GAME NOTES: Miles College at Delta State University Statesmen (12.7.13)
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - The Delta State University Men's Basketball team will face its final nonconference opponent of the season this Saturday, Dec. 7 as the Statesmen (6-1) host Mile College (0-3) at Sillers Coliseum. Saturday's tipoff is set for 4 p.m.
The Statesmen and Bears have met on nine previous occasions with DSU owning a 7-2 lead in the series standings. The Statesmen fell 57-50 a year ago at Miles in the last meeting between the two schools. The Bears haven't won at Sillers Coliseum since a 61-60 victory on Nov. 18, 2006.
THE OPENING TIP
A year ago, the Statesmen offense averaged 59.5 points per game, but this season coach
Jim Boone has turned up the offense to a blistering 74.4 points per game. In fact, the Statesmen have four players averaging in double figures, led by
Willie Readus' 19.6 points per game.
Senior guard
Cornel Knight scored his 500th career point at Delta State with six points in DSU's 90-71 win over Selma University. The 6-foot-3 Mobile, Ala., native has scored 523 points in 61 games for DSU, including 343 rebounds and 182 assists.
Senior power forward
Willie Readus enters the week leading the Statesmen in scoring (19.6 ppg) and rebounding (10.7). The Morton, Miss., native has scored in double figures in every game this season, including a season-high 31 points at LeMoyne-Owen and 17 rebounds versus Cumberland. The Jackson State University transfer is currently second in the GSC in scoring and third in rebounding, but he is the only player averaging a double-double.
Jack Madgen, a sophomore shooting guard from Williamstown, Australia, broke the 300 points scored plateau with seven points in DSU's 82-71 win at LeMoyne-Owen. In just 34 games, Madgen has scored 355 points (10.4 ppg). Madgen is 120-of-291 from the field (41.2 percent), including 51 made 3-pointers.
True freshman point guard
Devin Schmidt has made an immediate impact on DSU, averaging 10.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.
Alister Chisholm is proving to be quite the sixth man for the Statesmen, as the redshirt junior is averaging 10.6 points and 4.7 rebounds a game off the bench.
Jim Boone (West Virginia State, 1981) is in his second season as head coach at Delta State. He guided the Statesmen to a 11-16 overall finish in 2012-13 in his first season at DSU. His career record stands at 447-345, but he owns an outstanding 355-183 mark in NCAA DII play. Boone spent 10 seasons as coach at California (Pa.), where he led the Vulcans to six PSAC titles, nine NCAA Tournament appearances and two NCAA Final Fours. His "Pack Line" defense is known as one of the top defensive systems in the game.
The Statesmen were picked to finish fourth in the GSC Preseason Coaches Poll. Delta State received one third place vote, three fourth place votes, and two fifth place votes for a total of 27 points. North Alabama was selected the 2013-14 GSC Men's Basketball Pre-Season Coaches' Poll favorite.
IN THE PAINT
STATESMEN & BEARS RENEW IN-REGION RIVALRY
The Delta State University Men's Basketball team will face its final nonconference opponent of the season this Saturday, Dec. 7 as the Statesmen (6-1) host Mile College (0-3) at Sillers Coliseum. Saturday's tipoff is set for 4 p.m.
The Statesmen and Bears have met on nine previous occasions with DSU owning a 7-2 lead in the series standings. The Statesmen fell 57-50 a year ago at Miles in the last meeting between the two schools. The Bears haven't won at Sillers Coliseum since a 61-60 victory on Nov. 18, 2006.
STATESMEN CLAIM 1200th VICTORY
Delta State eclipsed the 1,200 win plateau after defeating Selma 90-71 and Champion Baptist 78-37 last week. The Statesmen are 1,202-805-1 all-time, boasting the second most victories in Gulf South Conference history with 691.
READUS LEADING WAY FOR STATESMEN
Senior power forward Willie Readus enters the week leading the Statesmen in scoring (19.6 ppg) and rebounding (10.7). The Morton, Miss., native has scored in double figures in every game this season, including a season-high 31 points at LeMoyne-Owen and 17 rebounds versus Cumberland.
The Jackson State University transfer is currently second in the GSC in scoring and third in rebounding, but he is the only player averaging a double-double.
SCHMIDT MAKING IMPACT AS FRESHMAN
Devin Schmidt, a 6-foot-4 point guard from Sevierville, Tenn., has made an immediate impact on the Statesmen this season. The freshman is averaging 10.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for coach Jim Boone's Statesmen.
Schmidt's 3.4 assists per game rank sixth in the GSC, while 1.8 assist/turnover ratio is eighth.
In DSU's 79-73 overtime win over Eckerd, Schmidt provided the spark in overtime to lift the Statesmen to the victory.
STATESMEN CLIP BULLDOGS 64-49
The Delta State University men's basketball team picked up its sixth consecutive victory of the season with a 64-49 win over Cumberland University Saturday, Nov. 30 at Walter Sillers Coliseum. The Statesmen improved to 6-1 on the year, while handing the Bulldogs (7-1) their first loss of the season.
