Spartans Head To Fresno State For 2nd Game Of Las Vegas Classic
12/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 19, 2008
Game Notes | Radio | Gametracker
Fresno, Calif. - USC Upstate heads west to California to take on Fresno State in Fresno Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. Pacific in the second game of the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Classic. It is the first meeting between the schools. Upstate enters the game with an 0-8 record, having dropped a 55-38 decision at Saint Louis Wednesday night in the opening game of the LVC. Fresno State enters the game with a 5-5 record after claiming a 70-65 victory over Northern Colorado at home Thursday night.
Fans not in attendance at the game can listen to the action live via Fresno State's official Athletics Web site at www.gobulldogs.com and the official Bulldog radio network at www.kmj580.com. Fans can also get live statistical updates via the official Upstate Athletics Web site, www.upstatespartans.com using Gametracker.
Looking Back At Saint Louis
Saint Louis stymied Upstate's offense with a stifling defense en route to a 55-38 victory Wednesday night in the first game of the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Classic. Despite getting 12 points from Nick Schneiders and 11 from Bobby Davis, only three other Spartans scored in the game and Upstate shot just 34 percent from the field in taking the loss. Saint Louis capitalized on its offensive rebounds, scoring 14 points on 14 rebounds on the offensive glass. The Billikens also turned 13 Spartan turnovers into 16 points.
Scouting Fresno State
Fresno State enters Saturday's game with a 5-5 record, having won three of the last four games. The Bulldogs pulled off a 70-65 victory over Northern Colorado Thursday night in Fresno in the first game of the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Classic. Fresno State is 4-3 at home in the Save Mart Center.
Fresno State averages 69.4 points per game and allows opponents an average of 69.5 points per outing. The Bulldogs shoot the ball well, making 45.8 percent of their shots from the floor and 35.7 percent from behind the three-point arc. Fresno also shoots well from the free throw line, hitting 72.9 percent of its charity stripe tosses. Opponents shoot 43.0 percent from the floor and 33.2 percent from behind the three-point arc. Fresno has a small advantage in rebounding, out-rebounding opponents 34.2-34.0 rpg on the year. The Bulldogs have more assists (161) than turnovers (157) on the year, while forcing more turnovers (136) than allowing assists (130).
Four Bulldogs average in double figures on the year. Paul George leads the way at 15.4 points per outing while also topping the team in rebounding at 6.4 points per outing. Sylvester Seay ranks second on the team in scoring at 12.4 points per game and tops the club with 17 blocked shots on the year. Dwight O'Neill averages 12.3 points per contest and leads the Bulldogs with 56 assists on the year, an average of 5.6 per game. Mychal Ladd is the final Bulldog to average in double figures, scoring at a 10.7 ppg clip.
About The Coach
Steve Cleveland is in his fourth season at the helm of the Fresno State program. In his first three seasons at Fresno, he led the Bulldogs to a 15-13 record in 2005-06, a 22-10 record and an appearance in the NIT in 2006-07, and a 13-19 mark last season. He owns a 55-47 record now in his fourth season with the Bulldogs. Overall, he has a 193-155 record in 12 years as a head coach. He has led his teams to three NCAA Tournament appearances and three berths in the NIT.
Cleveland began his coaching career as the head coach at West Clovis High School in Fresno before taking over the head position at Fresno City College. He received his first head coaching position at BYU in 1997. He turned around a struggling program and recorded four 20-win seasons in his eight years at the helm of the program,. He led the Cougars to three NCAA Tournament appearances and two berths in the NIT. He was 138-108 in eight seasons at BYU from 1997-2005 before accepting the head position at Fresno State.
Spartans In The Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Classic
In its second season in NCAA Division I, Upstate is playing in its third tournament as a member of DI while taking part in the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Classic. Upstate dropped its first game of the tournament Wednesday at Saint Louis by a 55-38 decision. Upstate takes on Fresno State Saturday before heading to Las Vegas for the final two games of the tournament, the first against Southern on Dec. 22 and the final of the four games against either Liberty or Northern Colorado on Dec. 23. Upstate has not faced any of the five teams in the tournament in the history of the program.
