Troy University Athletics
Trojans Host UNO with .500 on Minds
1/21/2009 6:00:00 AM | Basketball (M)
TROY ? The Troy Trojans men's basketball team can reach the .500 mark for just the second time this season with a victory over New Orleans on Thursday at Trojan Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 pm.
The Trojans (9-10, 4-3 SBC) are coming off two big road games over the weekend, contests that included wins over South Alabama and ULM. It marked the first time since Troy's move to the Sun Belt Conference that the school has won back-to-back road games in conference play. New Orleans (8-10, 3-4 SBC) is making just its second-ever trip to Trojan Arena.
TROJAN TIDBITS
TROJAN NOTEBOOK
LAST TIME AGAINST
Troy trails New Orleans 1-3 all-time in the series. The Privateers defeated the Trojans 82-73 last season in New Orleans. Sun Belt all-time leading scorer Bo McCalebb scored 33 points and Kyndall Dykes added 21 to lead UNO to the victory. Troy's O'Darien Bassett led the Trojans with 15 points. The Trojans only win in the series came in February 2006 when Bobby Dixon scored 26 points to lead Troy to a victory. That game was the last time New Orleans visited Troy. Thursday's contest will be just their second-ever visit.
DOUBLE-DIGIT SCORING
Troy juniors Brandon Hazzard and Richard Delk have both scored in double-figures in 14-of-19 games this season. There are two games this year where both players were held in single-digits, against UAB on 11/15 and Dayton on 12/2. Michael Vogler has scored in double-figures in seven of the last 10 games.
PERSONNEL CHANGE
Junior forward left the team following the Christmas holidays. Leggett transferred to NAIA school William Carey University. For the year he averaged 3.6 ppg for Troy in 14 games.
ROAD STRUGGLES, HOME TRIUMPHS
Troy finally ended their struggles in road games by picking up a 94-70 win over South Alabama in Mobile on 1/15. The Trojans were 0-7 on the road entering the South Ala. trip, matching the worst D-1 road start for Troy. It took the Trojans until January 6 and their eighth road game of the 2006-07 season before they were able to win away from home. Troy's next road game is January 15 at South Alabama. Conversely, the Trojans are 5-2 at home this season, with the lone loss coming in the season opener against UAB when Troy was without a full team due to injury. The Trojans later dropped one game to ULL at home. Troy was one of five Sun Belt teams without a road win until defeating South Alabama.
WINNING THE TIP
Troy has won the opening tip in 15-of-19 games so far in 2008-09. The Trojans are 8-7 in games in which they have won the opening tip. Troy's seven-footer Tom Jervis has been the man to jump almost every game this season, the only game that Jervis has not been the man to jump, the Trojans lost. Mario Telfair was out-jumped for the ball against LSU on 11/30. Jervis lost his first opening tip of the season on 12/11 against Middle Tennessee, a game the Trojans went on to lose. Jervis also lost the tip against WKU on 1/1 and ULM on 1/17.
NCAA STAT LEADER
As of 12/8, Troy's Michael Vogler was leading all of NCAA Division I in assists per game at 8.2 per contest, as listed in the most recent reporting period. The junior point guard is battling East Carolina's Brock Young (8.1 apg) for the NCAA lead. Vogler had 46 assists in his first five games. He missed the first two games of the year with an ankle injury. As of 1/2/09, Vogler is ranked 12th in the nation with an average of 6.5 assists per game. Despite falling off in the national race, Vogler still leads the Sun Belt in assists with 101.
GENTLEMEN....START YOUR ENGINES
The Trojans have used five different starting lineups thus far in the 2008-09 season. The games against Alcorn State, Georgia State and Northwestern State were the first three games that Troy had used the same lineup consecutively with the group of Vogler/Huddleston/Delk/Jones/Jervis getting the starting nods. Coach Maestri changed up the starting lineup against LSU with Mario Telfair and Brandon Hazzard getting starts. Richard Delk is the only player to start every game so far in 2008-09 for Troy.
BATTLE OF THE BOARDS
The Trojans have out-rebounded their opponent in three games this year, recording a record of 2-1 in those games. They also tied ULM in rebounds at 34-34 in a one-point win on January 17.
WINNING THE BOARDS, LOSING THE GAME
In the past two seasons, Troy has won the rebound battle in a game just five times including this season against Centenary (35-23). The game against the Gents was the first time they had won the rebound battle, but lost the game. All other times the last two seasons (UNT - 1/3/08, Utah Valley St. - 1/5, ULM - 1/31, Alcorn State - 11/21/08) the Trojans have recorded the highest rebound total and picked up the victory.
