GAME NOTES: Runnin' Bulldogs Open Season Friday Night At Xavier
November 08, 2013 | Men's Basketball
TV
INFORMATION
Fox Sports Ohio (Cincinnati Area), 7:00 PM ET (Live)
Prime Ticket (West Coast), 4:00 PM PT (Live)
SportsSouth, 7:00 PM ET (Live)
REPLAYS
SportsSouth, 7:30 PM Saturday
SportsSouth, 4:00 PM Monday
THE GAME
Gardner-Webb opens its 2013-2014 season on the road against a Big East foe, traveling to Cincinnati, Ohio, to do battle with Xavier on Friday, November 8. Opening tip is set for 7:00 pm (7:02) in the Cintas Center. Friday night's game will be televised live on Fox Sports Net (FSN / DirecTV Channel 649), with Mike Gleason and Kevin O'Neill calling the action. There will be no radio available for Friday night's game.
SERIES / BIG EAST NOTES
Gardner-Webb and Xavier have never met in men's basketball ... Gardner-Webb is 1-1 against current members of the Big East Conference ... The Runnin' Bulldogs dropped a 68-66 decision at Butler on November 23, 2011 after leading by 15 at halftime ... Current center Mike Byron had 16 points in that game ... GWU defeated DePaul, 71-59, on November 15, 2012 ... The Runnin' Bulldogs led by as many as 19 in the second half despite playing without two starters.
TOUGH SLATE STARTS EARLY
In addition to its season opener at Xavier, Gardner-Webb will travel to face a difficult slate of BCS-level conference squads in 2013-2014. The Runnin' Bulldogs will also visit Missouri (11/23) and Northwestern (11/25) as part of the Las Vegas Invitational. Road games at #4 Duke (12/16) and Georgia (12/19) before Christmas also await.
20-GAME WINNERS
Gardner-Webb was the lone team in the Big South Conference to reach the 20-win mark last season, going 21-13 and finishing one game out of first place in the league's regular season standings. GWU won 10 of its last 11 regular season games, including a win at Southern Conference power College of Charleston in an ESPN BracketBusters matchup. GWU finished the regular season with the Big South's top RPI number and was within striking distance in 33 of its 34 games - with an opening loss at #11 North Carolina its only loss by more than 15 points.
HIGH FLYER
Wing Donta Harper (6-7, 205, Jr.) enters the 2013-2014 season as Gardner-Webb's most established player, and was named to the preseason All-Big South Conference second team. The Greenville, N.C., native averaged 12.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game as a sophomore - a jump from 5.2 ppg and 2.3 rpg just one year prior. Harper has added nearly 20 pounds of muscle to his frame since last season and recently bench pressed more than 300 pounds for the first time in his career.
CHARM CITY
Transfer guard Naji Hibbert (6-5, 190, RSr.) joins the starting lineup in 2013-2014 after sitting out last season in accordance with NCAA Division I transfer rules. The former Texas A&M reserve was rated by The Bleacher Report as the top impact transfer at the mid-major leavel in 2013-14 earlier this year, and he is expected to have a major impact early with the Runnin' Bulldogs. Hibbert, who was a top-60 prep prospect at national power DeMatha Catholic, is originally from Baltimore, Md. He averaged a career-high 5.2 points and 20.0 minutes per game for Coach Mark Turgeon at Texas A&M in 2010-2011, helping the Aggies to 24 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth.
EXPERIENCE HELPS
Point guard Josh Castellanos (6-1, 180, Sr.) joined the Gardner-Webb program following his graduation from Mount St. Mary's in August, providing the Runnin' Bulldogs with another very experienced option in the backcourt. Castellanos played in 81 games and made 49 starts for the Mountaineers, averaging 8.1 points and dishing off 132 assists as a sophomore in 2011-2012. He played in 20 games and made 14 starts last season, scoring 10 points in a loss at top-ranked Indiana in December.
PRESEASON RESPECT
Gardner-Webb was picked second in the preseason South Division poll by the Big South Conference's head coaches and select media members, falling just behind defending division and overall regular season champion Charleston Southern. GWU finished a game behind the Bucs last season, but picked up a pair of overtime wins over Charleston Southern during the regular season. GWU lost just twice against South Division teams last season, falling on the road at Winthrop and Presbyterian and finishing with a 8-2 mark against Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, UNC Asheville, Winthrop and Presbyterian.
YOUNG POSTS EXPECTED TO PLAY EARLY
Freshmen center Tyrell Nelson (6-7, 235) and forward Donell Tuff (6-6, 210) have impressed the Gardner-Webb coaching staff during preseason workouts, and both are expected to make a quick dent in the rotation this season. Nelson was one of the top-30 seniors in North Carolina in the Class of 2013, and posted 24 double-doubles as a senior at Metrolina Christian Academy. Tuff played for a Tift County (Ga.) squad that entered last season in the national top-25. Tuff averaged a double-double (13 ppg / 10 rpg) and blocked seven shots per game as a senior.
THE OLD GUY
Center Mike Byron (6-10, 245, Sr.) is the lone four-year player on the current Gardner-Webb roster, entering the program for the 2010-2011 season. The San Antonio, Texas, native has started 49 games (91 games played) during his three seasons with the program and has shot 52.2 percent from the floor during that time. Byron has helped the Runnin' Bulldogs from 11 wins as a freshman to 21 wins as a junior - with GWU winning as many league games last season as it did during his first campaign.
