GAME NOTES: No.10 Christian Brothers University (3-1, 0-0 GSC) at Delta State University (2-2, 0-0 GSC) - Dec. 1, 2012
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - The Statesmen (2-2, 0-0 GSC) of Delta State University face their first Gulf South Conference and nationally ranked opponent, as the Buccaneers(3-1, 0-0 GSC) of the Christian Brothers University travel to Walter Sillers Coliseum on Saturday, Dec. 01.  Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.      

In the 84 previous meetings between the two schools the Statesmen hold a 49-35 overall advantage over the Bucs, but the team from just up the road has had the Green-and-White's number the last couple of outings with the most recent being a 78-68 loss inside Sillers Colliseum on Feb. 23, 2012.

Delta State is coming off a 1-1 week, as the Statesmen split with Arkansas-Monticello (L, 61-58) and Concordia-Selma (W, 67-62).  Behind the 23 points and seven rebounds of Terry Leake, Jr., the Statesmen rebounded for a 67-62 victory over LOC to give coach Jim Boone his victory as head coach at DSU. 

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, currently leads the GSC in scoring (24.0) and is third in rebounding (10.0).  

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 has jumped started his season averaging 8.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game for the Statesmen.

Freshman shooting guard Jack Madgen is making the most of his opportunities for the Statesmen.  The Williamstown, Australia native is averaging 11.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game thus far.

Jim Boone (2-2/DSU) 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 432-330 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.

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 hits the road for the first time in the regular season, as the Statesmen travel to Miles College on Dec. 8 for a 3 p.m. tipoff.  DSU will conclude its two-game road swing at UA-Monticello on Dec. 15 for a 4 p.m. tilt.

DELTA STATE FACES FIRST RANKED TEAM OF SEASON IN #10 CHRISTIAN BROTHERS
Saturday's contest against Gulf South Conference foe Christian Brothers University will mark the first time that Delta State will have faced a nationally ranked  opponent and will be the first conference opponent of the 2012-13 season.

In the 84 previous meetings between the two schools, the Statesmen hold a 49-35 overall advantage over the Bucs, but the team from just up the road has had the Green-and-White's number the last couple of outings with the most recent being a 78-68 loss inside Sillers Colliseum on Feb. 23, 2012.

KNIGHT LEADS STATESMEN 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. In 2011-12 the Statesmen won six games, oddly each DSU victory came in contests where Knight scored in double figures. Through four games this season, the Marion Military Institute transfer is averaging 8.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.

LEAKE LEADS GSC IN SCORING
After leading the Statesmen in scoring in the first four games of the season, Terry Leake Jr. also leads the Gulf South Conference in that category. The Memphis, Tenn., native has posted two double-doubles on the season putting up 29 point/13 rebound performance against LeMoyne Owen and a 22 point/14 rebound game against Arkansas-Monticello. The Marion Military Institute transfer also pulled down a career best 14 rebounds in the loss against UAM. Leake is the only player in the GSC averaging a double double and leads the way with 24.0 points per game while he also ranks third in the GSC with 10.0 rebounds per contest.

MADGEN LEARNING AS HE GOES
Jack Madgen has been forced to learn on the fly for the Statesmen basketball team. The freshman has started in every game of his collegiate career, and has averaged 11.3 points while doing so. The Williamstown, South Australia native has also made six shots from three-point range, which ranks second on the team. His 11.3 points per game rank third.

WEEMS WOWS WITH 3-BALL
Michael Weems exploded offensively for the Statesmen on Tuesday, Nov. 27 against Concorida - Selma posting a career-high 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from behind the arc in the 67-62 win over the Hornets. The Milwalkee, Wis., native has shot an amazing 9-of-18 (.500) from behind the 3-point line so far this season.

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 15
Should the Statesmen collect 15 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 1,185-789-1.  DSU is also a blistering 684-444 in league games.

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).

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).

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.