Last season, Upstate traveled to Fairbanks, Alaska, for the BP Top of the World Classic and to El Paso, Texas, for the State Farm Sun Bowl Tournament. Upstate is currently 0-5 in tournament play, losing to Akron (64-60), IUPUI (80-54) and Oregon State (65-46) in Fairbanks and UTEP (77-69) and Buffalo (80-66) in El Paso. Luke Payne, a senior on last year's team, earned All-Tournament honors at both tournaments a year ago.
A Winter Wonderland
Despite changing locations on Upstate's 13-day road trip, winter weather has kept close to the Spartans. The temperatures in Boston never got out of the 30s while Upstate was in the city to play Boston College to start the trip, with the Spartans dodging a pair of ice storms. In St. Louis, the temperatures again stayed in the 20s and 30s with snow and ice on the ground throughout the team's stay in the Gateway City to play Saint Louis. On the Spartans' connecting flight through Seattle, Upstate was greeted with a snow storm that caused the cancellation of its flight from Seattle to Oakland. The Spartans were shifted to a flight to San Francisco. While the team eventually made it to the hotel in Oakland for the night, the checked bags did not. All but nine of the bags were picked up the next day at the Oakland airport, while the remaining nine bags were delivered to the team in Fresno Friday evening.
Davis & Schneiders Lead Spartans Again
The frontcourt tandem of Bobby Davis and Nick Schneiders again led Upstate Wednesday night at Saint Louis. Davis finished with 11 points and five rebounds, while Schneiders added a strong 12 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots. The two accounted for 23 or Upstate's 38 points with only three other players scoring in the game.
Playing Solid D
Upstate has done a pretty solid job of playing defense in the last several outings. After giving up an average of just over 80 points a game in the first three games of the year, the Spartans have rallied to hold four of the next five opponents under 70 points with opponents averaging 66.1 per game. Upstate held Saint Louis to 55 points in the last outing for the Spartans and only A-Sun foe Mercer, who has knocked off Alabama and Auburn this season, has scored 70 or more points in the last five games.
Looking For Offense
While Upstate has begun to clamp down on defense as noted above, the Spartans are in need of offensive production. After scoring 79, 64 and 64 in the fourth, fifth and six games of the season, the offense looked to be gaining consistency. However, in the last two games, Upstate has scored 55 and 38 points in losses at Boston College and Saint Louis. The 38 scored by the Spartans at Saint Louis was the second-lowest point total in school history, beating out the 32 scored in a loss to USC Aiken in the 1967-68 season, the program's inaugural season as a two-year program.
The Bearded One
A challenge grew out of Upstate's misfortune of not having their bags make it on the flight out of Seattle to San Francisco - a challenge to assistant coach Ryan Walker. Walker has gone two days without shaving and has been challenged not to shave until Upstate breaks its losing streak and wins a game.
From One Big Fella To Another
A funny thing happened on Upstate's trip from Boston to St. Louis Monday when a chance meeting between a legendary big man and the Spartans' 7-3 center took place in the Charlotte-Douglas Airport. As the Upstate players made their way to the gate for the connecting flight to St. Louis, assistant coach Bill Burrows noticed a familiar face, Brad Daugherty. Dugherty, a former All-American at North Carolina and NBA standout center for the Cleveland Cavaliers, was on his way to California when the two spotted each other in the airport. Burrows was Daugherty's high school coach and brought the 7-0 Black Mountain, N.C., native over to meet Nick Schneiders, Upstate's man in the middle.
Taking Care Of The Rock
An area Upstate head coach Eddie Payne can point to as a positive for the Spartans is how well Upstate has taken care of the ball in the last four games. Entering the Duquesne game on Nov. 25, the Spartans averaged nearly 23 turnovers per game. In the last five games, though, Upstate has not turned the ball over more than 15 times, averaging 9.9 per game. Upstate committed 15 turnovers against Duquesne, 10 at Kennesaw State, a program-low two at Mercer, nine at Boston College and 13 at Saint Louis. As a result, Upstate has lowered its turnover average to 14.8 per game.
