins then started a tough stretch of non-conference games, and were unable to score an win in any of them. The team fell to UAB on the road 107-76 on Dec. 15, returned home but lost to Chattanooga 75-67 on Dec. 18, and lost at Tennessee 77-68 on Dec. 20.

Needless to say, Belmont’s success can be tied closely to their proficiency from long range this season. When the team is hot from three point land on a particular night, they can beat almost anyone (see last year’s mega-upset at Missouri as proof). But when the team is collectively cold, they struggle mightily.

The Bruins will have one more non-conference game remaining before A-Sun play resumes, but it’s a doozy. They will travel to Alabama to face Auburn on Dec. 30, before continuing on the road at Campbell on Jan. 3 and Gardner-Webb on Jan. 5.

UCF

Despite an early upset home loss against A-Sun foe Gardner-Webb, the defending A-Sun champion Knights (1-1 A-Sun, 7-2 overall) still look like a strong favorite early on to finish atop the A-Sun this season.

The Knights started their A-Sun schedule with a disappointing 67-55 loss at home against Gardner-Webb on Dec. 2. The team then rebounded to defeat Missouri-Kansas City at home 62-56 on Dec. 4. Not wanting to be upset at home by another A-Sun opponent, the Knights took care of Campbell 90-73 on Dec. 16.

The team then completed their home and away sweep at Missouri-Kansas City on Dec. 18 in dramatic fashion, winning 57-56 on a last second follow-up shot by guard Gary Johnson. UCF were then themselves the victims of a last-second loss, falling to Brown 83-82 in overtime on Dec. 28 on a pair of last-second free throws.

Johnson has been the team’s best player so far this season, averaging 13.8 points a game, good enough for ninth-best in the conference. Teammate Joshua Peppers is tenth at 13.6 points a game. Johnson also ranks third in assists per game and sixth in steals per game.

Forward Anthony Williams is also among the league leaders in field goal percentage, averaging 65.6 percent from the floor to go along with his 11 points a game.

The Knights have one more non-conference opponent remaining against Fordham on Dec. 29, before they kick off a long stretch of A-Sun contests with a trip up to Georgia to face Georgia State on Jan. 3 and Mercer on Jan. 5.

Jacksonville

The Dolphins (1-1 A-Sun, 4-4 overall) have had a very up and down start to the season. They began the season by winning three of their first four games, but have followed that with dropping three of the last four games.

The team’s losses to non-conference opponents recently have been ugly blowouts. However, on the positive side, Jacksonville’s games with A-Sun opponents this year have been close. In fact, both of them were decided by a combined seven points.

The Dolphins took Georgia State all the way to overtime before finishing on top 78-75 at home on Dec. 2. Two nights later, host Jacksonville fell to Mercer 71-67. The Dolphins then blew out Savannah State 84-62 at home on Dec. 11. The team then suffered consecutive blowouts on the road, losing first to Tennessee Tech 92-74 on Dec. 19, then to Florida State 101-57 on Dec. 21.

One trend that seems to be emerging in the team’s losses is that in the middle of a close game, they suddenly allow opponents to go on momentum-killing runs that effectively kill any chance of a Jacksonville win.

For example, the Dolphins were leading Mercer 45-38 when they allowed the Bears to go on a 13-2 run. Despite a last-minute rally, Jacksonville never regained the lead. Likewise, the team was down 19-16 to Tennessee Tech when the opposing team went on an 11-0 run, and stretched their lead to 22 points by halftime.

Not to be outdone, the Seminoles had a 29-27 lead over the Dolphins before an 18-2 run to close the first half gave them a 17 point lead at halftime, before opening up the second half with 12 more unanswered points. Florida State led by as much as 47 in that contest.

Forward Antonio Cool leads the team in scoring with 14.4 points a game, good enough for seventh-best in the league and guard Jesse Kimbrough is sixth in the league in assists at 3.4 per game.

There is no question that forward Haminn Quaintance is talented. However, he hasn’t been steadily progressing this season the way Jacksonville fans had hoped. Overall, his stats have slipped a bit this year, as both his scoring and rebound averages are down from last season. The Dolphins need Quaintance to (at least) bounce back to his production averages of last year, if not improve on them, if Jacksonville wants to stabilize.

The team will look to right their ship at home when they host a three game series starting with Eckerd Dec. 29 before starting their A-Sun schedule again against Stetson on Jan. 3 and Troy on Jan. 5.

Stetson

Although the Hatters (1-1 A-Sun, 2-6 overall) record shows that they have lost four in a row, they have done so while facing Florida, Miami (FL), Florida State, and Colorado State, all on the road. Thus, it has not been as rough as start to the season as the record might suggest.

Of course, due to the difficult competition, the Hatters’ stats have struggled a bit this season. However, the team still has four players who are averaging ten or more points per game, led by guard Anthony Register with 13.4 points a game, and Boris Djordjic, with 12.9 points per contest.

As a team, however, the Hatters have been doing very well from the free throw line this season, collectively ranking third in the NCAA by averaging a hair under 80 percent per game from the charity stripe.

Stetson opened their A-Sun schedule with a home 89-76 loss against Mercer on Dec. 2 before they came back and beat Georgia State 79-70 at home on Dec. 4. Then, they began their road whipping schedule, first getting blown out against Florida 93-57 on Dec. 8, then to Miami (FL) 81-50 on Dec. 18, playing Florida State well before eventually falling 71-61 on Dec. 23, and then traveling west to be trounced by Colorado State 93-57 on Dec. 28.

It will be interesting to see how the Hatters respond to the rough schedule when their A-Sun schedule starts back up. Certainly, the players can’t be enjoying their current losing streak, but the tough competition may give Stetson an edge over other division teams in the coming months.

The Hatters have one more difficult road match-up remaining before mercifully beginning A-Sun play again. The team will travel to Georgia to face the Bulldogs on Dec. 31, before going to Florida to play Jacksonville on Jan. 3. Stetson will finally return home on Jan. 5 when they take on Troy.

Florida Atlantic

At first glance, it may seem like the Owls (1-1 A-Sun, 1-7 overall) deserve to be in last place. After all, a 1-7 record wouldn’t convince anyone that they’re a good team. However, the season may not go as badly as the record would indicate.

Much like A-Sun foes Stetson and Campbell, the Owls have scheduled non-conference games that weren’t designed to puff up the team’s overall record. Instead, they were designed to toughen the team and build character for the long playoff run. Thus, FAU may or may not fare better against teams more on their own “level” after these games.

The Owls were defeated on the road by Miami (FL) 84-68 on Nov. 29, then opened their A-Sun schedule with a home loss against Gardner-Webb 76-69 on Dec. 4, before bouncing back to blow out Campbell 82-59 on Dec. 14. The Owls then lost both rounds of the Dodge Holiday Classic, struggling against at Nevada, falling 60-46 on Dec. 17, before losing a close home match-up with Idaho State 71-67 the next night. The team then lost on the road to UNLV 83-66 on Dec. 22.

Pre-season All-Conference forward Mike Bell has rebounded from a slow start to lead his team in scoring, rebounds, and blocks. He currently ranks fourth in the league with his 16.4 points per game, and is third in the league in rebounds and blocks, with 7.8 and 2, respectively.

Teammate and guard Kahleaf Watson is also among the league leaders in a few categories, placing fourth in the league in assists at 4.2 per game and fifth in steals with 2.1 per game.

The Owls will look to snap their three-game losing streak when they take on Colgate at home on Dec. 30. They will then begin A-Sun play in January, traveling first to Mercer on Jan. 3, then to Georgia State on Jan. 5.

Georgia State

Since opening their season with an upset win over Southern Miss, the Panthers (0-2 A-Sun, 3-6 overall) have been a bit of a disappointment, losing six of their last eight games. The Panthers have a nasty habit of allowing huge point swings in their games, giving opposing teams a chance to put a game out of reach early on.

Georgia State defeated LA Lafayette 85-78 at home on Nov. 29, then began their A-Sun schedule with a nail-biting, 78-75 overtime loss at Jacksonville on Dec. 2 followed by a 79-70 loss at Stetson on Dec. 4. After dispatching Delta State 88-68 at home on Dec. 7, the team has fallen on hard times on the road, losing at Charlotte 80-65 on Dec. 11, and completed their home-and-away series by losing at LA Lafayette 67-50 on Dec. 20.

Forward Marcus Brown is fifth in the league in scoring with 16.3 points per game. He has done particularly well from long range this season, hitting nearly 60 percent of his three point tries, and is also the team’s leading rebounder, averaging 5.2 boards per contest.

Center Sylvester Morgan is second in the league in blocks this season, swatting away 2.2 shots per game.

Despite the disappointing start, Georgia State has the talent to be a strong competitor this season. If they find their rhythm, they could easily rattle off four or five wins in a row, and put themselves right back into the A-Sun hunt.

The Panthers will travel to face Bobby Knight and the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Dec. 29 before returning home to kick off their A-Sun schedule. They will first welcome UCF into town on Jan. 3 before hosting FAU on Jan. 5.

Campbell

The Camels (0-2 A-Sun, 2-6 overall) have had a tough time securing wins this season. However, the blame for that can be attributed more to the schedule than the players. Campbell has by far the most difficult non-conference schedule in the A-Sun, which is saying something this year. They have already faced one high-ranking team this year in N.C. State, and are about to play against another in Kentucky, which wraps up a conference-high seven game road trip.

Much like Stetson and FAU, Campbell’s team stats are perhaps a bit skewed due to the level of competition they’ve faced recently. The only exception to that has been forward Comerlee Poole, who is second in the league in rebounds with 7.9 per game.

The team’s leading scorer is currently forward Maurice Latham, who is averaging 10.4 points per game. He also leads the team in steals. Anthony Atkinson is second in scoring with 10.2 points a game, and leads the team in assists.

Campbell scored an upset win over N.C. A&T 68-67 on Dec. 11, after a last second lay-up put the Camels up by one for good, snapping a 35 road losing streak for Campbell. The team then headed south to Florida, losing to FAU 82-59 on Dec. 14 and to UCF 90-73 on Dec. 16. The Camels were then destroyed by Tennessee 90-49 on Dec. 23.

Again, while Campbell’s schedule roughly mirrors that of Stetson’s or FAU’s in the sense that it includes a number of extremely difficult road games against major programs, Campbell is one of the youngest teams in the league, and thus might have trouble absorbing their beatings.

The Camels will end their road trip in Kentucky, taking on the powerhouse Wildcats on Dec. 29. Campbell will finally return home to kick off A-Sun play, hosting Belmont on Jan. 3 and Lipscomb on Jan. 5. The team will then leave on the road again to play Gardner-Webb on Jan. 7.

Troy

The defending regular season champion Trojans (0-2 A-Sun, 2-8 overall) have gotten off to an abysmal start to their season, as they dropped five games in a row at one point, before rebounding with a recent win at Pepperdine.

Troy began their defense of their title by dropping consecutive home games to A-Sun opponents, losing first to Belmont 86-73 on Dec. 2, then to Lipscomb 86-77 on Dec. 4. The team then went on a tough road swing against three major programs, but failed to be competitive in any of them, getting blown out at SMS 110-63 on Dec. 11, losing at Mississippi 81-49 on Dec. 15, and losing at Alabama State 61-48 on Dec. 21. Troy did score an uplifting upset road victory over Pepperdine 72-69 in the first round of the Lobo Invitational on Dec. 28.

Troy has blown several leads in those games, and has allowed opposing teams to go on a number of unanswered offensive runs that have proven costly.

Forward Eddie Baker has been the best player for the team, averaging 12.8 points a game. Baker is also fifth in the league in blocks per game, with 1.6. Guard Bobby Dixon has also done well for the Trojans this year, averaging 12.6 points and three assists per game.

The Trojans will finish up the Lobo Invitational at New Mexico on Dec. 29, then will begin the bulk of their A-Sun play at Jacksonville on Jan. 5 and at Stetson on Jan. 7.

Atlantic Sun Notebook

Atlantic Sun Conference Notebook

by Darren Lowry

UCF dominates early

The Atlantic Sun Conference got some national exposure in the early part of the 2004-2005 season with a number of their teams playing in national tournaments and against some big-name teams, but for the most part, they have been less than impressive against the major programs they’ve faced.

The major exception has been UCF, which scored road upset wins against Utah State and New Mexico State to take the BP Top of the World Classic. The Knights look serious about defending their A-Sun title in the early going.

Overall, The A-Sun has gone a combined 0-4 against ranked squads early on this season, with no club coming closer than 18 points of an upset win in the four games.

Conference play will officially kick off with four games on Dec. 2, with four more scheduled two days after that.

UCF

The defending A-Sun champion Knights (4-0 overall) looked incredibly strong in the early going, sweeping all four of their games, including two big road upsets against Utah State and New Mexico State on back-to-back nights.

UCF began by defeating host Alaska-Fairbanks 74-63 on Nov. 18, and proceeded to shock Utah State 55-52 on Nov. 20 and New Mexico State 62-58 the next night to win the BP Top of the World Classic. The team then destroyed Puerto Rico-Mayaquez 97-52 on Nov. 24.

Guard Gary Johnson was named the MVP of the tournament and joined teammate Anthony Williams on the All-Tournament team.

UCF will begin the defense of their title on Dec. 2 when they host Gardner-Webb before they entertain UMKC on Dec. 4.

