JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - After a home-opening win against South Carolina State Saturday, UNF men's basketball heads back to the road to take on Duquesne Monday at 7 p.m. in Pittsburgh.

Tomorrow night's game is UNF's second game in three days and second game of three over a five-day span. UNF will head to Kentucky to face the Wildcats Wednesday, Nov. 23 at 4 p.m.

UNF and Duquesne are meeting for the first time. It's also UNF's first game against an A-10 Conference opponent since playing at Dayton Dec. 30, 2019. UNF is looking for its first win in program history against a current member of the A-10 Conference. The Ospreys have previously taken on Saint Louis, Virginia Commonwealth and the aforementioned Dayton Flyers.

GAME DETAILS

• Date: Monday, Nov. 21
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Location: UMPC Cooper Fieldhouse // Pittsburgh, Pa.
• Opponent: Duquesne
• Watch: ESPN+
• Live Stats: goduquesne.com/sidearmstats/mbball
• Listen: 970 ESPN Pittsburgh

 
All-Time Series: First-ever meeting

An Osprey Win Saturday Would....

• Give UNF its first road win on the year
• Be UNF's first win against a team from Pennsylvania
• Give North Florida its first-ever win against a current member of the A-10 Conference

PROJECTED UNF STARTING FIVE
G - Chaz Lanier (2.7 PPG | 2.3 RPG | 0.7 SPG)
G - Jarius Hicklen (12.3 PPG | 30.4 3PT FG | 4.3 APG)
G - Jose Placer (12.3 PPG | 1.7 RPG | 1.3 APG)
F - Carter Hendricksen (14.7 PPG | 8.0 RPG | 1.3 APG)
F - Jadyn Parker (8.7 PPG | 6.3 RPG | 1.0 BPG)

LAST TIME OUT
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Thanks to a 15-4 run over the final four minutes and 11 seconds, North Florida men's basketball (1-2) took home a 72-66 win against South Carolina State (0-5) in the program's first game on the CSI Companies Court Saturday, Nov. 19.

NORTH FLORIDA NOTES

COACH DRISCOLL ON TOMORROW'S GAME
"It was an absolutely amazing and electric environment in our home opener last night! Trust me, that's coming from someone who has been on the road as a visitor in many arenas, just as we are setting out to do again against Duquesne. We're excited to have another opportunity to grow as we compete with a very physical and relentless team in the Dukes. Tomorrow night's game will feature non-stop pressure for 40 minutes, challenging all that we do as a team." -- Head Coach Matthew Driscoll

Homecoming in the Steel City
Despite being a road game, Monday's contest is a homecoming for head coach Matthew Driscoll who is a Pittsburgh, Pa., native. Driscoll attended Northgate High School before returning as the head coach between 1988-90. He also had a number of other coaching stops in Pennsylvania, coaching at Butler County Community College, Seneca Valley High School, LaRoche College and Slippery Rock. Driscoll is a graduate of Slippery Rock University.

Do-It-All Dorian
Redshirt-junior Dorian James bridges the gap in many areas for UNF, contributing in all phases. UNF had a plus-15 scoring margin when James was in the game during Saturday night's win. James tallied nine points, five rebounds, one block, one assist and 26 minutes during the victory.

Tell-Tale Stat
UNF held SC State to 35.6 percent from the floor in Saturday's win. During head coach Matthew Driscoll's tenure, North Florida is 82-8 when holding opponents under 40 percent from the floor. The Ospreys are also 170-33 when shooting at a better clip than their foes.

Defend the Rim
2020-21 ASUN All-Freshman pick Jonathan Aybar swatted four shots Saturday against South Carolina State. The 6-9 forward has now blocked four shots in five different games during his career.

Nearing 100 Treys
Jarius Hicklen and Jose Placer are nearing 100-career three-pointers in the Navy and Gray. Both guards have already surpassed the mark for their collegiate careers after taking into account their numbers at their respective previous schools. Placer sits at 99 three-pointers, while Hicklen has 94. Carter Hendricksen reached 200-career treys at No. 2 Gonzaga Nov. 7.

SCOUTING DUQUESNE

• Duquesne is 3-1 this season, having earned wins against Montana, SC State and Colgate.
• Monday's game marks the Dukes' final game in the Tribute Classic MTE presented by Kentucky Tourism, featuring UNF, Duquesne, Kentucky and South Carolina State.
• The Dukes lone loss this season came at the hands of Kentucky.
• Monday marks the beginning of a remarkably long stretch of home games for Duquesne who will play nine-straight contests in their home gym. 
• After being held to 65.2 points per game last season, Duquesne's offense has been able to take form and put up 81 points per contest through the first four games.
• Duquesne's persistent full-court pressure and production from the bench has helped the Dukes through the early going this season.
• Duquesne's Tevin Brewer faced off against the Ospreys last year, but as a member of the FIU Panthers. Brewer was a third-team all-league pick down in Miami last year before joining Duquesne as a graduate transfer.
• Guard Dae Dae Grant has the hot hand through four games this year. The sharpshooter is 14-for-22 from long range, tallying performances of 25 and 24 points respectively.
• The 2022-23 preseason league poll had the Dukes finishing last in the highly competitive A-10 Conference.
• Keith Dambrot is in his sixth season at the helm with Duquesne. The Dukes are 74-72 during his tenure. Dambrot has held head coaching positions at Ashland, Tiffin, Akron, Central Michigan and now Duquesne. He is 487-281 as a head coach.

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.