Boros Back On The Court
Senior guard Gabor Boros began the season as the Spartans' starting shooting guard. However, after taking hard shots to his back during the first four games, he missed the Kennesaw State and Mercer games. Having dealt with nagging back injuries last season, Boros was looking forward to an injury-free 2008-09. He managed to play two minutes at Boston College Sunday afternoon and started at Saint Louis, playing 11 minutes. He will methodically work himself back into more playing time so he can be ready for the remainder of the A-Sun season that starts on Jan. 3 in Spartanburg against North Florida.
Spartans In The A-Sun
Upstate players rank among the league leaders in nine statistical categories with six different Spartans ranking among the league's leaders. Bobby Davis leads the way, ranking in seven statistical categories - scoring (9th, 14.1), rebounding (4th, 7.9), offensive rebounds (13th, 2.3), defensive rebounds (6th, 5.6), field goal percentage (12th, 49.0), steals (9th, 1.9), and minutes played (6th, 33.9). Nick Schneiders leads the A-Sun in blocked shots per game, swatting 2.8 shots per outing. Carter Cook, Josh Chavis, De'Marion Gordon and Mezie Uzochukwu also rank among the league leaders in various categories.
Spartans Hang Tough In First Half At #12 Notre Dame
Upstate certainly gave No. 12 Notre Dame, then No. 9, all it could handle in the first half of the game on Nov. 16. Behind the solid play of Bobby Davis and Nick Schneiders, who combined to score the Spartans' first 14 points, Upstate held two leads during the half, the first at 17-16 with 12:17 to play and the second at 19-18 with 11:05 to play. Despite Notre Dame's effort to increase the lead midway through the half, the Spartans trailed by just three, 34-31, with 3:38 to play. However, the Fighting Irish had a late surge and Luke Zeller's three-pointer at the buzzer took an eight-point lead to an 11-point advantage at the intermission as Notre Dame went on for the 72-48 win.
Upstate's Non-Conference Schedule Ranked 21st-Toughest In Nation
In the latest non-conference strength of schedule rating released by Ken Pomeroy on Dec. 19, Upstate's non-conference schedule was ranked as the 21st-toughest schedule in the nation. In the daily overall strength of schedule ranking released by Jeff Sagarin on Dec. 19, Upstate's schedule was ranked the 21st-toughest in the nation. The Spartans play two teams ranked in the Top 15 in the latest AP Top 25 poll, five teams ranked in the Top 100 in the Sagarin overall rankings, and 10 teams ranked in the Top 150 in the ranking report. Like last season, Upstate owns one of the toughest strength of schedule among all A-Sun schools. Jacksonville tops the A-Sun with the 11th-toughest schedule in the nation, while ETSU ranks in the Top 100 at 96.
Spartans' 2007-08 Non-Conference Schedule Ranked 20th
In Upstate's first season as a member of NCAA Division I last year, head coach Eddie Payne did not shy away from playing some of the top traditional basketball powers. According to Payne, "We felt like we shouldn't tiptoe into the water, but jump right in." The Spartans did just that, playing the 20th toughest non-conference schedule in the nation, according to Ken Pomeroy in his final analysis of the 2007-08 non-conference strength of schedule ranking. Upstate's nearest competitor in the A-Sun was Jacksonville, which played the 60th-toughest non-conference schedule, according to Pomeroy.