Gardner-Webb

The Bulldogs (2-1 overall) began their season with a home win over North Greenville 85-61 on Nov. 20 before scoring a convincing 90-60 victory at home against East Carolina on Nov. 23, and falling at Arkansas 79-63 on Nov. 27.

Despite improving since last year, Gardner-Webb was not expected to blow out East Carolina by 30 points. However, strong defense combined with timely shooting made for a major win. The Arkansas game was much closer than it looked, as the Bulldogs only trailed the Razorbacks by three at the half. However, Arkansas pulled away in the second half, outscoring Gardner-Webb by 13 to put the game out of reach.

Forward Brian Bender has been the best player for the team so far, averaging 17 points and five rebounds per game for the team.

Gardner-Webb has also relied on solid contributions from guard Tim Jennings and forward Michael Jones thus far this season.

If the Bulldogs continue to play solid like they did in their first three games, the team could quite possibly surprise a few people this season.

Gardner-Webb will begin A-Sun play on Dec. 2 at UCF before traveling to face Florida Atlantic on Dec. 4.

Jacksonville

The Dolphins (2-1 overall) opened the season by falling to local ranked rival Florida 81-59 in Gainesville on Nov. 19, then eked out a surprisingly close win in the home opener against North Florida 78-73 on Nov. 23, and another close win at Savannah State 73-67 on Nov. 27.

However, injuries have already hit the Dolphins hard, as preseason All-Conference forward Haminn Quaintance missed the Savannah State game with an injury, and back-up forward Bryan Hipsher was lost for the year to a knee injury of his own. It is unknown how many games Quaintance will miss.

Those injuries forced other players on the team to play a more central role in the team’s offense recently. JuCo transfer starters Antonio Cool and B.J. Surry have combined to average nearly 30 points a game this season In fact, the team as a whole is shooting remarkably well, with the team’s top five scorers all shooting at least 50 percent from the floor this season.

While Jacksonville is clearly a very improved team this year, the Dolphins cannot afford to lose Quaintance for an extended stretch. Their success is largely going to be determined by his performance.

The Dolphins’ next four games are at home, including contests against Eckerd on Nov. 29, and A-Sun match-ups with Georgia State on Dec. 2 and Mercer on Dec. 4.

Lipscomb

The Bison (2-1 overall) are certainly one of the pleasant surprises of the A-Sun this season. In their season opener on Nov. 21, the team put a legitimate scare into host Minnesota, leading the game in the first half by as much as seven points before ultimately falling 83-66. The Bison then ran all over Savannah State 83-64 on Nov. 23 and Fisk University 86-62 on Nov. 27.

The team relied on the strong play of their two young guards, James Poindexter and Brian Fisk, to carry the offense. The two are averaging more than 27 points a game between them.

The bigger news may be the emergence of forward Cameron Robinson. With Lipscomb’s depth dangerously weak in the post, the Bison needed somebody to step up there, and Robinson has, averaging more than 13 points and almost 11 rebounds a game. Lipscomb’s future this season may look a whole lot brighter if he is able to continue that kind of play against other teams.

While the team has looked good so far, it’s difficult to say how Lipscomb will do against teams that are more on their level.

Lipscomb will begin A-Sun play on Dec. 4 at Troy State, then will travel to play Savannah State again on Dec. 6 before hosting Nicholls State on Dec. 11.

Mercer

After witnessing the performance in the first two games, the Bears (1-1 overall) may have thought forward Will Emerson had switched bodies with his recently-graduated All-Conference brother Scott. Emerson leads the league in scoring, averaging 18 points per game, and is also among the league leaders in field goal percentage at around 63 percent.

Mercer relied on his strong play to rally from an eight point halftime deficit to overcome Albany State (GA) 74-60 in the team’s season and home opener on Nov. 20, before falling to the powerful ranked Maryland squad 93-67 in College Park on Nov. 23.

However, the Bears didn’t look strong defensively as a team against Albany, allowing them to shoot 64 percent in the first half and 50 percent for the game.

The Maryland game was an entertaining, fast-paced affair that saw both teams rack up numerous turnovers, steals, and rebounds. In the end, though, the Terrapins were just too strong for Mercer.

The Bears will welcome local rival Georgia Southern in town on Nov. 29 before kicking off their A-Sun schedule on Dec. 2 at Stetson and Dec. 4 at Jacksonville.

Stetson

The Hatters’ (1-1 overall) strengths and weaknesses from last season showed themselves early on in their first two games, including a 63-51 win in their home opener against Flagler on Nov. 19, and a 93-65 blowout loss at South Florida on Nov. 26.

The team’s defense was overwhelmed at times, particularly in the game against South Florida, when Stetson let the game escape early with a 23-2 run by their opponents. South Florida used quick and smart passing to pave the way for their perimeter shots, making 12 of 23 three pointers and, racking up 26 assists to the Hatters‘ 9.

The team’s two marquee players, E.J. Gordon and Anthony Register, showed flashes of brilliance, scoring a combined 58 points in the two games.

However, the Hatters also continued their poor three-point shooting from a year ago, as they were just 8 for 35 from long range in the two games. Gordon has yet to make a three-pointer this season in eight attempts.

The Hatters showed they have plenty of talent, but have a long way to go this season.

Stetson will open A-Sun play on Dec. 2, hosting Mercer, then will welcome Georgia State to Florida on Dec. 4.

Campbell

The Camels (1-2 overall) began their difficult non-conference schedule in an up-and-down fashion this season. The team lost their season opener at Furman 64-52 on Nov. 19, won their home opener against William & Mary 75-62 on Nov. 23, and got pounded by ranked powerhouse NC State 99-44 on Nov. 26.

Sophomore forward Diego Aguiar is leading the team in scoring at 13 points a game, and is one of the early league leaders in field goal percentage, averaging over 64 percent from the floor. However, he is also averaging over four fouls a game. He must become more disciplined in this regard if Campbell wants to succeed this season.

So far, the year has been all-or-nothing for the Camels, as the team led only briefly in the game against Furman before quickly relinquishing it, never trailed against William & Mary, and never led against N.C. State. The team may need to score a come-from-behind win early on in the season, or else they may struggle when playing from behind later in the year.

The Camels only have one game this week, at N.C. Wilmington on Nov. 30. Campbell will get used to playing away from Buies Creek, as their next six games are all on the road. In fact, the team doesn’t play another home game until Jan. 3 against Belmont.

Georgia State

The Panthers (1-2 overall) have had perhaps the most confusing, if not intriguing month of any team in the A-Sun.

“Can’t miss blue chip prospect” guard Travis DeGroot has apparently performed a disappearing act that would put David Copperfield to shame. Expected to anchor Georgia State’s offense in their hunt for an A-Sun title, DeGroot has all but vanished from the Panthers’ program. Nearly all traces of DeGroot in relation to the team have been completely wiped out.

The Panthers faced a difficult stretch of early non-conference games, squeaking out a close road win at Southern Mississippi 70-68 to start the season before falling in consecutive games to Nevada and highly-ranked Kentucky 76-55 and 77-59, respectively.

Forward Marcus Brown has been the Panthers’ best player early on, leading the team in scoring and shooting percentage by averaging 13 points a game and 50 percent from the floor. The bigger surprise, however, has been forward Tikoyo Barnett, who is right behind Brown in scoring despite not starting any of the team’s first three games.

The school announced it is speeding up its impending transfer to the Colonial Athletic Association by one year. The move, which was expected to occur in July of 2006, will now occur in July 2005 instead.

The Panthers will host LA Lafayette in their home opener on Nov. 29, before beginning their A-Sun schedule on the road against Jacksonville on Dec. 2 and Stetson on Dec. 4.

Troy State

The Trojans (1-3 overall) began their season by dropping all three games of a back-to-back-to-back road series on Nov. 20-22 before coming back to blow out Piedmont 111-64 in their fourth game of the season on Nov. 27.

The team fell to Winthrop on the road 89-80 to begin the season, traveled to Arkansas to get pummeled 89-54, then had their home opener spoiled by Saint Louis 63-55.

Troy lived and died by the three-point shot in their early games, putting up a mind-boggling 152 shots combined from beyond the arc in the four contests, including 46 in one game along against Winthrop.

The Trojans will kick off A-Sun action at home on Dec. 2 against Belmont, and will host Lipscomb on Dec. 4 before they start a four game road swing beginning with a Dec. 11 contest at SMS.

Belmont

The Bruins (0-2 overall) kicked off A-Sun play this season in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic on Nov. 11-12. Unfortunately for Belmont, the team sputtered against both St. Mary’s and UC-Riverside, falling 67-58 and 74-65.

The Bruins clearly were still trying to adjust to the loss of All-Conference forward Adam Mark, as the team was often overwhelmed in the paint, and thus could not get much going in the perimeter in the two games.

However, there were a few bright spots for Belmont. Sophomore guard Brian Collins proved to be more than capable of running the offense, averaging 17 points a game in the early going for Belmont. Center Andrew Preston looked overwhelmed at times, but should become a stronger post player as the season progresses.

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise came in the form of freshman guard Justin Hare, who is leading A-Sun freshmen in nearly every offensive category right now, and is currently leading Belmont in rebounding and steals.

The Bruins’ next game will be against local rivals Middle Tenn. St. on Nov. 29, before kicking off A-Sun play on Dec. 2 at Troy State.

Florida Atlantic

The Owls (0-2 overall) bungled away their season opener against Florida International on Nov. 19 65-62 before getting blown out by the Florida Gators 90-45 four nights later.

Florida Atlantic’s abysmal free throw shooting cost them the first game, as the team was just 6-16 from the line. By contrast, their opponents were 25-31 from the charity stripe in the same game.

Although the team was clearly overmatched in every aspect against the Gators, they shot less than 29 percent from the floor in the game.

Mike Bell, who was a preseason All-Conference pick, has gotten off to a terrible start. He went a combined 5-24 from the floor combined in the two games.

Florida Atlantic will try to rebound this week against in-state rival Miami (FL) on Nov. 29, before kicking off A-Sun play on Dec. 4 at home against Gardner-Webb

Atlantic Sun Conference Preview

Atlantic Sun Conference 2004-05 Preview

by Darren Lowry

The Atlantic Sun conference is as unpredictable as any other conference this season due to the major roster turnover that occurred conference-wide in the off-season. Several schools will be benefiting from an influx of new talent, whether it be now-eligible transfers or incoming freshmen. However, many of those same schools are also having to cope with the losses of multiple starters.

But perhaps the bigger news of 2004-2005 in the conference is that this year will be the last hurrah in the A-Sun for two schools: Central Florida and Troy State. That’s because both will be moving to different conferences beginning next season. In addition, Georgia State recently announced that they will be leaving the conference in 2006. Florida Atlantic has also committed to switching conferences, with its football team moving in 2005, and all of its other athletic programs, including basketball, moving at an undetermined later date.

While the seemingly sudden departure of four schools sounds foreboding for the conference’s future, it is important to keep in mind that of all of the schools leaving, Georgia State is the only one that does not also currently have a football program. In fact, only two of the remaining eight schools have both a football and a basketball program. Thus, the decision to leave the conferences is most likely a football-related decision. Also, East Tennessee State recently accepted an invitation to join the A-Sun next season, helping to soften the blow. A-Sun officials said that the team would be immediately eligible for the A-Sun championship, as well as the automatic NCAA bid.

However, none of the schools will be thinking about the impending move this season, as the A-Sun will be as wide open as ever. Notably, the defending conference champion Golden Knights will have to replace three of their starters while the Trojans, who earned a post-season NIT berth after winning the regular season championship, will have to replace all five starters from a year ago.

This season may more most come down to the coaching, as many teams will have to rapidly implement their system and quickly develop team chemistry in order to win. With that in mind, here are the pre-season picks for several prestigious awards:

Pre-season All-Conference Team:
Mike Bell F – Florida Atlantic
Travis DeGroot G – Georgia State
Haminn Quaintance F – Jacksonville
E.J. Gordon G – Stetson
Wesley Duke F – Mercer

Pre-season Conference MVP

Mike Bell F – Florida Atlantic

Newcomer of the Year

Travis DeGroot G – Georgia State

Defensive Player of the Year

Haminn Quaintance F – Jacksonville

Most Overlooked Player

Anthony Register G – Stetson

Most High-Impact Freshman

Brian Pfohl F – Mercer

Coach of the Year

Rick Byrd – Belmont

Coach Potentially on the Hot Seat

Sidney Green – Florida Atlantic

Team Capsules: (In order of projected finish)

Georgia State Panthers

(4th overall last season, 20-9 overall, 14-6 in-conference)

Projected Starting Five:
G Herman Favors
G Travis DeGroot
F Kevin Thomas
F Marcus Brown
C Deven Dickerson

Scheduling notables: Very tough non-conference away games at Kentucky and Texas Tech will serve as a litmus test for how Georgia State may do if they indeed make the NCAA tournament this season.

Even after losing three starters from last season, including All-Conference center Nate Williams, guard Lamont McIntosh, and forward Trello Galloway, Georgia State may have the most solid and deep team in the league, making them the favorites. Much of their strength will come from a strong recruiting class made up mostly of JuCo players, including DeGroot, who could easily challenge for conference MVP this year.

The team will return Favors and Thomas as starters from last year’s squad. Thomas averaged just at ten points a game last season.

Other potential impact players include shooting guard Malcom Manier, forward Justin Billingslea, and forward Clark Williams.

Perhaps the team’s only weakness lies in its lack of experience at center. Sylvester Morgan averaged just eight minutes a game last season, and newcomer Dickerson is talented, but unproven. The team may have to rely on the 6-8 Billingslea or even the 6-7 Brown for better depth.

