GAME NOTES: HENDERSON STATE/LeMOYNE OWEN at DELTA STATE (Nov. 13-18, 2012)
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - The Statesmen (0-0, 0-0 GSC) of Delta State University officially begin the Jim Boone Era with a five game home stand starting Tuesday, Nov. 13 versus Henderson State University.  Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Walter Sillers Coliseum.  The weekend concludes Saturday, Nov. 17, as DSU welcomes LeMoyne Owen College to Cleveland.  Saturday's contest is set for 4 p.m.   The HSU contest will be broadcast on the Statesmen Sports Network starting at 6:45 p.m. on WMJW 107.5 FM.  

Tuesday's showdown rekindles an old Gulf South Conference rivalry between the Reddies (0-0, 0-0 GAC) of Henderson State and the Statesmen (0-0, 0-0 GSC) of Delta State.  The game marks the 47th meeting all-time between the two regional foes.  The Statesmen own a 24-22 edge in the series standings, including a pair of victories over HSU last season.  DSU claimed two buzzer beater victories last season, including a 94-92 win in Arkadelphia, Ark., and a 58-57 win in Cleveland.  In fact, the two wins represented 33 percent of DSU's win total a year ago.

Jim Boone enters his first season as head coach of the Statesmen, while bringing 26 years of collegiate experience to Walter Sillers Coliseum.  The Winfield, W.V., native is 430-328 in his career, including six conference championships, four tournament titles and seven NCAA postseason appearances.  Twice Boone led California (Pa.) to the NCAA Final Four.

Terry Leake, Jr., a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, was named to the Gulf South Conference Preseason All-GSC Team by a vote of the league's coaches in October.  The Memphis, Tenn., native, who was an Second Team All-GSC pick in 2011-12, led the Statesmen in scoring (14.0) and was second in rebounding (4.4) last season.  

Junior point guard Cornel Knight is looking to build upon a solid sophomore campaign last season.  The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 8.0 points and 2.7 assists per game.  The Mobile, Ala., native transferred to DSU from Marion Military Institute prior to last season. 

The Statesmen return just four letterman off last season's squad, joining Leake, Jr., and Knight are Ryan Smith, a 6-foot-5 power forward, and John Hudson, a 6-foot-7 forward.  Smith averaged 3.7 points per game, while Hudson delivered 1.9 points and 1.8 rebounds a game.

Delta State will feature 10 newcomers this season, including two with international flare.  Australia natives Jack Madgen, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard, and Declan Harrick, a 6-foot-9 center, will figure heavily in the plans for the Statesmen this season. 

The Statesmen were picked to finish sixth overall this season in the annual Gulf South Conference Preseason Coaches Poll.  DSU received 20 poll points, while preseason favorite and defending league champion Alabama-Huntsville garnered 49.

Delta State went 0-2 in exhibition play to start the season with a pair of losses to NCAA Division I competition.  The Statesmen fell 62-59 at Mississippi Valley State (11.1) while dropping a 68-49 decision at Vanderbilt (11.5).  Terry Leake, Jr., scored in double figures in both games, including a team-high 17 points and seven rebounds versus the Commodores.

UP NEXT
Delta State officially opens the 2012-13 regular season on Tuesday, Nov. 13, as the Statesmen welcome Henderson State University to Walter Sillers Coliseum.  Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.  

BOONE ERA BEGINS
The Statesmen (0-0, 0-0 GSC) of Delta State University officially begin the Jim Boone Era with five straight home games at Walter Sillers Coliseum, including the season-opener Tuesday, Nov. 13 versus Henderson State University.  Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.  DSU closes the week with a showdown versus LeMoyne Owen on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 4 p.m.

The Winfield, W.V., native is 430-328 in his career, including six conference championships, four tournament titles and seven NCAA postseason appearances.  Twice Boone led California (Pa.) to the NCAA Final Four.

STATESMEN PICKED TO FINISH SIXTH IN GSC; LEAKE NAMED PRESEASON ALL-GSC
For the third consecutive year, Alabama-Huntsville was selected as a GSC Men's Basketball Pre-Season Coaches' Poll Favorite.  Delta State was picked sixth. 

UAH was also a unanimous selection by the league's head coaches for the second year in a row, securing seven first-place votes en route to 49 points.  The Chargers proved the prognosticators correct a year ago, capturing their first-ever GSC Tournament Title and also claiming their second straight NCAA South Regional Championship.

Christian Brothers came in second (36) after posting runner-up efforts in last year's GSC and Regional Finals.  Third-place West Georgia (30) was the only other team to hit the 30-point total, while fourth-place West Alabama earned the lone remaining first-place vote to rack up 29 points.  North Alabama (26) finished in the No. 5 spot, while Delta State and Valdosta State finished in a tie for sixth-place (20).  West Florida rounded out the Pre-Season list by garnering 14 points.