Another Year, Another Tough Schedule
While the 2007-08 schedule was indeed demanding, Upstate has taken another step up in playing some of the toughest competition in college basketball. Not only will the Spartans play a grueling 20-game A-Sun schedule, the Spartans play four teams - Belmont, Georgia, Gonzaga and Notre Dame - which earned bids to the NCAA Tournament a year ago. In addition, Upstate plays two teams ranked highly in the Top 25 polls with Gonzaga holding down the No. 7 spot in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 poll and the No. 8 spot in the AP Top 25 poll, while Notre Dame is 12th in the AP poll and 14th in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
Upstate Road Warriors
By season's end, USC Upstate will have played 30 games with nearly two-thirds of the contests played away from the G.B. Hodge Center. The Spartans opened the season playing at Georgia, Notre Dame and South Carolina before its home opener against Duquesne on Nov. 25. Upstate is in the midst of five straight games away from the Hodge Center before returning home for its A-Sun home opener against North Florida on Jan. 3. By season's end, Upstate will have traveled more than 17,000 miles roundtrip from Spartanburg to play its 30-game schedule, playing in 11 states and three time zones.
Upstate vs. The WAC
When Upstate takes on Fresno State Saturday in Fresno, Calif., it will mark the first meeting between the Spartans and a school from the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in the history of the program.
Starting Lineup Consistency
Last year, Upstate head coach Eddie Payne used 12 different starting lineups in 30 games on the season. Through eight games this season, Payne has used just two different starting lineups and a total of six players to start games. Josh Chavis has started every game at the point and has been joined in the starting lineups for all eight contests by forwards Mezie Uzochukwu and Bobby Davis and center Nick Schneiders. Gabor Boros started the first four games at shooting guard before a back injury forced him to the sideline with freshman Carter Cook taking his place in the lineup in the next four contests. Boros returned to the starting lineup Wednesday night at Saint Louis.
Spartans Play Conference Variety
Upstate has strategically scheduled its non-conference opponents to play a slate of games in a variety of locations and teams from several different conferences. Outside of their 20-game A-Sun slate, the Spartans will play schools from nine different conferences in its 10-game non-conference schedule this season. Last year, Upstate played schools from 10 different conference in addition to its A-Sun schedule.
Gaining Tournament Experience
While Upstate is not allowed to compete in the A-Sun and NCAA Tournaments until 2011-12 when it completes its provisional status as a new DI member, head coach Eddie Payne has seen fit to give the Spartans a dose of tournament experience in its first two seasons in DI. Upstate competed in the BP Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska, and the State Farm Sun Bowl Tournament in El Paso, Texas, last season. This year, the Spartans play in the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Classic.
Schneiders The Tallest Tree In The Forest
Nick Schneiders, Upstate's only center on the roster, is the tallest player to ever wear a uniform at Upstate. At 7-3, he holds the distinction by five inches over Michael Gibson, who tipped the height chart at 6-10. He is also the tallest player playing in the A-Sun. The Rietberg, Germany, native has played organized basketball for just four and a half years. He is a redshirt junior after sitting out his first season on the Upstate campus in 2005-06. Despite his youth in the game of basketball, he has developed at a rapid rate. In his first year playing with Upstate in 2006-07, he averaged 2.1 points and 2.4 rebounds per game while blocking 13 shots. A year later, he more doubled his averages to 4.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per outing while blocking 25 shots. In his third season on the court for Upstate, his development is expected to steadily continue.
Home Sweet Home
Despite playing just 11 games at home this season, the Spartans will be happy to do so. Upstate has a solid home record, going 58-23 (.716) in seven years under head coach Eddie Payne. Overall, the Spartans are 317-134 (.703) in 451 games played at the Hodge Center since it opened in 1973. Prior to 1973, Upstate played its games at a local junior high school. The Spartans won a school-record 50 straight regular season home games from March 4, 1989 to Feb. 17, 1993.
Hitting The Century Mark
Upstate head coach Eddie Payne won his 100th game at the helm of the Spartans' program at Campbell on Feb. 21, 2008. Payne is now in his seventh season at Upstate and his 24th overall as a head coach. He owns a 100-83 record at Upstate and led the Spartans to two Peach Belt Conference championships and back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament prior to Upstate's move to Division I and the Atlantic Sun Conference last season.
