VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State is set to tip-off its 2014-15 men's basketball season this Friday and Saturday when the Blazers host the Holiday Inn GSC-SIAC Challenge.
The Blazers will welcome fellow Gulf South Conference member West Florida as well as Lane and Albany State, both from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, to The Complex for a four-game tournament beginning Friday at 4:00 p.m. UWF and ASU will play in the day's first game while VSU will host Lane in the nightcap at 8:00 p.m. Saturday's action will see the Argonauts and Lane play at 4:00 p.m. followed by Valdosta State and the Golden Rams at 8:00 p.m.
Valdosta State returns three letterwinners, including starters
Blake Justice and
Colin Cook, from its 2013-14 team that went 16-12. Justice was second on the team last year with 13.0 points a game and hit a squad-best 60 three-pointers. Meanwhile, Cook averaged 7.7 points and 5.7 rebounds a game and led the Gulf South Conference with 62 blocked shots. The duo will be joined by senior forward
James Spencer, who averaged 19.1 points a game at Central Community College last year, as well as junior forward
Jeff Nibo, who averaged 11.8 points a game at Chaffey College in 2013-14.
West Florida returns eight letterwinners off of a team that 7-20 last season. The Argonauts will be led by senior guard Terrence Townes, who averaged 16.1 points and 4.3 rebounds a game last year. Fellow guard Mario Stramaglia, a junior, is also back after averaging 7.2 points a game last year.
The Lane roster features just eight players, only one of which was on a team that went 3-20 last year. Senior forward Bryant Hill started 19 games for the Dragons last season and averaged 11.3 points and 6.6 rebounds a game while shooting 51.0 percent from the floor.
Albany State welcomes back three letterwinners from a squad that went 14-12 last season. Larry Bullock leads the returnees as he averaged 11.0 points a game a year ago. Meanwhile, transfer Jeremy Whitmore averaged 11.9 points a game and dished out 54 assists while at Lane last season.
