VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 22 Valdosta State men's basketball team opens the 2020 portion of the schedule with a pair of key Gulf South Conference matchups this week. The Blazers host rival West Florida Thursday, Jan. 2, at 8 p.m., at The Complex and then will travel to West Alabama for a 5 p.m. ET tip on Saturday, Jan. 4.  
 
The games will be broadcast on 92.1 WDDQ with Mike Chason having the call of Thursday's game and Spencer Van Horn will be calling Saturday's contest.  Fans can access links to live stats and audio/video streaming of the games at vstateblazers.com.
 
VSU enters 2020 with an 8-3 record overall and a 2-2 mark in Gulf South Conference play, while West Florida is 5-6 overall and a 2-2 in league play.  West Alabama is 9-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play as the Tigers host Auburn Montgomery, before welcoming the Blazers on Saturday.  
 
The Blazers closed out the 2019 portion of the schedule, going 2-1 over their final three games heading into the holiday season.  VSU upset then-No. 6 Alabama Huntsville, 84-62 on Dec. 15, but dropped an 88-74 decision at home to Lee two days later.  VSU then blasted Thomas University in a non-conference matchup 98-64, on Dec. 19. 
 
For the season, VSU is averaging 88.2 points per game for 28^th nationally and first in the GSC.  The team is shooting .464 from the field on 356 of 768 for third in the league.  The Blazers are 89 of 282 from beyond the arc (.316) and 169 of 236 from the line for a .716 clip.  VSU is averaging 41.5 rebounds per game to lead the GSC and 22^nd nationally.  The team has a 4.5 rebounding advantage for second in the league.  VSU leads the GSC in assist/turnover ratio at 1.34 for 35^th nationally and is second in the conference in assists at 16.2 per game, while holding a 2.8 turnover margin for second in the league.  The Blazers are averaging 4.5 blocks per game for second in the league and 7.8 steals per game, also good for second in the league.
 
Senior Clay Guillozet leads the team averaging 17.1 points per game.  He is a team-best 75 of 138 from the field for a .543 average, while draining 10 triples and going 28 of 40 from the line (.700).  Guillozet is second on the team in rebounding at 7.6 per game, while he leads the team with 50 assists and second in steals with 15.  He is fourth in the GSC in scoring and is fourth in the league in assists.  For his VSU career, Guillozet is closing in on 1,000 career points, as he has 984 points and 480 rebounds in his three seasons for the red and black.  He transferred to VSU from West Liberty University prior to the 2017-18 season.  
 
Second on the team in scoring is senior Darrell Jones at 16.0 points as he leads the team in rebounding at 10.4.  Jones is 63 of 124 from the field (.508), while going a team-high 43 of 53 from the line (.811).  He has a league-best six double-doubles for the season for 10^th nationally and has one triple-double on the year.  Jones is 23^rd nationally and third in the league in defensive rebounds per game at 7.00, while he is 27^th nationally in offensive rebounds per game at 3.36 for tops in the league.  His 10.4 rebounds per game is good for 12^th nationally and first in the league.  Senior Bryce Smith is third in scoring at 15.6 points per game on 62 of 144 from the field (.431).  He leads the team knocking down 19 triples and is averaging 5.5 rebounds per game.  Smith has a team-high 11 blocks on the year.  Sophomore Imoras Agee is fourth in scoring at 10.8 points per game.  Agee is 46 of 111 from the field (.414) and 16 of 53 from beyond the arc (.302).  He is second on the team in assists with 31, while he is third in steals with 12.  
 
Head coach Mike Helfer is in his 15^th season at the helm of the Blazers.  Helfer is 285-140 at VSU and 471-223 overall in 23 seasons of coaching.  Helfer has guided VSU to three-straight Gulf South Conference regular season titles and three-straight trips to the NCAA postseason.
 
The Argonauts enter at 5-6 overall and 2-2 in league play, but have won four of their last five games, including a 65-60 win over then-No. 6 Alabama Huntsville two days after VSU downed UAH.  UWF won just one of its first five games to begin the season.  
 
UWF is led by Jon Brown who is averaging a team-high 22.3 points per game on 51 of 145 from the field.  He is 17 of 52 from range and is a team-best 59 of 77 from the line (.766).  Brown leads the team averaging 7.6 rebounds per game and is second in assists (20) and steals (9) on the team. Daniel Sofield is second in scoring at 10.0 points per game.  He is 36 of 89 from the field (.404), but is 30 of 78 from beyond the arc (.385) for the season.  Lawrence Williams is third in scoring at 9.5 points per game and second in rebounding at 5.0 per contest.  Cameron Cox leads the team with 37 assists on the year.  
 
As a team, the Argos are shooting .403 from the field on 246 of 610, while draining 76 triples for a .309 average and UWF is 151 of 210 from the line for a .719 clip.  The team is averaging 36.9 rebounds per game and 65.4 points per game, while allowing 67.0 points per contest.  UWF leads the league in fewest turnovers at 11.9 for 33^rd nationally, while leading the league with just 131 miscues on the year.  The Argos are second in the GSC in offensive rebounds per game at 12.1, while they are third in the conference in fewest fouls with 173.  Brown is second in the league in free throw attempts (77) for 23^rd nationally and his 59 makes from the charity stripe is good for tops in the league and 24^thnationally.  
 
UWA enters 2020 winners of five-straight, as it has not lost since a heartbreaking 69-66 overtime setback at Mississippi College on Nov. 23.  The Tigers are 2-1 in league play and 9-2 overall.  UWA is 8-1 at home this season with the lone loss being a 76-59 setback the second game of the year to Florida Southern.  FSC downed VSU in Lakeland, Fla., 105-94 earlier this season.  
 
For UWA, LaJuan Hardy leads the team averaging 17.0 points per game.  He is 67 of 152 from the field (.441) with 28 triples for second on the team.  Hardy also has 25 made free throws, while averaging 5.8 rebounds per game for third on the team.  Hardy has a team-high 68 assists with a team-best 28 steals.  He has two triple-doubles on the year to lead the country.  He leads the league in assists per game at 6.2 for 21^st nationally, while he is 19^th nationally and tops in the league in steals per game at 2.55.   Second in scoring is Darron Johnson at 15.2 points per game.  Johnson has 58 made field goals and a team-high 39 triples on the year.  Ricky Dunnaway is third in scoring at 13.2 points per game.  He is 60 of 106 from field for a .566 average to lead the team.  Dunnaway leads the team in rebounding at 6.6 per game.  
 
As a team, the Tigers lead the nation in scoring defense allowing just 53.5 points allowed per game, while the team is ninth nationally in scoring margin at 22.7 to lead the conference.  UWA is fifth nationally in field goal percentage defense, holding teams to a .376 clip, while the team is shooting .484 from the field for second in the league and 56^thnationally. UWA is 23^rd nationally in assists per game (17.6) to lead the league, while it is second in the league in free throw percentage at a .759 clip.  UWA is 33^rd nationally in turnover margin at 3.8 to lead the league, while it is 39^thnationally in turnovers forced at 17.3 to lead the GSC.  
 
Following the two games, VSU returns home to host Mississippi College and Delta State on Jan. 9 and Jan. 11, respectively, at The Complex.