2014 2015 BLAZER BASKETBALL VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS (9-9, 4-8 GSC) vs. NORTH ALABAMA LIONS (7-11, 4-8 GSC) November 14 LANE# THE COMPLEX W, 74-64 Saturday, January 24, 2015 8:00 p.m. The Complex (5,350) Valdosta, Ga. 15 ALBANY STATE# THE COMPLEX W, 90-77 21 SOUTHEASTERN^ THE COMPLEX W, 95-89 (ot) GAME CENTER 22 CARVER^ THE COMPLEX W, 99-75 VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS NORTH ALABAMA LIONS 26 at Georgia Regents Augusta, Ga. L, 92-61 Record: 9-9, 4-8 GSC Record: 7-11, 4-8 GSC 29 WEBBER INTERNATIONAL THE COMPLEX W, 82-62 Ranking: Not Ranked Ranking: Not Ranked Last Game: Defeated Alabama-Huntsville 67-66 Last Game: Defeated West Florida 79-65 December Head Coach: Mike Helfer Head Coach: Bobby Champagne 4 at North Alabama* Florence, Ala. L, 79-68 Overall Record: 369-182 (.670) Overall Record: 194-148 (.567) 6 at Ala.-Huntsville* Huntsville, Ala. L, 83-51 Record at VSU: 183-99 (.649) Record at UNA: 194-148 (.567) 10 LEE* THE COMPLEX W, 75-70 Last Five Games: 2-3 Last Five Games: 2-3 15 SHORTER* THE COMPLEX L, 98-94 (ot) Helfer vs. North Alabama: 8-12 Champagne vs. Valdosta State: 13-11 18 at Delta State Cleveland, Miss. W, 74-71 All-Time Series: UNA leads 37-32 Last Meeting: @UNA 70, VSU 68 20 at Mississippi College Clinton, Miss. L, 72-66 RADIO INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET January Station/Internet: Talk 92. FM (Valdosta) / talk921.com Webcast: useducationtv.com/default.aspx?sid=286 3 CHRISTIAN BROTHERS* THE COMPLEX L, 77-74 (2ot) Talent: Mike Chason Live Stats: sidearmstats.com/valdosta/mbball/ 5 UNION* THE COMPLEX L, 84-78 10 at West Georgia* Carrollton, Ga. L, 93-86 BLAZER BITS 12 at West Alabama* Livingston, Ala. L, 76-61 17 at West Florida* Pensacola, Fla. W, 67-66 • Valdosta State is in its 60th season of basketball and sports an all-time record 953 victories against 624 losses. 22 ALA.-HUNTSVILLE* THE COMPLEX W, 67-66 • The Blazers are in their 33rd year playing the Gulf South Conference and sports an overall league record of 242-223. 24 NORTH ALABAMA* THE COMPLEX 8:00 pm • Head Coach Mike Helfer is in his 10th year as the leader of the Blazer program, making him the second-longest 29 at Shorter* Rome, Ga. 8:00 pm tenured coach in VSU history. Helfer has an all-time record of 183-99. 31 at Lee* Cleveland, Tenn. 4:00 pm • Helfer is the second-winningest coach in VSU history, having passed the legendary Gary Colson earlier this season. • The Blazers have won 73 of 133 Gulf South Conference games in Helfer’s 10 seasons with Valdosta State. February • Valdosta State and North Alabama have met 69 times over the years, with the Lions leading the all-time series 37- 5 MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE* THE COMPLEX 8:00 pm 32. The series is the second-most played series in the history of Blazer basketball. 7 DELTA STATE* THE COMPLEX 8:00 pm • The Lions have won 12 of the 20 meetings since Mike Helfer assumed the head coaching duties for the Blazers, 12 at Union* Jackson, Tenn. 9:00 pm including each of the last nine games. 14 at Christian Brothers Memphis, Tenn. 5:00 pm • Overall, Valdosta State has won six out of nine games played in The Complex under Helfer, although UNA has won 19 WEST ALABAMA* THE COMPLEX 8:00 pm each of the last three meetings. 21 WEST GEORGIA* THE COMPLEX 8:00 pm • Valdosta State has made a three-pointer in 306 straight games, a streak that dates back to February 10, 2003. 28 WEST FLORIDA* THE COMPLEX 8:00 pm • VSU’s current two-game winning streak is the Blazers’ first winning streak since winning four straight to open the season. March • After losing five games in which is scored less than 70 points early in the season, the Blazers have won each of 3 GSC Quarterfinals$ School Site TBA their last two contests while scoring only 67 points in each contest. 