JACKSONVILLE -- For just the second time this season, North Florida welcomes an opponent to the friendly confines of UNF Arena as the Ospreys host Edward Waters on Thursday at 7 p.m.
 

PROBABLE STARTERS

G - Jose Placer (11.4 PPG | 3.3 RPG | 3.0 APG)
G - Emmanuel Adedoyin (7.8 PPG | 1.3 RPG | 2.6 APG)
F - Carter Hendricksen (11.9 PPG | 4.4 RPG | 2.6 3PM/g)
F - Dorian James (5.8 PPG | 3.4 RPG | 0.9 BPG)
F - Jadyn Parker (7.3 PPG | 3.5 RPG | 1.1 BPG)
 

HARDWOOD DRIBBLINGS

- North Florida closed out a stretch of 7 of 8 games on the road with a tough 84-69 loss at FIU on Sunday afternoon | Against the Panthers, Jose Placer led the way by matching his season high with 25 points including 5 three-pointers
- The Edward Waters game marks just the second home tilt of the season for UNF and will be the first of four home games in the month of December | The game is also the second in a span of 10 consecutive games for the Ospreys within the state borders of Florida (UNF will not depart the Sunshine State until Jan. 11 game at Liberty)
- UNF posted a record setting performance in their home opener (Nov. 20) against Webber International as the Ospreys matched a program record with 21 three-pointers made (led by 8 for Emmanuel Adedoyin) and tied the program DI era mark with 30 assists
- Carter Hendricksen tops the squad in scoring at 11.9 PPG followed closely by Placer at 11.4 PPG
- Hendricksen also leads the team in rebounding at 4.4 RPG and is listed second in ASUN for 3PM made and his 21 made three-pointers ranks 39th in the nation this season
- North Florida has seen 12 different players earn playing time this year | 11 of the 12 have scored and grabbed a rebound while all 12 own an assist | Four players (Hendricksen, Placer, Emmanuel Adedoyin, Dorian James) have started every game this season
- North Florida (AKA: "Birds of Trey") have connected on 79 three-pointers this year (17th in NCAA) | Ospreys led the nation for 3PM in 2020 and 2016, ranked 14th in the nation last season with 10.0 per game (229 3PM)
- Of the 12 Ospreys to see playing time this year, 11 have attempted a trey with 9 connecting from long range
- The Texas Tech & Texas A&M games to tipoff the year marked the third time in program history that the Ospreys have started a season with back-to-back games on consecutive nights in different locations | 2017-18 opened with games at Michigan State & Michigan | 2010-11 began with games at Florida State & Pittsburgh
- North Florida amassed 5,854 miles of air travel in their season-opening trek and played games in three different time zones (Central, Mountain, Pacific)

SNAPSHOT
- UNF finished 8-15 last season (6-6 ASUN)
- Ospreys were picked to finish 7th of 12 teams in the ASUN preseason coaches poll | UNF has finished in Top 4 of the ASUN in each of the past eight seasons
- Nine players return for the Ospreys this season including four starters
- Five of UNF's top six scorers from last year return led by the duo of junior Carter Hendricksen (14.9 PPG) and redshirt-sophomore Jose Placer (14.5 PPG) 
- Hendricksen, a preseason All-ASUN selection, was named All-ASUN (1st team) last year while Placer garnered All-ASUN (2nd team)
- Jonathan Aybar, who ranked second in the ASUN for blocked shots, earned ASUN All-Freshman accolades in 2020-21

MILESTONE WATCH
- Hendricksen needs 34 points to become the 18th player in program history with 1,000 points and is 25 rebounds shy of 500 (Would be only 10th player in program history with both)
- With 193 wins at UNF, Driscoll is just 7 victories shy of 200 and needs just three victories to move into 3rd all-time in ASUN coaching history

SCOUTING REPORT | Edward Waters
- Edward Waters, playing its first season as an NCAA DII program, brings a 4-4 record into Thursday's meeting, following an 84-81 road win at Keiser on Nov. 24
- The win by EWU snapped a three-game losing skid
- The Tigers have enjoyed some road success this season boasting a 3-1 mark away from home
- Edward Waters lineup features four players averaging in double digits led by Elias Harden at 19.0 PPG | Khalil Brown averages 11.9 PPG and tops the Tigers with 6.3 RPG
- EWU roster lists 11 seniors or graduate level players and has just one freshman
- Head coach Fred Summers is in his fourth season leading the Tigers program and owns a 42-43 record | His 10-year collegiate career mark is 145-110
- SERIES NOTES: Crosstown foes North Florida and Edward Waters will be meeting for the 23rd time in program history | Ospreys own a 19-3 lead in the all-time series including a current 11-game win streak | UNF has topped the 90-point mark in each of the last 7 meetings between the squads | The only match-up in the series played at Edward Waters was on 1/18/98

DRISCOLL CONFIDENTIAL
"We are so excited to get back home and play in front of Osprey Nation. We have moved through a lot of ebbs and flows over the start of the season. We have played really well on both ends of the floor in spurts but now have to find the ability to sustain consistency throughout a full 40 minutes."
- Head coach Matthew Driscoll
 
UP NEXT
Following Thursday's contest, North Florida continues its tour of the Sunshine State with games at FAU (Sunday, Dec. 5) and at #14 Florida (Dec. 8) before returning home to host future ASUN Conference member Austin Peay on Dec. 11.

FOLLOW THE ACTION: Stay connected with the Ospreys all season long by following @OspreyMBB and @UNFOspreys on Twitter for all of the latest UNF men's basketball updates. Be sure to use the hashtag #SWOOPLife and #BirdsofTrey