VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 6 Valdosta State Blazers are back at The Complex following three games on the road, where they came out on top at West Florida, Lee, and Trevecca Nazarene. The Blazers play host to the Statesmen of Delta State on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. followed by the Choctaws of Mississippi College on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 4 p.m.
 
Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more at vstateblazers.com on the men's basketball schedule page.  The games also will be broadcast on the radio with Mike Chason having the call with Thursday's game slated for WJEM FM 94.3 FM and 1150 AM and online at www.foxsportsvaldosta.com.  The games also will be broadcast on FloCollege with Spencer Van Horn having the call on the web stream.
 
Valdosta State moved up to No. 6 in the most recent NABC poll, as they elevated one spot from last week after sweeping their road trip to Tennessee. To view the full rankings, click here.
 
This is seventh consecutive week that the Blazers have been ranked and the 45^th week in team history that they have been in the top ten. To view the full rankings history, click here.
 
The Blazers improved to 19-3 overall and 14-2 in GSC play as they took down Trevecca Nazarene by a final of 96-84 on Saturday afternoon. Valdosta State has already clinched a berth in the GSC Tournament but with a win this weekend, they will clinch the opportunity to host the GSC Quarterfinals on Super Tuesday on Tuesday, Mar. 4 at a time TBD.
 
Head coach Mike Helfer has figured it out with this group of guys, as his offense is averaging 93.4 PPG which is first in the GSC and seventh nationally. The Blazers have hit that mark on .464/.359/.764 shooting splits. VSU is forcing 18.73 turnovers per game, which has resulted in 25.73 fastbreak points a night that is second nationally. Helfer emphasized quick hands, as the Blazers are averaging 11.8 steals a night and defending the line well, as they are holding opponents to .296 from distance.
 
Individually, Carlos Hart continues to lead the charge with 17.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.2 APG, and 2.6 SPG which are all ranked first on the team for the season. The senior is shooting .484 from the floor, .283 from deep, and .762 from the line on 181 attempts which is ranked sixth in the nation while he is seventh in makes at 138. Maalik Leitch has been the difference maker as of late for Coach Helfer, as the guard has put up 21.0 PPG in the last four games he played while coming off the bench. During that stretch, he is shooting .680 from the field, .706 from deep, and a perfect 10/10 from the free throw line. Leitch is currently fourth on the team in scoring right behind junior Drew Mills, who is averaging 14.0 PPG on .516 from the floor, which is fifth in the GSC.
 
First up is Delta State (12-11, 8-9 GSC), who Valdosta State defeated 100-92 back on Jan. 4 in Cleveland, Miss. Carlos Hart led the Blazers in scoring with 23 points on 7-14 from the floor while tallying five steals and a block. Braxton Williams recorded his first double-double since joining the Blazers last season as the Thomasville, Ala. native put up 14 points while hauling in ten rebounds. The Statesmen are led by head coach Mike Nienaber, who is his sixth season at DSU and 42^nd as a head coach. Nienaber's squad is averaging 79.6 PPG on .436/.320/.777 shooting splits while holding opponents to 78.6 PPG on .534/.389/.707 splits. Guard Chris Terrell has been playing out of his mind in 2024-25, as the guard is third in the league in scoring at 21.2 PPG while leading the nation is steals with a total of 87 for 3.78 per game. In their previous matchup, Terrell scored 26 points on 9-17 from the floor while poking away at four steals. Last year at The Complex, Terrell scored a season-high 30 points on a scorching 8-10 from distance in a win for the Statesmen.
 
Saturday's game while be a matchup against Mississippi College (7-16, 3-14 GSC) who features one of the top scorers in Rashad Bolden, who is averaging 25.2 PPG on .408/.388/.897 shooting splits. The Blazers defeated the Choctaws 96-74 in Clinton, Miss. back on Jan. 2 as Braxton Williams scored a season high 26 points on 9-12 from the floor and 6-7 from distance. MC is led by fourth year head coach Randy Bolden, who is 42-68 during his time at Mississippi College. Bolden's squad is averaging 65.9 PPG on .411/.324/.779 shooting splits while giving up 74.0 PPG on .459/.378/.698 splits.
 
Following the weekend matchup, Valdosta State will hit the road for one more conference weekend, as they travel to Tennessee to play Christian Brothers and Union before coming back to Valdosta for senior weekend.