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SETTING THE STAGEThe Southern Arkansas men's basketball team returns to Great American Conference action this Saturday as they are set to take on Henderson State inside the W.T. Watson Center. The Muleriders enter play with a 6-4 overall record and a 3-2 mark in the GAC. The Muleriders have also won their last two games including a come-from-behind 79-65 win against Williams Baptist on New Year's Eve. This game will be the Muleriders' ninth at home and SAU is currently boasting a 6-1 mark at home.
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SCOUTING HENDERSON STATE
ABOUT HSU:The Henderson State men's basketball team enters play with a 6-5 overall record and are 3-2 in the GAC. The Reddies are currently in the midst of a two-game losing skid, dropping decisions to Harding and Texas A&M-Commerce. On the year, the Reddies are 5-1 at home, but are just 1-3 on the road and 0-1 at a neutral site.
Statistically, the Reddies are averaging 72.0 points per game and are shooting .461 (278-of-603) overall from the floor. Their scoring per game ranks seventh in the GAC while their shooting percentage ranks fifth. Currently three Reddies averaging double figures with sophomore Kevin Kozan leading the way at 14.4 ppg. Not too far behind Kozan is senior big man Reggie Murphy at 13.7 ppg. As a team, the Reddies are the third-most potent attack from beyond the arc in the GAC as they are currently shooting .375 (75-of-200) from long range. The Reddies' top outside threat is Kozan as his 32 makes and .451 clip from deep rank in the top-five individually in the GAC.Â
Defensively, the Reddies are allowing their opponents to score an average of 69.5 points per game while also allowing a .430 (256-of-595) success rate from the floor. Their opponents' points per game average ranks fourth in the GAC and their +2.5 scoring margin ranks seventh. In terms of rebounding, the Reddies rank 11th in the GAC with 32.9 boards per game. On the other end of the court, the Reddies are allowing 34.9 boards per game and their -2.0 rebounding margin ranks 10th in the GAC. As far as steals and assists, the Reddies rank first and fifth in the respective categories. On the year, HSU is averaging 8.8 steals per game while averaging 13.9 assists.
COACH:The Reddies are coached by Doug Nichols, who is currently in his fourth season at the helm at Henderson State. In his previous three seasons, Nichols has guided the Reddies to a 44-41 overall record and has reached the GAC Tournament each year. Last season, Nichols and the Reddies were 14-17, but appeared in the championship game of the GAC Tournament; a feat nor accomplished at Henderson since 2007.
LAST YEAR/LAST TIME OUT:Last year, the Muleriders and Reddies met three times with the final meeting coming in the semi-finals of the Great American Conference Tournament. All three meeting would go in favor of Henderson as the Reddies earned the regular season sweep and overcame a double-digit deficit to knock off the Muleriders and advance to the GAC Championship game.
THE SERIES:This is the 33rd meeting between Southern Arkansas and Henderson State since the 1999-00 season. Henderson currently holds a lead in the series in that time, 21-11, and also have won the last four meeting.
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ABOUT THE MULERIDERS:
YEAR THREE OF THE PROCESSHead coach
Andy Sharpe is now in his third year at SAU and he looks to have his program make another step in the right direction in 2014-15. Last year saw many improvements within the program as the win total increased from the year prior, but also last year saw the Muleriders win their first conference tournament game since the 1999-2000 season. This year, Shapre returns five players from a year ago along with adding nie talented newcomers to the mix.
HOME SWEET HOMEUnder the direction of head coach
Andy Sharpe, the W.T. Watson Center has been a place where the Muleriders show up to play and expect to win. Since the start of the 2012-13 season (Sharpe's first), the Muleriders are 24-13 overall inside the W.T. Watson Center, inlcuding being 6-2 at home this season.
LEARNING TO WIN ON THE ROADAs the Mulerider basketball program continues to build itself towards becoming a championship-level program, learning to win on the road is the essential next step within the building process. Since Head Coach
Andy Sharpe took over at SAU prior to the 2012-13 season, the Muleriders are just 3-22 overall on the road and 2-19 away from the W.T. Watson Center against GAC opponents.
WILLIAMS W/THE "HOT" HAND FROM DEEPSenior guard
Chauncy Williams is in his second season with the Muleriders and through his time on the court, Mulerider fans know that he can get redhot from long range.
In SAU's game against Texas A&M-Commerce, Williams gave that statement a whole new meaning as he buried eight three-pointers. The eight makes from long range were the most by a Mulerider since the 2006-07 season when former player Brandon Williams hit eight trifectas as well. So far this season, Williams has made 35 threepointers
in ten games played (3.5 makes/game), which ranks him first in the GAC in three-point FG made.
RUNNING THE POINTAfter not starting SAU's opening game, but eventually logging 38 minutes in the overtime loss to Southern Nazarene, junior transfer
Jaron Davis has started the last nine games at point guard for the Muleriders. In those nine games, the Muleriders are 6-3 and Davis has been a scorer as well as a distributor as he his averaging 12.8 points per game and 3.4 assists in that time.
JORDAN JOINING THE MIXJunior forward
Kevin Jordan has been a welcomed edition to the Muleriders' rotation since becoming eligible at the conclusion of the fall semester. In four games played thus far, Jordan, a 6-10 post presence, has averaged 18.5 minutes per game. In his time on the court, Jordan is averaging 4.3 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per game as well.
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?!Senior forward
Alre'k Brown returns after his dominant junior campaign in which he burst onto the scene for the SAU basketball team as he established himself as one of the best big men in the GAC. In that breakout year, Brown would rank in the top-five in the league in Blocked Shots (1st | 2.4 bpg), Field Goal % (3rd | .626), and total Rebounding
(4th | 7.4 rpg) while also ranking 16th in the GAC in scoring with 12.4 ppg. This season, Brown is currently averaging 12.7 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game. His .650 shooting percentage (52-of-80) ranks first on the team and second in the GAC.
MASKED MULERIDER NO LONGER?In the first minute of the first game of the season, junior transfer
Alvin Braddock suffered a broken nose as he went for a rebound. That injury caused Braddock to miss the next two games, but the Kankakee, Ill. native made his return to the Muleriders' starting lineup against Texas A&M-Commerce on December 1 donning a protective mask.
Braddock would wear the mask over the next six games before being cleared to play without it for SAU's most-recent game against Williams Baptist. While wearing the mask, Braddock averaged 7.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
