Head Coach Dave Dickerson and Men's Basketball Welcome Five Newcomers to the Program for 2022-23
8/23/2022 5:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – As the semester begins and fall workouts are just around the corner. USC Upstate men's basketball and head coach Dave Dickerson are excited to announce the addition of five newcomers to the program's roster for the 2022-23 season.
Of the five newcomers, two three join the program as Division I transfers, coming to Upstate from James Madison, UTEP, and West Virginia. The remainder of the Spartans' incoming class is comprised of two incoming freshmen hailing from the Upstate.
Below are player capsules for the five newcomers (listed in numerical order by jersey number).
Justin Bailey | Guard | 6-3 | 185 | Fr. | Taylors, S.C. | Blue Ridge HS
Attended Blue Ridge High School (Greer, S.C.) … Helped the Fighting Tigers to a South Carolina High School League Class 3A State Championship as a senior in 2021-22 … Named the 2021-22 SCHSL Class 3A Player of the Year … Named the 2020-21 and 2021-22 SCHSL Class 3A Region 2 Player of the Year … Earned four SCHSL All-Region selections and two SCHSL All-State selections … Earned three All-County selections … Named the 2021-22 All-Upstate Player of the Year by the Greenville News … Named the 2021-22 Greenville County Player of the Year … Represented BRHS as a starter in the 2022 Carolinas Classic All-Star Game … Averaged 28.8 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 3.5 steals per game as a senior in 2021-22 … Amassed 1,936 career points in his interscholastic career.
Jordyn Surratt | Guard/Forward | 6-7 | 185 | Fr. | Spartanburg, S.C. | Dorman HS
Attended Dorman High School (Roebuck, S.C.) … Helped the Cavaliers to a pair of South Carolina High School League Class 5A State Championships as a freshman and sophomore in 2018-19 and 2019-20, respectively … Helped DHS to a SCHSL Class 5A State Runner-Up finish as a junior in 2020-21 … Named SCHSL Class 5A All-State and SCHSL Class 5A All-Region 2 as a senior in 2021-22 … Named Top Senior in SCHSL Class 5A in 2021-22 … Named SCHSL Class 5A All-Region 2 as a junior in 2020-21 … Represented BHS in the 2022 Carolinas Classic All-Star Game … Helped the Cavaliers to a 2022 King of the Bluegrass Championship, earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team … Averaged 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.0 blocks per games as a senior in 2021-22.
Andrew McConnell | Guard | 6-1 | 170 | R-Fr. | Buford, Ga. | James Madison
Transfers to USC Upstate after spending his freshman season (2021-22) at James Madison … Appeared in two games for the Dukes … Posted a field goal percentage of 71.4 and three-point field goal percentage of 60.0 on the season … Averaged 6.5 points and 0.5 rebounds on the year … Scored a career-high eight points in his collegiate debut versus Carlow (Pa.) on 11/10/21 … Attended Lanier High School (Sugar Hill, Ga.) … Helped the Longhorns to back-to-back Georgia High School Association Class 6A Region 8 Championships as a junior and senior in 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively … Helped LHS to a GHSA Class 6A State Runner-Up finish as a junior in 2019-20 … Named GHSA Class 6A Region 8 Player of the Year as a senior in 2020-21 … Earned All-State recognition from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association as a junior and senior in 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively … Ranks fifth in Gwinnett County in career three-pointers made with 186 during his interscholastic career … Averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.9 steals during his interscholastic career.
Che Evans Jr. | Guard/Forward | 6-7 | 215 | R-So. | Baltimore, Md. | UTEP
Transfers to USC Upstate after spending his sophomore season (2021-22) at UTEP … Joined the Miners as a mid-year transfer and did not appear in any games … Began his collegiate career at San Diego State, spending his freshman (2020-21) with the Aztecs … Appeared in 10 games with the Aztecs … Averaged 1.1 points and 0.5 rebounds on the year … Posted a career-high three points on two occasions: versus Air Force on 1/22/21 and versus Syracuse on 3/19/21 … Attended Neumann-Goretti High School (Philadelphia, Pa.) … Helped the Saints to a Philadelphia Catholic League Championship as a senior in 2019-20 … Spent his junior season at Dulaney High School (Baltimore, Md.) … Helped the Lions to a Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association Class 4A North Region Championship as a junior in 2018-19 … Averaged 20.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists per game as a junior in 2018-19.
Seny N'Diaye | Forward | 6-10 | 225 | Jr. | Dakar, Senegal | West Virginia
Transfers to USC Upstate after spending his freshman (2020-21) and sophomore (2021-22) seasons at West Virginia … Appeared in 20 games with the Mountaineers … As a sophomore, appeared in six games … Averaged 3.8 minutes and 1.5 rebounds per game while adding three blocks … As a freshman, appeared in 14 games … Averaged 0.1 points and 0.4 rebounds per game while adding an assist, a steal, and two blocks … Named Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team as a freshman in 2020-21 … Attended Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.Va.) … Averaged 5.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game as a senior in 2019-20.
JOIN UP
Make a difference in the lives of USC Upstate student-athletes! Donate to the USC Upstate U Club today!
