GAME 3 PREVIEW: Men's Basketball Home Opener Against South Carolina State

Saturday, November 19

Jacksonville, Fla.

5 p.m.

University of North Florida

South Carolina State

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men's basketball game 3 preview vs. sc state

GAME 3 PREVIEW: Men's Basketball Home Opener Against South Carolina State

11/18/2022 3:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Ospreys Play First-Ever Game on CSI Companies Court

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida men's basketball returns home to host South Carolina State this Saturday in the program's first-ever game held on the CSI Companies Court inside the UNF Arena. The action gets going at 5 p.m. as the Ospreys and Bulldogs meet for the first time.

Saturday's game is sponsored by CSI Companies and is also Family Day and the Military Appreciation game at the UNF Arena. The game is free admission for all military and immediate family, with a camoflague t-shirt being given away for the first 750 fans.

Details on the game day experience and other UNF Arena upgrades can be found by clicking the link here or referring to the series of links at the start of this article.

GAME DETAILS

Date: Saturday, Nov. 19
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: UNF Arena - CSI Companies Court // Jacksonville, Fla.
Opponent: South Carolina State
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: unfospreys.com/sidearmstats.com/mbball/summary

All-Time Series: First-ever meeting

An Osprey Win Saturday Would....

Make UNF 25-6 in home openers during UNF's history
Give UNF a 1-0 record on CSI Companies Court
Make 1-0 all-time against South Carolina State

PROJECTED UNF STARTING FIVE (STATS FROM LAST YEAR)
G - Chaz Lanier (4.5 PPG | 2.7 RPG | 1.1 APG)
G - Jarius Hicklen (12.0 PPG | 40.1 3PT FG | 2.8 RPG)
G - Jose Placer (14.7 PPG | 3.1 RPG | 43.0 FG%)
F - Carter Hendricksen (12.2 PPG | 5.0 RPG | 1.6 APG)
F - Jadyn Parker (8.3 PPG | 5.1 RPG | 1.6 BPG)

LAST TIME OUT
SEATTLE - North Florida men's basketball (0-2) had the University of Washington on the ropes, leading for the majority of the game, but the host Huskies (2-0) pulled away in the final minutes as the Ospreys narrowly missed a Pac-12 upset in a 75-67 loss Friday, Nov. 11 in the Emerald City.

COACH DRISCOLL ON TOMORROW'S GAME
"It feels like we're going to have an HGTV reveal on Saturday with all that we have to show off in our renovated arena. I'm extremely excited for this team and what we have in front of us. We have had a really good week of preparation as we continue to grow. This older group of student-athletes understands that the one in front of you is the most important game on the schedule and we're ready for it!" -- Head Coach Matthew Driscoll

NORTH FLORIDA NOTES

CSI COMPANIES COURT
North Florida men's basketball breaks in CSI Companies Court with the first-ever UNF men's basketball game on the newly completed floor. The Ospreys hosted their first official practice on the court Oct. 24.

HOME OPENERS
North Florida men's basketball enters Saturday's game with a 24-6 record in home openers during the program's history. UNF defeated Webber by 60 points almost a year ago to the day.

NEARING 1,000
UNF has a pair of guards nearing 1,000-career points in their collegiate careers. Carter Hendricksen reached that mark last year while Jose Placer and Jarius Hicklen are closing in on the mark. Placer has 876 points while Hicklen is at 942.

SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA STATE

South Carolina State enters Saturday 0-4, having played Kentucky, Duquesne, Tennessee State and South Carolina.
The Bulldogs are playing their third and final game in the MTE Classic that features Duquesne, Kentucky, SC State and UNF
SC State has yet to play a home game this season
The Bulldogs gave South Carolina a scare in the season opener, falling just 80-77 against the Gamecocks.
South Carolina State was paced by Lesown Hallums 20-point effort as the Bulldogs put up an even 44 points against the Gamecocks' 44 in the second half.
Davion Everett is the team's leading rebounder at 6.3 per contest. He's also second on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game.
The Bulldogs have sent 13 different student-athletes on to the floor so far this season.
SC State's coaching staff features first-year head coach Erik Martin. Martin was a long-time member of the West Virginia coaching staff prior to coming to Spartanburg, S.C.
SC State was competitive last year, going 15-16 while posting a 7-7 mark in MEAC play.
The Bulldogs were picked to finish seventh in the league per the preseason coaches poll.
Rahsaan Edwards was tabbed to the MEAC Third Team.

OTHER NOTES

PRESEASON ALL-ASUN

Jose Placer and Carter Hendricksen were both tabbed to the All-ASUN Preseason team.
UNF joined Liberty as the only two teams in the ASUN Conference to have two honorees on the preseason squad.

RETURNING MINUTES AND POINTS

After having one of the youngest teams in the nation last year, North Florida returns as a veteran team.
The Ospreys bring back 81 percent of their scoring and 74 percent of minutes played from last season.
All told, UNF has nine returners and four newcomers, with five of the nine returners being regular starters last season.

AWARDS AND HONORS IN 2021-22

Jose Placer and Carter Hendricksen both took home ASUN All-Academic honors to close the 2022 season. For Hendricksen, it was his third-career honor.
Hendricksen also joined former teammate, Wajid Aminu, as a CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree a year ago. Despite battling injury during the 2021-22 season, Hendricksen still managed to average 12.2 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per contest, bringing him past 1,000-career points and 500-career rebounds.
Shooting guard Jarius Hicklen put the ASUN on notice last year, averaging 12 points per game over 30 games and 15 starts. Initially not starting at the beginning of the 2021-22 season, Hicklen's consistency, combined with some injuries on the UNF roster, brought him into a starting role that he did not let go of. The Dallas, Texas native was named ASUN Newcomer of the Week and ASUN Player of the Week one time apiece last year. He started his collegiate career with two seasons of basketball at Division II Oklahoma Baptist before transferring to North Florida.

LOOKING AT THE 2022-23 SEASON

UNF is set to play 31 games including 14 at home. The Ospreys play a 13-game non-conference ledger, with 18 league games lined up as the ASUN expanded to 14 teams.
The Ospreys will play six first-time opponents in Gonzaga, Washington, South Carolina State, Houston, Duquesne and Davis & Elkins.
UNF also has Pittsburgh and Kentucky on the schedule for this year, marking the second-straight year UNF has taken on Kentucky.

CSI COMPANIES COURT

North Florida men's basketball practiced away from its home court for all of the summer and much of the preseason as the UNF Arena was undergoing renovations that included the construction of the new CSI Companies Court. UNF didn't practice in its home gym until Oct. 24 and instead practiced at the UNF Fieldhouse adjacent to the gym, or at the Florida State College of Jacksonville (community college) across the street from campus.
The CSI Companies Court features a gray and navy look, with the state of Florida and UNF banner logo donning the center of the floor. UNF's location in Jacksonville is emphasized with a star located on the floor, while Osprey talons mark the sidelines.
The UNF Arena was also renovated with brand new lighting and sound system, as well as other aesthetic touch ups. The Bank of England Hospitality Suite is also nearing completion, providing a premier experience for donors.

NOTABLE

Head coach Matthew Driscoll picked up his 200th-career win last year. He is the winningest coach in program history.
UNF had arguably the best blocking trio in the league last year, with three student-athletes averaging at least 0.9 blocks/game. Jadyn Parker led the way with 1.6, Dorian James swatted 1.1 per game and Jonathan Aybar blocked 0.9 shots per contest. Parker set the UNF single game blocks record with nine last season at Stetson.
No stranger to tough schedules, UNF opened the year last year with a stretch of games against Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Grand Canyon, Arizona State and UCLA before playing a home game. The Ospreys played one home game before going back on the road to take on Kentucky.