Game Notes

MOBILE, Ala. – After eight months of waiting, the 2010-11 University of South Alabama men’s basketball season is finally here. The Jaguars open the new campaign Friday against cross-town rival Spring Hill.

“We’ve gotten just about everything we could get in once we started playing,” said USA head coach Ronnie Arrow. “In looking back I wish we could have played a scrimmage instead of two exhibition games, but playing two games is good too. Spring Hill has a good bunch and should be pumped up to play us. Our guys need to be mentally ready to play like they will.”

The game vs. the Badgers is the 19th in the series, with USA holding a 15-3 lead. Friday marks the third straight year the two schools have met.

Fans can catch all the action at USAJaguars.com, where live stats and live video on Jaguar All-Access will be available. The game will not be broadcast over the air on 105.5 FM, but an audio-only feed can be heard at WNSP.com.

South Alabama emerged unscathed in two exhibition games, defeating Mississippi College 92-65 on Nov. 4 and Tuskegee 83-65 on Tuesday. Redshirt freshman Augustine Rubit (Houston, Texas) emerged as a rising force, topping the team with averages of 15.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in those two games, including a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds vs. Tuskegee.

Rubit also shot a team-best 57.9 percent from the floor and hit seven of his nine shots against Mississippi College.

“Aug is, and will be, a very good player,” said Arrow. “He just has to keep working in practice. He can’t let little bumps and bruises bother him. He has to come ready to learn and develop every day. He has a chance to be one of the best to ever come out of here. He’s got himself in playing condition. He has to get to where he can bang down low with the best of them and anybody that he plays against. He has to be able to withstand the banging and finish plays.”

Spring Hill, a member of NAIA Division I, has already begun its season and holds a 1-1 record. The Badgers opened their home campaign with an 82-80 win over Vorhees but lost 78-72 at Dillard.

“They have two all-conference players back inside,” said Arrow. “They have a very good freshman, Brandon Blake, that can score and take you off the dribble. They play hard and execute very well on offense. We are going to have to guard them. When we played them last year, our guys really got after it defensively and got easy buckets off our defense. That got us pumped up and we started shooting the ball.”

SHC’s Nick Brown has been dominant through two games and enters the contest averaging 23 points and 10 rebounds. He went for 25 points and nine rebounds in the opener and recorded a double-double vs. Dillard with 21 points and 11 boards at Dillard.

“He’s strong and likes to post up,” stated Arrow. “It’ll be a good test for our inside guys to guard him. They do a lot of misdirection plays so we’ll have to do a good job of helping on the backside and not give up easy lay-ups.”

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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