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Wildcats Men’s Basketball Opens 2022-23 Season at SIAC/GSC Challenge

11/10/2022 11:12:00 PM

By: Chris Myers
FORT VALLEY, Ga. – After one of the strongest finishes to a season in recent years, the Wildcats are ready for more on the court. Fort Valley State men's basketball opens its 2022-23 campaign this weekend at the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference/Gulf South Conference Crossover event.

For the seventh year in a row, FVSU opens the year against the same two GSC foes. The Wildcats battle the Blazers of Valdosta State on Saturday night, Nov. 12, in an 8:30 p.m. ET tip. FVSU returns to the court on Sunday, Nov. 13, for a 7:30 p.m. ET start against host University of West Florida in Pensacola, Fla.

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SIAC/GSC Challenge
UWF Field House – Pensacola, Fla.
Saturday, Nov. 12
6:30 pm ET - Clark Atlanta vs. UWF (white) - video | stats
8:30 pm ET - Fort Valley State vs. Valdosta State (white) - video | stats
 
Sunday, Nov. 13
5:30 pm ET - Valdosta State vs. Clark Atlanta (white) - video | stats
7:30 pm ET - West Florida vs. Fort Valley (white) - video | stats
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In his first full season after taking over the program last January 5 for the second semester, FVSU Head Coach Montez Robinson and his staff are ready to tip the year off.

Coming off a SIAC Tournament where they finished 10 seconds away from upsetting SIAC West champion Miles College, FVSU returns four of its five starters, top four bench players and another key guard who played only four games due to injury to go with the influx of new talent.

Leading the Wildcats in his second year, sophomore K.J. Doucet enters as the SIAC Preseason Player of the Year. The 6-7 forward finished seventh in scoring (14.9 ppg) and sixth in free throw percentage (.785) in the SIAC. Doucet scored 418 points, grabbed a team-high 150 rebounds (5.4 rpg), and handed out 40 assists. The 6-7 swingman made 136 field goals, 40 3-point field goals and connected on 106 of 135 free throws, while he had 31 steals and 11 blocked shots. Doucet scored in double figures in 24 of 28 games with six efforts of 22-plus points. The returning SIAC Freshman of the Year finished the year on fire with 23 points and 13 rebounds in the SIAC First Round win over Kentucky State, before he posted 25 points and four rebounds in the overtime loss to SIAC East champion Miles College in the Quarterfinals.

Returning in the backcourt, point guard P.J. Mitchell (Detroit, Mich.) and shooting guard Kenton Eskridge (Atlanta, Ga.) where they combined for 22.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Mitchell, a redshirt junior, was amongst the league assist (3.8 apg) and assist to turnover ratio (1.6 asst/TO) to go with 9.3 ppg and 33 3-point field goals made. Eskridge joined the Wildcats in the second semester where he netted 13.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 2.4 apg over 12 games.

Sophomore center Quincy Young will lead a deeper inside group of Wildcats. Young came on late in the season and wrapped up his first year at 3.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per outing.

Going down with an injury after the fourth game last season, Rob Kendrick returns as a graduate student. In the four contests, the Jackson, Miss., native averaged 6.8 points and drained six 3-pointers.

Three other Wildcat guards return to the fold in graduate student JaMarcus Scott (Americus, Ga.), junior Jamal Reynolds (Lovejoy, Ga.) and redshirt sophomore Brelan Holston (Conyers, Ga.) Scott contributed 4.5 points and 1.8 rebounds off the bench, while Reynolds started 11 of 25 games in the backcourt where he dropped in 5.2 points to go with 3.4 boards and 35 assists. Holston chipped in 11 points in 18 games.

Joe Williams played solid minutes as the year went on last season and completed his year at 3.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per night.

Sat., Nov. 12 at 8:30 p.m. ET
FVSU (0-0) vs. Valdosta State (0-2)

FVSU aims to snap a three-game losing streak against Valdosta State (11-16 last year). The Blazers hold a 12-1 over series lead and they fell for the lone time to the Wildcats on Dec. 12, 2017 in Fort Valley by an 82-68 final.

Last Nov. 13 in Fort Valley, FVSU held a one-point halftime lead, 27-26, but Valdosta State grabbed the lead and the win in the second half, 69-61. Kendrick led the Wildcats with 16 points, while Doucet had 12 and Mitchell nine points and seven assists.

In last weekend's DII Tip off Classic, Valdosta State dropped both of its games against No. 6 Lincoln Memorial (108-80) and Receiving Votes Hillsdale College (79-65).

Three Blazer players average double digits after the first two contests in Caden Boser (18.0 ppg), Mohamed Fofana (17.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and Cam Hamilton (14.0 ppg).

Sun., Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET
FVSU (0-0) vs. West Florida (0-0)

The Wildcats and Argos have split the last two meetings. West Florida pulled out a close, 69-64, decision in Fort Valley last November 12. FVSU edged West Florida, 63-58, the prior meeting on Nov. 9, 2019 in Valdosta. The Argos lead the short series, 4-2.

After it finished 18-11 last year, West Florida returns its top three scorers from that team in junior Daniel Sofield (16.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg), senior Wendell Matthews (13.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 70 assists) and junior Latrell Tate (9.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 78 assists).
 
 
 
 
 
 
-Wildcats-
 


 
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