JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida men's basketball looks to even up its season series with Stetson tomorrow at the UNF Arena as the Ospreys and Hatters clash at 2 p.m. in UNF's fourth-straight game in the city of Jacksonville.

GAME DETAILS
Date: Saturday, Feb. 11
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: UNF Arena
Opponent: Stetson
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: unfospreys.com
 
All-Time Series: UNF leads, 21-15

• North Florida has won nine of the last 12 against the Hatters
• UNF is 9-7 at home against the Hatters
• The Hatters and Ospreys have split the season series in each of the last two years
• UNF is 19-8 against Stetson under head coach Matthew Driscoll

An Osprey Win Would....

• Bring UNF to 9-2 on the year at home
• Ensure a season series split against Stetson for the third-straight year
• Make UNF 3-1 in February this year

PROJECTED UNF STARTING FIVE
G - Oscar Berry (4.7 PPG | 1.9 RPG | 0.6 APG)
G - Jarius Hicklen (11.3 PPG | 3.4 RPG | 2.9 APG)
G - Jose Placer (13.6 PPG | 2.4 RPG | 2.5 APG)
F - Carter Hendricksen (16.0 PPG | 6.3 RPG | 2.0 APG)
F - Jadyn Parker (6.6 PPG | 4.8 RPG | 0.8 APG)

LAST TIME OUT
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - In a game that saw 20 lead changes, eight tie scores and a lead no-greater than five either way, it was no surprise that the decision would come down to the final minute of play. During that decisive minute, Jose Placer put UNF ahead on a tactful jumper in the paint, but FGCU got the game-winning shot to fall on a fortuitous bank shot three-pointer from the corner with 12 seconds remaining as the Ospreys were clipped, 68-66, by the Eagles Thursday, Feb. 9.

LAST TIME VS. STETSON
DELAND, Fla. -  Jonathan Aybar had a career night, going for 26 points and 10 boards, but the hosts Hatters (7-6, 2-0 ASUN) fended off a series of UNF (6-8, 1-1 ASUN) pushes as the Ospreys were edged in a road battle, 68-62, down in DeLand. It's the third-straight game between UNF and Stetson that was decided by six points or less.

COACH DRISCOLL ON TOMORROW'S GAME  
"The ASUN is a dog fight every single night. From top to bottom in the league it is super competitive and we need to quickly wash out and reload with such a fast turnaround against Stetson. Stetson is another upper echelon team in the standings that we are set to face to finish off the regular season, and one of the best shooting teams in the country in terms of production and volume. Their shooting will put a lot of pressure on our defense from the jump and they do a good job of mixing up their offense inside the arc as well. Stetson has amassed four ASUN road wins already and will be another test for us." -- Head Coach Matthew Driscoll
 

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NORTH FLORIDA NOTES

LONGEVITY
Carter Hendricksen started his 100th game at UNF Thursday, tied for tenth in UNF history. He has played in 129 and with one more appearance he becomes just the third Osprey to appear in at least 130 games.

OSPREY NATION
The UNF Arena saw the sixth largest crowd in program history during Saturday's win with a reported attendance of 4,439. It's the fourth-largest attendance for a River City Rumble game in the UNF Arena, as well as the largest crowd since 2016.

1K CLUB TIMES 2
Jose Placer surpassed 1,000-career points in a UNF uniform Thursday. He already joined a 1,000-point club earlier this season after reaching 1,000-collegiate points during the win against Austin Peay Dec. 31. 

FEELIN' IT IN FEBRUARY
UNF has played its best basketball in February during head coach Matthew Driscoll's tenure. North Florida is 61-36 during his time as head coach and 2-0 this year.

FLY SWATTER
Jadyn Parker blocked two shots during last Saturday's win vs. JU, making him just the sixth Osprey to surpass the 100-block mark. 

ON LOCK
UNF held JU to only 58 points in the win Saturday, Feb. 4. North Florida is 1-0 on the year when holding foes to between 50-59 points, as well as 33-4 during head coach Matthew Driscoll's tenure.

HELLO OLD FRIEND
Carter Hendricksen surpassed former teammate Garrett Sams for third in the all-time scoring charts during Thursday's game.

ALL OVER THE RECORD BOOK
Carter Hendricksen was already over the UNF record book quite a bit heading into the season, although the last few weeks have really sent him all throughout the ledger. Hendricksen ranks in the top ten in: points (3rd - 1,540), field goals made (5th - 499), field goals attempted (2nd - 1,261), three-pointers made (5th - 253), three-pointers attempted (3rd - 748), free throws made (5th - 289), free throw percentage (6th - .826), rebounds (4th - 707), rebounding average (5.5 - 10th), defensive rebounds (2nd - 569), defensive rebound average (5th - 4.4), games played (T-3rd- 129) and minutes (5th - 3,496).
 

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SCOUTING STETSON

• Stetson enters with a 14-10 record and 9-4 mark in league play, riding a three-game winning streak that has included wins against Jacksonville, Central Arkansas and North Alabama
• The Hatters' last loss came at Queens Jan. 28
• The Hatters spread the offense and minutes over a variety of players, with no player averaging more than 29 minutes played per game
• Jalen Blackmon has been a huge spark this season, averaging a team-best 14.3 points per game while reigning as the most recent ASUN Newcomer of the Week
• Josh Smith is Stetson's go-to big, averaging 10.1 points and 6.4 boards per game
• Wheza Panzo is a threat from deep, entering the game leading the nation in three-point field goal percentage
• As a team Stetson has put up 636 three-pointers this year

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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 184-16 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 169-40 when leading at the half, 184-17 when leading with five minutes left, 86-8 when holding foes under 40 percent from the floor and 177-34 when shooting better than its opponent.

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.

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 30 regular season games including 13 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.