Red Wolves Men’s Basketball Game Notes – ULM

Courtesy ASU Athletics Department

Tip Off: The Arkansas State University men’s basketball team returns to the court this Saturday (Jan. 19) as the Red Wolves host the ULM (Louisiana at Monroe) Warhawks in Sun Belt Conference (SBC) Divisional play at the ASU Convocation Center in Jonesboro, Ark. Opening tip is at 7:05 p.m. (CT) in what marks the first of two regular-season meetings between the teams.

Game Promotion: This Saturday’s (Jan. 19) game has been designated as ASU Student Appreciation Night as those students with a valid ASU ID will have an opportunity to win cash prizes, free food from area vendors, and A-State t-shirts. ASU students will also receive discount concessions at this Saturday’s game featuring 25 cent popcorn and $1 hot dogs at the yellow entrance. At halftime, first-year ASU football head coach Bryan Harsin and members of his coaching staff will be introduced to the crowd.

2012-13 A-StAte Ticket Information: Individual single-game ticket prices for the 2012-13 ASU men’s basketball season are $12 for the upper center area, $10 for the upper side, $8 for the upper wings, $6 for children and senior citizens (age 55+), and $5 group rate purchase of 12 tickets or more. Tickets may be purchased through the ASU Box Office by calling 870-972-2781 or 888-ASU-FANS. Ticket information for the 2012-13 season is also available on ASU Athletics official website – www.AStateRedWolves.com. 

The Records: Arkansas State (10-7, 4-4 Sun Belt West Division). The Red Wolves have dropped two straight to date following a 61-56 conference road setback to Louisiana-Lafayette last Saturday (1/12) at the Cajundome in Lafayette, La. ASU is presently 7-2 at home, 3-5 on the road, and 0-0 at neutral sites this season. ULM (3-11, 2-6 Sun Belt West Division). The Warhawks dropped their third consecutive game with a 71-56 conference loss to South Alabama Thursday (1/17) at the USA Mitchell Center in Mobile, Ala. ULM is 1-7 on the road, 2-4 at home, and 0-0 at neutral sites to date this season.

The Coaches: Arkansas State – John Brady (Bellhaven, 1976), 5th season, 71-73 (.493); Career – 352-289 (.549) – (9-1 vs. ULM). Brady was named the 2009-10 SBC Coach of the Year and the District VII Coach of the Year by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). He served six seasons (1991-97) as head coach at Samford and then spent 10-plus seasons (1997-08) in a head coaching capacity at LSU. Brady guided LSU to two SEC Championship titles along with four NCAA Tournament appearances, which included a Final Four appearance in the 2005-06 season.

ULM – Keith Richard (ULM, 1982), 3rd season, 13-61 (.176); Career: 15th season, 163-178 (.478) – (5-6 vs. ASU). Richard returned to his alma mater in April 2010 to become ULM’s seventh head coach and is presently the Sun Belt Conference’s 10th winningest coach in conference games. Prior to ULM, Richard spent two seasons (2008-10) as an assistant at LSU after serving as head coach at Louisiana Tech for nine seasons (1998-07). He was named the SBC’s Coach of the Year in his first season (1998-99) at LA Tech and tallied the third-most victories in the program’s history (150 wins). Richard also was an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech (1995-98), ULM (1989-94), and Marshall (1986-89). A two-time (1980-82) team captain at ULM, Richard spent two seasons (1984-86) as a Warhawks’ graduate assistant coach.

About ULM: The Warhawks are midst a current three-game losing skid after suffering a 71-56 conference road loss to South Alabama Thursday (1/17) in Mobile, Ala. Junior guard Marcelis Hansberry was the lone ULM player to tally double figures with 16 points and added four steals. Junior forward Jayon James and junior guard Amos Olatayo totaled a team-best tying six rebounds apiece.

• Amos Olatayo (14.0 ppg.) and sophomore guard Trent Mackey (10.5 ppg.) currently lead ULM in scoring while Jayon James’ 6.9 rpg. average is tops among the squad’s rebounds leaders. James also leads the Warhawks in assists with a 4.4 apg. average.

• Nationally, ULM ranks 126th in three-point field goal percentage (35.0%) in games through Jan. 13 while the Warhawks are listed 130th in steals (7.4 avg.), 178th in three-point field goals (6.1), 244th in field-goal percentage (41.6%), 245th in scoring defense (69.8 ppg.), 277th in field-goal percentage defense (44.9%), and 320th in scoring offense (59.2 ppg.). Trent Mackey ranks 56th in three-point field goal percentage (39.8%) and 71st in three-point field goals (2.54 avg.). Jayon James is 80th in assists (4.7 avg.), 84th indouble-doubles (four), and ranks 206th in rebounds (6.9 avg.).

All-Time Series: A-State leads 30-21 over ULM in the all-time series which dates back to the 1954-55 season as the Red Wolves suffered a 104-91 loss to the Warhawks. ASU is 22-5 at home, 7-16 on the road, and 1-0 at neutral sites versus ULM. 

The Red Wolves have a current five-game winning streak, which includes a pair of victories last season – 65-63 at ULM (12/31) and 72-64 at home (2/2). ASU is averaging 70.6 points a game (353 pts.) while the opposition has posted a 61.2 points per contest average (306 pts.) in those five outings.

• ASU is 9-1 in the last 10 meetings against ULM, which includes a 5-0 home ledger. ULM’s most recent win occurred in the 1985-86 season (2/13/86) with a 64-63 home decision. 

• The Red Wolves have prevailed in their last 10 home contests versus ULM and haven’t suffered a home setback to the Warhawks since the 1984-85 campaign (3/5/85) in a 70-62 setback. 

