CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Gardner-Webb opens its season with a nationally-ranked team for the first time in since 2012 Friday night, battling No. 12 Miami at 8:00 pm.

The Runnin' Bulldogs return 10 of 12 letterwinners from its 19-win squad, with head coach Tim Craft in charge of a veteran group entering his fifth season.

Depth on the wings and in the backcourt will be noticeable, with All-Big South guard David Efianayi (Orlando, Fla. / Ocoee HS) leading the way. He is joined by seniors Jamaal Robateau (Sunshine Coast, Australia / North Idaho College) and Liam O'Reilly (Austin, Texas / Collin College), a returning trio that combined to average 30.2 points and shoot a combined 38.1 percent from beyond the three-point arc.

Efianayi was effective driving to the rim, averaging 12.6 points and knocking down 111-of-154 free throws (72.1 percent) to earn honorable mention All-Big South Conference honors. All three veteran wings have been effective in the starting lineup or as the team's sixth man.

Gardner-Webb will have to replace the production of graduated All-Big South forward Tyrell Nelson (12.9 ppg), but 6-foot-6, 230-pound junior D.J. Laster (Pensacola, Fla. / Pensacola Catholic) averaged nearly 11 ppg off the bench over the final 10 games last season and is poised for a breakout campaign.

Center L'Hassane Niangane (Chalon-san-Sur, France) returns for his third season in the paint and remains a strong presence defensively and on the glass. The 6-foot-10, 245-pound senior started 32 games last season.

Gardner-Webb's frontcourt depth will be bolstered by 6-foot-6, 240-pound Brandon Miller (Orlando, Fla. / Orlando Christian Prep) and 6-foot-7, 225-pound Patrick Zeck (Atlanta, Ga. / Marist HS)

GWU will also be tasked with replacing an All-Conference point guard, with sophomore Christian Turner (Atlanta, Ga. / Sandy Creek HS) and highly-regarded freshman Jaheam Cornwall (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Putman Science Academy) competing for that role. Each has played well during the preseason, with Turner coming into his second season with 31 games played under his belt.

Cornwall, who started at point guard for one of the nation's top prep schools, had success in his last trip to the Sunshine State, scoring 16 points to go with eight assists in the famed City of Palms Tournament last season in Ft. Myers vs. St. Anthony (Texas).

Gardner-Webb has four men on its roster from the State of Florida, with one – redshirt freshman guard Nate Johnson – playing high school basketball in the Miami area. Johnson, a 6-foot-4 scorer, earned All-State honors as a senior playing at McArthur (Fla.) High. He averaged 22.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game that season – highlighted by a 32-point outburst vs. Blanche Ely High. Johnson also earned first-team All-Broward County honors from the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel and the Miami Herald.

Miami, which enters the 2017-2018 season with its highest preseason ranking ever, welcomes back 10 letterwinners from its 2017 NCAA Tournament team. Starters Bruce Brown (11.8 ppg), Ja'Quan Newton (13.5 ppg) and Anthony Lawrence II (6.8 ppg) return and head coach Jim Larranaga welcomes a very talented freshman class – headlined by three top-100 recruits.

Gardner-Webb has just one win over the Atlantic Coast Conference in men's basketball since moving to NCAA Division I, topping Clemson in 2014 as part of the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. GWU also has just one win in its history against a nationally-ranked Division I program, topping No. 20 Kentucky 10 seasons ago, 84-68, in Rupp Arena (11/7/07).

The Runnin' Bulldogs have enjoyed some success against Power Five conferences under Craft, collecting wins over Clemson (2014), Purdue (2014) and Nebraska (2016) in the past three seasons.

Friday night's game is scheduled for 8:00 pm and will air live on ACC Network Extra (WatchESPN). The game begins a three-game road trip into Florida, with games on tap at No. 7 Florida (Nov. 13) and UCF (Nov. 15).