The Panthers’ success will depend on how the team balances its talent with trying to form good chemistry early on in the season.

Projected finish: 1st overall regular season, A-Sun Conference Champs, lose in first round of NCAA tournament

Stetson Hatters

(5th overall last season, 12-15 overall, 10-10 in-conference)

Projected Starting Five:
G E.J. Gordon
G Anthony Register
F Boris Djordjic
F Karl Hollingsworth
C Mark Stiles

Scheduling notables: The team will play five non-conference road games in December, including games against Georgia, Florida, and Florida State, which will be a big early season test for the Hatters.

Stetson is one of the few teams returning most of their starters from last season, with just forward Kevin Craig having departed in the off-season. The returning starters will be led by the stellar backcourt of Gordon and Register, while big men Djordjic and Stiles have come back to man the posts. Newcomer Hollingsworth will look to make the most of his starting time after being a reserve at Tulane University last season.

The Hatters’ biggest change for this season may be their overall size. Incoming transfer forward Ben Bridges is 6-7, and forwards J.J. Hirst and David Kilgore are both 6-8, while center Chief Kickingstallionsims is a whopping 7-1. Look for the Hatters to use their superior height to dominate opponents in the post game this season, freeing up Gordon and Register to play make from the perimeter.

However, the team will have to improve its awful team shooting, ranking last in three point percentage, and next to last in field goal percentage. The better post presence should improve the quality of the shots that the team will take on average, but they still have to make them.

Most importantly, in order to be successful this season, Stetson must improve its overall defense. The Hatters gave up nearly five more points per game than they scored last season, a statistic they clearly have to improve on this year. However, their overwhelming size will give Stetson a clear advantage over many teams in the conference this season.

Projected finish: 2nd in regular season standings, eliminated in 2nd round of playoffs

University of Central Florida Golden Knights

(2nd overall last season, 25-6 overall, 17-3 in-conference)

Projected Starting Five:
G Kingsley Edwards
G Gary Johnson
F Marcus Avant
F Josh Peppers
C William Bakanowsky

Scheduling notables: The Golden Knights will participate in two non-conference tournaments this season, the BP Top of the World Classic held on Nov. 18-21, which is hosted by Alaska-Fairbanks, and the UCF Holiday Invitational, which is hosted by UCF on Dec. 28 and 29.

Also, UCF upset regular season champ Troy State twice last season, once in the regular season on the road, and the second time in the final round of the A-Sun tournament. UCF will no doubt be looking to extend their success against Troy State at the re-matches this year on Jan. 16 and Feb. 4.

UCF had a wildly successful season last year, garnering a 25-5 overall record that was good enough to place them 14th in the nation in team winning percentage. The team also finished second in the conference with a 17-3 in-conference record, then capped it off by upsetting first-place Troy State in the final round of the A-Sun tournament to advance to the Big Dance. There, the Golden Knights put up a strong fight before falling to #3 seed Pittsburgh 53-44 in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season.

However, when Dexter Lyons and Roberto Morentin graduated, UCF lost a pair of All-Conference players that will be very hard to replace. Their loss along with the departure of Josh Bodden means that the team’s top three scorers have all left, leaving a huge offensive void. Indeed, those three players accounted for nearly 61% of the team’s total points scored last year.

The Golden Knights’ strength was always their defense, as they gave up less than 62 points per game last season. In fact, the team ranked 24th in the NCAA in team scoring defense.

However, not only was Lyons the team’s leading scorer, he was also voted as A-Sun Defensive Player of the Year last season. Thus, the team must quickly learn to adapt to Speraw’s philosophy if they are going to be successful this year.

In addition, the Golden Knights did not add a single new freshman over the off-season. Instead, they will rely on a couple JuCo transfers in guard Anthony Williams and forward Marcus Johnson to make up for their losses and provide depth.

However, all of the players projected to start this season either started or came off the bench for UCF last year, which should give them an early advantage over other schools in developing team chemistry.

The team returned two quality players in Johnson and Avant, both of whom were important starters for the team last year. Likewise, Peppers, Edwards, and Bakanowsky all logged valuable reserve minutes last season. However, none of those three are used to starting at the college level. How they adjust stamina-wise will be key.

UCF must both find a way to replace the offense lost from last year, and must continue to be defensively strong if they want to again go far in the postseason this year. As none of the returning players averaged more than eight points a game, somebody must step up offensively. With the Golden Knights departing for Conference USA this season, the team is no doubt looking to go out with a bang.

Projected finish: 3rd in regular season standings, lose in final round of playoffs

Jacksonville Dolphins (7th overall last season, 13-15 overall, 8-12 in-conference)

Projected Starting Five:
G David Lee
G Aubrey Conerly
F Haminn Quaintance
F Antonio Cool
F Joey Robinson

Scheduling notables: The Dolphins will have to do well on the road in their non-conference games, playing Florida, Tennessee Tech, Florida State in away matches, as well as Savannah State, who will also play one game in Jacksonville.

Jacksonville returns one of the best players in the league in Quaintance, who took the conference by storm his freshman year on the way to winning the A-Sun Freshman of the Year award. He is a stud on both ends of the court, racking up nine double-doubles, good enough for third-most in the league. He also averaged three blocks a game, making him perhaps the most dominating defensive player in the league this year.

Also returning are the starting guard team of Lee and Conerly, who also racked up impressive offensive numbers last season. This year, the team has brought in two JuCo players to improve depth at the position, in Jesse Kimbrough and B.J. Surry, both of whom averaged double digits in points at their respective schools.

Rounding out the starters for the Dolphins this season will be JuCo transfers Cool and Robinson.

However, the team did lose a couple key players, including starting center Jure Lozancic, who signed with a Spanish basketball league this year, as well as starting forward Nolan McBride, who graduated. Valuable reserve guard Woury Diallo, who averaged twelve points a game while also averaging less than eighteen minutes a night, also left in the off-season.

However, the team should not have to worry about depth this season, as they added a conference-high eight new players this year.

Quite obviously, the team will do very well offensively this season. Quaintance will continue to dominate in the post, and the improved depth at the guard position bodes well for the program. In fact, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine them upping their team scoring average by five points per game.

However, the weakness of the team is team defense. Although they averaged 71 points scored a game, they gave up nearly 74 points a game. Clearly, the Dolphins must concentrate on bringing that number down if they are to successful this year.

Projected finish: 4th in overall standings, lose in 1st round of playoffs

Belmont Bruins

(3rd overall last season, 21-9 overall, 15-5 in-conference)

Projected Starting Five:
G Brian Collins
G Jese Snyder
G Josh Goodwin
F Adrian Jones
C Andrew Preston

Scheduling notables: The Bruins will take part in the 2004 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Tournament from Nov. 11-19, with the first game against St. Marys in Berkeley, California. However, with teams such as Cal and Syracuse also in the tournament, it will be very tough for the Bruins to win it. The team also will play a few other non-conference opponents, including road games against UAB and Tennessee.

The Bruins shocked the basketball world when they defeated Missouri on the road last year on Dec. 30. For that matter, Belmont played extremely well in their entire non-conference schedule, also defeating an Air Force team that ranked tops in the NCAA in team defense. They also traded wins with UCF and Austin Peay, both of whom also were nationally ranked in that category.

In short, the Bruins surprised a number of people last season because other teams underestimated them.

However, the two biggest leaders and best players from the team, Adam Mark and Steve Drabyn, graduated, leaving a void which must be replaced.

Mark was far and away the most acclaimed player on the team, having won numerous awards in his four years both on and off the court. For example, he ranked 6th in the NCAA in field goal percentage, even though he took (and made) far more shots than those who finished ahead of him. In fact, in the entire league, only Connecticut’s Emeka Okafor finished with more field goals made last season. Mark shot 70.8 percent from the floor his sophomore year, good enough for 5th best all-time. He finished 13th in NCAA history for highest career field goal percentage.

Drabyn was another valuable player that the Bruins will really miss this year. He was perhaps the most clutch player on the team, who not only was a strong 3-point shooter, but also tied for 6th-best in the NCAA in free throw percentage.

They will not be easily replaced.

However, the team does have a strong nucleus of returning players, led by Collins, who was named to the A-Sun All Freshman team last season. In addition, Snyder, Goodwin, and Jones all have superb range, as all three are particularly adept at hitting three-pointers.

Preston, whose playing time was limited in large part because of Mark’s success, looked very good in limited playing time last season. He should become one of the better centers in the league this season with his additional playing time.

The team does have some good backups already in place this season in Nick Otis and Michael Modlin, both of whom will have to play significantly more minutes this season. The team also secured a number of promising prospects for the future, including Will Peeples, Justin Hare, and Andy Wicke.

Since much of Belmont’s offense this season will be centered upon taking ranged shots, particularly 3-pointers, and because the team has a number of players who are talented at making them, the team may not suffer a significant drop-off this season like some have predicted.

Also, even with their losses, the team remains strong defensively, something which should keep them in the hunt all season long.

Projected finish: 5th place, lose in 2nd round of playoffs

Troy State Trojans

(1st overall last season, 24-7 overall, 19-2 in-conference)

Projected Starting Five:
G Bobby Dixon
G Xavier Mathis
F Corey Hornsby
F Ryan Heck
C Eddie Baker

Scheduling notables: The Trojans will take part in a three game tournament in the Virgin Islands on Nov. 20-22, and will also face off against Southwest Missouri State, Arkansas, and Ole Miss on non-conference road games. In addition, they will travel to New Mexico on Dec. 28-29 to play in the New Mexico Tournament.

Also, the team will look for revenge against UCF this season after the Golden Knights beat the Trojans in Alabama on Jan. 23 and upset them again in the final round of the A-Sun tournament last season. Both teams likely have Jan. 16 and Feb. 4, the dates of the re-matches, marked on their calendars.

Troy State had an amazing 19-2 showing last season, where they finished first in the regular season standings, many of which were dominating performances of double-digit blowouts. The accomplishment marked the fourth straight year that the Trojans had at least earned a split of the top spot in the regular season standings. The conference recognized the team’s great year when they awarded Maestri the A-Sun Coach-of-the-Year Award.

The team led the nation or placed highly in a number of team and individual categories last year, with many of those accomplishments going relatively unnoticed nationwide. Troy State finished 20th in the nation in overall winning percentage and 13th in average scoring margin last season.

The Trojans just barely missed out on finishing undefeated in A-Sun play by a total of three points, losing by one at Georgia State on Jan. 13, and by two at home against UCF ten days later. The team missed the NCAA tournament by losing to UCF in the final round of the A-Sun tournament last season, a loss which no doubt was devastating.

Much of Troy State’s success last year came from their superior offense, which averaged nearly 85 points a game, again good enough for third in the nation. Most of those points came from outstanding perimeter shooting that the Trojans showcased last year. In fact, Troy State led the NCAA in three pointers made per game, averaging just under twelve a contest.

However, all five starters from a year ago have left the program, significantly damaging the Trojans in 2004-2005. The team will certainly miss forwards Kendrick Johnson and Jerome Stamper and the services of guard Herbert Evans, but the more devastating departures are the loss of guard Greg Davis and forward Rob Lewin.

Davis racked up personal accolades almost as fast as he racked up assists last season. He was named the A-Sun Player of the Year last season and made the All Conference team on his way to leading all of the NCAA in assists and a whopping 8.4 assists per game. He also placed 21st in the NCAA in steals per game. His ten double-doubles ranked him second in the conference.

Lewin, who was named to the All Conference team last season, also was a key offensive player for the Trojans, leading the team in scoring and racking up seven double-doubles in his own right.

Clearly, Troy State will not be able to replace those players overnight. The team is going to be made up of a mix of the five returning players from last year, and the seven (!) JuCo players the school brought in.

Of the incoming players, Baker and Dixon look the most promising, and Heck is clearly the most talented of the returning players.

However, Troy State’s future this season is very uncertain. The team has a very positive past, with their recent history of placing first. However, the Trojans don’t seem to have anywhere near the talent they have had in recent years, especially last year. They will have to lock into Maestri’s philosophy to be successful.

Because Troy State is moving to the Sun Belt Conference after this season, the team is sure to do everything they can to make their last season in the A-Sun a very successful one.

Projected finish: 6th place in regular season standings, lose in 1st round of playoffs

Florida Atlantic University Owls

(8th overall last season, 9-19 overall, 6-14 in-conference)

Projected Starting Five:
G Quinton Young
G Kahleaf Watson
F Mike Bell
F Pierre Tucker
C Robert Williams

Scheduling notables: The Owls will take part in two non-conference tournaments this season, the Florida International on Nov. 19, and the Nevada Tournament on Dec. 17-18. They will also play UNLV in an away game on Dec. 22.

Florida Atlantic has perhaps the most complete player in the league in Bell, who averages nearly a double-double per game. He is very difficult to defend, as he has the size of a forward, but the range of a guard. He’ll be giving opposing teams fits this year.

He’ll be joined by other returning big men in Tucker and Williams, who should help give the Owls a strong presence in the post.

However, the departure of guard duo Earnest Crumbley and Jeff Cowans will be tough on FAU. In fact, Crumbley left as the school’s all-time leader in points, three-pointers, and assists. Watson and Young will have their work cut out for them to replace the production of the two seniors.