Uzochukwu A Calm Customer
Some freshmen, no matter how talented, shy away from taking the ball in key situations. That was not the case last year when Mezie Uzochukwu, now a sophomore on Upstate's team, put himself in position to deliver Upstate's monumental win at SMU (Dec. 18). He was fouled with 0.6 seconds to play in the game and with the score tied at 56-56. He calmly stepped up to the free throw line and sank both tosses to give Upstate the 58-56 win over the Mustangs, securing the Spartans' first-ever win over a Division I opponent.
Uzochukwu played in all 30 games for Upstate and started 15 contests. He ranked fourth on the team in scoring at 7.5 points per game and grabbed the third-most rebounds per outing at 4.7.
Hard Luck Spartans In `07-'08
Newcomers to the Division I level are supposed to take their lumps, but Upstate proved to be a solid program in its new surroundings. While Upstate's 7-23 record was less than sterling, the record was also misleading. The Spartans lost 10 games by eight points or less and four games by four points or less last season. Had a few plays broken differently, Upstate could easily have looked at a double-digit win total and, possibly, a record approaching .500. One thing head coach Eddie Payne hopes the Spartans have learned from last year's experience is how to win close games on the DI level.
Carolina On Our Mind
Of the 14 players listed on the Upstate roster, nine hail from either South Carolina or North Carolina. Bobby Davis (Aiken), Pat Posey (Greenville), Zac Rich (Lexington), Chalmers Rogers (Fort Mill) and Cameron Rousey (Greenville) all call the Palmetto State home, while Josh Chavis (Greensboro), Carter Cook (Clemmons), Matt Preston (Nags Head) and Mezie Uzochukwu (Greensboro) call the Tar Heel State home.
Even the Upstate coaching staff is rooted in either South Carolina or North Carolina. Head Coach Eddie Payne was born in Winston-Salem, N.C., and grew up in Charlotte. Assistant Coach Steve Smith was born and raised in the Lowcountry of South Carolina in Varnville. Assistant Coach Ryan Walker was born in Charlotte and lived in the Queen City until the start of his junior year in high school before the family moved to Galesburg, Ill. Assistant Coach Bill Burrows was born in Baltimore, Md., but spent most of his late childhood and nearly all of his adult life in North Carolina.
Big Shoes To Fill
When Upstate takes the floor this season, it will do so without the services of guard Luke Payne for the first time in four years. Payne graduated in May and has been on tour with Athletes In Action while waiting for an opportunity to play professionally overseas. Payne was simply the do-all leader for the Spartans last season. He led Upstate in scoring with 14.9 points per game. He also led Upstate in making 63 three-pointers, making 87 free throws and dishing out 84 assists. He also led the Spartans in scoring in 18 of 30 games and finished in double figures on 25 occasions.
Payne finished his career ranked ninth all-time in scoring at Upstate with a 1,381 points. He garnered all-tournament honors at the BP Top of the World Classic and State Farm Sun Bowl tournaments, while also earning A-Sun Player of the Week honors.
Mercer First A-Sun School To Knock Off One Of The Big Boys
Last season, Belmont nearly stunned Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and introduced the nation to A-Sun basketball. However, the college basketball world already knew how strong the conference was last year and how tough league teams are year-in and year-out. A-Sun schools picked up wins over Kentucky, Southern Cal, Alabama, Georgia, Cincinnati and SMU last year. Mercer has gotten the A-Sun off to a good start this year with two wins against SEC teams as the Bears claimed a 72-69 victory over Alabama on Nov. 16 and a 78-74 win over Auburn on Nov. 19. Mercer's win over Alabama marks the second-straight year the Crimson Tide has fallen to an A-Sun school.
Paul Makes Good
Former Spartan starting point guard C.J. Paul is now living the life around the NBA. No, he is not playing in the world's top league, he is serving as the personal assistant/manager for his younger brother, Chris, the former NBA Rookie of Year now in his fourth season with the New Orleans Hornets. Paul was on-hand in Beijing, China, to watch his younger brother win a gold medal for the United States in last summer's Olympic Games.
