JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - For the third time this season, UNF men's basketball goes up against a ranked team when the Ospreys go to the Lone Star State to play at No. 1 Houston Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. EST. Tomorrow's game is the first time UNF has taken on the No. 1 team in the nation since playing at No. 1 Florida Nov. 14, 2006. 

GAME DETAILS

• Date: Tuesday, Dec. 6
• Time: 8 p.m. (EST)
• Location: Fertitta Center | Houston, Texas
• Opponent: No. 1 Houston
• Watch: ESPN+
• Live Stats: statbroadcast.com
• Radio: The Varsity Network

All-Time Series: First-ever meeting

An Osprey Win Saturday Would....

• Be UNF's first-ever win against a ranked team
• Make UNF 1-0 in the series history with Houston
• Give UNF its first win against an AAC team

PROJECTED UNF STARTING FIVE
G - Chaz Lanier (5.1 PPG | 3.1 RPG | 0.9 APG)
G - Jarius Hicklen (14.6 PPG | 6.7 RPG | 1.1 APG)
G - Jose Placer (10.1 PPG | 2.1 RPG | 2.1 APG)
F - Carter Hendricksen (14.6 PPG | 6.7 RPG | 1.1 APG)
F - Jadyn Parker (7.7 PPG | 5.4 RPG | 65.8 FG%)

LAST TIME OUT
HIGH POINT, N.C. - The Ospreys had a potential game-tying three-pointer roll off the rim with under 10 seconds to go in the game as UNF men's basketball (2-5) came up on the short end of a fast-paced battle at High Point (7-1), 93-88, Saturday, Dec. 3.

COACH DRISCOLL ON TOMORROW'S GAME
"We started the season at No. 2 Gonzaga and now for the first time in our 14 years as a staff we are playing the number one team in Houston. It's an incredible opportunity filled with challenges and obstacles against the best defense in the country and arguably the greatest offensive rebounding team. As always, the biggest key for us tomorrow night is competing for all 40 minutes." -- Head Coach Matthew Driscoll

NORTH FLORIDA NOTES

RANKED FOES
North Florida is playing its 33rd game against a ranked team during its Division I era. The Ospreys are playing its second such game of the season after starting the year at No. 2 Gonzaga and playing at No. 15 Kentucky Nov. 23. UNF is going up against the No. 1-ranked team for the first time since Nov. 14, 2006 at No. 1 Florida. It's also the first time UNF has played against a ranked team out of the American Athletic Conference. North Florida is playing its 29th game against a ranked team under head coach Matthew Driscoll.

BOARD BY BOARD
Carter Hendricksen posted his eighth-career double-double with 22 points and 11 boards at High Point Saturday. His 11 boards got him just four rebounds shy of 600 for his career. He has also paced the Ospreys in rebounding five times this season. The senior is just 89 minutes short of 3,000 for his career, good for tenth in UNF history.

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.

FROM THE JUMP
UNF has won the tip-off in all seven games this season. The Ospreys have done so 229 times in head coach Matthew Driscoll's career, bringing the Ospreys to a 117-112 mark in such games. North Florida has scored in its first possession on five of seven occasions this year, while taking the first field goal in all seven. The Ospreys scored in just five seconds at High Point Saturday.

SCOUTING HOUSTON

• Houston enters Tuesday night's game as the nation's top-ranked team
• The Cougars evaded a scare in a neutral site game played up in Fort Worth, Texas, this past Saturday, defeating (RV) Saint Mary's, 53-48, in a defensive struggle
• UH had a similar game against another tough mid-major team in Kent State. The Cougars defeated the Golden Flashes, 49-44, in November
• Houston is coached by the well-known Kelvin Sampson in his seventh season with the Cougars. Sampson eclipsed 700-career collegiate coaching wins earlier this season
• The Cougars were the fifth seed in last year's NCAA Championship. Houston defeated UAB, Illinois and top-seeded Arizona before succumbing to second-seeded Villanova
• Houston started the season as the third-ranked team, before moving up to number two and eventually one
• Senior guard Marcus Sasser was tabbed to the Associated Press Preseason All-America Team, Jerry West Award Watch List and NABC Player of the Year Watch List
• Forward Jarace Walker found a spot on the Karl Malone Watch List 
• Houston goes as its stingy defense does. The Cougars lead the country in turnover margin (5.8), steals per game (9.5), points allowed per game (48) and blocks per game (5.5).
• Sasser has done the majority of the damage for Houston offensively, posting 18.1 points per game.
• Sasser and Jamal Shead both average over two steals per game
• Walker and J'Wan Roberts do most of the work in the paint as the duo has seven and 6.9 rebounds per game respectively. Roberts is shooting 72.1 percent from the floor. He has not taken a three-pointer
• Teams are shooting 18.5 percent from deep against Houston
• Houston's last loss at home came Feb. 12, 2022 against Memphis

OTHER NOTES

KEEPING IT 100
Jarius Hicklen hit four three-pointers at No. 15/13 Kentucky Nov. 23, becoming the latest Osprey to surpass 100-career three-pointers at UNF. Hicklen reached that milestone in only 35 games at North Florida. Jose Placer also reached 100-career three-pointers at North Florida, doing so at Duquesne Nov. 21. 

1,000 CLUB 
Not only did Hicklen and Placer reach 100 three-pointers for their UNF career, but they're both primed to join the 1,000-point club. Hicklen did so Tuesday against Trinity Baptist, while Jose Placer is less than 72 points from reaching the milestone.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
UNF ranks first in the nation for strength of schedule per ESPN. The Ospreys have already played No. 2 Gonzaga, Washington, Duquesne, No. 15 Kentucky and High Point on the road this season. UNF is playing the No. 1 team in the nation for the first time since 2006, marking the second instance in UNF's DI era.

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.