NEWCOMERS GALORE
The Trojans and Coach Don Maestri welcome in one of the largest incoming classes in recent history. Troy has six newcomers, all transfers, with Richard Delk transferring from Mississippi State and Kyle Greenwood from Austin Peay. Regis Huddleston (Meridian), Antywan Jones (Coahoma), Travis Lee (Northeast Miss.) and Chris Leggett (Wallace-Hanceville) all join the Trojans from community colleges.
IT'S A SOUTHERN THING...ALMOST
Among the 14 active players on the roster this season for the Trojans, all but one player hails from a state in the Southeastern United States. One Trojan hails from Alabama, Vinemont's Kyle Greenwood, while five Troy players are from the state of Florida and three from Georgia. Three others claim Mississippi as their home state with Richard Delk calling Tennessee home. The lone Trojan not originally from below the Mason-Dixon Line is not for the USA at all - Australia's Tom Jervis, but he did attend Bevill State-Fayette CC in Alabama.
SITTING THIS ONE OUT
Troy junior forward Bernard Toombs is taking a redshirt for the 2008-09 season and will enter the 2009-10 season a redshirt junior with two years to play two seasons. Toombs averaged 2.2 points per game in 15 games a season ago. Also redshirting during the 2008-09 season is forward Trayce Macon. The junior from St. Petersburg, Fla. was the Trojans' highest returning scorer from last season, scoring at a 7.1 ppg clip as a sophomore.
ALL IN THE FAMILY
It took three years of playing basketball on the same team, but Troy forwards and St. Petersburg, Fla. natives Mario Telfair and Trayce Macon learned a bit of interesting information recently -- they're cousins. While attending a funeral back home in Florida, Telfair noticed some of Macon's family in attendance and after some investigation; he learned the two Trojans are distant cousins.
TROY BASKETBALL'S WAR HERO
Troy sophomore forward Kyle Greenwood spent two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of our nation's War on Terror prior to coming to Troy. He was a member of the US Army serving in a Special Forces unit. Greenwood is a native of Vinemont, Ala. and transferred to Troy after spending time at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn.
ON YOUR TELEVISION
The Trojans will play just one scheduled game on television during the 2008-09 season. On January 17 the Trojans will visit ULM in a game televised by CSS and COX as part of the SBC TV package. Troy's two games with WKU will also be televised via HSSN. The Trojans are 1-1 thus far in televised games.
The Trojans (9-10, 4-3 SBC) are coming off two big road games over the weekend, contests that included wins over South Alabama and ULM. It marked the first time since Troy's move to the Sun Belt Conference that the school has won back-to-back road games in conference play. New Orleans (8-10, 3-4 SBC) is making just its second-ever trip to Trojan Arena.
TROJAN TIDBITS
- Troy head coach Don Maestri is in his 27th season at the helm of the Trojans
- The Trojans battled ULM into the last minute of their game on Saturday before Brandon Hazzard hit a three-pointer to seal the victory. The win gave the Trojans back-to-back conference wins on the road for the first time in school history.
- At 4-3 in Sun Belt play, Troy also has its best record in SBC games after seven contests
- Brandon Hazzard and Richard Delk have both scored in double-figures in 14 of 19 games this season
- Last season, Bo McCalebb scored 33 points to lead the Privateers past the Trojans in New Orleans in the two team's only meeting.
TROJAN NOTEBOOK
LAST TIME AGAINST
Troy trails New Orleans 1-3 all-time in the series. The Privateers defeated the Trojans 82-73 last season in New Orleans. Sun Belt all-time leading scorer Bo McCalebb scored 33 points and Kyndall Dykes added 21 to lead UNO to the victory. Troy's O'Darien Bassett led the Trojans with 15 points. The Trojans only win in the series came in February 2006 when Bobby Dixon scored 26 points to lead Troy to a victory. That game was the last time New Orleans visited Troy. Thursday's contest will be just their second-ever visit.
DOUBLE-DIGIT SCORING
Troy juniors Brandon Hazzard and Richard Delk have both scored in double-figures in 14-of-19 games this season. There are two games this year where both players were held in single-digits, against UAB on 11/15 and Dayton on 12/2. Michael Vogler has scored in double-figures in seven of the last 10 games.
PERSONNEL CHANGE
Junior forward left the team following the Christmas holidays. Leggett transferred to NAIA school William Carey University. For the year he averaged 3.6 ppg for Troy in 14 games.
ROAD STRUGGLES, HOME TRIUMPHS
Troy finally ended their struggles in road games by picking up a 94-70 win over South Alabama in Mobile on 1/15. The Trojans were 0-7 on the road entering the South Ala. trip, matching the worst D-1 road start for Troy. It took the Trojans until January 6 and their eighth road game of the 2006-07 season before they were able to win away from home. Troy's next road game is January 15 at South Alabama. Conversely, the Trojans are 5-2 at home this season, with the lone loss coming in the season opener against UAB when Troy was without a full team due to injury. The Trojans later dropped one game to ULL at home. Troy was one of five Sun Belt teams without a road win until defeating South Alabama.