Even with Bell, the team has a number of weaknesses. Most glaring is the fact that Bell potentially may be counted on too much for offense, making the team’s offensive attack dangerously one-dimensional. They only have eleven players, so any problems with depth will be much harder for the Owls to compensate for. Also, size is also not a strength of the team, with the 6-9 Bell as the tallest player. Some of the taller teams may be able to take advantage of that.

In addition, the team is a terrible free-throw shooting team, finishing tied for second-to-last in the A-Sun last season in that category. That is one category that must improve if they are to make any huge strides from last season.

If any team in the league has a coach on the hot seat, FAU may be it. Green’s record in four years is 44-104, certainly unimpressive at best. With Florida Atlantic switching conferences to the Sun Belt in the near future, the school may choose to go in another direction for a fresh start.

Despite losing all but two of its last sixteen games last season, FAU did sneak into the playoffs. That makes a coaching change doubtful, but of course, it may depend on how the Owls fare this year. If they go on another prolonged losing streak, a coaching change is possible.

Projected finish: 7th place overall, lose in 1st round of playoffs

Gardner-Webb Bulldogs

(9th overall last season, 9-20 overall, 6-14 in-conference)

Projected Starting Five:
G Josh Chiles
G Tim Jennings
F Brian Bender
F Simon Conn
C Zoran Jelenic

Scheduling notables: The Bulldogs will be put to the test early this year when they face off against Arkansas, Georgia, UNLV, and Colorado, all on the road. Those road games should give Gardner-Webb a good indication of how their young team will do this season.

Even though the team was not going to be eligible for the A-Sun tournament anyway, Gardner-Webb still finished with the same record as the 8th place Florida Atlantic last season.

This season, the Bulldogs will be eligible for post-season play, and are looking to get there largely on the strength of a highly-touted class of new recruits, including four JuCo players.

The most notable new recruit is Jennings, a very talented transfer who was drawing interest from big-name NCAA schools during his high school career. In addition to being a talented scorer, he is also a very strong defender. The Bulldogs will certainly count on his help defensively this season to improve, as they gave up an average of five more points per game than they scored.

Gardner-Webb will also rely on Jelenic, another new recruit, to step right in and play lots of minutes at forward, since only one forward, Bender remains from last season. Interestingly, both Jennings and Jelenic are transferring from the same school, Pensacola Junior College. That previous relationship should help ease the transition for both players.

Also returning is leading scorer Bender, who averaged nearly thirteen points and seven rebounds a game last season. He needs to continue to improve for the Bulldogs this season.

One area of the team that will have to become more consistent is the backcourt. Gardner-Webb had four players who started fourteen games or more last season. Certainly, Scruggs would prefer to rely on two players start more than twenty games this season. The addition of Jennings should make it that much easier for him.

Even though he only played sparingly last season, Conn looked very good in his time, averaging six points a game in just over twelve minutes a game. It will be interesting to watch how he does in an expanded role this year.

The team will be able to rely on a pretty good bench this year as well, with Andre Manning and Chris Gash coming back. Both players started a significant amount of games for the Bulldogs last season. Also, the team believes JuCo transfer T.J. McCullough will do very well in a back-up role.

Gardner-Webb is certainly improved over last season. Indeed, the team is now one of the deepest in the league at the guard position. However, after their starting post players, the Bulldogs are very thin at forward.

Gardner-Webb will use their strength at the guard position to provide a steady aerial attack this season. However, their lack of depth at the forward may hurt them in several games this season.

Projected finish: 8th in overall standings, lose in 1st round of playoffs

Mercer Bears

(6th overall last season, 12-18 overall, 9-11 in-conference)

Projected Starting Five:
G Andrew Brown
G James Odoms
F Wesley Duke
F Brian Pfohl
C Will Emerson

Scheduling notables: Last year, Mercer scheduled a whopping ten non-conference games, an unusually high amount for the conference. This year is no different, as the team has seven non-conference games scheduled, among them a phenomenally difficult road game at Maryland, a match which is sure to push the Bears to their limit.

Mercer will also play in their University Center Arena for a full season this year. The Bears moved into the new building mid-way through the season last year, christening it with an upset victory over Georgia State.

In recent years, the Mercer basketball team has been characterized by major swings in the standings. In 2001-2002, the team had a 6-23 overall record. The very next season, the team went 23-6, marking the single greatest one-year turnaround in NCAA history and earning Slonaker league-wide praise. Last season, however, the team again fell in the standings, finishing 12-18 overall.

This season, though, it doesn’t appear as if Mercer is going to have another major swing in the standings.

On one hand, the program lost their two best players in Delmar Wilson and Scott Emerson, who led the team in many offensive categories including scoring and rebounds.

However, on the other hand, four of the Bears’ starters are returning from last year’s team. The team retained Duke and Odoms, both of whom are solid all-around players who will have to step up as leaders. Much of the team’s success rests in their very capable hands. Both Brown and Will Emerson also played significant roles last season, but neither averaged more than eighteen minutes per contest, and will have to adjust to the additional playing time.

Also, the Bears have one of the most talented incoming classes in the league. In fact, one of the team’s strengths both in this and future seasons will be their depth, both talent-wise and numbers-wise (the team has sixteen players this season). While that might bode well for the future of the program, it remains to be seen how that will affect Mercer for this campaign.

With that being said, it’s not out of the question that some of the new players could make an immediate impact, and help the team improve this year as well as down the road. Several of the freshmen, including Pfohl, won state-wide honors during their high school careers. After signing him in the off-season, Slonaker indicated that the forward will be one of the new players counted on to play significant minutes this season.

Other newcomers expected to make an impact this season are Shaddean Aaron and Sam Dolan.

However, the team will have to make up the offensive production they lost from last season. In addition, last year’s Mercer squad gave up an average of five more points than they scored per game. Again, the team must do a better job defensively if they want to succeed in 2004-2005.

The biggest key, though, is Mercer’s home and away record. The Bears did very well when playing at home last season, with a 10-2 overall home record. However, their away record was a pitiful 1-15. It’s no surprise that record has got to improve this year.

While Mercer’s future again looks bright, this year will probably be an adjustment one. It will be interesting to see if the Bears, with all of their inconsistency and uncertainty, will be able to squeak out a playoff spot again this year.

Projected finish: 9th in overall standings, miss playoffs

Campbell Camels

(11th overall last season, 3-24 overall, 3-17 in-conference)

Projected Starting Five:
G Anthony Atkinson
G Jake Wohlfeil
F Dominique Klein
F Diego Aguiar
F Russ Gibson

Scheduling notables: One thing is for certain: the Camels have absolutely no fear. They have non-conference road games scheduled against N.C. State, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Needless to say, a Camel sweep is unlikely.

The Camels had a season for the ages last year. The Middle Ages. The team lost every non-conference game it played, and also lost every road game it played. They also ranked last or second to last in nearly every team offensive category last season. It is important to note that Campbell was by far the youngest team in the league.

However, it wasn’t just the youth of the team last year that led to the bad record. Campbell has a history of struggling. In fact, in their whole time in the A-Sun conference, the team has only had one winning season.

However, there are signs that the Camels are nearing the end of their long desert wandering.

The team is returning perhaps their most talented player in Atkinson. He named to the All-Freshman team last season after finishing third in scoring among freshmen with eleven points a game and first among freshmen and third in the league in assists with more than four a game.

Also back this season are three talented forwards in Klein, Aguiar, and Colin Hunt. The three players rotated starts last year, but Klein and Aguiar will likely earn the majority of starts this season, and Hunt will probably come off the bench.

The new players, though, will be the key to both this year and the future of the program.

Expected to start are Wohlfeil, a good shooter who should see a lot of time at the 2-guard this season, and Gibson, who is one of the tallest players on the team, but also has better-than-average range for a post player.

Some players who can be expected to play quality backup minutes besides Hunt are incoming guards Stephon Griffin and Ruell Pringle.

Even with the outlook on the future perhaps brighter than in past years, the team is still at least a year away from seriously contending in the A-Sun. The Camels should improve enough to move out of the basement this season, but won’t go much farther than that.

Projected finish: 11th in overall standings, miss playoffs

Lipscomb Bisons

(10th overall last season, 7-21 overall, 4-16 in-conference)

Projected Starting Five:
G James Poindexter
G Brian Fisk
G Jason Guyette
F Matt Jarboe
C Shaun Durant

Scheduling notables: Unlike most of the other schools in the A-Sun, the majority of Lipscomb’s non-conference games are against smaller colleges, except for games at Minnesota, Savannah State, and Arkansas.

The Bisons went through a rough first season, finishing with a 7-21 record, and a 4-16 in-conference mark. Although the school is eligible for A-Sun postseason play this year, Lipscomb is likely to go through more of the same.

The good news for the Bisons is that they have two young, talented guards in Poindexter and Fisk that will again run the offense this year. Even better news is that Fisk is just a sophomore while Poindexter is a junior, meaning they still have plenty of time to get better. Indeed, Fisk earned a spot on the A-Sun All-Freshman team for his solid play.

Because the team often uses a three-guard set in games, Guyette, a JuCo transfer, is expected to be the three guard. Guyette played mostly as a forward in high school, but as a guard at Kaskaskia College, he concentrated on improving his 3-point shot to expand his range and make himself much more versatile.

However, the bad news is that the rest of the team is thin, most glaringly at the post position. What forward depth they had left when Albert Hacker and Chad Hartman graduated, leaving a huge void.

The team will try to replace the losses with Jarboe, who was a good reserve player last season, and Durant, a strong, big-bodied forward who also transferred from Kaskaskia.

While Lipscomb’s starting lineup isn’t bad, the team has practically no depth. Outside of newcomer Brandon Hartwell, the team has nobody they can count on to provide quality backup minutes. That will certainly show throughout the year, especially if the team has a tendency to get into foul trouble.

The team had the second-worst scoring margin in the league, giving up an average of eight more points a game than they scored. The team also ranked last in the conference in free throw shooting. The Bisons must step up and improve in both categories before they can start moving up in the A-Sun.

Right now Lipscomb is going through the adjustment to NCAA basketball, which can make for some rather painful seasons. However, they have a few talented players, and can know that they have a couple players to build a solid, successful program around in a few years.

Projected finish: 11th in overall standings, miss playoffs

The A-Sun conference should be a fun one to watch in 2004-2005. Two teams will be playing their last seasons ever in the A-Sun, while two more will be preparing to also move. Several of the top teams lost key players, while several of the other teams stocked up on prospects.

It should be very interesting to see which teams rise to the top in a conference where parity is now a big buzzword. The teams who establish a strong identity first should be the teams that have the most success this year.

Atlantic Sun Conference Recap

Atlantic Sun Conference 2003-04 Season Recap

by Michael Protos

The Atlantic Sun may not get much respect because it is a non-major conference, but this conference offers several teams with the ability to shock the nation. Just ask Missouri, which hosted Belmont in the beginning of this past season. The Tigers lost a shocker to the Atlantic Sun’s Bruins, the best upset for any team in the conference this season.

The conference features a variety styles, from frenetic to focused. The regular season championship went to Troy State, which plays a fast-paced game. The Trojans beat you by outscoring you. Meanwhile, the winner of the conference tournament, Central Florida, plays a slower, more controlled game. The Golden Knights beat you with defense and frustration.

So regardless of your style, the Atlantic Sun had something to offer you this past season.

Conference Tournament

Only eight of the conference’s 11 teams make the Atlantic Sun tournament each year, which means that the regular season is especially important for these teams. Gardner Webb, Lipscomb and Campbell failed to qualify for the tournament after disappointing seasons.

No. 2 Central Florida won the conference tournament by taking out No. 7 Jacksonville, No. 3 Belmont and No. 1 Troy State. The Golden Knights did not give up more than 63 points in any game, forcing each opponent to play the Golden Knights’ style of game. The conference championship was the rubber match between the two teams, and Central Florida’s ability to control the tempo produced the victory and automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

NCAA Tournament

Central Florida’s visit to the NCAA Tournament was short-lived, however, as the No. 14 Golden Knights lost a hard-fought first-round game to No. 3 Pittsburgh.

No. 14 Central Florida (East Rutherford)
First round: Lost to No. 3 Pittsburgh, 53-44.

NIT

The invitation of Belmont and Troy State to the NIT was a nod to this conference’s improvement and competitiveness. The two schools joined Central Florida as the conference’s three best programs this past season. But neither Belmont nor Troy State could fare better than Central Florida’s one-and-done NCAA performance.

Belmont – Opening round: Lost to Austin Peay, 65-59.
Troy State – Opening round: Lost to Niagara, 87-83.

Player of the Year:

Mike Bell, Florida Atlantic

Bell was one of the most dominating forces in the Atlantic Sun conference. He led the conference in rebounding and was third in scoring, averaging 18.0 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.

Coach of the Year:

Kirk Speraw, Central Florida

It’s easy to collect a bunch of athletes and tell them to go score points. But Speraw taught his team to play great defense that allowed Central Florida to play competitively with anyone, including No. 3 Pittsburgh in the NCAA Tournament.

Defensive Player of the Year:

Greg Davis, Troy State

Davis led the conference in steals last season and presented all sorts of problems for opposing offenses. Leading Troy State’s pressure attack, Davis frequently turned a turnover into a fastbreak that created points at the other end.

Rookie of the Year:

Haminn Quaintance, Jacksonville

Quaintance simply was a beast last season for Jacksonville. At 6’6, he is one of the Atlantic Sun’s bigger players. His explosiveness and athleticism allowed him to dominate the frontcourt, collecting 8.8 rebounds per game and leading the conference with 3.0 blocks per game. He promises to be a force to reckon with for years to come.

