VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State men's basketball team was picked to finish fourth in the 2023-2024 GSC Preseason Coaches' Poll, announced by the league office Wednesday. Defending GSC Champion Alabama Huntsville was picked first in the poll with 142 points and 10 first place votes while West Alabama picked up the remaining three first place votes and was picked second with 128 points. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
 
West Georgia was voted third with 118 votes, with the Blazers right behind them at 108 votes. Lee wraps up the top five with 104 votes. Auburn Montgomery (80), Union (79), and Mississippi College (65) follow suit in sixth, seventh, and eighth. West Florida (59) was picked ninth and Delta State finished off the top ten with 49 points. Montevallo (41), Christian Brothers (28), and Shorter (13) were voted 11^th, 12^th, and 13^th, respectively.
 
Head coach Mike Helfer is entering his 19^th season leading the Blazers. He currently holds a 349-175 record since taking the reins at VSU in 2005. Coach Helfer brings back four players from last year's team that went 18-13 while adding seven fresh faces from junior college and the transfer portal.
 
Last season's team ranked 10^th in Division II in scoring offense, averaging 85.6 points per game. Along with that, the Blazers were ranked 27^th in shots made from downtown per game at 9.6.
 
Coach Helfer returns seniors Lee Flenor and Mike Isler in addition to junior Caden Boser and graduate student Jay Rucker.
Boser, a second year transfer from UMKC, is the leading scorer out of all the returners, having averaged 12.5 points on 49.3% shooting from the field, 42.6% from three, and 85.5% from the charity stripe. Rucker, started in 28 of 31 games played and averaged 10.4 points per game on 63% shooting. He also led the team in rebounding and shot blocking, grabbing 5.8 boards and swatting 35 total shots last season.
 
Of the many new players coming in this season for the Blazers, West Florida transfer LaTrell Tate is looking to make an immediate impact for this VSU squad. Tate, a Marietta, Ga. native, averaged 16.5 points per game which was good for sixth overall in the Gulf South Conference last season. Tate also ranked second in the GSC in three point percentage, where he shot 44.1% on 127 attempts.
 
Valdosta State had three players named to the Newcomer Watchlist. Junior guard Braxton Williams joins VSU from Coastal Alabama CC- South, where he averaged 10.5 points per game and 4.6 rebounds in 26 games played. Graduate student guard Sam Martin also joins the Blazers from way of UMKC, where he played with current Blazer Boser. Martin appeared in 27 games last season, averaging 1.3 points in three starts. The final Blazer named to the Newcomer Watchlist is junior G/F Te'Derrius Williams. Williams is coming off two seasons at Wallace State Community College- Hanceville, where he averaged 10.8 points on 56.9% shooting from the floor, hauling in 7.1 rebounds in 32 games played.
 
The Blazers also added junior Jack Wetzel from Southeastern Community College (Iowa). Wetzel averaged 11.4 points on 43.1% from beyond the arc in 35 games started last year. VSU also welcomed the addition of graduate student JC Clausi from Union (Tenn.). In his four years, Clausi averaged 4.5 points in 79 career games while shooting 37.4% from three and dishing out 88 assists.
 
Before the season gets underway, the Blazers will host Blazer Madness on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m., inside The Complex. Fans will be able to meet both the Blazer and Lady Blazer basketball teams, hear from coach Helfer and Lady Blazer head coach Deandra Schrimer, view performances by VSU's national champion Red Hots and cheerleaders, and participate in games. The event is open to the public and doors will open at 6:00 p.m. VSU students also will have the opportunity to win a $100 Visa gift card and the first 50 students will receive a voucher for a sandwich from Chicken Salad Chick.
 
The Valdosta State men's basketball team will head to Tallahassee, Fla. on Nov. 5 to play against Florida State in an exhibition game before opening their regular season in Atlanta versus Fort Valley State on Nov. 10.