VALDOSTA, Ga. -  The Valdosta State men's basketball team opens its 2026-27 campaign on Monday night, hosting Thomas University at The Complex for a 7 p.m. tipoff.

The Blazers are coming into the new season looking to build on their 18-11 record in 2025-26. Valdosta State was picked to finish fourth in the GSC Preseason Coaches Poll, which should be a fairly competitive season in the conference.

Senior forward Blaise Wallace is the leader of the returning group following his Preseason All-GSC honors. He averaged 13.9 points and 9.3 boards per game last season, with his rebounding average being fourth in the GSC. He provides the team with a proven scorer and a big presence in the paint.

Valdosta State will also be looking to work several of the newcomers into the rotation. Senior forward Keshawn Evans, junior guard DJ Hamlett and junior forward Jack Voth have all been named to the GSC Newcomers to Watch list. The three add further depth to the Blazers front and backcourt as the season gets under way.

Scouting the Night Hawks

Thomas University comes to Valdosta 3-2 after opening the season with two wins at the ABAC Classic, defeating Georgia Southern 95-91 and Beacon 92-65. They then lost back-to-back to Warner University and Webber International. Thomas then rebounded with a 77-56 win over Warner on Nov 5.

Over five games the Night Hawks are averaging 84.8 points, 39.6 boards and 12.2 assists per game. Defensively, they are allowing 76.2 points and are averaging 5.0 blocks per game.

Thomas has a fairly even scoring attack with Devon Rainey at the forefront, scoring 15.4 points per game. Rainey is also averaging 4.8 boards and 2.8 assists per game. Maxx Martinez is up with 14.4 points per game and is the team leader in terms of boards with 6.8 per game. Yannis Woods is averaging 14.5 points in two games. Walt Hill Jr. is the team leader in terms of assists with 3.2 per game. Martinez is also the team leader in steals with 2.4 per game.

Rainey provides an extra storyline for Monday's game as he previously played for Valdosta State prior to joining Thomas. His return to The Complex gives the other side a familiar face.


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