Troy University Athletics
2006--07 Campaign Tips Off with Trip to The Plains
11/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Basketball (M)
The 2006-07 Troy Basketball season tips off Friday night when the Trojans make the short drive to Auburn to face the Tigers. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
Troy returns five letterwinners from a team that finished 14-15 in its debut season in the Sun Belt Conference. It posted a 6-9 league mark to tie for fourth in the West Division before advancing the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.
Auburn posted a 12-16 record a year ago, including a 4-12 mark in the Southeastern Conference.
Other storylines for tonight's game:
The Series
Auburn holds a 6-1 advantage in the all-time series, although the Trojans have never defeated the Tigers on the court. The lone win came as a result of a forfeit of the Dec. 14, 1995 game. The teams last played on Dec. 22, 2002 in the championship game of the San Juan Shootout with Auburn winning 94-66. Troy's last visit to the Plains resulted in a 113-86 defeat on Dec. 9, 1993, but the most memorable game may have been the trip before, when Auburn posted a 141-116 victory on Dec. 11, 1991.
Maestri Against the Tigers
Head Coach Don Maestri has been at the helm of three Troy-Auburn games in his career, losing each time. The New Orleans native has plenty of other experience against the Tigers, though, as he spent time on SEC benches at Mississippi State and Alabama.
Against The SEC
Troy stands 3-28 all-time against current members of the Southeastern Conference. In addition to Auburn (1-6), the wins have come over Arkansas (1-2) and Louisiana State (1-3). The Trojans are winless in four tries against Georgia, seven meetings with both Mississippi State and Ole Miss and one contest against Alabama.
Outside The League
Troy posted an 8-6 record in non-conference games last year, but only 1-4 in true road contests. Discounting conference tournament play and three games against Division II foes, the Trojans were 4-5 in games against Division I non-league opponents. Troy faced only one SEC team a year ago, losing 88-77 in overtime at Mississippi State. The Trojans held a 15-point lead with 5:02 remaining, but were unable to hang on.
Preseason Honors
Senior forward Cedric Jackson was was a third-team selection to the Sun Belt Conference preseason team. As a junior, he averaged 13.3 points and 5.0 rebounds. Additionally, he connected on 46 three-pointers and hit a team-best 81.1 percent from the free throw line.
For Openers
Troy stands 32-24 in season-openers since the 1950-51 season, when yearly results are available. Included in that total is a 5-8 record during the Division I era. Troy has won three of its last four openers, including a 94-83 overtime victory over Quinnipiac last year. During his head coaching career, Don Meaestri stands 13-11 on opening night.
Three-Point Champs, Again!
For the third straight season, Troy led Division I in three-pointers made per game. The Trojans connected on an average of 11.9 per game. West Virginia was second at 10.2, followed by Campbell, Stanford and Notre Dame.
Hitting the Boards
One year after being totally dominated on the boards, Troy posted a remarkable improvement in the category last season. The Trojans held a rebounding edge or were even in 11 of the 29 contests during the 2005-06 campaign. The previous season saw an advantage on the boards in only three contests -- two in the first five games.
Playing Shorthanded
Troy begins the season with just nine players on its active roster. Junior Justin Jonas is still fulfilling NCAA transfer requirements and is ineligible until the semester break. Senior Boo Ramsey and sophomore Antwaun Burroughs are academically ineligible this semester, but should rejoin the team in mid-December. Additionally, senior Jarvis Acker has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules. He has been practicing with the team and could be reinstated at any time.
First Out of the Box
Tonight marks Troy's first official game of the 2006-07 season. While most Division I teams schedule at least one exhibition game against a lower-division foe, Head Coach Don Maestri went a different route. The Trojans held joint practices with Columbus State Nov. 1 and Tuskegee Nov. 6. Three 20-minute scrimmages, plus assorted drills, took place during each of them. Because NCAA rules prohibit publicizing such practicess, statistics were not kept.
Oh, So Close
Last season had certain heartbreak element to it, capped by a 66-63 overtime loss to Louisiana-Lafayette in the Sun Belt Conference quarterfinals. The game ended on a half-court heave as time expired. That result was the 10th in 15 losses that were decided by less than 10 points or in overtime. The nine Sun Belt regular-season losses were by an average of just 9.3 points per game. Dating back two years now, 19 of the last 25 losses, including 12 of the last 17, have been by single digits or have gone to overtime.