Belmont Bruins 21-9, 15-5

The Bruins had a strong season, highlighted by a road victory against Missouri. Belmont also beat Air Force early in the season. Given the Falcons’ success, the win looks even better in retrospect. Belmont never lost more than two consecutive games this season. The only disappointment from the season can be that the Bruins did not win the conference tournament hosted at the school’s home court.

Team MVP: Senior forward Adam Mark

Scoring Leader: Mark (18.6 ppg)
Rebound Leader: Mark (8.0 rpg)
Assist Leader: Sophomore guard Brian Collins (4.1 apg)

Starters Leaving: 2
Mark (graduating) and guard Steve Drabyn (graduating)

Key Returning Players:
Collins (10.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.1 apg)
Freshman guard Josh Goodwin (8.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
Junior guard Jese Snyder (7.0 ppg)

Belmont returns several talented players, but the Bruins will have to adjust to life without Adam Mark. He moves on after a great season, and Belmont will likely turn to sophomore Brian Collins. The supporting cast has great experience in wins against Missouri and Air Force and the NIT loss. This team should remain competitive in the conference next season.

Campbell Camels 3-24, 3-17

The Camels had a rough season, one of the roughest of any team in Division I. Campbell won just three games, against Jacksonville, Lipscomb and Mercer. The team opened with a 13-game losing streak and carries a fresh four-game losing streak into next season.

Team MVP: Senior guard Tarick Johnson

Scoring Leader: Johnson (12.3 ppg)
Rebound Leader: Junior forward Dominique Klein (6.3 rpg)
Assist Leader: Freshman guard Anthony Atkinson (4.4 apg)

Starters Leaving: 2
Johnson (graduating) and guard Derek Gray (graduating)

Key Returning Players:
Atkinson (11.0 ppg, 4.4 apg)
Klein (8.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg)
Freshman forward Diego Aquiar (7.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
Sophomore guard Corey Parker (7.2 ppg)

The good news for the Camels is that the team’s leading rebounder and leading assist man both return. But the Camels losing their leading scorer off a team that struggled to find any offensive consistency. Next season will likely be another struggle for Campbell as the conference’s best teams continue to improve at a faster rate than the Camels. Hopefully, the team will have a few easier non-conference games to build some confidence before entering conference play.

Central Florida Golden Knights 25-6, 17-3

Central Florida didn’t win any great non-conference games and paraded through the Atlantic Sun relatively easily. So this team was an unknown quantity for most people around the country who wondered what No. 14 Central Florida would offer against No. 3 Pittsburgh in the NCAA Tournament. What the nation saw was a great defensive team that went toe to toe with one of the Big East’s best. Central Florida’s performance in the NCAA will help keep this conference on the map. The Golden Knights’ successful season is a tribute to this team and to the entire conference.

Team MVP: Senior forward Dexter Lyons

Scoring Leader: Lyons (18.3 ppg)
Rebound Leader: Senior center Roberto Morentin (6.9 rpg)
Assist Leader: Junior guard Gary Johnson (4.2 apg)

Starters Leaving: 3
Lyons (graduating), Morentin (graduating) and forward Josh Bodden (graduating)

Key Returning Players:
Junior guard Gary Johnson (7.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 4.2 apg)
Junior forward Marcus Avant (4.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg)

Central Florida’s success may not last for too long, unfortunately. The team’s MVP, Dexter Lyons, graduates, along with two other starters, who helped build this contender. Junior Gary Johnson will inherit the responsibility of carrying this team back to the NCAA Tournament. That may be a bit of a stretch, but the Golden Knights should remain in the top half of the conference standings next season.

Florida Atlantic Owls 9-19, 6-14

Florida Atlantic played several tough non-conference teams, such as Georgia, South Florida and Miami, but lost every game. In conference play, the Owls jumped out to a 5-4 record before limping through a nine-game losing streak that nearly put the team out of the conference tournament. The Owls picked up a critical win against cellar dweller Campbell to clinch a spot in the tournament.

Team MVP: Junior forward Mike Bell

Scoring Leader: Bell (18.0 ppg)
Rebound Leader: Bell (9.7 rpg)
Assist Leader: Senior guard Earnest Crumbley (5.2 apg)

Starters Leaving: 2
Crumbley (graduating) and guard Jeff Cowans (graduating)

Key Returning Players:
Bell
Junior forward Pierre Tucker (9.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg)
Junior center Robert Williams (8.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg)

Junior Mike Bell is a legitimate star and returns for his senior season, hoping to lead his team to more success. But he loses two members of his supporting cast and must hope that other players develop. A monster season from Bell could move Florida Atlantic out of the bottom third and into the middle of the pack. If several other players can take the heat off Bell, this team has the tools to move beyond the first round of the conference tournament.

Gardner Webb Bulldogs 9-20, 6-14

Gardner Webb had the misfortune of coming up on the wrong end of several close games. The Bulldogs nearly upset Kansas State of the Big XII and played well against the SEC’s South Carolina. But Gardner Webb rarely found a way to win close games in either non-conference or conference play. The Bulldogs finished in ninth place and failed to qualify for the conference tournament.

Team MVP: Sophomore forward Brian Bender

Scoring Leader: Bender (12.7 ppg)
Rebound Leader: Bender (7.0 rpg)
Assist Leader: Sophomore guard Andre Manning (2.9 apg)

Starters Leaving: 3
Forward Tim Behrendorff (graduating), guard Chris Wiggins (graduating) and forward Brendan Clowry (graduating)

Key Returning Players:
Bender (12.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg)
Junior guard Josh Chiles (7.6 ppg)

The Bulldogs return sophomore Brian Bender, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder. But Gardner Webb loses three starters from a team that didn’t exactly excel last season. This coming season figures to be rough as teams will be able to lock down Bender and force the Bulldogs to find alternative sources of offense. Look for the team to finish near the bottom of the pack.

Georgia State Panthers 20-9, 14-6

The Panthers entered conference play as one of the favorite to win the regular season crown. Non-conference wins against Tulsa and Auburn supported the argument for a strong season. But the Panthers slipped a little bit in conference play, enduring a four-game losing streak that dropped Georgia State out of competition for the conference regular season championship. The Panthers rallied late in the season with a six-game winning streak heading into postseason. The team ran out of steam in the conference tournament semifinals against Troy State.

Team MVP: Senior center Nate Williams

Scoring Leader: Williams (14.7 ppg)
Rebound Leader: Williams (6.9 rpg)
Assist Leader: Sophomore guard Herman Favors (3.6 apg)

Starters Leaving: 3
Williams (graduating), forward Trello Galloway (graduating), guard Lamont McIntosh (graduating)

Key Returning Players:
Favors (3.6 apg)
Junior guard Kevin Thomas (10.0 ppg)
Junior forward Marcus Brown (7.4 ppg)

Georgia State was favored to do well this past season because of the team’s experience along the starting line. But now that experience graduates, creating a void. The Panthers will need juniors Kevin Thomas and Marcus Brown to lead this team next season if Georgia State wants to remain near the top of the conference. The Panthers may slip a little early in the season, but the team will likely rebound as the team finds a consistent rotation later in the season.

Jacksonville Dolphins 13-15, 8-12

The Dolphins did not exactly play a dominant non-conference schedule, but Jacksonville went 5-2 in non-conference play. The cupcake schedule – which for a non-major conference means the schedule was packed with non-Division I creampuffs – allowed freshman center Haminn Quaintance to grow. He emerged as one of the dominating forces in the Atlantic Sun conference and will carry this team for years to come. Quaintance and company finished well in conference play and earned a trip to the conference tournament.

Team MVP: Freshman center Haminn Quaintance

Scoring Leader: Quaintance (14.3 ppg)
Rebound Leader: Quaintance (8.8 rpg)
Assist Leader: Sophomore guard Aubrey Conerly (3.7 apg)

Starters Leaving: 1
Forward Nolan McBride (graduating)

Key Returning Players:
Quaintance (14.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 3.0 blocks per game)
Junior guard David Lee (14.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg)
Junior guard Woury Diallo (12.0 ppg)
Junior center Jure Lozancic (9.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
Freshman forward Jarred Stockton (9.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg)

With only one player graduating and the return of freshman Haminn Quaintance, Jacksonville should be one of the most improved teams next year. The Dolphins should challenge Troy State for the conference title. Many teams will not be able to match up with Jacksonville, and the Dolphins must relentlessly attack opponents. An aggressive game plan accompanied by stingy defense should carry this team to the top of the conference standings.

Lipscomb Bisons 7-21, 4-16

The Bisons struggled most of this past season, especially away from home. Lipscomb won only one game on the road – at Gardner Webb. That performance won’t get you very far in any conference. The Bisons inability to win on the road meant that wins were few and far between, and the team ended the season with a seven-game losing streak.

Team MVP: Freshman guard Brian Fisk

Scoring Leader: Fisk (11.5 ppg)
Rebound Leader: Senior forward Chad Hartman (5.7 rpg)
Assist Leader: Fisk (2.8 apg)

Starters Leaving: 3
Hartman (graduating), forward Albert Hacker (graduating) and guard Jason Jackson (graduating)

Key Returning Players:
Fisk (11.5 ppg, 2.8 apg)
Sophomore guard James Poindexter (10.5 ppg)

The good news for the Bisons is that freshman Brian Fisk is only a freshman, so the team has a solid young player around whom to build the team. Fisk led the team in scoring and assists, although his statistics are not particularly gaudy. This team lacks offensive threats and will need some lucky breaks to avoid falling to the bottom of the standings once again next season.

Mercer Bears 12-18, 9-11

The Bears did not avoid tough competition early in the season as Mercer played – and lost – to Xavier, Illinois, Iowa State and Alabama. The experience helped Mercer play tough throughout conference play as the Bears finished in the middle of the pack. Senior Scott Emerson was the team’s most productive player, leading the squad in every major statistical category.

Team MVP: Senior forward Scott Emerson

Scoring Leader: Emerson (15.3 ppg)
Rebound Leader: Emerson (8.2 rpg)
Assist Leader: Junior guard Tyler McCurry (2.2 apg)

Starters Leaving: 3
Emerson (graduating), forward Delmar Wilson (graduating) and forward Wesley Duke (graduating)

Key Returning Players:
Junior guard James Odoms (11.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
Sophomore guard Andrew Brown (7.5 ppg, 2.0 apg)

The problem with a single player leading your team in every major statistic is that your team frequently becomes one-dimensional. And Mercer must replace that one dimension – senior Scott Emerson, who graduates in May. Junior James Odoms and sophomore Andrew Brown are the best returning players and must step forward to keep the Bears from slipping in the standings. This team should find its way into the conference tournament barring any major injuries or disappointing play from key players.

Stetson Hatters 12-15, 10-10

The Hatters’ season was filled with several streaks. Stetson had an eight-game losing streak early in the season because the team played the likes of Miami, Florida, Colorado State and Florida State. The team rebounded in conference play with a five-game winning streak that brought the team above .500 in the Atlantic Sun standings. The rest of the season was a relative stalemate as the team finished at .500 in the conference and earned a berth in the conference tournament, in which the Hatters lost to Georgia State in the first round.

Team MVP: Sophomore guard E.J. Gordon

Scoring Leader: Gordon (16.8 ppg)
Rebound Leader: Gordon (7.1 rpg)
Assist Leader: Gordon (3.1 apg)

Starters Leaving: 2
Forward Kevin Craig (graduating) and guard Derrick DeWitt (graduating)

Key Returning Players:
Gordon (16.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.4 steals per game)
Sophomore guard Anthony Register (14.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
Junior forward Boris Djordjic (9.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg)

Stetson is one of the Atlantic Sun schools looking to make a move upward in the standings this coming year as the team returns its nucleus of sophomores E.J. Gordon and Anthony Register. Gordon is a potential Atlantic Sun player of the year and will be the focus of opposing defenses. Register will need to have a big season to take some of the pressure off of Gordon. If these two excel, the Hatters could be one of the top three teams in the conference next season.

Troy State Trojans 23-7, 18-2

The Trojans played relatively weak competition in non-conference play, but the team was more than prepared to dominate the Atlantic Sun. The Trojans beat every team at least once and swept everyone except for Central Florida and Georgia State. Troy State had a 13-game winning streak entering the conference tournament championship game against Central Florida, in which the Golden Knights finally cooled off the Atlantic Sun’s hottest team.

Team MVP: Junior guard Greg Davis

Scoring Leader: Davis (15.5 ppg)
Rebound Leader: Junior forward Rob Lewin (8.0 rpg)
Assist Leader: Davis (8.3 apg)

Starters Leaving: 0

Key Returning Players:
Davis (15.5 ppg, 8.3 apg, 2.4 steals per game)
Lewin (15.4 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.8 blocks per game)
Junior forward Kendrick Johnson (12.6 ppg,5.7 rpg)
Junior guard Herbert Evans (11.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
Junior forward Jerome Stamper (9.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg)

With every starter returning from last season’s regular season championship team, Troy State will easily be the preseason favorite to win the Atlantic Sun. The conference title should be theirs to lose. But this season showed that the regular season is less important than the conference tournament for the Atlantic Sun’s best teams. Troy State may be able to dominate competition during the regular season, but the Trojans must follow through with a postseason streak to earn a berth to the NCAA Tournament. If Troy State can play and beat some mid-major teams or weaker squads from conferences like the ACC and SEC, the Trojans may be able to earn an NCAA Tournament bid as high No. 12. Think Manhattan of this past season. That could be Troy State next season.

