[November 15, 2006]

MAGNOLIA, Ark. - The Southern Arkansas University Muleriders tip off their 2006-07 basketball season this weekend in Cleveland, Miss., in the Delta State University State Farm Insurance Classic. SAU takes on Miles (Ala.) College on Friday at 5 p.m., and will face Clark Atlanta (Ga.) University on Saturday at 4 p.m. It will be Southern Arkansas’ first-ever meeting against the two teams.

The Muleriders return three starters off last year’s 6-21 team, which finished 3-13 in Gulf South Conference West Division play. Senior center Leon Stone, 6-8, 235, out of Murfreesboro, and junior guards Cory Green, 5-10, 175, from Huntington High School in Shreveport, La., and Brandon Bealer, 6-0, 170, from Little Rock, via Bossier Parish (La.) Community College, provide SAU with starting experience.

Other returnees include junior center Chris Montgomery, 6-6, 215, from Killeen, Texas (Ellison HS), and junior forward Brandon Williams, 6-6, 190, from Tyler, Texas (John Tyler HS). Sophomores returning this season are guard Reggie Tims, 5-5, 150, out of Little Rock (Mills HS), and center Ndubuisi Egwuatu, 6-8, 250, from Abuja, Nigeria (Command Day Secondary-Abuja). Leon St. Rose, a 6-4, 210-pound forward out of Houston, Texas (Milby HS), also returns this year after playing in 2004-05 and red-shirting last season.

Five newcomers dot the team’s roster this year, including junior transfer Kenny Wilcox, a 6-3, 190-pound forward from Dallas, Texas (North Lake (TX) College), and sophomore Jeremy Whittaker, a 6-3, 195-pound forward out of Memphis, Tenn., (Christian Brothers HS). Three true freshmen round out the team, including guard Caleb Winters, 6-0, 165, from Baton Rouge, La., (Christian Life HS), forward Cameron Butler, 6-6, 185, out of Malvern, and center Rolando Little, 6-9, 205, from Memphis (Cordova HS).

Eric Bozeman enters his second season as head coach at SAU, and will be joined by seventh-year assistant, Aaron Niven.

After the Delta State Classic, Southern Arkansas travels to North Alabama on Tuesday, before returning for their home-opener on Saturday, November 25, hosting Dallas Baptist (Texas) University in a 7 p.m. match-up at the W.T. Watson Athletic Center.

#SAU#