VALDOSTA, Ga. - The No. 9-ranked Valdosta State men's basketball team opens up play at home with a Gulf South Conference matchup against Shorter Friday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 9 at 2 p.m. at The Complex.
 
Due to the pandemic, there will be no paper programs at the games this season, please click on the link to the right of this story and each home game preview throughout the season.  There also will be sheets at the entrances of the P.E. Complex each gameday with the QR code for the game program.
 
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, there will be limited occupancy for home games and face coverings will be required at all times for all guests over the age of 2.
 
Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming and radio broadcast information of the games all season long on vstateblazers.com on the men's basketball schedule page.  This season, VSU men's basketball games, both home and away, will be broadcast on WDDQ Talk 92.1 FM and online at talk921.com with Mike Chason and Spencer Van Horn having the call.
 
VSU (3-0, 3-0 GSC) is coming home after handing Auburn Montgomery two losses last weekend by scores of 89-76 and 99-72. Over the weekend, the Blazers were led in the scoring column by senior guard Imoras Agee who averaged 21.5 ppg and 7.0 rpg, while recording his first double-double as a Blazer during Sundays matchup with 24 points and a career high 11 rebounds. Senior Burke Putnam led the team in rebounds, finishing the weekend with 15.
 
Valdosta State handled both games with ease, as it only trailed for a total of 44 seconds early on during Saturday's game and not once during Sunday's slate. Large leads heading into the locker room at half carried over into the second half to give the Blazers two more wins on its resume.
 
With both wins, the Blazers moved up two spots into the top ten in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II rankings. Now ranked ninth, VSU is one of two GSC teams ranked in the poll, with Alabama Huntsville at 18 and Union who received votes.
 
Shorter enters the week with a 1-1 record overall, defeating West Georgia 75-70 on Saturday, Jan. 2 before dropping one 81-85 against the Wolves. The Hawks were led by 42 total points from senior Charles Botchway who dropped 21 points each night. Freshman Jaden Dunham led the weekend averaging 7.5 rpg to go along with his 18 points scored.
 
Led by 4^th year head coach Wade Anderson, the Hawks return one of their top-five scorers from the 2019-20 season in Jay Shropshire (13.6 ppg) and added ten newcomers, five of which are transfers including Botchway. The Hawks finished the 2019-20 season 3-25 (0-20 GSC) where it averaged 74.7 ppg (.412 FG%) while allowing 88.1 ppg (.483 FG%). The Hawks also allowed 38.8 rebounds per game opposed to the teams 34.0.
 
On the year, the Hawks are shooting .471 from the field while going .356 from deep, edging out its opponents so far this year. During the Hawks first two matchups, the team brought down 70 rebounds while giving up 73 and have turned the ball over, on average, 15.0 times per game. Shorter ranks second in the GSC in offense with 78.0 ppg and first in field goal percentage with .471, just .006 ahead of Valdosta's .465 percentage.
 
The Blazers have won the last eight games against the Hawks, dating back to a 93-76 win Jan. 9, 2017 in Rome, Ga. During that span, the Blazers have outscored the Hawks 810 (101.3 ppg) - 662 (82.8 ppg). Valdosta is 5-3 when playing inside The Complex in Valdosta, Ga. and averages 95.9 ppg while allowing 88.4 to Shorter. The team's largest margin of victory came last season on Feb. 7, 2020, with a final score of 118-83, a season where they outscored the Hawks by 48 points after a 92-79 victory a few weeks beforehand. Against the Hawks, the Blazers longest losing streak was two games during the 2014-15 season, losing in overtime at home and then losing by 12 on the road. 

The Blazers come back after its pair of wins with Agee atop the GSC leaderboard in average points per game with 23.0 and first in three-point field goal percentage (.571). Redshirt junior Cam Hamilton ranks second in field goal percentage at .552, just .034 behind Sam Youngblood from Auburn Montgomery. Redshirt sophomore Jakari Gallon ranks sixth in the GSC in rebounds per game with 7.7.
 
Season tickets are on sale now. Please call 229-333-SEAT for more information on purchasing tickets. Check back with vstateblazers.com for updates on all things Blazer basketball and on all VSU's 12 intercollegiate athletic programs.