Atlantic Sun Semifinals Recap

Atlantic Sun Semifinals Recap
		Recap by Michael Protos No. 1 Troy State 63, No. 4 Georgia State 62 For 37 minutes, Georgia State played a perfect game by slowing down Troy State. The Trojans are one of the highest scoring teams in the nation, but with just over three minutes remaining in the game, Georgia State led 60-49. But then everything fell apart for Georgia State. Troy State’s defensive pressure forced 26 turnovers in the game, including a final turnover with 30 seconds remaining and the score tied at 62. Then with two seconds remaining, junior forward Greg Davis drained a free throw to give the Trojans a 63-62 lead. Georgia State could not pull off a miracle at the buzzer, and the Trojans escaped with an uncharacteristically low-scoring win. It was Troy State’s first win this season when the Trojans score less than 65 points. No. 2 Central Florida 64, No. 3 Belmont 62 Central Florida knocked out the host of the Atlantic Sun tournament, Belmont, 64-62, as the Golden Knights rallied from a five-point halftime deficit. Central Florida destroyed the Bruins on the boards to help fuel the comeback. The team grabbed 12 more rebounds than Belmont. The difference of the game came at the free-throw line as Central Florida made 12-of-15 free throws. The most important free throws came by senior forward Dexter Lyons, who drained both free throws near the end of the game to give the Golden Knights a two-point win. Lyons finished with 27 points.

Atlantic Sun Finals Preview

Atlantic Sun Finals Preview
		Preview by Michael Protos No. 1 Troy State vs. No. 2 Central Florida The Trojans, in the midst of a 13-game winning streak, will play Central Florida for one of the 31 automatic bids to dance in the NCAA Tournament. The last team to beat Troy State – Central Florida. The Golden Knights beat Troy State 75-72 back in January, holding Troy State to 43 percent shooting while making 52 percent of their own shots. To beat the top seed, Central Florida will have to repeat the winning performance from earlier this season and shoot well. The Golden Knights only committed 10 turnovers in that win and will have to take care of the ball again because Troy State also is good at handling the rock. Troy State has proved in this tournament that the team can win in high-scoring sprint matches, which is the team’s preferable style, and in defensive battles like the semifinal win against Georgia State. The Trojans should continue to follow their winning recipe of a fast-paced game. With three games in three days, both teams will likely be tired, but Troy State can build off the momentum of an early scoring run to put away Central Florida. If the Golden Knights hang around and force Troy State into another defensive battle, they may be able to upset Troy State and claim a berth in the Big Dance. Prediction: Troy State 79, Central Florida 72

Atlantic Sun Finals Recap

Atlantic Sun Finals Recap
		Recap by Michael Protos No. 2 Central Florida 60, No. 1 Troy State 55 Welcome to the NCAA Tournament, Central Florida. The Golden Knights earned their third bid to the Big Dance with an upset against top seed Troy State, 60-55. Central Florida controlled the tempo, which translated into controlling the win. Troy State shot only 32 percent in the game, which stunted one of the nation’s best offenses. Central Florida did not shoot lights out, either, but made a significantly better 40 percent. Senior forward Dexter Lyons led the team for the second straight day, scoring 18 points. He helped Central Florida build a lead that the Golden Knights never relinquished. Troy State junior guard Greg Davis did all he could to bring back the Trojans, but Central Florida outlasted Troy State by making seven free throws in the final minute. The Trojans missed three free throws in the same stretch, which significantly hurt their comeback attempt. Central Florida ended Troy State’s 13-game winning streak, and the Golden Knights were the last team to beat the Trojans. So they will return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996 when Marcus Camby’s Massachusetts Minutemen slammed the 16th seeded Golden Knights. Central Florida has won nine of the team’s last 10 games. The Golden Knights have a gaudy 25-5 record, but the team’s best non-conference win is against the Citadel. Not exactly a power win.

Atlantic Sun Quarterfinals Recap

Atlantic Sun Quarterfinals Recap
		Recap by Michael Protos No. 1 Troy State 85, No. 8 Florida Atlantic 82 Top seed Troy State probably did not want a close game in the first round of the Atlantic Sun tournament, but the result is a win and the Trojans cannot complain about that. After trailing for much of the first half, the Trojans built a 14-point second half lead. The Owls rallied to pull to within one, but Troy State made enough free throws down the stretch to seal the deal. Florida Atlantic’s final three-point attempts fell harmlessly away from the rim. Troy State will move on to play Georgia State in the semifinals. No. 2 Central Florida 71, No. 7 Jacksonville 63 The final score indicates a close game, but the Golden Knights were in control for most of the game. Their defense held Jacksonville under 38 percent shooting while senior Josh Bodden led four players in double figures with 20 points. Jacksonville has never won an Atlantic Sun conference tournament game. They will have to wait until next year to try again. No. 3 Belmont 71, No. 6 Mercer 63 The Bruins played a nearly flawless game by committing only four turnovers. By limiting mistakes, Belmont never gave Mercer an opportunity to creep back into the game even though the Bruins never built a huge lead. Senior forward Adam Mark has been one of the Atlantic Sun’s most dominating players all season and continued his great play in the conference tournament with 15 points and 10 rebounds. It was his ninth double double of the season. No. 4 Georgia State 55, No. 5 Stetson 47 In the final game of the first round of the Atlantic Sun tournament, Georgia State sneaked past Stetson in a low-scoring affair. The Panthers stifled Stetson throughout the first half, building a 30-18 lead. In the second half, the Hatters continued to struggle any offensive rhythm and traded scores with Georgia State. But when you’re trailing, trading hoops isn’t good enough. Time ran out on the Hatters, and Georgia State moves on to play Troy State. The Panthers cannot afford another sluggish game on offense against one of the best scoring team in the entire nation.

Atlantic Sun Semifinals Preview

Atlantic Sun Semifinals Preview
		Preview by Michael Protos No. 1 Troy State vs. No. 4 Georgia State The Trojans are the hottest team in the Atlantic Sun conference as they have won 12 consecutive games. Prior to the win streak, Troy State had lost two of three games, including a road game against Georgia State. That loss was one of only two conference losses, so Georgia State is one of the few teams that knows how to beat the Trojans. Troy State likes to run up and down the court despite only playing an eight-man rotation. The Panthers beat Troy State by shooting better than 52 percent. For the Trojans, the key to this game is simple: establish the tempo early and force Georgia State to play from behind. Making a high percentage of shots is substantially more difficult when the deficit seems to grow with every possession. The Panthers must play an efficient basketball game and not get sucked into a track meet with the athletic Trojans. Troy State does not commit many turnovers, just over 11 per game, which puts all the more pressure on the Panthers’ shooters. Fortunately the Panthers are a good shooting team, averaging about 47 percent on the year and 36 percent from three-point range. Three Panthers shoot better than 38 percent. Georgia State wants to keep this game close and establish a sound shooting rhythm to have a chance to steal an upset late in the game. Prediction: Troy State 82, Georgia State 70 No. 2 Central Florida vs. No. 3 Belmont These two teams split their regular season meetings, each team winning at home. Belmont won by 15 in Nashville, Tenn., when the teams last met. That could be a problem for Central Florida because Belmont hosts the conference tournament. In that loss, Central Florida allowed Belmont to shoot better than 58 percent. The Golden Knights win by limiting the number of clean shots that opponents find. In the win against Belmont, Central Florida held the Bruins under 38 percent shooting. That’s a 20 percent differential and that directly accounts for the results. If Central Florida holds Belmont under 45 percent shooting, the Golden Knights have a good chance of winning. Belmont plays well at home, but in two of the team’s three home losses, the Bruins shot under 36 percent. The Bruins also play strong defense as only three teams have scored more than 70 points at Belmont. All three of those games were losses. Belmont may be the lower seed, but the home-court advantage renders these teams even. Belmont will likely win if they shoot well and if the home-court advantage translates into greater energy on defense. Prediction: Belmont 75, Central Florida 69

Atlantic Sun Quarterfinals Preview

Atlantic Sun Conference Quarterfinals Preview
		Preview by Michael Protos The Atlantic Sun conference tournament starts Thursday and concludes Saturday with the championship game at 4 p.m. on ESPN2. Each game will be played in Nashville, Tenn. Belmont is the host of the tournament. The conference tournament takes the top eight regular season squads of 11 Atlantic Sun teams. Gardner Webb, Lipscomb and Campbell will be watching the tournament from the sidelines. Who else will join them on the way to an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament? No. 1 Troy State vs. No. 8 Florida Atlantic The Trojans play Florida Atlantic in the first game of the first round of the Atlantic Sun tournament. Troy State is in the midst of an 11-game winning streak, including two wins against Florida Atlantic. The Owls kept both games relatively close, including a five-point loss at home. To have a chance, Florida Atlantic must slow down Troy State’s fast-paced game. The Trojans average 86.6 points per game and only 11 turnovers per game. The Owls backed into the tournament, losing 10 of their last 11 games. Prediction: Troy State 98, Florida Atlantic 73 No. 4 Georgia State vs. No. 5 Stetson The most even first-round match up features Georgia State, which finished 14-6 in conference play, at against Stetson, which reached .500 at 10-10 in conference play. The teams split their regular season games, each team winning on the road. Stetson squeaked by the Panthers 66-65, but Georgia State slammed the Hatters 93-62 on their own court. Stetson does not shoot the ball well, only 41 percent from the field and 30 percent from behind the arc, so the Hatters cannot afford to fall behind by a significant margin. If they can dictate a low-scoring, defensive battle, they can win this game. The Hatters ended the season as losers of three out of four games while Georgia State has won six straight. Prediction: Georgia State 76, Stetson 68 No. 2 Central Florida vs. No. 7 Jacksonville The Golden Knights battled with Troy State all season for the conference title but dropped a game late in the season at Georgia State that cost Central Florida a share of the regular season title. The Golden Knights win with excellent defense as only five opponents all season have scored more than 70 points against Central Florida. Jacksonville was not one of those teams, losing both contests by at least nine points. Central Florida has won six of seven games, and the Dolphins split their last eight games of the regular season. Prediction: Central Florida 71, Jacksonville 65 No. 3 Belmont vs. No. 6 Mercer Belmont is the host of the conference tournament and is the No. 3 seed. So the Bruins have a great opportunity to make a three-day run to the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins have only lost three games at home this season, against Vanderbilt, Troy State and Georgia State. Belmont claims wins against major teams like Missouri and Air Force. The Bruins have won 11 of their last 13 games, including an 11-point victory against Mercer. But the Bears handed Belmont one of its five conference losses when Mercer beat the Bruins by two early in the season. Mercer is not a good road team, however, losing 12 of 14 games on the road this season. The Bears have also lost five of their last seven games. The Bears shoot the long ball well, making 38 percent of the team’s three pointers, so if Mercer can hang around long enough to tie or win the game, they have the tools to pull off the upset. But that’s if they stay close. Prediction: Belmont 82, Mercer 66

Atlantic Sun

Atlantic Sun Conference Notebook

by Michael Protos

Moving On Up

There are only three days remaining before the end of the Atlantic Sun regular season, and eight teams will be moving on to the conference tournament.

But eight other teams will be competing in the conference tournament in Nashville, Tenn., March 4-6. Belmont hosts the tournament and also happens to be one of the favorites to win the tournament.

Joining the Bruins at the top of the Atlantic Sun standings are Troy State and Central Florida. One of those two teams will claim the conference regular season crown by the end of this weekend. Troy State enjoys a slight advantage.

Seven teams have already clinched their spot in the conference tournament while Florida Atlantic and Gardner Webb compete for the final spot. Florida Atlantic hosts Gardner Webb in the final game for each team. In addition to Central Florida, Troy State and Belmont, the other four teams guaranteed to be in the conference tournament are Georgia State, Stetson, Mercer and Jacksonville.

Team Reports:

Troy State Trojans (19-5, 16-2)

The Trojans stretched their winning streak to 10 games as they passed Central Florida for first place in the Atlantic Sun. Troy State beat Jacksonville 81-74 in the team’s last game, as the Trojans high-octane offense fueled yet another win. Junior forward Kendrick Johnson scored 19 points to lead Troy State.

With a slight lead over Central Florida, the regular season conference title is Troy State’s to lose. The Trojans play at Jacksonville Feb. 27 and at Stetson Feb. 29. Although both games are on the road, Troy State needs to make a statement that the Trojans are the team to beat in the conference tournament by winning games against the middle of the pack regardless of location. After all, a potential second-round or championship match up with Belmont would essentially be a home game for the Bruins in front of their home crowd.

Central Florida Golden Knights (20-5, 15-3)

The Golden Knights had won 18 of 20 games and four consecutive games when they visited Georgia State – and lost. Central Florida had been in good position to win the regular season conference title but now trails Troy State after the Golden Knights lost 63-61 at Georgia State. Senior forward Dexter Lyons led Central Florida with 20 points, but only one other Golden Knight reached double figures.

The contrast between the Atlantic Sun’s top two teams is intriguing, as Troy State simply outruns and outscores opponents while Central Florida grinds down its opponents with great defense. The Golden Knights host Gardner Webb Feb. 26 and finish the season with a game at home against Campbell Feb. 28, the conference’s worst team this season. Central Florida must take care of business and pull for Jacksonville or Stetson to take down Troy State for a chance at the conference regular season title.

