GAME NOTES: Delta State at SSC/GSC Challenge (11.15-16.14)
 
CLEVELAND, Miss. – Delta State University men's basketball is set for the season opener in Lakeland, Florida for the second annual Sunshine State Conference/Gulf South Conference Challenge. The Statesmen will tipoff with Eckerd College on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2:00 p.m. EST. Tournament play will wrap up the following day when DSU takes on the Mocs of Florida Southern at 4:00 p.m. EST.
 

STATESMEN GAME DAY INFORMATION
Date/Location:	Nov. 15-16, 2014 | Jenkins Field House | Lakeland, Fla.
Tipoff Time:	Eckerd College 2:00 p.m. EST Florida Southern College 4:00 p.m. EST
Radio:	Statesmen Sports Network | Philip Tang (PxP)
Series History:	3rd meeting with EC; Statesmen lead series 2-0 5th meeting with FSC; Mocs lead 3-1
Live Audio:	Listen here Only FSC game
Live Stats:	Live Stats Link
Live Video:	Watch here

 
 
TIPOFF
To prepare for the upcoming season, head coach Jim Boone and company hit the road for three days to participate in a Division I caravan against Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Jackson State.

Sophomore Devin Schmidt rose to the occasion against the tough competition, leading the Statesmen in two of the three contests.

The 6-foot-4 guard dropped 25 points against Mississippi State to open the road trip, 11 points against Ole Miss, and contributed a double-double in the finale against Jackson State with 13 points and 11 boards to average 16.3 points per game in exhibition play.

Jack Madgen was a steady hand for DSU in its exhibition play. The Aussie led four Statesmen in double figures, with 17 points in their 97-58 loss to Ole Miss.

Cleveland native PJ Davis proved his raw power by being one of the top players in all three contests. The freshman guard saw valuable minutes and combined for 19 points and 16 rebounds in his first time in a Delta State uniform.

Second-half play was crucial for the Statesmen staying within reach of their opponents. DSU outscored the Bulldogs and Tigers in the second half.

For the second year in a row, Delta State men's basketball is participating in the Sunshine State Conference/Gulf South Conference Challenge. After hosting the tournament last season, DSU will travel to Lakeland, Fla. as Florida Southern hosts Eckerd, Delta State, and West Alabama.

DSU opened last season with games against Florida Southern College and Eckerd College and will follow suit this season.

The Green-and-White began 2013-14 with an 89-66 loss to Florida Southern, a team that jumped as high as No. 2 in the NABC poll last season. A day later, DSU earned a thrilling 79-73 overtime victory over Eckerd College.

Of the top performers in the Delta State/Florida Southern matchup last season, one returns in FSC's senior Kevin Capers who lead all scorers with 23 points. Mike Washington and Willie Readus contributed 18 points and 17 points respectively in DSU's loss.

Two primary scorers in the DSU/Eckerd contest return for the rematch this season, one from each squad. Devin Schmidt drained 18 points to lead the Statesmen as a freshman, while EC's Jerrick Stevenson scored 16 points.

The Statesmen debuted at No. 13 in the NABC Preseason Poll last week, while the Mocs of Florida Southern came in at No. 9.

Jenkins Field House plays host to the SSC/GSC Challenge. Delta State is 4-3 overall in Lakeland, Fla., posting a 2-1 record there in last season's NCAA South Region Tournament.
 

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DELTA STATE CAPTURES 2013-14 GSC REGULAR SEASON CROWN 
The Statesmen clinched the GSC regular season title on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014 with a 77-71 victory at Union in Fred Delay Gym.  It was the first regular season crown for Delta State (16-4) since the 2005-2006 campaign.
 
THE MAN BEHIND THE SWEATERVEST
The Statesmen are led by one of the nation's top defensive coaches in Jim Boone.  The 28-year veteran skipper has hung his hat on his ability to draw up defenses to stop any opponent.  In last year's regular season, the Statesmen allowed a league-best 65.2 points and 39.5 percent shooting per game; ranking 11th nationally in scoring defense and eighth in field goal percentage defense.
 
With another season like the Statesmen had last year, Jim Boone will eclipse 400 career wins in Division II. He now holds a .655 win percentage with a 375-189 record.
 
POWERHOUSE PROGRESS
In the midst of a program turnaround, head coach Jim Boone has taken a six-win team in 2011-12 and transformed it into a championship caliber powerhouse. In his first season, Boone nearly doubled the win total from six to 11. One year later, he took the same team and more than doubled the win total to 26. A team that was picked to finish fourth in the Gulf South Conference in 2013-14 rose to the top spot of the league rankings at the conclusion of the regular season.
 