UP NEXT
Gardner-Webb remains on the road for its next bout, traveling to face Southern Conference member Furman at 7:30 pm in Greenville, S.C. It will be the two programs' first meeting since 2001. The game will air live on WGWG-FM (88.3 / wgwg.org). †
Fox Sports Ohio (Cincinnati Area), 7:00 PM ET (Live)
Prime Ticket (West Coast), 4:00 PM PT (Live)
SportsSouth, 7:00 PM ET (Live)
REPLAYS
SportsSouth, 7:30 PM Saturday
SportsSouth, 4:00 PM Monday
THE GAME
Gardner-Webb opens its 2013-2014 season on the road against a Big East foe, traveling to Cincinnati, Ohio, to do battle with Xavier on Friday, November 8. Opening tip is set for 7:00 pm (7:02) in the Cintas Center. Friday night's game will be televised live on Fox Sports Net (FSN / DirecTV Channel 649), with Mike Gleason and Kevin O'Neill calling the action. There will be no radio available for Friday night's game.
SERIES / BIG EAST NOTES
Gardner-Webb and Xavier have never met in men's basketball ... Gardner-Webb is 1-1 against current members of the Big East Conference ... The Runnin' Bulldogs dropped a 68-66 decision at Butler on November 23, 2011 after leading by 15 at halftime ... Current center Mike Byron had 16 points in that game ... GWU defeated DePaul, 71-59, on November 15, 2012 ... The Runnin' Bulldogs led by as many as 19 in the second half despite playing without two starters.
TOUGH SLATE STARTS EARLY
In addition to its season opener at Xavier, Gardner-Webb will travel to face a difficult slate of BCS-level conference squads in 2013-2014. The Runnin' Bulldogs will also visit Missouri (11/23) and Northwestern (11/25) as part of the Las Vegas Invitational. Road games at #4 Duke (12/16) and Georgia (12/19) before Christmas also await.
20-GAME WINNERS
Gardner-Webb was the lone team in the Big South Conference to reach the 20-win mark last season, going 21-13 and finishing one game out of first place in the league's regular season standings. GWU won 10 of its last 11 regular season games, including a win at Southern Conference power College of Charleston in an ESPN BracketBusters matchup. GWU finished the regular season with the Big South's top RPI number and was within striking distance in 33 of its 34 games - with an opening loss at #11 North Carolina its only loss by more than 15 points.
HIGH FLYER
Wing Donta Harper (6-7, 205, Jr.) enters the 2013-2014 season as Gardner-Webb's most established player, and was named to the preseason All-Big South Conference second team. The Greenville, N.C., native averaged 12.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game as a sophomore - a jump from 5.2 ppg and 2.3 rpg just one year prior. Harper has added nearly 20 pounds of muscle to his frame since last season and recently bench pressed more than 300 pounds for the first time in his career.
CHARM CITY
Transfer guard Naji Hibbert (6-5, 190, RSr.) joins the starting lineup in 2013-2014 after sitting out last season in accordance with NCAA Division I transfer rules. The former Texas A&M reserve was rated by The Bleacher Report as the top impact transfer at the mid-major leavel in 2013-14 earlier this year, and he is expected to have a major impact early with the Runnin' Bulldogs. Hibbert, who was a top-60 prep prospect at national power DeMatha Catholic, is originally from Baltimore, Md. He averaged a career-high 5.2 points and 20.0 minutes per game for Coach Mark Turgeon at Texas A&M in 2010-2011, helping the Aggies to 24 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth.
EXPERIENCE HELPS
Point guard Josh Castellanos (6-1, 180, Sr.) joined the Gardner-Webb program following his graduation from Mount St. Mary's in August, providing the Runnin' Bulldogs with another very experienced option in the backcourt. Castellanos played in 81 games and made 49 starts for the Mountaineers, averaging 8.1 points and dishing off 132 assists as a sophomore in 2011-2012. He played in 20 games and made 14 starts last season, scoring 10 points in a loss at top-ranked Indiana in December.
PRESEASON RESPECT
Gardner-Webb was picked second in the preseason South Division poll by the Big South Conference's head coaches and select media members, falling just behind defending division and overall regular season champion Charleston Southern. GWU finished a game behind the Bucs last season, but picked up a pair of overtime wins over Charleston Southern during the regular season. GWU lost just twice against South Division teams last season, falling on the road at Winthrop and Presbyterian and finishing with a 8-2 mark against Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, UNC Asheville, Winthrop and Presbyterian.
YOUNG POSTS EXPECTED TO PLAY EARLY
Freshmen center Tyrell Nelson (6-7, 235) and forward Donell Tuff (6-6, 210) have impressed the Gardner-Webb coaching staff during preseason workouts, and both are expected to make a quick dent in the rotation this season. Nelson was one of the top-30 seniors in North Carolina in the Class of 2013, and posted 24 double-doubles as a senior at Metrolina Christian Academy. Tuff played for a Tift County (Ga.) squad that entered last season in the national top-25. Tuff averaged a double-double (13 ppg / 10 rpg) and blocked seven shots per game as a senior.
THE OLD GUY
Center Mike Byron (6-10, 245, Sr.) is the lone four-year player on the current Gardner-Webb roster, entering the program for the 2010-2011 season. The San Antonio, Texas, native has started 49 games (91 games played) during his three seasons with the program and has shot 52.2 percent from the floor during that time. Byron has helped the Runnin' Bulldogs from 11 wins as a freshman to 21 wins as a junior - with GWU winning as many league games last season as it did during his first campaign.
UP NEXT
Gardner-Webb remains on the road for its next bout, traveling to face Southern Conference member Furman at 7:30 pm in Greenville, S.C. It will be the two programs' first meeting since 2001. The game will air live on WGWG-FM (88.3 / wgwg.org). †
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