Belmont Bruins (19-6, 14-4)

The Bruins have won 10 of their last 11 games and are one of the better teams in the conference. They also host the conference tournament, meaning they have a great chance to reach the NCAA Tournament. Belmont played well in the team’s last game at Jacksonville, winning 73-63. Sophomore guard Brian Collins led Belmont with 23 points, which offset Jacksonville’s masterful defense against senior forward Adam Mark, the conference’s scoring leader, who finished with only eight points.

Belmont will need the role players to step forward to support Mark as the Tigers look to overtake Central Florida for the No. 2 seed with wins at home against Mercer Feb. 26 and against Georgia State Feb. 28.

Georgia State Panthers (17-8, 12-6)

The Panthers are one of only four Atlantic Sun teams to finish with a winning overall record. They have won four straight games, including the team’s last game at home against conference powerhouse Central Florida, 63-61. Senior center Nate Williams led the Panthers with 14 points. As a team, they shot 50 percent in the game to overcome the slow pace and strong defense set by Central Florida.

Georgia State will try to build more momentum heading into the conference tournament with wins on the road against Lipscomb Feb. 26 and Belmont Feb. 28.

Stetson Hatters (12-13, 10-9)

The Hatters have clinched a spot in the postseason and can move no higher than their current position as a No. 5 seed. But the Hatters need to play well in their final game against Troy State Feb. 29 to have any type of momentum in the conference tournament. The Hatters are likely to draw Georgia State in a first-round match up, and the Panthers are playing their best ball at the end of the season. The Hatters beat Lispcomb in their last game, 70-67.

Mercer Bears (11-16, 8-10)

The Bears ended a four-game losing streak with an 85-79 win against Florida Atlantic, ensuring that Mercer does not slip too far down the conference standings. The Bears will appear in the conference tournament and will likely face either Belmont or Central Florida in the first round. Neither draw is easy, but Mercer did beat Belmont earlier this season. The two play again Feb. 26 at Belmont, then the Bears finish the regular season at Lipscomb Feb. 28.

Jacksonville Dolphins (13-13, 8-11)

The Dolphins occupy seventh place in the conference standings and are a lock for the conference tournament. Jacksonville has played well, winning six of the last nine games, but lost 73-63 to Belmont in the last game. The Dolphins folded after halftime when the score was tied at 32. Junior guard David Lee led the team with 17 points. The team shot under 40 percent in the game.

Jacksonville ends the regular season at home Feb. 27 against Troy State. A win could move the Dolphins into sixth place if Mercer loses both of its final games.

Florida Atlantic Owls (8-17, 5-13)

The Owls have a tenuous hold on the final spot in the conference tournament by virtue of a 95-75 win at Gardner Webb earlier this season. The two teams meet again at Florida Atlantic Feb. 29 in a game that could easily determine which team will have that last spot. Florida Atlantic has the good fortune of hosting the conference’s worst team, Campbell, Feb. 26. The Owls lost their last game, and ninth straight, 85-79 at Mercer despite 12 points and 13 rebounds from junior forward Mike Bell.

Gardner Webb Bulldogs (8-19, 5-13)

The Bulldogs must win on the road, which they’ve only managed twice in 14 tries, to reach the conference tournament. Gardner Webb is tied with Florida Atlantic in the standings for eighth, the coveted final seed in the conference tournament. But the Bulldogs must travel to Central Florida Feb. 26 and Florida Atlantic Feb. 28. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, Central Florida will be playing for the conference regular season title, so the Golden Knights will not take the night off, allowing the Bulldogs to steal a win. That means the Bulldogs must hope that Florida Atlantic stumbles at home against the conference’s worst team and then beat the Owls on the road. Not likely, but this is the time for some early Madness.

The Bulldogs lost their last game, on the road at Troy State, 81-74. Gardner Webb played tough throughout but could not score enough points against Troy State’s volatile offensive attack. Junior guard Josh Chiles led five Bulldogs in double figures with 16 points.

Lipscomb Bisons (7-19, 4-14)

As a sports journalist, I view the English language as a tool to produce precise information mixed with eloquence. So it pains me to write about a team that is inherently flawed – Bison is a plural word. Bisons is at bets redundant and at worst a violation of English usage. Perhaps the basketball gods also value proper English and are punishing Lipscomb for the school’s wanton use of a plural form of an already-plural word. The Bisons once had conference tournament aspirations, but a five-game losing streak has all but ended those dreams. Lipscomb lost 70-67 at Stetson in the team’s last game. Although the Bisons have a slim chance of reaching the conference tournament, they must beat Georgia State and Mercer, two of the conference’s better teams, to even have a prayer. I recommend that school officials consult the dictionary and change the team name to Bison – much like the grammar-conscious Howard Bison – thus pleasing the basketball gods and certainly reward the newly named team next season.

Campbell Camels (3-22, 3-15)

The Camels will be ending their season this weekend as Campbell finishes a dismal campaign with road games at Florida Atlantic Feb. 26 and at Central Florida Feb. 28. Unlike their desert counterparts, these Camels do not travel well, losing every road context the team has played this season. Freshman guard Anthony Atkinson offered the team some hope for the future in the team’s last 84-69 loss at Gardner Webb, scoring 17 points to lead all scores. He also dished seven assists and proved that he can be the team leader for the future.

Atlantic Sun Notebook

Atlantic Sun Conference Notebook

by Michael Protos

Tight at the Top

With just about two weeks remaining in the Atlantic Sun conference’s regular season, there are three teams with a legitimate chance of winning the conference title. Central Florida, Troy State and Belmont rest on top of the Atlantic Sun standings. The three separated by merely a game.

Winning the regular season title is a matter of pride that carries no other advantages than a top seed in the conference tournament. As one of the nation’s weaker conferences, the Atlantic Sun will only get one team into the NCAA Tournament, and that team must win the Atlantic Sun conference tournament.

The Atlantic Sun conference features 11 teams, but only the top eight will compete in the conference tournament, hosted by Belmont in Nashville, Tenn. The tournament runs over three days, from March 4 to March 6. Winner goes to the NCAA Tournament, the seven losers join the other three teams on the couch to watch March Madness at home.

With Belmont having a home-court advantage, the Bruins have a great opportunity to reach the NCAA Tournament. But the Bruins have lost two out of three games to Central Florida and Troy State. So regardless of location, you have to beat the best to be the best.

Belmont does have the advantage of having one of the conference’s best players in senior forward Adam Mark. He leads the conference in scoring, averaging 20.6 points per game and is third in rebounds, averaging 8.1 rebounds per game.

Though Florida Atlantic is not in contention for the conference title, the Owls’ junior forward Mike Bell is in contention for conference most valuable player, averaging 19.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Bell has had double-doubles in the past six games, but the Owls have won just one of those games. Nobody from the Owls will win the Oscar for best supporting cast member.

If you prefer sweet passes to open wingmen, then check out Troy State’s Greg Davis. The junior point guard leads the league in assists, with nine assists per game. He has an assist/turnover ratio of 3:1, which means you want the ball in his hands at clutch time. And opponents with the ball better watch out, he averages 2.4 steals per game.

On to the team news, listed according to the conference standings.

Central Florida Golden Knights (18-4, 13-2)

The Golden Knights are in good position to at least share the regular season conference title with Troy State. Central Florida split the season series with Troy State and Belmont. Of the team’s final five games, three are at home. The most challenging game will be Georgia State.

In the last week of action, the Golden Knights beat Jacksonville 78-69 and Lipscomb 73-57. Central Florida has clinched a spot in the conference tournament and will almost certainly be one of the top two seeds. Central Florida lost at Belmont 77-61 earlier this season, so the Golden Knights will either have to find a way to beat the Bruin on their home floor in the conference tournament or hope and pray that someone else takes them out early in the tournament.

Troy State Trojans (16-5, 13-2)

The Trojans earned a spot near the top of the Atlantic Sun standings by beating Belmont and Central Florida in two out of three games. The Trojans can cement their top spot by beating Belmont Feb. 15 in Nashville, Tenn. Troy State has a tough road to finish the season – literally. Four of the team’s final five games are on the road. Although most are against weaker competition like Lipscomb and Jacksonville, the road can be dangerous for any team, regardless of conference standings. Troy State can secure a top four seed by winning just one of those final five games.

The Trojans extended their winning streak to six games last week by beating Mercer 81-77. Troy State is one of the nation’s highest scoring team, averaging nearly 87 points per game. They’ve scored more than 100 points in four conference games this season. If the Trojans can beat Belmont on the road and continue to build some momentum, they may be the team to beat in the conference tournament.

Belmont Bruins (17-5, 12-3)

The Bruins are in the midst of an eight-game winning streak, including a win over conference leader Central Florida. Belmont needs to beat Troy State Feb. 15 to take a step closer to the top of the standings. A loss will all but doom the Bruins chances for a regular season conference championship and top seed in the conference tournament. But the Bruins will be the host for the conference tournament, so a top three seed might as well be a top seed with the advantage that comes with playing in front of a friendly crowd. The Bruins must be wary not to slack off in the final games as they play Georgia State and Stetson, both of which would love to replace Belmont near the top of the standings.

Belmont beat Lipscomb 69-57 in the Bruins’ only game last week. The Bruins play great defense, holding seven of the last eight teams under 65 points. So strength will meet strength when the Bruins try to shut down Troy State’s potent offense Feb. 15.

Georgia State Panthers (14-8, 9-6)

Georgia State started conference play as one of the Atlantic Sun’s hottest teams, jumping out to an 8-2 start. But the Panthers hit a rough stretch, losing four consecutive games before beating Gardner Webb 72-60 last week. The win put the Panthers back in contention for a top four seed in the conference tournament. But the Panthers must continue to take care of business or else they will be replaced by Stetson for the fourth seed in the conference tournament. The Panthers only need to win one or two more games to clinch a spot in the conference tournament, but after such a fast start to the season, the Panthers are hoping to advance in the tournament, not merely make it.

To finish the season, the Panthers play two homes games and two road games. Georgia State plays two of the conference leaders, Central Florida and Belmont, which could make or break momentum for a postseason run.

Stetson Hatters (11-11, 9-7)

Weathering an eight-game and three-game losing streak, the Hatters built a recent four-game winning streak to climb back into the thick of the Atlantic Sun standings. With a 76-72 win over Florida Atlantic, the Hatters pulled to within a half game of Georgia State for third place in the conference. Despite the wins, the Hatters have not been able to separate from opponents, winning three of those four by less than five points.

Stetson does not appear to be an Atlantic Sun powerhouse, but the Hatters can build some steam to carry into the conference tournament if they win their last three games, all of which are at home, against Belmont, Lipscomb and Troy State. A win will guarantee Stetson a spot in the conference tournament.

Mercer Bears (10-14, 7-8)

The Bears are typical of most NCAA teams; they win most home games and they lose most away games. But the Bears are especially awful on the road, winning just one game on the road all season, which occurred in the first game of the season at Ohio.

With four games remaining, the Bears must go on the road two more times against Belmont and Lipscomb. If they continue to struggle on the road, the two home games against Central Florida and Florida Atlantic will become especially important. The Bears are currently in the sixth in the conference and must stay within the top eight teams to make the tournament. The game against Florida Atlantic, which is in eighth place, could be the difference between Mercer reaching the conference tournament and watching it from the sidelines.

Jacksonville Dolphins (11-12, 6-10)

Jacksonville started conference play losing eight of the team’s first nine games. But now they won five of seven games to claim seventh place in the conference, which is good enough to make the conference tournament. But the Dolphins must finish strong. They have a solid opportunity to do so with three home games against Lipscomb, Belmont and Troy State. If Jacksonville makes the tournament, the Dolphins will likely play one of those last two teams. So the Dolphins would do well to make a statement by proving they beat them at home. Otherwise, a win on a neutral court, which also happens to be Belmont’s home court, would be much more challenging.

Last week, the Dolphins lost to Central Florida 78-69 on the road. Although it’s a loss, it’s a loss to the conference leader in a close game on the road. Coaches and players may not like to rationalize a loss as a moral victory, but for Dolphin fans, the effort must be encouraging.

Florida Atlantic Owls (8-14, 5-10)

The Owls are in the midst of a six-game losing streak, which could cost them an opportunity to play in the conference tournament. No conference tournament, no prayers for an NCAA Tournament experience. Florida Atlantic has a tenuous hold on the eighth and final position for the conference tournament and must hold off Lipscomb, which is closest to overtaking the Owls. The two teams split the season series, each winning at home. Florida Atlantic plays two tough opponents, Georgia State and Mercer, on the road and two easy opponents, Gardner Webb and Campbell, at home. The Owls must win both home games and may need to steal a road win to reach the tournament.

Right now, though, the Owls would love to beat anybody. They lost to Stetson 76-72 last week to stretch that losing streak to eight.

Lipscomb Bisons (7-16, 4-11)

The Bisons are one of three Atlantic Sun teams on the outside of the conference tournament looking in. But they have five games to turn that around and steal a spot for the conference tournament in Nashville, Tenn. But Lipscomb has won only three of the last 12 games. The Bisons probably need to win four out of five to have the best shot at reaching the tournament. The Bisons don’t catch a break, however, playing five teams that are higher in the standings. They play Troy State, Georgia State and Mercer at home and Jacksonville and Stetson on the road.

The Bisons missed an opportunity to move in to a tie with Florida Atlantic for eighth when they lost to Belmont 69-57 last week.

