JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - UNF men's basketball continues with a four-game stretch in Jacksonville in game two of three during the opening home stand of February when UNF hosts FGCU in a rematch Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.

Tomorrow night's game is sponsored by Performance Orthopedics and Spine and is also Teacher Appreciation Game.

GAME DETAILS
Date: Thursday, Feb. 9
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: UNF Arena
Opponent: FGCU
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: unfospreys.com
 
All-Time Series: FGCU leads, 22-14

• UNF and FGCU are meeting for the 17th time in the UNF Arena
• UNF leads the series, 9-7, in games played in Jacksonville
• UNF won the last meeting in Jacksonville in the home finale last February

An Osprey Win Would....

• Give UNF a three-game winning streak, its longest during league play
• Make UNF 10-7 all-time against FGCU at home
• Bring UNF to 3-0 in February

PROJECTED UNF STARTING FIVE
G - Oscar Berry (4.9 PPG | 2.0 RPG | 0.6 APG)
G - Jarius Hicklen (11.3 PPG | 3.5 RPG | 2.8 APG)
G - Jose Placer (13.7 PPG | 2.3 RPG | 2.5 APG)
F - Carter Hendricksen (16.5 PPG | 6.3 RPG | 2.0 APG)
F - Jadyn Parker (6.2 PPG | 4.8 RPG | 0.8 APG)

LAST TIME OUT
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Thanks to a dominant effort on the offensive glass, 13 three-pointers and timely stops down the stretch, UNF (10-14, 5-7 ASUN) men's basketball quieted JU (12-11, 5-7 ASUN) with a 65-58 win in front of an electric crowd at the UNF Arena Saturday, Feb. 4. 4,439 fans showed up for the homecoming victory, marking UNF's largest home crowd since hosting Florida in 2016.

LAST TIME VS. FGCU
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.

COACH DRISCOLL ON TOMORROW'S GAME  
"We're back at it from CSI Companies Court in the UNF Arena, hosting consecutive games against in-state opponents this week. We have steadily improved on the defensive end over the last few games, leading to a lot of open floor offense that we have capitalized on. That has brought on some very welcomed rhythm as we have begun to really understand that consistency is the key. Thursday it's Florida Gulf Coast, the second-most experienced team in the ASUN. The Eagles bring in a lot of perimeter firepower, especially from three-point range, as well as an interior presence that demands a lot of attention." -- Head Coach Matthew Driscoll
 

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NORTH FLORIDA NOTES

LONGEVITY
With one more game started, Carter Hendricksen will reach 100 games started during his UNF career. He has played in 128, good for tied for fourth in UNF history.

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 rests at 999-career points entering Thursday's game. 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 61-35 during his time as head coach and 2-0 this year.

FLY SWATTER
Jadyn Parker blocked two shots during Saturday's win vs. JU, making him just the sixth Osprey to surpass the 100-block mark. He needs two more to become fifth all-time in blocks.

ON LOCK
UNF held JU to only 58 points in the win Saturday. 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 needs two more points to surpass former teammate Garrett Sams in the all-time points column. The two played together from 2018-20.

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 (4th - 1,537), field goals made (5th - 498), field goals attempted (2nd - 1,249), three-pointers made (5th - 252), three-pointers attempted (3rd - 742), free throws made (5th - 289), free throw percentage (6th - .826), rebounds (4th - 700), rebounding average (5.5 - 10th), defensive rebounds (2nd - 562), defensive rebound average (5th - 4.4), games played (T-4th - 126) and minutes (5th - 3,460).
 

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SCOUTING FGCU

• Shooting guard Chase Johnston was FGCU's lone honoree on the ASUN Preseason All-Conference squad. The Eagles were selected to place fourth in the league per the preseason coaches poll.
• Head Coach Pat Chambers is in his first year in Fort Myers, although he is in his 12th season as a Division I head coach after two years at Boston and nine at Penn State.
• FGCU is loaded with a bevy of transfers from other Division I programs including Saint Joseph's, Stetson, Purdue, Ole Miss, Memphis, NIU and Tulsa
• FGCU has gone through a number of phases this year, experiencing a streaky season. The Eagles made a splash early, defeating USC and former FGCU head coach Andy Enfield, although FGCU is on a five-game losing streak currently, with its last win coming Jan. 19 against Jacksonville State
• Much like the Ospreys, FGCU likes to unload from deep, with the Eagles shooting the 23rd-most three-pointers per game in the nation
• The Eagles have a number of scoring threats, but Purdue transfer Isaiah Thompson has been the standout one this year, pacing the team with 14.7 points per game
• Johnston and Zach Anderson join Thompson with double-digit points
• Anderson and Andre Weir are crucial for FGCU down low, combining to average 14.2 of FGCU's 35.9 rebounds per game

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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 169-39 when leading at the half, 184-16 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.