2008-09 VMI BASKETBALL KEYDET BASKETBALL GAME NOTES KEYDET BASKETBALL GAME NOTES KEYDET BASKETBALL GAME NOTES VMI Goes For Sixth-Straight Win On Wednesday Against Richmond In-State Rivals Collide In Televised New Year’s Eve Matchup Trailing by 14 points with less than 15 minutes remaining, VMI went on a 21-4 run that propelled the Keydets to a 62-55 vic- tory over Army at Christl Arena on Sunday, Dec. 21. The win gave VMI (9-2) its eighth win in their last nine games, the pro- gram’s best such run since 1990. By both forcing and committing 20 turnovers against the Black Knights, VMI continued a pair of impressive streaks. The Richmond (7-55, 0-00 Atlantic 10) Keydets have caused at least 20 miscues while also not committing more turnovers than their opponents in each game this sea- at VMI (9-22, 2-00 Big South) son. The Keydets are 9-0 this season when scoring more points off turnovers than their opponents. Wednesday, December 31, 7 p.m. At 9-2, the Keydets are off to their best start since the 1976-77 season. That year, the team started 22-1 on their way to the Cameron Hall; Lexington, Va. Sweet 16. That season also saw the Keydets lose their second game of the year at Virginia, as this year’s team did. RADIO- WREL-AAM 1450 Lexington This season marks the first time in school history that VMI has appeared on the CollegeInsider.com’s Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. The Keydets are rated 20th in this week’s poll. In other rankings news, the Washington Post has ranked VMI seventh on their INTERNET- Live Audio and Stats Atlantic 11 poll this week, comprised of Division I schools located in the Mid-Atlantic. This year also marks the first time that online at www.VMIKeydets.com. VMI has appeared on the list, while the Keydets also received votes in the Associated Press’ Top 25 the first two weeks of the LIVE VIDEO- Broadcast on the 2008-09 season. Big South Edge at VMI’s season-opening win at Kentucky not only marked the Keydets’ first win against an SEC team in 33 seasons (1975-76), www.BigSouthSports.com. but was also the first time that VMI had defeated Kentucky since 1922. Seniors Chavis and Travis Holmes pace Duggar Baucom’s potent offensive attack this season, as the Keydets look to lead the Tale Of The Tape nation in scoring for the third-straight season. Chavis and Travis Holmes currently rank as the seventh and 12th scorers in VMI VMI UR history, respectively, and are the fourth-highest scoring set of twins in NCAA Division I history with 3,028 combined points. 99.3 Points Per Game 74.8 (Page 5 for more info) 85.9 Points Allowed 69.3 In 2008-09, the Keydets are looking to become only the third school in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in scoring for three straight seasons. Furman did so from 1953-55, while Loyola Marymount followed suit from 1988-90. (Page 5 for 48.4% Field Goal % 50.2% more info) 50.4% FG % Allowed 44.4% A VMI win against Richmond would: 38.5% 3-Point FG % 35.7% Mark VMI’s second win in three tries against Richmond. The Keydets defeated the Spiders 93-84 on Dec. 20, 2006 and lost to UR 71-69 on Dec. 30, 2007. Each of those games were played at the Robins Center in Richmond. VMI’s last win against 13.6 3-Pt. FG Per Game 7.3 Richmond in Lexington came on Jan. 21, 1991, when the Keydets took an 80-75 decision, though the Spiders have not visited 74.5% Free Throw % 69.5% Cameron Hall since Dec. 3, 1994. Overall, Richmond holds an 83-43 advantage in the series that dates back to 1916. 20.0 Assists Per Game 13.3 Give VMI nine wins in their last ten games. That would be VMI’s best streak since winning nine of ten from Jan. 24 to Feb. 19, 1990. It would also be VMI’s sixth-straight win, the team’s first six-game winning streak since a seven-game run in 1996. 