Year Two In DI: Upstate Men's Basketball Season Preview
11/9/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 9, 2008
2008-09 Upstate Men's Basketball Media Guide
Spartanburg, S.C. - Year two of NCAA Division I and Atlantic Sun Conference competition should find the USC Upstate men's basketball team with a wealth of knowledge and experience gained from the program's first year in its new surroundings in 2007-08. The Spartans will once again play a challenging non-conference schedule, one that is marked with marquee names and strong traditions.
Head Coach Eddie Payne enters his seventh season at the helm of the Upstate men's basketball program and his 23rd overall as a head coach. He has coached at every level of college basketball, leading his teams to success at every level. He has restored prestige to the Upstate program and led the Spartans to back-to-back Peach Belt Conference titles and NCAA Division II Tournament appearances in 2004-05 and 2005-06. Under his leadership, the Spartans made the jump to the ranks of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2007-08. The season saw Upstate travel more than 20,000 miles roundtrip from Spartanburg to play its 30-game schedule, traveling to places such as Alaska, Texas, Iowa and Utah to spread the Upstate name throughout the country. In all, the Spartans played games in eight different states and five different time zones.
There won't be much change in 2008-09 as Upstate will play games in 11 different states and three different time zones, again crisscrossing the country to the tune of more than 17,000 miles. The Spartans will take on NCAA Tournament teams Belmont, Gonzaga and Georgia. Belmont won the A-Sun and nearly knocked off perennial power Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga fell victim to Davidson in the first round, but was ranked as high as No. 14 in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today Top 25 polls during the year, while Georgia caught fire in the SEC Tournament and secured its bid to the NCAAs before exiting in the first round at the hands of Xavier.
Upstate will have another challenging year in the A-Sun in 2008-09 and hopes to improve on its 5-11 mark in the conference. Of the 11 conference losses, the Spartans lost three games by four or fewer points and seven games by eight points or less. A different bounce here or there could have turned a 5-11 conference mark into a .500 or better league record. With the departure of Gardner-Webb for the Big South, the A-Sun now is an 11-member conference with each team playing a grueling 20-game league schedule.
In addition to Gonzaga and Georgia, Upstate will have plenty of marquee names on its non-conference schedule. The Spartans will host Duquesne, a team that finished the 2007-08 season with a 17-13 record playing in the Atlantic-10 Conference. In addition, Upstate travels to South Carolina, Notre Dame and Boston College, and will also hit the road for four games in the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Classic. The Spartans will play the first two games of the tournament at campus sites, playing at Saint Louis and Fresno State before traveling to Las Vegas to face Southern and then the winner of Liberty and Northern Colorado. The Spartans close out the season at Gonzaga. In all, Upstate's non-conference opponents won 180 games last season, while all of its opponents recorded 317 wins on the year.
Payne spent the offseason attempting to improve the overall talent of the team and the recruiting effort has brought in seven new players for 2008-09. The seven are expected to contribute immediately and see action on the court. The reason... the departure of Luke Payne and Jeremy Byrd from last year's squad.
Payne and Byrd formed a strong senior backcourt for the Spartans in 2007-08, but both have since departed the program. Payne led the team in scoring at 14.9 points per game and was the only Upstate player to average in double figures for the season. He finished his career ranked ninth all-time in scoring at Upstate and ranks among the all-time leaders in 14 other statistical categories. Byrd broke the all-time steals record and is the only player in the history of the program to score 900 points, grab 250 rebounds, dish out 400 assists and pick 275 steals. He finished his career with 350 steals and stands 14th all-time in the NCAA, regardless of division.
To say that the void created by the departure of Payne and Byrd is huge is an understatement. Payne was the most fundamental player on the team and could do everything. He is arguably the most solid player to come through the program under his father, head coach Eddie Payne. Byrd was an electrifying player with the ability to turn games around with his defensive pressure on the ball.
