JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida men's basketball closes out 2022 with the ASUN opener against league newcomer Austin Peay in a New Year's Eve home game against the Governors tomorrow at 2 p.m.

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, Dec. 31
• Time: 2 p.m.
• Location: UNF Arena
• Opponent: Austin Peay
• Watch: ESPN+
• Live Stats: unfospreys.com/sidearmstats/mbball

 
All-Time Series: The series is tied, 2-2

• UNF and Austin Peay have both hosted a pair of games in the head-to-head series
• North Florida and APSU played in Jacksonville Dec. 11 of last year, although they were non-conference foes at the time
• The largest margin in any of the four games was a 10-point win for the Ospreys Dec. 16, 2015 in Jacksonville
• The two teams have played a New Year's Eve game previously, a 65-60 win for the Governors in the series opener back in 2014

An Osprey Win Would....

• Make UNF 3-2 against Austin Peay all-time
• Make UNF 1-0 in league play
• Bring the Ospreys to a 10-4 record in ASUN openers under head coach Matthew Driscoll
• Make UNF undefeated at home during the 2022 portion of the 2022-23 season
• Make UNF 3-0 at home against APSU

PROJECTED UNF STARTING FIVE
G - Oscar Berry (5.3 PPG | 2.4 RPG | 0.7 APG)
G - Jarius Hicklen (14.3 PPG | 3.7 RPG | 3.3 APG)
G - Jose Placer (11.2 PPG | 1.9 RPG | 2.8 APG)
F - Carter Hendricksen (14.1 PPG | 6.1 RPG | 1.7 APG)
F - Jadyn Parker (7.1 PPG | 5.9 RPG | 1.3 BPG)

LAST TIME OUT
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -  North Florida men's basketball drained 14 three-pointers and had four tally double-digit points as the Ospreys defeated Atlantis, 92-60, in an exhibition game to conclude non-conference play Thursday, Dec. 29. The Ospreys got 41 points from the bench and registered 10 blocks while leading for over 38 minutes of the game in the final tune-up before Saturday's ASUN opener against Austin Peay. Due to the NCAA's countable opponents requirements, tonight's game and stats cannot be counted to either team's season record.

COACH DRISCOLL ON TOMORROW'S GAME
"It's time for ASUN play, the second phase of a three-part series in our season. Because of the implications that seeding has in the ASUN Postseason Tournament, it's very clear that every game is the most important one. Tomorrow's game is paramount in our quest of going 1-0! We enter this segment of the season healthy and full of non-conference experience. Typical for our conference this year, Austin Peay is full of explosive talent and has a strong interior presence. Austin Peay has tremendous balance offensively and brings physicality from all five positions on the defensive end." -- Head Coach Matthew Driscoll
 

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NORTH FLORIDA NOTES

LAST TIME VS. AUSTIN PEAY
Jose Placer unloaded for 35 points thanks to seven three-pointers in a 91-84 win against Austin Peay Dec. 11, 2021 at the UNF Arena. 

KEEPING IT "1,000"
Jose Placer is only nine points shy of reaching 1,000 for his collegiate career. Jarius Hicklen reached that milestone earlier this season, doing so Nov. 29. 

ASUN OPENERS
UNF is 9-4 in ASUN openers during head coach Matthew Driscoll's tenure and 11-2 in ASUN home openers through 13 seasons.

AGAINST THE VOLUNTEER STATE
UNF has played six different Division I foes from the state of Tennessee, accounting for 79 games. The Ospreys have played against Lipscomb, Austin Peay, Belmont, MTSU, Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech.
 

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SCOUTING AUSTIN PEAY

• The Governors are 6-8 overall and 0-1 in league play
• APSU is coming off a four-point road loss at ASUN newcomer Queens Thursday, Dec. 29
• The Governors and Royals were playing in their respective inaugural ASUN games Thursday
• APSU had a 14-point lead at halftime at Queens, although the Royals scored 52 in the second session to earn a comeback win against the visiting Governors
• Sophomore center Elijah Hutchins-Everett is a key piece for APSU and Thursday he was as well, playing 39 minutes while going 10-for-13 from the floor
• APSU has three players averaging double-digit points, paced by Shon Robinson's 15.3 points per game. Robinson has been sidelined since Nov. 17
• Hutchins-Everett is averaging 14.4 points per game, while Missouri transfer Sean Durugordon is averaging 12.5 points per game in 27 minutes
• Former Osprey, Cam Copeland, is in his second season with the Governors. Copeland played in 12 games at UNF before transferring to Charleston. He has posted seven double-digit scoring games this year
• APSU is on a three-game losing streak. Its last win was an 86-61 win against Lindsey Wilson Dec. 12
• APSU and its opponents are almost identical in the points scored and allowed column. Austin Peay is averaging 69.14 points per game while permitting 69.93
• The Governors are second in the league in free throw percentage and free throws made per game
• Sean Durugordon paces the league in offensive rebounds per game at 2.86. 

 

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OTHER NOTES

LEADING LATE
UNF has fared very well under head coach Matthew Driscoll when possessing a lead with under five minutes to go in the game. Under Driscoll, North Florida is 181-16 when leading with five minutes to go on the clock.

TELL-TALE STATS
UNF has established a few tell-tale stats that have given a hint of a positive outcome for the Ospreys during head coach Matthew Driscoll's tenure. UNF is 166-37 when leading at the half, 181-16 when leading with five minutes left, 86-8 when holding foes under 40 percent from the floor and 174-34 when shooting better than its opponent.

WON'T BACK DOWN
Jarius Hicklen hasn't backed down against some of the nation's best opponents on the season. Hicklen has averaged 15.7 points per game against the likes of Gonzaga, Washington, Duquesne, Kentucky, Houston and Pitt.

FAMILIAR NAME IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Carter Hendricksen continues to climb the UNF career record books this season. In the process, Hendricksen recently surpassed former teammate Ivan Gandia-Rosa in career points, moving into ninth all-time. Hendricksen surpassed 1,300 points and also ranks sixth in three-pointers made.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
UNF ranks 16th in the nation for strength of schedule per ESPN. The Ospreys have already played opponents such as No. 2 Gonzaga, Washington, Duquesne, No. 15 Kentucky, High Point, No. 1 Houston and Pittsburgh.

DOWN TO THE WIRE
UNF has played its fair share of tight contests this season, with four games being within three points with five minutes remaining. North Florida has seen such contests at Washington, Duquesne, High Point and against South Carolina State.

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 seven first-time opponents in Gonzaga, Washington, South Carolina State, Houston, Duquesne, Davis & Elkins and Atlantis.
• 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.