Men’s Basketball Hosts UNCG in ASUN/SoCon Challenge

Ametri Moss holding his hands on his hips

Photo by: Brock Borgeson

12/13/2024 10:06:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Tip-Off Set for 5 p.m. at the UNF Arena

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - After having no midweek contest during final exams, North Florida men's basketball gets back to work Saturday, Dec. 14 at 5 p.m. against UNC Greensboro in The Nest.

Saturday's game marks UNF's competition within the ASUN/SoCon Challenge.

GAME DETAILS
Who | North Florida
What | ASUN / SoCon Challenge
When | Saturday, Dec. 14 at 5 p.m.
Where | UNF Arena
Coverage | ESPN+

Projected Starters
Sophomore, Guard | Jaylen Smith
Senior, Guard | Oscar Berry
Sophomore, Guard | Jasai Miles
Senior, Guard | Nate Lliteras
Freshman, Forward | Josh Harris

Coach Driscoll on The Upcoming Game
"As crazy as this sounds, we love this time of the season when get a break from the routine and have the opportunity to hone and sharpen a lot of the little details that separate you when Atlantic Sun regular season play begins. Fall finals week can be very impactful not only from a basketball stand point, but with our bodies and ability to rejuvenate our minds and bodies. The inaugural ASUN/SoCon Challenge is here and like many of our non-conference mid-major opponents, UNC Greensboro has a really strong group of scoring guards who possess physical toughness in the interior. UNCG has one of the stingiest defenses we will see as a team that is driven to limit second chance opportunities."

Last Time Out
STATESBORO, Ga. - On a historic night for Georgia Southern's brand new Hill Convocation Center, North Florida men's basketball (6-4) nearly completed a historic comeback, erasing a 17-point second half deficit before coming up two points short in overtime to the Eagles (6-4) Saturday, Dec. 7.

Atop the Nation
North Florida ranks in the top ten in the nation in three different statistical categories. UNF is seventh in the NCAA in scoring offense (88.5 points per game), first in three-point attempts per game (37.7) and first in three-pointers per game (13.9).

Sweeping the Awards
Josh Harris and Jasai Miles swept the Atlantic Sun weekly awards last week, with both earning their first-ever weekly league laurels. For Harris he was named Atlantic Sun Newcomer of the Week after going for 22.5 points per game, while Miles was tabbed player of the week for his 23 points per game.

Just the Fourth Time Ever
Miles' 30-point and 11-rebound performance was just the fourth-ever 30-point and 10-board performance in UNF history, and the first since Carter Hendricksen did so in 2023 at Central Arkansas.

Starting off Strong
UNF's 5-2 start to the season matched the program's best mark in the month of November, previously set during the 2015-16 season. UNF has never had a better start to a season during the opening month in the program's DI era.

Dishing Out Dimes
North Florida went for a DI-era program record 33 assists against Edward Waters … the Ospreys scored 20 three-pointers in the win, one shy of a program record … sophomore guard Jaylen Smith had nine assists in the win.

History at UNF
North Florida's start to the 2024-25 has been a historic one, with the Ospreys earning their first-ever wins against an SEC foe and ACC foe in the same week. UNF's Power Four victories in the opening week matched the program's all-time record for wins against Power Four programs. Thanks to the wins against South Carolina and Georgia Tech, along with a 24-point win against Charleston Southern, North Florida earned 14 votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, a first for the Ospreys. North Florida also earned a spot at No. 10 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll … UNF's 3-0 start is its best to begin a season since 2015-16 … North Florida is the first-ever team to defeat two Power Five teams on the road in opening weekend.

Scouting the Opponent
UNCG was tabbed to finish sixth in the 2024-25 SoCon Preseason Coaches Poll … the Spartans' roster features nine returners and seven newcomers … UNCG went 21-11 last season and 12-6 in league play … UNCG defeated FGCU, 73-64, to open the season … the Spartans have won their last two games, taking down High Point and NC A&T … Kenyon Giles leads the squad with 17 points per game and 2.4 rebounds a contest.

Series History
This is the first-ever meeting between North Florida and UNC Greensboro.

Freshman Phenom
Freshman Josh Harris has put his abilities on display early on in the season … the forward notched 23 points against Charleston Southern and poured in 22 at Georgia Tech. His 16.3 points per game scoring average was the highest by any UNF freshman in the program's DI era through three games. He also broke the 20-point marker ahead of any previous UNF freshman during that era. His 23-point game against Charleston Southern was the most by a UNF freshman since Wajid Aminu had 24 in 2016 … Nov. 29 he added 20 points and nine boards at SIUE.

The Familiar Faces
North Florida men's basketball returns five players, all of which started the majority of last year's games or have been a starter throughout their collegiate career … Nate Lliteras started the most games among all returners, tallying 31 starts in 31 contests while averaging 10.4 points per game, the most among returning players … Jaylen Smith was thrust into the starting point guard position last year after junior guard Ametri Moss suffered a season-ending injury at the start of league play … the lefty guard out of Ocoee, Fla., went on to earn all-freshman honors from the conference … Oscar Berry is the most veteran Osprey in the Navy and Gray this year, having played two years with UNF after starting out his collegiate career at Fairleigh-Dickinson … after making his first collegiate start not far from home in Coral Gables last December, now-sophomore Jasai Miles returns after making 19 starts and averaging 5.7 points per game.

Rundown on the Newcomers
UNF's roster features eight newcomers, not including redshirt-freshman Mason Lee who sat last year out after joining UNF from nearby Providence School of Jacksonville … four are true freshmen, including Josh Harris, Arden Begaj, Taylor Thompson and Dante Oliver … the other four newcomers bring in significant experience as transfers, two of which have already earned degrees in Liam Murphy and Nestor Dyachok … Murphy put up 12 points and seven boards a game at Columbia as a freshman, while Dyachok scored over nine points per game for Southern Utah … Alex Vargo joins the Ospreys by way of Garrett College, scoring over 26 points per game while lighting up Southern Maryland for 47 in a single contest … he started his collegiate career at Youngstown State after scoring 1,634 points at Wheeling Park HS … sharpshooter Kamrin Oriol comes back to his home state of Florida after earning league freshman of the year honors in 2022-23 … he was named conference player of the week once last season.