6 GSC Semifinals$ Birmingham, Ala. TBA • James Spencer recorded his fourth double-double of the season against Alabama-Huntsville as he finished with 19 7 GSC Finals$ Birmingham, Ala. TBA points and 10 rebounds. • Over the course of the last six games, James Spencer has averaged 18.5 points a game. He has made 45 of his HOME GAME; *GSC Game; #Holiday Inn Classic; ^VSU 92 field goal attempts during that span for a 48.9 percent shooting percentage. He is also averaging 8.2 rebounds Classic; All Times Eastern a game in that span, including three contests with double-digit boards. PROBABLEPROBAB STARTING LINE-UP (BASED ON LAST GAME) JOSH LEMONS JAMES SPENCER JEFF NIBO COLIN COOK BLAKE JUSTICE #3 #4 #11 #15 #20 So. Guard Sr. Forward Jr. Forward Sr. Forward Jr. Guard 6-1 175 6-6 210 6-5 200 6-9 210 6-2 190 Cincinnati, Ohio Chicago, Ill. Corona, Calif. Atlanta, Ga. Peebles, Ohio Pts - 7.2 Pts - 14.9 Pts - 9.6 Pts - 10.6 Pts - 12.1 Rbs - 3.7 Rbs - 7.3 Rbs - 3.8 Rbs - 6.3 Rbs - 3.2 Mins. - 27.7 Mins. - 30.3 Mins. - 22.9 Mins. - 26.6 Mins. - 31.4 2014-15 VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY MEN’S BASKETBALL OPPONENT CAPSULE - NORTH ALABAMA LIONS PROJECTED STARTERS* STAT BREAKDOWN # Name Class Pos. Pts. Reb. Assts. Stls. Blks. Team Stats 1 Jere Vucica Jr. F 13.1 7.1 22 14 12 11 Nathan Spehr Sr. G 14.3 2.2 75 19 0 VSU Stat UNA 12 Brandon Herman Jr. G 14.1 4.6 67 20 1 75.7 PPG 76.8 32 Marcus Landry Sr. F 9.1 8.3 10 12 19 77.0 Opp. PPG 79.3 35 Calvin Dade Sr. F 12.9 8.5 24 18 13 -1.3 Scoring Margin -2.5 *based on last game played .427 FG% .452 .465 Opp. FG% .447 A LOOK AT THE SERIES... .309 3-FG% .331 .389 Opp. 3-FG% .333 Scouting the Lions The Series vs. North Alabama .699 FT% .701 Under long-time head coach Bobby Champagne, The second-most played series in Valdosta State .701 Opp. FT% .703 North Alabama is 7-11 on the season, including a 4-8 basketball history, Thursday’s game marks the 70th time 38.2 RPG 40.6 record in Gulf South Conference play. that the Blazers and UNA have met on the hardwood. The 38.5 Opp. RPG 36.0 A balanced squad, UNA currently has five play- Lions have won 37 of the previous 69 meetings, including -0.3 Reb. Margin +4.6 ers averaging at least nine points per game, with four wins in each of the last nine contests. 14.1 Off. RPG 13.7 of those averaging double figures. Nathan Spehr, who Since Mike Helfer took over as head coach at Valdosta 24.1 Def. RPG 26.9 has hit 42 three-pointers and leads the North Alabama State in 2005-06, the Lions have claimed 12 of the 20 266 TO 310 team with 75 assists, leads the Lions with 14.3 points meetings between the two schools. Below is a closer look 14.8 TOPG 17.2 a game while Brandon Herman, who has 67 assists on at the series under Helfer. 290 Opp. TO 231 the season, adds 14.1. Meanwhile, Calvin Dade averages Date Site Result 16.1 Opp. TOPG 12.8 12.9 points and leads UNA with 8.5 rebounds a game 12/04/14 Florence, Ala. L, 70-68 +1.3 TO Margin -4.4 while Marcus Landry tallies 9.1 points and 8.3 boards a 03/08/14 Birmingham, Ala. L, 88-79 200 Assists 242 contest. Jere Vucica adds 13.1 points an outing. 02/13/14 Valdosta, Ga. L, 79-63 11.1 APG 13.4 North Alabama scores 76.8 points a game and is 01/09/14 Florence, Ala. L, 97-69 0.75 Assist-TO Ratio 0.78 the top rebounding squad in the GSC as it averages 4.06 02/02/13 Valdosta, Ga. L, 74-73 160 Steals 105 per game. UNA also shoots the ball fairly well as it makes 12/01/12 Florence, Ala. L, 95-94 (ot) 8.9 SPG 5.8 45.2 percent of its field goal attempts. However, the Li- 02/11/12 Valdosta, Ga. L, 70-58 68 Blocks 51 ons are plagued by turnovers as they average more than 01/14/12 Florence, Ala. L, 84-70 3.8 BPG 2.8 17 a game. 02/05/11 Florence, Ala. L, 100-89 01/13/11 Valdosta, Ga. W, 102-84 Individual Leaders Head Coach Bobby Champagne 02/04/10 Valdosta, Ga. W, 81-70 Bobby Champagne is in his 12th season as head 01/10/10 Florence, Ala. W, 86-73 VSU Stat UNA men’s basketball coach at the North Alabama, after 02/05/09 Florence, Ala. L, 91-68 Spencer - 14.9 PPG Spehr - 14.3 taking over the reigns of the program in 2003. Under 01/17/09 Valdosta, Ga. W, 81-62 Justice - 12.1 Herman - 14.1 Champagne, the Lions have tallied a 194-148 record 02/16/08 Florence, Ala. L, 94-82 Cook - 10.6 Vucica - 13.1 and appeared in 12 consecutive Gulf South Conference 01/14/08 Valdosta, Ga. W, 92-86 (ot) Spencer - 7.3 RPG Dade - 8.5 tournaments and four NCAA tournaments.