Coming up just shy of a finals appearance in the GSC Tournament, the Statesmen earned the No. 3 seed and a trip to the NCAA South Region Tournament, the first appearance for the program since 2008-09. The Green-and-White won its first two games at the dance over Barry and Saint Leo, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen. Tuskegee cut the Statesmen season short to advance to the Elite Eight.
 
STATESMEN SNAG PRESTIGIOUS HONORS
At the end of the regular season, Delta State swept postseason honors in the GSC. Willie Readus, Devin Schmidt, and Coach Boone earned Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Coach of the Year, respectively. Schmidt was chosen to the All-South Region team and was named to the D2 Bulletin All-Freshman Team. Off the court, Jack Madgen and Declan Harrick were the first in program history to be named to the NABC Honor Court. Madgen was also named to the GSC All-Academic Team and Honor Roll. Jake Maestranzi and Harrick joined Madgen on the GSC Honor Roll.
 
PRESEASON PICKS
At the start of every season, preseason picks are predicted throughout the nation by the head coaches in each division and conference. For their performance last season, the Statesmen were tabbed to finish first in the conference this season not only by the conference but also by the D2 Bulletin. With the target on its chest, DSU is prepared for the attention that comes with success.
DSU debuted at No. 13 in the NABC Preseason Top 25, the only school in the GSC to make the cut. Florida Southern is the only opponent on the schedule in the preseason poll, ranking at No. 9.
 
HOLY SCHMIDT
Sophomore Devin Schmidt produced a phenomenal debut season last year, averaging 15.1 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game, and 4.2 assists per game. Schmidt is an extremely versatile player with his ability to drive in the paint and pull up for a jumper beyond the arc.
 
The Sevierville, Tennessee native dished out a team-best 138 assists last season. Schmidt became the first freshman since the legendary Carl Brown in 1982-1983 to top 100 assists. Brown, an All-American and DSU's all-time leading scorer with 1,799 points, handed out 147 assists in his first season with the Green-and-White. Scott Nagy owns the school record for assists with 549 and tallied 74 in his freshman season. Chad Akins narrowly missed the career mark with 544 career assists, totaling 75 as a freshman in 2006-07.
 
With the experience and maturity in his artillary for this season, the 6-foot-4 guard is set for another outstanding season. Schmidt was one of five chosen to the Preseason All-GSC team by the head coaches in the conference, while also being named a Preseason All-American by the D2 Bulletin.
 
This season, Schmidt has shown he has picked up where he left off. Schmidt led the Statesmen in two of the three exhibition games against Division I teams Mississippi State and Jackson State, including a 25-point performance against the Bulldogs. He also contributed a double-double in the caravan finale with 13 points and 11 boards against Jackson State.
 
MADGEN MAKES IT HAPPEN
Entering his third season with the Statesmen, Jack Madgen looks to build on his stellar performance as a sophomore. Last season saw the Williamstown, Australia native total a career-high 32 points in the opening round of the NCAA South Region Tournament. Madgen hoisted the Statesmen over Barry University in a thrilling 82-77 overtime win. He now holds the No. 8 spot in the DSU record book for most three-pointers made in a career with 95, in just two seasons. Madgen also shares the No. 9 rank for three-pointer attempts in a career with 242.
 
In the Division I caravan, Madgen proved to be the voice of leadership. The 6-5 guard led four Statesmen in double figures with 17 points in DSU's 97-58 loss to Ole Miss.
 
Off the court, the 6-foot-5 guard garnered prestigious honors from the NABC and the GSC. Madgen was named to the NABC Honor Court along with fellow Australian teammate Declan Harrick. He was also named to the GSC's All-Academic Team and Honor Roll for his hard work in the classroom.
 
SO WE MEET AGAIN
Delta State tipped off against Florida Southern in the season opener last year at Walter Sillers Coliseum for the Sunshine State Conference/Gulf South Conference Challenge. The Mocs came into the contest ranked No. 9, and the Statesmen were given an early test against the perennial powerhouse. FSC started quick out of the gate when they took the lead and never looked back. DSU possessed the lead one time in the first half at the 16:24 mark, 9-5. Florida Southern went into the locker room with the slight 46-37 advantage at the half.
 
Second-half action was more of the same with FSC building on its lead and pressuring the Statesmen offense. The Mocs gained their largest lead in the second half to go up by 28 with 3:30 left on the clock. The deficit was too much to overcome, and Delta State dropped the home opener 89-66. Mike Washington led the offensive crusade for the Green-and-White with 18 points, followed by Willie Readus with 17. Florida Southern's Kevin Capers led all scorers with 23 points, while Dominic Lane added 15 more.
 