In addition to Payne and Byrd, five other lettermen from last year's team are no longer in the program, placing pressure on the seven returning players and the newcomers to step in and take their places in the program.
The good news is that Payne can call upon three returning starters and five players who saw significant action from a year ago to lead the team as it joins together for preseason workouts and conditioning. The leader of the pack will be Bobby Davis. Davis is the Spartans' starting power forward who came into his own during conference play. After transferring in from Hutchinson CC prior to last season, Davis was not used to being a primary offensive threat. He grew into his role and finished the season averaging 10.9 points per game during A-Sun contests. A senior, he will be counted upon to lead on and off the court.
Nick Schneiders and Mezie Uzochukwu are also starters from last year's team who will be counted upon this season. At 7-3, Schneiders towers over the competition. The redshirt junior has worked on his agility and has steadily improved each year he has been in the program. He is expected to continue his rapid development. Uzochukwu started half of Upstate's games a year ago as a freshman and gained valuable experience. He averaged a solid 7.6 points and 5.2 rebounds and is expected to improve on those numbers this season.
Josh Chavis is the only returning player with experience at the point guard spot. He was a steady player at the position as a freshman last season and is more than capable of running the offense. Gabor Boros was hampered by a nagging back injury for most of the season last year, but is completely healthy for his senior season and should be a main threat on the perimeter for the Spartans in 08-09.
Zac Rich and Matt Preston saw limited action a year ago, but are valuable role players for the Spartans heading into the season. A senior, Rich ranks sixth all-time at Upstate hitting 41.1 percent of his three-point attempts and Preston, a redshirt sophomore, logged key minutes in conference games a year ago.
Seven newcomers look to press the returning players for playing time this season. Junior college transfers Cedric Koffi and Pat Posey are expected to lend experience and leadership after playing at a high level their first two years of college ball. Freshmen Carter Cook, De'Marion Gordon, Lucas Reiff, Chalmers Rogers and Cameron Rousey are a talented group whose inexperience may very well be balanced by the talent level they bring to the program. How big of an impact the newcomers have will be a key in how well the Spartans fare in their second season in Division I.
Guard
With Luke Payne and Jeremy Byrd finishing their careers in 2007-08 and the departure of Rashawn Brailsford, the guard position may have the biggest question marks entering the season. Obviously, there is little experience in the group and it is an area where the newcomers can make a splash.
Josh Chavis and Zac Rich are the only returning players with experience at either the point or two-guard spots.
Chavis (5-9, 170, So., Greensboro, N.C.) was steady at the point last year in making the adjustment to playing on the college level. He averaged 5.1 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game as a backup at the point. He rarely makes mistakes and his ability to run the offense was solid.
Rich (6-1, 185, Sr., Lexington, S.C.) is an experienced player in Payne's system. Despite seeing limited action last season, he has sound knowledge and is a strong shooter from outside. His senior leadership will be a huge bonus for the Spartans. He is a career 41.1 percent shooter from behind the three-point arc.
Newcomers Carter Cook, De'Marion Gordon, Cedric Koffi, Lucas Reiff and Cameron Rousey are all expected to have an opportunity to see significant playing time this season and provide depth in the backcourt.
Cook (6-4, 220, Fr., Clemmons, N.C.) is a skilled player who can shoot the ball and simply makes others around him better. He averaged 24 points and nine rebounds per game as a senior at Calvary Baptist Day School in Clemmons, N.C., and was a three-time all-conference selection during his high school career. At 6-4, he can play the wing position if Payne chooses to go with a small lineup.
Gordon (6-1, 170, Fr., Atlanta, Ga.) is a solid open court player with explosiveness and a strong perimeter shot. With his skill, he can play either guard spot on the court. He averaged 18 points and four assists per game as a senior last year at Berkmar High School, leading the squad to the Elite 8 in the 5A state tournament.
Koffi (6-0, 180, Jr., Paris, France) is an experienced point guard who transferred to Upstate from Sheridan College. A Wyoming College Conference All-Defensive selection, he averaged 7.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game as a sophomore. He is a solid player and can run the offense from the point.
