Spartans Set to Hit the Hardwood in Alaska
11/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 15, 2007
BP Top of the World Tournament Notes in PDF Format 
All three Upstate tournament games can be heard on the internet at ESPN 1400 AM.
Follow the action online, including live video feeds of the games, at the BP Top of the World Classic website.
FAIRBANKS, Alaska - The USC Upstate men's basketball team takes its second step into the world of Division I, and it seems like the team is a world away playing in the BP Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Upstate opens the BP TOWC Friday night against Akron at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, 6:00 p.m. Alaskan time. The game can be heard in Spartanburg on ESPN 1400 AM with the pregame show starting at 9:45 p.m. (EST) with play-by-play announcer Matt Smith. The game can also be heard live over the internet by visiting www.upstatespartans.com and clicking on ESPN 1400 AM on the schedule page. ESPN 1400 AM will also stream the game on their website at www.espn1400am.com.
Upstate enters Friday's game with Akron after taking a week off following an 86-52 loss at Utah. The Spartans got strong performances from Bobby Davis (13 points), Luke Payne (12 points), Jeremy Byrd (nine points and six steals) and Nick Schneiders (career-high nine rebounds and six points) against the Utes. Byrd became Upstate's all-time steals leader and now has 280 for his career. Payne is now just 55 points shy of reaching 1,000 points in his career.
Akron comes into Friday's game untested in the regular season. The Zips are coming off of a 26-7 season in 2006-07, but were snubbed and left out of postseason play. Akron opened the 2007-08 season with an exhibition victory over Walsh on Nov. 8.
Chris McKnight led the Zips with 14 points off the bench, while Quade Milum added 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Steve McNees, a red-shirt in 2006-07, scored 12 points and dished out four assists. Jeremiah Woods finished with 10 points and two blocked shots.
McNees averaged 28.4 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds per game as a senior at Shenango High School in Pennsylvania. Wood is the leading re¬turning scorer and rebounder at 10.3 ppg and 7.8 rpg. Nick Dials also averaged in double figures in 06-07 at 10.1 ppg. He also shot 43.2 percent from the three-point arc.
Upstate has been off since the Nov. 9 season opener at Utah. However, the Spartans have had a steady dose of study, practice and fun in the days since. The Spartans traveled from Utah to Portland, Ore., for three days, practicing at the Nike World Headquarters as well as touring the facility. Upstate made the trek to Fairbanks on Tuesday and spent Wednesday mixing in fun and business. The Spartans started the day with study hall, a mandatory daily occurrence, before heading to North Pole, Alaska, to visit Santa's House. Upstate went on a dog mushing adventure and then hit the hardwood for practice. The Spartans spent Thursday studying and practicing while getting ready for the opening game of the BP Top of the World Classic.
The BP Top of the World Classic starts Thursday when the Alaska Nanooks take on Tennessee State at 6:00 p.m. (AKST) and Colorado State faces Oregon State at 8:30. Akron and Upstate open Friday's games at 6:00 p.m. (AKST) and Portland State and IUPUI follow at 8:30.