Alabama-Huntsville was the lone school to place multiple players by posting at least two members for the third year in a row.  Senior guard Jaime Smith and senior forward Zane Campbell return to the Pre-Season squad for the third consecutive season.  Smith collected All-GSC First Team laurels a year ago, while Campbell is a 2011 First Team winner.  Both players helped lead the Chargers to their first-ever GSC Title and second straight NCAA Regional Crown.  Smith led the GSC a year ago in three-point field goal percentage (.486—107-220) and was second in free throw percentage (.849—146-172) and third in scoring (18.0).  Campbell, a former GSC Player of the Year in 2010-11, placed third in field goal percentage (.607—193-318) and blocked shots (1.3) and ninth in scoring (14.7).

Delta State senior forward Terry Leake, West Alabama senior guard Steven Samuels and Christian Brothers junior guard Harry Green round out the GSC Pre-Season Team.  Leake finished ninth in the Conference in steals a year ago (0.7) and 10th in scoring (14.0).  Samuels is UWA's first Pre-Season player since 2010 after he led the Tigers in scoring (14.1) and rebounding (6.4) in just 17 games.  Green started in all but one of CBU's 32 contests a year ago, placing eighth in the GSC in assists (3.3) and ninth in assists/turnover ratio (1.4).

DELTA STATE-HENDERSON STATE CONTINUE RIVALRY
Tuesday's showdown rekindles an old Gulf South Conference rivalry between the Reddies (0-0, 0-0 GAC) of Henderson State and the Statesmen (0-0, 0-0 GSC) of Delta State.  HSU left the GSC last summer to become a member of the Great American Conference. 

The game marks the 47th meeting all-time between the two regional foes.  The Statesmen own a 24-22 edge in the series standings, including a pair of victories over HSU last season.  DSU defeated HSU in two buzzer beaters last season, a 94-92 win in Arkadelphia, Ark., and a 58-57 win in Cleveland.  In fact, the two wins represented 33 percent of DSU's win total a year ago.

STATESMEN LOOKING TO TRIP UP MAGICIANS
The Statesmen will have their hands full on Saturday, Nov. 17 as the Magicians of LeMoyne Owen College invade Walter Sillers Coliseum.   The game marks the 10th meeting all-time between the two schools and the first since 2006.  LOC holds a narrow 5-4 lead in the series, including an 82-71 win in the last meeting on Nov. 25, 2006 in Memphis, Tenn. 

KNIGHT READY TO LEAD FROM PG SPOT
Junior point guard Cornel Knight is looking to build upon a solid sophomore campaign last season.  The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 8.0 points and 2.7 assists per game.  The Mobile, Ala., native transferred to DSU from Marion Military Institute prior to last season. 

In 2011-12 the Statesmen won six games, oddly each DSU victory came in contests where Knight scored in double figures. 

SMITH & HUDSON READY FOR SENIOR CHALLENGE
The Statesmen return just four lettermen off last season's squad, joining Leake, Jr., and Knight are Ryan Smith, a 6-foot-5 power forward, and John Hudson, a 6-foot-7 forward.  Smith averaged 3.7 points per game, while Hudson delivered 1.9 points and 1.8 rebounds a game.

DOWN UNDER STATESMEN
Delta State will feature 10 newcomers this season, including two with international flare.  Australia natives Jack Madgen, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard, and Declan Harrick, a 6-foot-9 center, will figure heavily in the plans for the Statesmen this season.

The duo are the first Australians to play for DSU since former power forward Oliver Mansour, a 6-foot-8 Melbourne native, finished his career in 2009-2010. 

HOME SWEET SILLERS
The Statesmen will feel right at home this season, as DSU opens the 2012-13 campaign with five consecutive home games at Sillers Coliseum.  Traditionally one of Division II's most difficult venues, the Green-and-White will play a total of 15 home games this year. 

LOOKING FOR 16
Should the Statesmen collect 16 victories this year, two major milestones will fall for the program - 1,200 all-time victories and 700 Gulf South Conference wins. The Statesmen boast the second most wins all-time amongst GSC institutions with a career record of 1,184-788-1.  DSU is also a blistering 684-444 in league games.

SIX AND COUNTING
Delta State enters the 2012-13 season with six Gulf South Conference championships, the most by any member institution.  The Statesmen also own GSC records for postseason tournament appearances (24), wins (26), semifinal berths (17) and finals appearances (12).

WE WANT TO BE LIKE MIKE
The Statesmen will be wearing Nike head-to-toe this season after DSU Athletics finalized a deal with the athletic apparel giant last summer. 

STATESMEN, NOT FIGHTING OKRA
Despite some rowdy student objections, athletic programs at Delta State University do not use the student-chosen sub-mascot, Fighting Okra.  The Fighting Okra, the most vicious of all vegetables, was created by a band of students at DSU in the late 1980's and early 1990's.  While some on campus embrace the scary veggie, DSU Athletics does not.  Our programs have always been, and will continue to be the Statesmen and Lady Statesmen.  If you have a problem with that, take it up with the vegetable in the corner with boxing gloves.

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