THE SETTING
The South Alabama men’s basketball team heads north to Bowling Green, Ohio for a clash with the Bowling Green Falcons, Saturday at 2 p.m. eastern time. The Jaguars stand at 4-1 on the year, while Bowling Green enters with a 1-2 record. This is the first meeting between South Alabama and Bowling Green on the hardwood.
A VICTORY OVER BOWLING GREEN WOULD...
? Give the Jaguars a 5-1 record, matching last year’s start through six games. In 2005-06, USA began the season with a 9-2 record before conference play began.
? Give John Pelphrey his 65th win as the Jaguar head coach.
? Mark the first road win for the Jaguars this season. USA won nine road games in 2005-06 which was the most since the 2000-01 season.
? Give the Jaguars their 13th win in the last 15 games dating back to last season.
THE SOUTH ALABAMA JAGUARS
The Jaguars improved to 4-1 after a commanding 91-71 win over West Florida Wednesday. USA had three players in double figures, including career-high 26 points by senior Carlos Smith and a career-high 21 points by senior Leandro Buboltz.
Leading the way for the Jags five games in are four players in double figures. Junior Demetric Bennett began the season where he left off last year as he is averaging a team-best 15.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He is 29-of-59 and 13-of-27 from beyond the arc, which are tops on the team. Also in double figures is junior Daon Merritt, averaging 13.0 points and a team-leading 6.2 assists per game. He has 32 assists, including 10 against Morehead State and 10 against West Florida. He is a team-best 13-of-17 from the charity stripe.
Seniors Carlos Smith (7.5), Leandro Buboltz (8.0) round out the players in double figures. Smith and Buboltz tallied career-highs against West Florida Wednesday. Smith, who had a slow start to the season, has turned it on in the last two games is averaging 11.2 points and leads the team with 10 steals. Buboltz is averaging 10.6 points and leads the team with a 5.6 rebounds per game.
The Jaguars are coming off of one of the most memorable seasons in school history in 2005-06. USA won both the Sun Belt Conference West Division crown and tournament crown earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament where they fell to eventual National Champion Florida. Despite the loss to the Gators, USA had its best season in over 20 years with 24 wins, the second most in school history and had the nation’s biggest turnaround from 2004-05 to 2005-06. The Jaguars finished the season with a 24-7 mark and a 12-3 record in the SBC West Division.
This season, the Jaguars welcome back five players from a year ago, all whom had significant playing time last season. Senior Carlos Smith played every game at point guard last season, averaged 7.1 points and 3.0 assists per game as a junior. Also back is senior Leandro Buboltz who came into his own during the final nine games of the season. He had his breakout game against Florida in the NCAA Tournament, going 5-of-7 from the field and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc for 14 points to lead the team. Senior Stephen Cowherd, junior Demetric Bennett and sophomore Trajinski Grigsby also return.
The Jaguars welcome eight new players to the squad this season, four freshman and four transfers. Two of the transfers were with the team last year as they sat out due to NCAA transfer rules. Juniors Kenny Hooks (Oregon State) and Daon Merritt (Richmond) return along with newcomers sophomore Brandon Davis (Jacksonville State/Birmingham-Southern) and junior Ernest Little (UAB). Little will be eligible to play Dec. 21, 2006.
Four freshmen complete the 2006-07 roster. USA has a pair of 6-9 twins from Detroit Country Day High School in Charles and Philip Tabet. In addition to the added size, the Jags also have a pair of freshmen shooters in Darren Cloud (Evansville, Ind./Wabash Valley JC) and Brooks Taylor (Monette, Ark.) Cloud received a medical redshirt from Wabash Valley this past season so he will have four years of eligibility at USA. Taylor comes from Buffalo Island High School.
Head coach John Pelphrey is in his fifth season at the helm of the Jaguar program. He took the team to new heights in 2005-06, winning the division, tournament title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Pelphrey was named 2006 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year. Pelphrey, the ninth head coach in school history, has a 60-55 record at South Alabama.
LAST TIME OUT
MOBILE, Ala. - Career-highs by seniors Carlos Smith and Leandro Buboltz propelled the Jaguars to a 91-71 victory over West Florida Wednesday night at the Mitchell Center. Smith had 26 points, Buboltz had 21 and junior Demetric Bennett chipped in 15 points. UWF’s Barry Durosier had a game-high 27 points. The Jaguars improve to 4-1 on the year, while UWF falls to 1-2.