16.1 Turnovers Per Game 13.7 Improve the Keydets’ record to 6-0 at Cameron Hall this season. The last time VMI began a season 6-0 at home was 1995- 1.2 Assist/Turnover Ratio 1.0 96, when the Keydets opened the year 12-0 at Cameron Hall. The Keydets are currently 15-2 in home non-conference games 16.0 Steals Per Game 8.0 since VMI’s fast-paced style was implemented prior to the 2006-07 season. Continue the Keydets’ best start since the 1976-77 campaign, when they opened the year 22-1. 4.1 Blocks Per Game 3.3 KEYDETS AT A GLANCE Probable Starters Pos. # Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Notes F 2 Willie Bell Sr. 6-6 205 8.5 4.9 2.6 2.2 14 pts., 6 reb., 4 stl. 3 ast. at Virginia; 12 pts., 5 reb., 4 ast. vs. Stevenson G 3 Chavis Holmes Sr. 6-4 195 20.0 4.4 3.2 3.7 31 pts., 5 reb. at Virginia; 29 pts., 5 ast., 2 stl., 1 blk. at UNC Asheville G 10 Austin Kenon So. 5-11 180 16.1 3.4 2.9 1.5 23 pts., 7-11 3-Pt. vs. Winthrop (12/3); 19 pts., 6-11 3-Pt. at Army (12/21) F 15 Ron Burks Fr. 6-4 205 4.6 3.7 3.2 0.6 11 pts., 3 ast., 1 TO at Kentucky (11/14); 11 reb. at Army (12/21) F 23 Travis Holmes Sr. 6-4 195 18.9 5.6 3.5 4.0 Big South Player of the Week (12/8); 26 pts., 3 reb., 6 stls., 7 ast. at UNCA Off The Bench Pos. # Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Pts. Reb. Ast. Stl. Notes G 1 Adam Lonon Jr. 5-11 175 --- --- --- --- Has not played this season due to hamstring injury G 4 Joey Cantafio So. 5-6 150 4.3 1.0 1.3 0.0 6 pts., 3 ast. vs. Maryland Bible (11/18); 5 pts. at Jacksonville St. (11/29) F 11 Quinn Brownfield So. 6-7 195 1.6 0.5 0.3 0.4 11 pts., 2 reb., 3 3-pt. vs. Maryland Bible (11/18) G 20 Carl Josey Jr. 6-5 195 1.4 2.0 0.6 0.6 4 pts., 2 reb., 2-2 FG vs. Campbell (12/9); 3 pts., 4 reb. in 7 mins. vs. SWU G 21 Keith Gabriel Fr. 6-2 180 15.6 2.3 1.5 1.9 Sixth Man; 25 pts., 6 3-pt. vs. Winthrop (12/3); 20 pts., 6 stls., 5 asts. vs. SWU G 31 Michael Sparks Fr. 6-4 195 9.3 2.7 1.8 1.2 12 pts., 3 reb., 2 asts., 1 stl. vs. Southern Wesleyan (12/13) C 32 Wayne Whiting Fr. 6-7 240 3.2 1.0 0.3 0.2* 10 pts., 1 reb., 1 ast., 1 blk.vs. Stevenson; 9 pts., 4 reb. vs. Maryland Bible F 34 Hunter Houston So. 6-6 195 --- --- --- --- Has not played this season F 35 Aaron Blosser Fr. 6-3 205 1.5 0.5 0.0 0.5 3 pts., 1 stl. in 3 minutes vs. Stevenson (11/20) C 50 Stephen Sargent R-Fr. 7-0 245 4.3 0.7 0.7 0.7* 6 pts., 2 blks., 1 reb., 1 ast. in 7 minutes vs. Stevenson (11/20) *- Blocks Per Game Media Schedule/Results (9-22 Overall/2-00 Big South) Information Date Opponent (Television) Time/Result Record Key Stats Nov. 14 at Kentucky (FSN South/BBSN) W, 111-103 1-0 VMI 7-of-8 3-Pt. to begin game, 14-31 3-Pt. in game X VMI Basketball Contacts Nov. 16 at Virginia (Comcast SportsNet) L, 97-107 1-1 UVa 27 2nd Chance Pts.; Outrebounded VMI 50-36 Nov. 18 Maryland Bible W, 118-72 2-1 VMI 57 pts. off 37 MBC TO; VMI 89% FT Nov. 20 Stevenson W, 133-72 3-1 VMI 48% 3-Pt., 33 asts.; VMI 21 stls., 12 blks. Wade Branner, Associate A.D./Athletic Nov. 24 at Campbell W, 97-92 4-1 VMI 48% (19-40) 3-Pt.; 10 3-Pt. off bench Communications (Basketball Contact) Nov. 29 at Jacksonville State L, 67-95 4-2 VMI 21% (7-34) 3-Pt.; JSU 61% FG% Office (540) 464-7515 Dec. 3 Winthrop* (MASN) W, 92-74 5-2, 1-0 VMI 16 3-Pt.; Turnovers: WU 25, VMI 10 Cell (540) 319-1271 Dec. 6 at UNC Asheville* W, 114-105 6-2, 2-0 VMI 56% (15-27) 3-Pt.; Turnovers: UNCA 20, VMI9 Fax (540) 464-7583 Dec. 9 Campbell W, 88-76 7-2 VMI 16-0 run after halftime; CU 26 Turnovers Email [email protected] Dec. 13 Southern Wesleyan W, 113-94 8-2 VMI 41 pts. off turnovers; Turnovers: SWU 26 VMI 12 Web www.VMIKeydets.com Dec. 21 at Army W, 62-55 9-2 VMI 1st Half FG%: 18.2%, 2nd Half FG%: 51.9% Dec. 31 Richmond (MASN) 7 p.m. Press Row Phone (540) 463-6725 Jan. 3 at Gardner-Webb* 7 p.m. Jan. 5 at Charleston Southern* 7:30 p.m.