SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Officially getting underway with the new season at bay, Upstate Men's Basketball travels to California for a Monday night matchup at Cal Baptist live on ESPN+ followed by a Wednesday night battle against Fresno State live on Mountain West Digital Network. Head Coach Marty Richter leads for his second season at the helm followed by assistant coach Nashad Mackey returning to the staff for his second year followed by new additions of Vince Fritz, Cavel Witter, and Jon D'Angelo on staff as the assistant coaches. Upstate Men's Basketball returns eight players from the previous year (the highlight percentage of returners in the Big South) with Karmani Gregory, Isaiah Skinner, Carmelo Adkins, Kanye Jones, Nic Book, Breylin Garcia, CJ Rich, and Chico Johnson. Newcomers Tyler Smith, TJ Lewis, Coen Collier, Mason Bendinger, Learic Davis and Jafeth Martinez will look to add their contribution to the completed puzzle as they make their debut with the Spartans during the opening week. 

Next Week's Matchups 

Monday, November 3, 2025 | 10:30 P.M. EST 

USC Upstate (0-0; 0-0 Big South) vs. California Baptist (0-0; 0-0 WAC) 

Wednesday, November 5, 2025 | 9:00 P.M. EST 

USC Upstate (0-0; 0-0 Big South) vs. Fresno State (0-0; 0-0 Mountain West) 

TV: ESPN+ | Via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN App (Monday Night) 

TV: Mountain West Digital Network (Wednesday Night) 

Radio: Fox Sports Spartanburg 98.3 FM/1400| Also available via the FoxSports Spartanburg or TuneIn App     


How they Stack up 
 

Series: First meeting between Upstate versus Cal Baptist and Fresno State 

Last season's record for the Spartans: 6-26; 2-14 Big South 

Last season's record for the Lancers: 17-15; 9-7 WAC 

Last season's record for the Bulldogs: 6-26; 2-18 Mountain West 


How they Compare (2024-25 team stats) 
 

USC Upstate	Stat Categories	Cal Baptist	Fresno State
74.8	Scoring Offense	71.2	70.8
83.95	Scoring Defense	70.0	80.7
-8.8	Scoring Margin	0.0	0.0
.454	Field Goal Pct.	.427	.406
.4798	Field Goal Pct. Defense	.449	.466
.306	Three-Point FG Pct.	.376	.313
.343	Three-Point FG Pct. Defense	.317	.342
.675	Free Throw Pct.	.675	.692
33.9	Rebounds/Game	36.0	34.8
37.8	Rebounds Against/Game	34.1	41.0
-3.8	Rebounding Margin	0.0	0.0
13.3	Assists/Game	11.7	10.8
14.2	Turnovers/Game	12.1	12.9
12.5	Turnovers Forced/Game	12.3	13.1
-1.6	Turnover Margin	0.0	0.0
7.6	Steals/Game	6.6	7.6
2.3	Blocks/Game	2.7	3.2

Players to watch 

Upstate: Redshirt Junior Guard, Karmani Gregory returns for his second season with Upstate Men's Basketball where he averaged 11.1 points per game during the 2024-25 season. With another season in the Marty Richter system, Gregory's role will be worth watching as he is a combo guard that can lead an offense or play off ball while showing his scoring ability. As he prepares to take the court for the opening week, Gregory's main task is to be a leader while helping put his team in situations to succeed. With a full season with Head Coach Marty Richter followed by the versatility of the experienced core returning Spartans mixed newcomers expected to make an immediate impact, the opportunity shines bright for Gregory to be the best he can in his role. 

Cal Baptist: Graduate Guard, Dominque Daniels Jr. Returns to the Lancers with a career average of 19.4 points per game followed by an 82 percent clip from the charity stripe. Daniels Jr. Was named as the Preseason Player of the Year in the WAC where he looks to bring his experience back to the court for California Baptist. Daniels Jr. Led the Lancers with 567 total points during the 2024-25 season and looks to open the season displaying his impact on opening night. 

Fresno State: Junior Guard, Zaon Collins returns to the Bulldogs after appearing and starting in 29 games averaging 12.4 points per game while shooting 43 percent from the field. Collins returns as the top leading scorer with more experience under his belt after completing his first season at the speed of Division I Basketball after spending time at Salt Lake Community College. Adding four rebounds a game and four assists a game, Collins looks to build from his sophomore season and provide much experience for Fresno State. 

Up next for the Spartans 

Following a two-game trip in the Golden State, Upstate Men's Basketball makes their home debut at the G.B. Hodge Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina for Saturday afternoon action hosting Southern Virginia at noon live on ESPN+. 

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