Gardner Webb Bulldogs (6-18, 3-12)

Despite losing five straight games, the Bulldogs are not out of contention for the conference tournament. They are just two games behind Florida Atlantic, which is also struggling to find a win. To make the tournament, the Bulldogs absolutely have to win at home against Mercer and Campbell. After those two games, Gardner Webb visits conference leaders Central Florida and Troy State. The final game will be against Florida Atlantic, which could decide the final conference tournament spot, depending on how the Owls play down the stretch.

The Bulldogs dropped their last game to Georgia State 72-60. Offense has been a problem during the team’s recent losing streak as the Bulldogs have scored more than 61 points only once.

Campbell Camels (3-20, 3-13)

The Camels have not had a spectacular season this year, winning only three games all season. The postseason is not going to happen for Campbell, although the Camels are not statistically eliminated yet. The final three games are not easy, as the Camels go on the road to end the season against Gardner Webb, Florida Atlantic and Central Florida. Campbell can play the role of spoiler for Florida Atlantic and Central Florida if the Camels can knock off either team.

Campbell struggles on defense, as the Camels have hold only two opponents under 70 points this season. And they only won one of those two games. Last week, the Camels picked up their third win of the season by beating Mercer 69-66.

Atlantic Sun Notebook

Atlantic Sun Conference Notebook

by Jonathan Scherner

The Atlantic Sun is starting to get tight at the top. With Georgia State’s victory over Troy State Tuesday, Central Florida is the only undefeated team left in the conference. Troy State is still second with a record of 6-1, but the Panthers are hot on their trail at 5-2. Now if only someone could do something about the Golden Knights who seem almost unstoppable. Troy State will get their chance to take down Central Florida next Friday. If the Trojans can knock off the Knights, there will be quite the race to finish in the Atlantic Sun.

Golden Knights on a roll

Central Florida just keeps getting hotter as they won their 10th straight game against Florida Atlantic. The Knights dominated Florida Atlantic on the road 70-52 for their longest winning streak since Central Florida joined Division I in 1984.

Dexter Lyons opened the scoring with a three and Central Florida would never trail as they stretched their lead to as many as 25 in the second half. Lyons tied his career high with 25 points, including hitting five from beyond the arc. Roberto Morentin added 17 points and a team-high eight boards.

Player of the Week

Adam Mark: Belmont senior forward

Mark put up career numbers last week as the Bruins split two crucial conference showdowns. Mark averaged 30.5 points and 13.5 rebounds in the two games, including a season-high 31 in a win over Stetson. Mark followed up that performance with a career-high 44 minutes in an overtime loss to Troy State. In the loss, Mark scored 30 points and pulled down 16 boards, 10 of which were offensive.

Belmont Bruins (8-4, 3-2)

After quite possibly the biggest victory in school history over Missouri, the Bruins have cooled off slightly in conference play. As has been the case all season, Adam Mark is continuing to be the driving force behind their success. In the Bruins most recent games, Mark is averaging over 30 points and 13 boards a game. A 25-4 run propelled Belmont to 77-58 rout of Stetson, but Mark’s 30 points and 16 boards weren’t enough to pull off another upset as Troy State won 82-80 on a lay in at the buzzer.

Campbell Camels (0-13, 0-6)

If you are a Camels fan, this is becoming an all too familiar refrain: Campbell remained winless on the season. The Camels made a late run at Mercer, but came up short once again. Campbell fought back from a 23 point second half deficit, but it wasn’t enough as Mercer held on for a six point victory. It wasn’t as close against Gardner-Webb as the Bulldogs dominated in a 79-62 win for the first victory of the Atlantic Sun conference season. Campbell looks to break through in the win column Saturday against Jacksonville.

Central Florida Golden Knights (12-2, 7-0)

The Golden Knights just keep getting better. With their 70-52 dominating performance against Florida Atlantic, Central Florida has now won 10 straight and there doesn’t appear to be any let up in the future. Dextor Lyons and Roberto Morentin lead the way for the Knights as they average a combined 30 points a game. Central Florida looks to stay on track at home against Mercer and Lipscomb before a crucial road trip to second place Troy State next Friday.

Florida Atlantic Owls (7-7, 4-3)

After a solid start to the conference season, things have taken a turn for the worse for Florida Atlantic. The Owls jumped out to a 4-1 start, but have fallen on tough times recently as they have now lost two straight, including their first conference home game. Florida Atlantic lost in overtime at Stetson as Anthony Register scored seven of his 18 points in the OT. The Owls followed that loss with a 70-52 loss at home to conference leading Central Florida. The Owls look to get back on track in a crucial home match up with Belmont.

Gardner-Webb Bulldogs (4-11, 1-5)

The Bulldogs finally found their touch as they picked up their first conference win over hapless Campbell. The Bulldogs jumped out quickly with a 20-3 run in the first half that put the game away. Brian Bender scored 21 to lead Gardner-Webb to the 79-62 win. The Bulldogs look to keep the momentum going at home against Stetson Saturday.

Georgia State Panthers (10-4, 5-2)

The Panthers have hit their stride. Georgia State used two free throws from Herman Favors with no time left to upset Troy State and keep the Panthers alive in the race for the conference title. D’Andre McGrew and Nate Williams led the Panthers with 19 points each for their fourth straight victory. Georgia State has another tough conference showdown as they host Mercer Friday night.

Jacksonville Dolphins (6-7, 1-5)

After a good start to the season, the Dolphins have fallen on hard times in the conference season. Jacksonville lost their most recent game to Stetson as a buzzer-beater by Aubrey Conerly came up just short in the two point loss. Conerly took a missed free throw and went the length of the court, but his leaner was just off target. Conerly led Jacksonville with 13 points. The Dolphins should pick up their second conference win when they take on winless Campbell at home Saturday.

Lipscomb Bisons (4-9, 1-4)

The Bisons had a week off to recover from a thumping they took from Troy State. The Trojans knocked down 21 threes on their way to a 100-72 victory. Albert Hacker was the lone bright spot for the Bisons as he got his second double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 boards. Things aren’t going to get any easier for Lipscomb when travel to Central Florida.

Mercer Bears (7-8, 4-2)

Mercer keeps hanging around the race for the conference crown. The Bears have victories over Stetson and Gardner-Webb in the last week, but their real challenge is still to come as they have showdowns with Georgia State and Troy State in the next week. Scott Emerson has been the key for Mercer this season as he is averaging 19 points and nine boards a game. If the Bears hope to stay in this race, Emerson will have to lead them to a few more important victories.

Stetson Hatters (4-8, 2-4)

In what has been a disappointing season so far, the Hatters picked up a couple of nice wins over Jacksonville and Florida Atlantic, both of which came down to the wire. Stetson survived a last second shot against Jacksonville and had to go to overtime to knock off Florida Atlantic. The Hatters have a good chance of salvaging their season as they have two easy road games at Gardner-Webb and Campbell before returning home to face Mercer.

Troy State Trojans (10-3, 6-1)

The Trojans can’t let their loss to Georgia State knock them off track. Troy State had gotten off to an undefeated start to the conference season before Herman Favors hit two free throws with no time left to give the Trojans their first conference loss at 84-83. Greg Davis is stepping it up in his final season as he is averaging 16 points and nine assists a game. The Trojans don’t have time to think about the Georgia State loss with games against rising Mercer and conference leading Central Florida in the next week.

Atlantic Sun Notebook

Atlantic Sun Conference Notebook

by Doug McKinney

What a week it’s been for the Atlantic Sun. Well, mostly for Belmont.
That’s right the Bruins of Belmont capped one of the biggest wins in school
and conference history, upsetting Missouri, 71-67. The Bruins had four
players score in double figures to get their first ever win over a ranked
opponent. It took six tries for the Bruins to accomplish the feat.

Sharing the Honors

The National Championship title of college football is not the only thing
being shared in the world of sports. Seniors Josh Bodden (Central Florida)
and Steve Drabyn (Belmont) share Atlantic Sun Player(s) of the week this
week. Bodden held averages of 19.5 points and 9.0 rebounds through a span
of two games last week, while Drabyn helped lead the Bruins to upset
Missouri with 16 points and has moved up to fifth place on Belmont’s career
three-pointers list with 226.

Belmont (7-3, 2-1)

The Belmont Bruins have a lot of good things going for them. Not only did
they beat Missouri, but Belmont has found themselves at 7-3 overall, 2-1 in
the A-Sun, and with a four game home winning streak. Adam Mark, Jese
Snyder, Steve Drabyn, and Nick Otis all scored in double figures to lead
Belmont over Mizzou. After their win at Missouri, the Bruins used momentum
to knock off Jacksonville, 70-54. Senior forward Adam Mark has been the
driving force for the Bruins. The 2003 Atlantic Sun Male Student-Athlete of
the Year is averaging over 18 points and 7 rebounds this year. Belmont
played Monday against Stetson and will travel to A-Sun foe Troy State on
Jan. 8 before waiting nine days to play their next conference game, when
they’re pitted with Florida Atlantic.

Campbell (0-10, 0-3)

After the letter B comes the letter C. Translation, after the great report
about Belmont basketball, comes time for Campbell’s report. And
unfortunately for Camel fans, the news isn’t good. The Camels find
themselves winless not only in conference play but overall. Campbell, who
was picked to finish 10th in the Atlantic Sun, can only smile at the fact
that they are one of four teams that are winless in conference play in the
A-Sun. The Senior-Freshmen guard tandem of Tarick Johnson and Anthony
Atkinson are producing about a third of the team’s scoring. That’s not
going to get the job done.

Central Florida (8-2, 3-0)

The Golden Knights had a hot winter break and that’s not because they’re
based in Orlando, Florida….but because they’ve won six straight. UCF had
three players score in double figures as they routed Georgia State 70-60 for
their third A-Sun victory. Josh Bodden led the Golden Knights with 15
points and 8 rebounds. UCF will be on the road this week when they travel
to face at Stetson (Jan. 9) and Jacksonville (Jan. 11)

Florida Atlantic (6-4, 3-0)

FAU started the season off losing to South Florida and Georgia, but have won
their last six out of last eight games. The Owls are averaging 82 points a
game where most of the credit go to upperclassmen Mike Bell (20.0 ppg),
Pierre Tucker (14.3) and Earnest Crumbley (13.3). Up next for the Owls is
inter-state road trips to Jacksonville (Jan. 9) and Stetson (Jan. 11).

Gardner-Webb (3-8, 0-2)

The Bulldogs are one of the four winless teams in the Atlantic Sun and are
still trying to find their identity. GWU has started 8 different players in
their starting line-up and must play well on their upcoming road trip.
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they won’t play at home again until Jan. 17.

Georgia State (6-4, 1-2)

At this time last year the Panthers found themselves at 4-6 and legendary
coach Lefty Driesell handed the head coaching duties over to then associate
head coach Mike Perry. This year Georgia State, the Atlantic Sun Preseason
champions, are 6-4 and have started off 1-2 in conference play. Junior Nate
Williams is chipping in 14 points a game for the Panthers, as they’re
getting senior leadership from guards Kevin Thomas (12.1 ppg) and Trello
Galloway (10.1)

Jacksonville (5-4, 0-2)

With the exception of the double overtime loss to Troy State, Jacksonville
has gotten blown out in their other three loses. The good news is the
Dolphins have back to back conference home games coming up this week. The
bad news, those home games are against undefeated A-Sun opponents. The
Dolphins are winless in the A-Sun and need more help other than David Lee
and Haminn Quaintance.

Lipscomb (4-7, 1-2)

The Bisons defeated Stetson giving them their first Atlantic Sun victory of
the year. However, their next three games are against the undefeated teams
of the Atlantic Sun. The Bisons are in their first year as a member of the
Atlantic Sun conference, but won’t be eligible to compete in the conference
tournament. Led by Brian Fisk and James Poindexter, the Bisons might give
some Atlantic Sun teams some problems this year, though.

Mercer (5-7, 2-1)

The Mercer Bears are on of the many college basketball teams riding on a
roller coaster season this year. After losing by 57 points to Alabama the
Bears dropped another game, this time to conference foe FAU. Before the
pair of loses, Mercer was riding a four game winning streak. Before the
winning streak, came a five game losing streak. Go figure. If the Bears
start playing consistent basketball, though, they could be a serious threat
for the Atlantic Sun title. The Bears have a very balanced offensive attack
led by five players that are averaging over 10 points a game, including
Scott Emerson’s 19 points a game. Not to mention, Emerson is pulling down
around 9 rebounds per game. If the Bears play consistent they’ll enjoy a
ride to the top; if not, they’ll be plummeting down Splash Mountain.

Stetson (2-6, 0-2)

Right now the only good news for the Hatters is that they will host first
and second round regional action of the men’s NCAA tournament. The last win
for the Hatters was all the way back in well, November, when they won their
first two games of the year. That means the Hatters has lost six in a row.
Young and energetic head coach Derek Waugh looks to have a rebuilding season
on his hands as next year he’ll get a pair of transfers from Tulane and
Richmond.

Troy State (7-3, 3-0)

Closing out the trio of undefeated teams in the Atlantic Sun is the mighty
Trojans of Troy State. Two of the Trojans losses came to respectable
program, but a loss to the Christian Brothers University doesn’t look good
on their record. Other than that, the Trojans have a lot of good things
going for them. Much like Mercer, Troy State has the luxury of having five
players average double figures in scoring. The 1-2 punch combo of senior
forwards Rob Lewin and Kendrick Johnson are averaging a total of around 32
points and 16 rebounds a game total. Also, the Trojans have the pleasure in
hosting two conference games this week, when Belmont and Lipscomb come into
town.