Delta State placed four players in double figures with Willie Readus picking up his third double-double with 14 points and 17 rebounds. The Morton, Miss., native was just 2-of-6 from the field, but connected on 10-of-14 from the free throw line.
Cornel Knight (12), who also had 10 rebounds, Mike Washington (11) and Jack Madgen (10) joined Readus in double figures.
The Statesmen finished the game 23-of-52 (44.2 percent), including 15-of-27 (55.6 percent) at the free throw line. Defensively, the Statesmen had one of their better performances of the season after holding the Bulldogs to 15-of-55 from the field for a season-low 27.3 percent.
DSU, led on the backboards 43-33, dominated the paint, outscoring CU 38-14.
SIX AND COUNTING
Delta State enters the 2013-14 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).
KNIGHT SCORES 500th POINT AT DELTA STATE
Senior guard Cornel Knight scored his 500th career point at Delta State with six points in DSU's 90-71 win over Selma University. The 6-foot-3 Mobile, Ala., native has scored 523 points in 59 games for DSU, including 343 rebounds and 182 assists.
DEFENSE NAME OF THE GAME FOR BOONE'S STATESMEN
The Statesmen are led by one of the nation's top defensive coaches in Jim Boone. The 27-year veteran skipper has hung his hat on his ability to draw up defenses to stop any opponent.
Delta State was one of the top defensive units in the GSC last season, allowing opponents a mere 61.1 points per game and 41.3 percent shooting from the floor.
TURNING UP THE OFFENSE
A year ago, the Statesmen offense averaged 59.5 points per game, but this season coach Jim Boone has turned up the offense to a blistering 74.4 points per game. In fact, the Statesmen have four players averaging in double figures, led by Willie Readus' 19.6 points per game. Jack Madgen (11.6) is second followed by Devin Schmidt (10.6) and Alister Chisholm (10.6). Mike Washington is on the cusp of double figures, adding 8.6 per game.
GETTING TO THE LINE & CONVERTING
There's no secret to the early success for the Statesmen this season. It's been the free throw line. In five games, DSU has attempted 225 free throws to our opponents' 99.
The Statesmen are 164-of-225 at the line for 72.9 percent. DSU is attempting 23.4 free throws per game, while the opposition is attempting 10.4 per contest. In 27 games last year, the Statesmen attempted 427 freebies.
BOONE NEARING 450-WIN PLATEAU
Statesmen head coach Jim Boone needs just three victories to eclipse 450 wins for his career. His career record stands at 447-345, but he owns an outstanding 355-183 mark in NCAA DII play.
Boone (West Virginia State, 1981) is in his second season as head coach at Delta State. He guided the Statesmen to a 11-16 overall finish in 2012-13 in his first season at DSU.
Boone spent 10 seasons as coach at California (Pa.), where he led the Vulcans to six PSAC titles, nine NCAA Tournament appearances and two NCAA Final Fours. His "Pack Line" defense is known as one of the top defensive systems in the game.
ON THE BOARDS
The Statesmen enter the week with a massive lead on the boards this season, averaging 40.7 to the oppositions 30.9 per game. Through seven games, the Statesmen have cleared 285 rebounds as compared to 216 for their opponents.
SHOT CHANGERS
Senior center Mike Washington and guard Cornel Knight have proven to be two of the GSC's best when it comes to blocked shots. Washington enters the week ranked fifth in the league with five blocks (1.0 bpg), while Knight is 10th with three blocks (0.8 bpg).
MADGEN NEARING CAREER LIST
Sophomore shooting guard Jack Madgen is quickly approaching Delta State's career chart for 3-pointers made. The Williamstown, South Australia native is 51-of-140 from 3-point range in his career, needing 36 made 3-pointers to crack the top 10.
DELTA STATE PICKED TO FINISH FOURTH IN GSC
As the Statesmen prepare for the 2013-2014 season, the GSC Coaches Preseason Poll picked Delta State to finish fourth in the annual vote. North Alabama was selected the 2013-14 GSC Men's Basketball Pre-Season Coaches' Poll favorite in the closest voting in recent memory. Seven points separates the poll's top three squads and four teams collected at least one first-place vote.
UNA garnered the four first-place votes, en route to 44 points, while defending Champion Christian Brothers clipped the Lions' heels with 43 points led by two first-place nods.
Alabama-Huntsville posted one first-place vote and came in third-place via 37 total points. Delta State (27) and Valdosta State (20) finished, fourth and fifth, respectively. West Alabama owned the final first-place vote and sixth-place via 19 points, while West Florida and West Georgia tied for the final position at 17 points.
All eight teams advance to the 2014 GSC Tournament which returns to the Pete Hanna Center on the campus of Samford University in Birmingham, AL from March 6-9.
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.
