Opening Night for Eagle Men's Basketball
11/13/2009 5:29:00 AM | Men's Basketball
STATESBORO, Ga. - When Georgia Southern alumnus Charlton "C.Y." Young steps onto the court at Hanner Fieldhouse Friday night, he'll be in a familiar place, but with an entirely new perspective. The last time Young was in Hanner as a coach, he was sitting on the opponents' bench. The last time Young was affiliated with Georgia Southern, he was wearing a number-12 uniform.
On Friday, Nov. 13th, Georgia Southern Hall of Fame point guard Charlton "C.Y." Young will step onto the court at Hanner Fieldhouse as the 12th coach in the history of the program and third alum to lead the Eagles. He'll also face the Eagles as his first opponent as Reinhardt brings a 1-2 record to Statesboro. Georgia Southern holds a 2-0 series advantage of Reinhardt with both meetings taking place in Hanner Fieldhouse. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m and tickets for the game are still available. As part of the sponsorship for opening night, the local McDonald's restaurants are providing full-color mini team posters to the first 500 fans in attendance. This exclusive item has an area for collecting autographs and is suitable for framing.
Junior Willie Powers III (Gainesville, Fla.) returns to lead at the point after missing 19 games last season with a knee injury. Senior Antonio Hanson (Ft. Worth, Texas) will start at shooting guard with senior forward/guard Tyler Troupe (Gallatin, Tenn.). Newcomers Rory Spencer (Atlanta, Ga.), a junior transfer, and freshman Cameron Baskerville (Marietta, Ga.) round out the starting five at the forward positions.
"We're tired of mixing it up against ourselves, we are ready to play against somebody else and start our journey to a championship," said Young. "We've got a blue-collar bunch of close-knit, high-energy guys and they have committed to a defensive mindset."
Georgia Southern currently owns 28-game win streak, and 35-3 record overall, in home openers dating back to a 1980 87-88 overtime loss to Austin Peay. Reinhardt and Georgia Southern faced off last year in the home opener at Hanner, with the Eagles taking a 96-61 victory. Five Georgia Southern players scored in double figures with Hanson hitting 5-of-6 three-point goals for a team leading 19 points and Tyler Troupe recording a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Forward Mario Mason had 14 points to lead Reinhardt while guard Vonte Samuel scored eight points and Heath Hooper six. As a team, Georgia Southern had several season-high marks against Reinhardt, including field goal percentage for a game (59.3% off 35-59 fgm-a) and a half (65.4%, first half, 17-26 fgm-a).
Reinhardt won its season opener last Friday, Nov. 7th, over Concordia College (Ala.) 112-74 behind all-Southern States Athletic Conference guard Kordel Alexander's nine three-pointers and 31 overall points. Four Reinhardt players scored in double figures and forward Joseph Odugbela had a game-leading 17 rebounds to go along with 10 points. In the second game of the Shorter College Tournament, Reinhardt lost to the host, 65-78, with Mario Mason scoring 20 points and Carrlos Lyles pitching in 13. Reinhardt lost its home opener Tuesday night to Southern Polytechnic State 74-57 with Lyles and Mason recording 15 and 11 points, respectively. In the national rankings for the division, Alexander ranks seventh in three-point goals made per game with an average of 4.0.
NEWEST EAGLE FAN
Georgia Southern's newest fan arrived Wednesday, Nov. 11, and came in at 8 lbs. and 21.5 inches. Kaylen Janiszewski, the daughter of Lisa and Krzysztof Janiszewski was born this week. Proud father, Eagle center "Big Chris" is back in practice, preparing for Friday night's game. Both mother and daughter are doing well.
NUMBER CHANGE
Antoine "A.J." Johnson made the switch from the number 3 jersey he wore for the last three years to number 5 during the offseason.
DOESN'T LOOK A DAY OVER 39
December 1st, 2009 will mark the 40th anniversary of the first Georgia Southern game played in the "new" Hanner Fieldhouse. The original Hanner building, named for W.S. Hanner, the faculty athletic chairman from 1935-1959, was built in 1955 and included a gym for most of the varsity sports and several physical education classes.
The original Hanner Building also served as the venue for dances and concerts, including appearances by popular groups "The Platters and The Drifters" as well as a fairly new rock group from Britain, "The Rolling Stones." "New" Hanner Fieldhouse has had its share of celebrity as well: Fleetwood Mac, ZZ Top, B.B. King, Jimmy Buffet, to name just a few, and even the Allman Brothers played the Blind Willie McTell classic "Statesboro Blues." Most recently, in September of 2009, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke on the topic of "leadership" in Hanner Fieldhouse.
Louisiana Tech defeated the Eagles in the first game in the new fieldhouse on Dec. 1, 1969, but Georgia Southern would pick up the first win in Hanner on Dec. 6, 1969, when it defeated Valdosta State, 88-80.