WINNING THE TIP
Troy has won the opening tip in 15-of-19 games so far in 2008-09. The Trojans are 8-7 in games in which they have won the opening tip. Troy's seven-footer Tom Jervis has been the man to jump almost every game this season, the only game that Jervis has not been the man to jump, the Trojans lost. Mario Telfair was out-jumped for the ball against LSU on 11/30. Jervis lost his first opening tip of the season on 12/11 against Middle Tennessee, a game the Trojans went on to lose. Jervis also lost the tip against WKU on 1/1 and ULM on 1/17.
NCAA STAT LEADER
As of 12/8, Troy's Michael Vogler was leading all of NCAA Division I in assists per game at 8.2 per contest, as listed in the most recent reporting period. The junior point guard is battling East Carolina's Brock Young (8.1 apg) for the NCAA lead. Vogler had 46 assists in his first five games. He missed the first two games of the year with an ankle injury. As of 1/2/09, Vogler is ranked 12th in the nation with an average of 6.5 assists per game. Despite falling off in the national race, Vogler still leads the Sun Belt in assists with 101.
GENTLEMEN....START YOUR ENGINES
The Trojans have used five different starting lineups thus far in the 2008-09 season. The games against Alcorn State, Georgia State and Northwestern State were the first three games that Troy had used the same lineup consecutively with the group of Vogler/Huddleston/Delk/Jones/Jervis getting the starting nods. Coach Maestri changed up the starting lineup against LSU with Mario Telfair and Brandon Hazzard getting starts. Richard Delk is the only player to start every game so far in 2008-09 for Troy.
BATTLE OF THE BOARDS
The Trojans have out-rebounded their opponent in three games this year, recording a record of 2-1 in those games. They also tied ULM in rebounds at 34-34 in a one-point win on January 17.
WINNING THE BOARDS, LOSING THE GAME
In the past two seasons, Troy has won the rebound battle in a game just five times including this season against Centenary (35-23). The game against the Gents was the first time they had won the rebound battle, but lost the game. All other times the last two seasons (UNT - 1/3/08, Utah Valley St. - 1/5, ULM - 1/31, Alcorn State - 11/21/08) the Trojans have recorded the highest rebound total and picked up the victory.
NEWCOMERS GALORE
The Trojans and Coach Don Maestri welcome in one of the largest incoming classes in recent history. Troy has six newcomers, all transfers, with Richard Delk transferring from Mississippi State and Kyle Greenwood from Austin Peay. Regis Huddleston (Meridian), Antywan Jones (Coahoma), Travis Lee (Northeast Miss.) and Chris Leggett (Wallace-Hanceville) all join the Trojans from community colleges.
IT'S A SOUTHERN THING...ALMOST
Among the 14 active players on the roster this season for the Trojans, all but one player hails from a state in the Southeastern United States. One Trojan hails from Alabama, Vinemont's Kyle Greenwood, while five Troy players are from the state of Florida and three from Georgia. Three others claim Mississippi as their home state with Richard Delk calling Tennessee home. The lone Trojan not originally from below the Mason-Dixon Line is not for the USA at all - Australia's Tom Jervis, but he did attend Bevill State-Fayette CC in Alabama.
SITTING THIS ONE OUT
Troy junior forward Bernard Toombs is taking a redshirt for the 2008-09 season and will enter the 2009-10 season a redshirt junior with two years to play two seasons. Toombs averaged 2.2 points per game in 15 games a season ago. Also redshirting during the 2008-09 season is forward Trayce Macon. The junior from St. Petersburg, Fla. was the Trojans' highest returning scorer from last season, scoring at a 7.1 ppg clip as a sophomore.
ALL IN THE FAMILY
It took three years of playing basketball on the same team, but Troy forwards and St. Petersburg, Fla. natives Mario Telfair and Trayce Macon learned a bit of interesting information recently -- they're cousins. While attending a funeral back home in Florida, Telfair noticed some of Macon's family in attendance and after some investigation; he learned the two Trojans are distant cousins.
TROY BASKETBALL'S WAR HERO
Troy sophomore forward Kyle Greenwood spent two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of our nation's War on Terror prior to coming to Troy. He was a member of the US Army serving in a Special Forces unit. Greenwood is a native of Vinemont, Ala. and transferred to Troy after spending time at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn.
ON YOUR TELEVISION
The Trojans will play just one scheduled game on television during the 2008-09 season. On January 17 the Trojans will visit ULM in a game televised by CSS and COX as part of the SBC TV package. Troy's two games with WKU will also be televised via HSSN. The Trojans are 1-1 thus far in televised games.
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