JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - UNF men's basketball stays on the road Thursday for game two of a three-game road stint in a matchup at Jacksonville State in Jacksonville, Ala. The Ospreys go for their second win in less than a calendar year at Jacksonville State after dispatching the Gamecocks with a combined 52 points from Carter Hendricksen and Jose Placer last February.

GAME DETAILS

• Date: Thursday, Jan. 12
• Time: 7 p.m. (EST)
• Location: Jacksonville, Ala.
• Opponent: Jacksonville State
• Watch: ESPN+
• Live Stats: statbroadcast.com

 
All-Time Series: Series tied, 1-1

• UNF and JSU are meeting for the third time
• It's the second meeting between these two teams as ASUN foes
• North Florida won handily at JSU last season in the only meeting as league opponents
• JSU won the first meeting, a matchup in Cancun back in 2018
• Carter Hendricksen is the lone Osprey to have played in both of the games against JSU

An Osprey Win Would....

• Give UNF its first road league win this season
• Make UNF 2-0 all-time at Jacksonville State
• Give the Ospreys a 3-2 mark in conference play

PROJECTED UNF STARTING FIVE
G - Oscar Berry (4.8 PPG | 1.9 RPG | 0.7 APG)
G - Jarius Hicklen (13.7 PPG | 3.6 RPG | 3.1 APG)
G - Jose Placer (12.1 PPG | 2.1 RPG | 2.4 APG)
F - Carter Hendricksen (13.8 PPG | 6.3 RPG | 2.1 APG)
F - Jadyn Parker (6.7 PPG | 5.7 RPG | 0.8 APG)

LAST TIME OUT
FORT MYERS, Fla. - North Florida men's basketball opened up its three-game road stint with a tall task at FGCU (13-4, 3-2 ASUN) as the Ospreys (7-9, 2-2 ASUN) came up on the short end of things in Fort Myers, 82-57, Saturday, Jan. 7. FGCU established a lead early that it didn't let up as the contest wrapped up a stint of four ASUN games in eight days to open up league play, as well as five contests in 10 days for the Ospreys.

LAST TIME VS. JACKSONVILLE STATE
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - North Florida men's basketball lived up to every bit of its #BirdsofTrey moniker Thursday night at Jacksonville State in a wire-to-wire win. The Ospreys (6-17, 2-7 ASUN) unleashed a barrage of three-pointers and played suffocating defense on one of the best shooting teams in the nation to bounce ASUN-leading Jacksonville State, 88-76, Feb. 3 at Jacksonville State.

COACH DRISCOLL ON TOMORROW'S GAME
"We are now entering the part of the ASUN Regular Season where we are on a consistent schedule of travel and game nights each week. We are extremely eager to continue to fight the good fight, knowing that the smallest details always make the biggest difference throughout the season. Jacksonville State reloaded from last year's team with aggressive scorers and athletes, adding to the group of the returners that won the ASUN Regular Season last year. Once again, this matchup proves why it's a nightly 40-minute battle in our league!" -- Head Coach Matthew Driscoll
 

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NORTH FLORIDA NOTES

MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF
Fifth-year player Carter Hendricksen has made a name for himself in the UNF record book. He ranks top ten in: points (1,361 - 7th), field goals (441 - T-10th), three-pointers made (225 - 6th), free throws made (254 - T-8th), free throw percentage (82.5 - 6th), rebounds (649 - 6th), defensive rebounds (526 - 4th) and minutes (3,175). 

CALL IN THE SWAT
Jadyn Parker has posted a block in 13 of 16 games this season and has reached at least two blocks on eight occasions. The forward now ranks in the top 10 in UNF history for career blocks and also has the second-most blocks and third-most blocks per game in the league.

NO QUIT 
UNF's eight-game home winning streak dating back to last year has been helped by resilient play in the second half. UNF is 3-0 at home this season when trailing at the half. North Florida picked up wins against SC State, Austin Peay and Kennesaw State in such games. Both of UNF's ASUN wins have come despite the Ospreys trailing for the majority of the game.

COMING THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH
Jarius Hicklen and Jose Placer have brought UNF to wins late in the game, doing so against Austin Peay and Kennesaw State. Hicklen hit the go-ahead three-pointer with seconds on the clock in the overtime win against Austin Peay, helping send the game into the overtime session. Less than a week later, Placer drilled a 30-plus foot jump shot with 1.7 seconds left in the game to propel UNF to an 89-86 win.
 

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SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE STATE

• Jacksonville State comes into play 7-10 and looking for its first win in conference play this season
• The Gamecocks were tabbed to finish third in the ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll and third in the media poll
• JSU was the ASUN regular season champion last year before being eliminated in the semifinals. JSU represented the ASUN in the NCAA Championship after Bellarmine was not eligible last season
• The Gamecocks had a halftime lead against Bellarmine, although the Knights outscored the Gamecocks by 18 in Saturday's loss
• JSU's last win came Dec. 27, a five-point win against Georgia Southwestern. Its last Division I win was against Little Rock Dec. 17
• The Gamecocks lost all five starters from last year's team
• Demaree King is arguably the most notable returner from last year's squad. The quick guard started 3 of the 32 games in which he played last season, averaging 10.5 points per game. The lefty is shooting 44 percent from three-point range in 17 starts this season
• JSU welcomed transfers from schools such as Vanderbilt, Penn State, Wichita State, Georgia and Morehead State

 

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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 182-16 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, 182-16 when leading with five minutes left, 86-8 when holding foes under 40 percent from the floor and 175-34 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
The Ospreys have played one of the toughest schedules in the nation, having 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 eight games being within three points with five minutes remaining. North Florida has seen such contests at Washington, Duquesne, High Point, SC State, Bethune-Cookman, Austin Peay, Stetson and Kennesaw 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.