Delta State faced the Tritons of Eckerd College the following day. A close contest throughout that forced extra time, the Statesmen walked away with the thrilling 79-73 overtime victory. Both teams struggled offensively through the first half. It was Eckerd that gained the momentum late in the first half, taking a 19-11 lead with 9:58 remaining. Delta State soon found its stride and trailed by two, 28-26, at the half.
 
The two squads matched each other step for step in the second half until Eckerd put together a 13-0 run that gave them a 41-28 lead with 15:02 to go. DSU answered back with a 20-7 run and eventually tied the game at 48-48 at the 9:58 mark. Regulation ended in a tie, 65-65, forcing overtime. Schmidt hoisted the Statesmen over the Tritons in overtime, 79-73, going 2-of-2 from the field and 1-of-2 from the free throw line for five points. On the night, DSU shot 35.2 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 79.5 percent from the free throw line.
 
TEAM RECORDS
The 2013-14 campaign saw Delta State in the top rankings in many statistical categories in the GSC and NCAA. DSU won numerous games last year playing small ball at the free throw line. Last season's team now holds the record for free throw percentage in a single game after shooting .923 (24-of-26) from the charity stripe versus Union on Feb. 22, 2014. The Statesmen also narrowly missed owning the season record for free throw percentage with a .744 average. The record dates back to the 1961-62 season with a .748 percentage.
 
FOREIGN TOUR TO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Game One Santo Domingo Select Team: Travel played a factor in the first half as DSU fell to a double-digit deficit. The Statesmen got things figured out quickly, outscoring their opponent 51-43 in the second half. Down by three with the final seconds ticking off the clock, senior Alister Chisholm knocked down a shot from beyond the arc to tie the game. As a team, the Green-and-White shot 47 percent from the field, 41 percent from three-point range, and converted 18-of-25 from the charity stripe. Guard Devin Schmidt led the way with 18 points and nine rebounds. Jack Madgen and Chisholm each scored 14 points with Madgen dishing out six assists, while Zelvin Smith was just shy of a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds. The newcomers also played key roles as Jamal Hester and PJ Davis scored eight points apiece with Davis grabbing three rebounds.
 
Game Two Mauricio Baez: Delta State played hard in game two against Mauricio Baez but came up a little short. The Statesmen shot 48 percent from the floor, 23-of-48. As a team, DSU grabbed 38 rebounds and dished out 16 assists. Freshman PJ Davis led the way with 15 points and six rebounds. Jack Madgen added 12 points with Devin Schmidt tacking on seven. Alister Chisholm and Zelvin Smith Jr. each scored eight, while Brice Rowe contributed seven. Delta State fell 73-66.
Game Three Dominican National Team: A great effort in the second half by DSU held its opponent to 28 points in the last 20 minutes of play, but it was not enough to earn the win. Three Statesmen donated eight points in Schmidt, Davis, and Smith. Madgen was close behind with seven points, while also dishing out four assists. Ethan Gillis and Jamal Hester each added four points, with Chisholm bringing down four rebounds and providing four assists. As a team, the Green-and-White shot 17-of-37 from the field, 2-of-11 from behind the arc, and 9 of 13 from the free throw line.
 
DIVISION I CARAVAN
To start the season, Delta State participated in a caravan featuring three games in three days against Division I programs in the Magnolia state, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Jackson State.
 
A trip to Starkville kick started the road trip. Although the Statesmen outscored the Bulldogs in the second half, DSU fell to Mississippi State 72-51. As a team, Delta State shot 37.0 percent from the field, 41.2 percent from downtown, and 55.6 percent from the free throw line. Devin Schmidt and Jack Madgen led the offensive strike for the Statesmen. Schmidt led all scorers with 25 points, while Madgen contributed 11.
 
From Starkville, Delta State traveled to Oxford to take on Ole Miss. Madgen led four Statesmen in double figures with 17 points in the 97-58 loss. Zelvin Smith chipped in 14 points, while Schmidt added 11, and PJ Davis added 10. As a whole, the team shot 45.2 percent from field goal range, 36.4 behind the arc, and 76.2 percent from the charity stripe.
 
The caravan made its final stop in Jackson when the Green-and-White took on Jackson State University. It marked the first meeting all-time between the Statesmen and Tigers in program history. Schmidt and Ethan Gillis were the leading scorers in the contest against Jackson State. Schmidt contributed a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Gillis added 11 points and eight boards.