Reiff (6-3, 200, Fr., Zionsville, Ind.) is an excellent shooter and possesses an outstanding work ethic. He spent last year at Maine Central Institute after finishing a successful prep career at Zionsville High School. He averaged 19.1 points as a junior and 16 as a senior at Zionsville before averaging 16 points last year at MCI.
Rousey (6-0, 170, Fr., Mauldin, S.C.) is an athletic guard who is expected to provide depth while making the transition to the college game. He lettered three times at Mauldin High School and was the team Most Valuable Player as a senior.
Wing
Head coach Eddie Payne likes to use a three-guard lineup with the use of the wing position. The wing is the most experienced position on the court for the Spartans with the return of Mezie Uzochukwu and Gabor Boros. While the two may very well have a lock on the position, Uzochukwu's ability to play the forward spot and the ability of the incoming guards could project tremendous depth for the position.
Uzochukwu (6-5, 220, So., Greensboro, N.C.) had a strong freshman season a year ago, starting 15 of 30 games for the Spartans. He has worked on hitting the mid-range jumper more consistently and is poised to turn in another steady, strong season. He averaged 7.5 points and 4.6 rebounds with 11 blocked shots last year.
Boros (6-4, 198, Sr., Debrecen, Hungary) is an experienced and proven player. He was hampered by a nagging back injury for the majority of the season in 2007-08, limiting his ability. Still, he showed tremendous poise on the court and is expected to be a long range threat for Upstate this year. He averaged 4.2 points per game and made 37.2 percent of his three-point attempts.
Power Forward
Bobby Davis should have a lock on the starting spot at power forward. Unlike last season, though, there should be depth behind him which is expected to make the position stronger.
Davis (6-6, 230, Sr., Aiken, S.C.) was not accustomed to being a primary offensive weapon when he arrived on campus last year after spending his first two seasons of college ball at Hutchinsson CC. However, he was forced into the role and came into his own by mid-season. He finished the year averaging 9.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, though those numbers increased to 10.9 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in A-Sun games. He is expected to not only lead the position, but the team as well this season.
Vying for playing time behind Davis are newcomers Pat Posey and Chalmers Rogers, and returnee Matt Preston.
Posey (6-5, 195, Jr., Piedmont, S.C.) is an experienced player having played his first two years of college ball at Vincennes University in Indiana. An athletic forward who can play a variety of positions and pose matchup problems for the opposition, he has the talent to be on the court. He averaged 10 points and 3.7 rebounds a year ago at Vincennes and helped the Trailblazers to 53 wins in two seasons.
Rogers (6-7, 215, Fr., Fort Mill, S.C.) is a skilled post player who can play with his back to the basket as well as facing the hoop. He helped lead Fort Mill High School to the 4A state championship as a junior and an appearance in the state tournament last year. He was the region player of the year and averaged 18.6 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game as a senior. He has a tremendous upside coming from a strong prep program.
Matt Preston (6-7, 225, Fr., Nags Head, N.C.) will be in his third season in the program this year, having sat out his freshman season as a red-shirt. He has experience in Payne's system and saw key minutes in conference play last season. As he continues to develop, he could see added minutes on the floor.
Center
The center position is in the hands of 7-3 redshirt sophomore Nick Schneiders, though Chalmers Rogers may be a candidate to step in to lend depth to the position. Bobby Davis also spent time in the post for the Spartans last year.
Schneiders (7-3, 250, Jr., Rietberg, Germany) is only in his fourth year of playing organized basketball and has developed at a quick rate. He has worked on improving his balance and agility and is expected to continue to be a factor in the paint. Having served as a redshirt as a freshman, he is entering his fourth year in the program and is experienced at running Payne's system. He averaged 4.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game and led the team with 25 blocked shots last year, more than doubling the scoring, rebounding and blocked shots output from his freshman season.