• Seven of the last 10 matchups have been decided by eight points or less, including four by three points or less. 

• Ed Townsel (16.0 ppg.), Marcus Hooten (13.0 ppg.), and Brandon Peterson (10.0 ppg.) were ASU’s top scorers in last season’s series. Brandon Peterson led the Red Wolves in rebounding a season ago with an 8.5 rpg. average.

Sun Belt Conference Games: The Red Wolves are 175-177 (.497) since joining the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) in the 1991-92 season, which includes a season-best 14-4 (.778) mark in the 1997-98 campaign.

• A-State sports a 38-18 (.679) record at home and is 15-16 (.500) on the road since the 2006-07 season. 

• ASU head coach John Brady has registered a 37-39 record (.484) in Sun Belt Conference contests since his arrival in the 2008-09 season, which consists of a 26-10 home ledger and a 10-28 away mark. 

• The Red Wolves are 28-23 (.549) in January conference games dating back to 2006-07 which is comprised of a 21-7 home mark and a 7-16 road ledger.

Close To A Milestone: Senior guard Trey Finn, who scored a season-high tying 15 points at Louisiana-Lafayette last Saturday (1/12), is 10 points away from registering his 1,000th career point. Finn has accumulated 990 career points in 107 outings and is averaging 9.3 points per game to date.

Finn-tastic: Trey Finn is presently midst a personal season-best three-game double-figuring point streak. The ASU tri-captain netted 13 points apiece against Western Kentucky (1/5) and FIU (1/10) before turning in a team-high 15-points effort at Louisiana-Lafayette (1/12). Finn has reached double-digit points in seven outings this campaign and had a previous-best two-game double-figure string earlier this season (11/13-16). 

Closing In: Senior forward Brandon Peterson is 40 points shy of reaching the 1,000-career points mark and currently has amassed 960 points in 113 contests for an 8.5 points per game average. Peterson has a squad second-most 187 points in 17 games this season and is 127 points away from matching his season-high of 314 points set a season ago in 34 encounters.   

Streak Ends: Freshman guard-forward Raeford “Gator” Worsham snapped a four-game single-digit points string with 12 points off the bench at Louisiana-Lafayette (1/12). In his previous four outings (12/29-1/10), Worsham averaged 2.3 points a game (nine pts.). He has compiled eight double-figure scoring outings this season to date. 

Last Four: Junior forward Kendrick Washington is averaging 6.3 points (25 pts.) and 3.5 rebounds (14 rebs.) per contest while shooting 50.0% (10-20) from the floor in his last four outings. 

Home Court Advantage: A-State is 253-96 (.725) on its home floor since 1987-88 and has posted double-digit home victories 14 times in a season, which includes a 10-5 home ledger in 2011-12. The Red Wolves are 7-2 at home this campaign with a 61-54 loss to Murray State (12/19) and a 66-64 setback to FIU (1/10). ASU is averaging 72.0 ppg. (657 pts.) to its opponent’s 60.6 ppg. (545 pts.) for a +12.4 ppg. differential.

Comparing Halves: ASU is averaging 30.7 ppg. (522 pts.) in a game’s first half compared to 36.9 ppg. (627 pts.) in the second half this season. The opposition is averaging 29.1 ppg. (494 pts.) in the first 20 minutes and 34.5 ppg. (587 pts.) in the second frame.

Helping Hands: The Red Wolves’ top three assists leaders this season in sophomore guard Rakeem Dickerson (40 total), Cameron Golden (37 total), and Trey Finn (30 total) have combined to produce 59.4% (107-180) of the squad’s output.

Last Four Games: ASU sports a 3-1 ledger in its last four games as the Red Wolves have averaged 67.0 points a game (268 pts.) and have limited the opposition to 60.2 points an outing (241 pts.). ASU is shooting 39.7% (89-224) from the floor, but has outrebound its opponent by +4.0 boards per game (40.5 to 36.5). ASU’s top three rebound leaders – Ed Townsel (7.3 rpg.), Brandon Peterson (7.0 rpg.), and Trey Finn (6.3 rpg.) have combined for 56.2% (82-146) of squad’s output in that statistical category.

2012-13 Reference Guide Now Online: The 2012-13 A-State men’s basketball reference guide is now available to view online in a PDF format and contains information for all devoted Red Wolves fans. The 110-page publication features such information as 2012-13 student-athlete rosters, season preview, student-athlete biographies, coaching staff bios, 2011-12 season statistics, and all-time series records along with career, season, and game statistical records. The annual publication is a production of the ASU Sports Information Office under the direction of director Jerry Scott along with assistant directors Chris Graddy and Joe Gorby. To view the 2012-13 ASU men’s basketball publication online, please visit the respective link – 2012-13 Arkansas State Men’s Basketball Reference Guide. 

A Season Ago: A-State concluded the 2011-12 campaign at 14-20 overall and posted a fifth-place 6-10 mark in the Sun Belt Conference’s (SBC) West Division. The Red Wolves were 10-5 at home, 2-14 on the road, and 2-1 at neutral sites a season ago.

2012-13 ASU Basketball Promotions: The ASU Athletics Marketing Department will feature special promotions for each remaining 2012-13 Red Wolves’ home basketball game. Click on this link to view promotion schedule.

Up Next: The Red Wolves continue conference play next Thursday, Jan. 24, versus the Troy Trojans in Troy, Ala. A 7:30 p.m. (CT) start time is scheduled for the matchup at Trojan Arena. ASU will then start a three-game conference homestand, beginning Saturday, Jan. 26 as Florida Atlantic visits the ASU Convocation Center in a 7:30 p.m. (CT) tilt to be televised live on the Sun Belt Network.