USA torched the nets in the opening half, shooting a season-best 58.1 from the field on 18-of-31. The Jags were 8-of-16 from beyond the arc and 4-of-5 from the line. Smith led the way with 13 points, followed by Buboltz and Bennett each with 12. Durosier had 13 points for UWF on 6-of-9 from the floor. Buboltz pulled down six rebounds in the opening half, including four on the offensive end.
The Jags shot 51.6 percent for the game (32-62), marking the first time this season that they have shot over 50 percent for the game. USA made a season-best 15 3-pointers and were 52 percent from beyond the arc. Smith was 10-of-14 from the field, including 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. Buboltz was 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.
DAON DISHES
Junior Daon Merritt tallied a career-high 10 assists and his first double-double as a Jaguar against Morehead State (Nov. 17) with 12 points and 10 assists, becoming the first Jaguar since Demetrice Williams (1/9/03) to record 10 assists in a game. He followed that performance with another 10 assist outing against West Florida Wednesday. Merritt leads the team with 32 assists for a 6.2 average.
CAREER-HIGHS AGAINST WEST FLORIDA
Seniors Carlos Smith and Leandro Buboltz set career-highs in points against West Florida on Wednesday. Smith led the team with 26 points, while Buboltz added 21.
JAGS SHOOT OVER 50 PERCENT
For the first time this season, USA shot over 50 percent for the game. USA was 32-of-62 from the field against West Florida on Wednesday for 51.6 percent. USA also tallied a season-best 15 3-pointers against UWF.
BOWLING GREEN FALCONS
Bowling Green enters the game with a 1-2 record following a 63-59 heartbreaking home loss to Furman last Sunday. BGSU started the season with a convincing 89-52 win over Denison, followed by a loss at Sun Belt Conference member Arkansas State, 64-54.
The Falcons have two players in double figures led by Martin Samarco who is averaging 19.3 points per game and a team-high 6.0 rebounds per game. Also in double figures is Erik Marschall who is averaging 12.3 points and is tied for second in rebounds at 4.7. Samarco has been the big scorer for the Falcons, making a team-high 22 field goals and a team-high six 3-pointers. He leads the team in free throw percentage at .800 (8-of-10).
Head coach Dan Dakich is in his 10th year at the helm of the Falcon program. He has a 143-122 record at Bowling Green and welcomes back four starters from last year’s 9-21 squad that went 5-13 in the Mid-American Conference East Division. Dakich graduated from Indiana where he was a player for Bobby Knight.
COORS CLASSIC 2005
Jaguar fans may remember this Bowling Green team as they have participated in the Coors Classic twice, including this past year against Florida State. FSU downed the Falcons last year 71-60, but Martin Samarco set a Coors Classic record with 27 points against the Seminoles in the losing effort.
BIG TIME BENNETT
Junior Demetric Bennett had a huge first game to the 2006-07 season. Bennett was 10-of-14 from the field, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc for a career-high 27 points in the season opener against UC-Irvine, including 22 points in the second half. Bennett’s previous career-high was 22 points at North Texas last season.
STEALIN’ JAGS
The Jags have been coming up with the steals this season as they have a 44-23 advantage in that area, including a 17-4 performance against UC-Irvine. South Alabama has forced 99 turnovers by its opponents in four games compared to 62 by USA.
BOMBS AWAY
The Jaguars had 11 3-pointers in the season opener against UC-Irvine and had 10 against Winston-Salem State and had a season-high 15 against West Florida this past Wednesday. USA had 10 games in 2005-06 with 10 or more 3-pointers including a season-high 14 last year at Troy.
JAGUAR ASSISTANCE
The Jaguars have been able to find the open man for the score this season with numerous assists. Junior Daon Merritt leads the team with 32 assists and senior Carlos Smith is second with 21 dishes. As a team, USA has outscored its opponents in assists, 77-63.
LITTLE ELIGIBLE DEC. 12
Junior transfer Ernest Little will be eligible Dec. 12 and able to play in the 2006 Coors Classic against Ole Miss Dec. 16. Little, who played two years at UAB, transferred to South Alabama last January. He sat out last semester and this semester due to the NCAA transfer rules.
JAGS SIGN THREE DURING EARLY SIGNING PERIOD
The Jaguars signed three players this week during the early signing period. USA signed a pair of high school teammates in LaDarius Hall and Jamar Moore from Thomasville High School in Thomasville, Ga. In addition to them, the Jags also signed DeAndrae Ross from Lynnhaven, Fla. and Rutherford High School. All three are guard could have an immediate impact in 2007-08.