Keep UP with the Spartans
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics
Twitter: @UpstateMBB
Instagram: @upstatespartans
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans
Of the five newcomers, two three join the program as Division I transfers, coming to Upstate from James Madison, UTEP, and West Virginia. The remainder of the Spartans' incoming class is comprised of two incoming freshmen hailing from the Upstate.
Below are player capsules for the five newcomers (listed in numerical order by jersey number).
Justin Bailey | Guard | 6-3 | 185 | Fr. | Taylors, S.C. | Blue Ridge HS
Attended Blue Ridge High School (Greer, S.C.) … Helped the Fighting Tigers to a South Carolina High School League Class 3A State Championship as a senior in 2021-22 … Named the 2021-22 SCHSL Class 3A Player of the Year … Named the 2020-21 and 2021-22 SCHSL Class 3A Region 2 Player of the Year … Earned four SCHSL All-Region selections and two SCHSL All-State selections … Earned three All-County selections … Named the 2021-22 All-Upstate Player of the Year by the Greenville News … Named the 2021-22 Greenville County Player of the Year … Represented BRHS as a starter in the 2022 Carolinas Classic All-Star Game … Averaged 28.8 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 3.5 steals per game as a senior in 2021-22 … Amassed 1,936 career points in his interscholastic career.
Jordyn Surratt | Guard/Forward | 6-7 | 185 | Fr. | Spartanburg, S.C. | Dorman HS
Attended Dorman High School (Roebuck, S.C.) … Helped the Cavaliers to a pair of South Carolina High School League Class 5A State Championships as a freshman and sophomore in 2018-19 and 2019-20, respectively … Helped DHS to a SCHSL Class 5A State Runner-Up finish as a junior in 2020-21 … Named SCHSL Class 5A All-State and SCHSL Class 5A All-Region 2 as a senior in 2021-22 … Named Top Senior in SCHSL Class 5A in 2021-22 … Named SCHSL Class 5A All-Region 2 as a junior in 2020-21 … Represented BHS in the 2022 Carolinas Classic All-Star Game … Helped the Cavaliers to a 2022 King of the Bluegrass Championship, earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team … Averaged 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.0 blocks per games as a senior in 2021-22.
Andrew McConnell | Guard | 6-1 | 170 | R-Fr. | Buford, Ga. | James Madison
Transfers to USC Upstate after spending his freshman season (2021-22) at James Madison … Appeared in two games for the Dukes … Posted a field goal percentage of 71.4 and three-point field goal percentage of 60.0 on the season … Averaged 6.5 points and 0.5 rebounds on the year … Scored a career-high eight points in his collegiate debut versus Carlow (Pa.) on 11/10/21 … Attended Lanier High School (Sugar Hill, Ga.) … Helped the Longhorns to back-to-back Georgia High School Association Class 6A Region 8 Championships as a junior and senior in 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively … Helped LHS to a GHSA Class 6A State Runner-Up finish as a junior in 2019-20 … Named GHSA Class 6A Region 8 Player of the Year as a senior in 2020-21 … Earned All-State recognition from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association as a junior and senior in 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively … Ranks fifth in Gwinnett County in career three-pointers made with 186 during his interscholastic career … Averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.9 steals during his interscholastic career.
Che Evans Jr. | Guard/Forward | 6-7 | 215 | R-So. | Baltimore, Md. | UTEP
Transfers to USC Upstate after spending his sophomore season (2021-22) at UTEP … Joined the Miners as a mid-year transfer and did not appear in any games … Began his collegiate career at San Diego State, spending his freshman (2020-21) with the Aztecs … Appeared in 10 games with the Aztecs … Averaged 1.1 points and 0.5 rebounds on the year … Posted a career-high three points on two occasions: versus Air Force on 1/22/21 and versus Syracuse on 3/19/21 … Attended Neumann-Goretti High School (Philadelphia, Pa.) … Helped the Saints to a Philadelphia Catholic League Championship as a senior in 2019-20 … Spent his junior season at Dulaney High School (Baltimore, Md.) … Helped the Lions to a Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association Class 4A North Region Championship as a junior in 2018-19 … Averaged 20.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists per game as a junior in 2018-19.
Seny N'Diaye | Forward | 6-10 | 225 | Jr. | Dakar, Senegal | West Virginia
Transfers to USC Upstate after spending his freshman (2020-21) and sophomore (2021-22) seasons at West Virginia … Appeared in 20 games with the Mountaineers … As a sophomore, appeared in six games … Averaged 3.8 minutes and 1.5 rebounds per game while adding three blocks … As a freshman, appeared in 14 games … Averaged 0.1 points and 0.4 rebounds per game while adding an assist, a steal, and two blocks … Named Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team as a freshman in 2020-21 … Attended Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.Va.) … Averaged 5.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game as a senior in 2019-20.
JOIN UP
Make a difference in the lives of USC Upstate student-athletes! Donate to the USC Upstate U Club today!
Keep UP with the Spartans
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics
Twitter: @UpstateMBB
Instagram: @upstatespartans
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's Basketball No videos available.
