LIVINGSTON, Ala.- The University of West Alabama men's basketball team will open its season this weekend in Albany, Georgia against Central State on Friday, November 10th, Albany State on Sunday, November 12th.
The Tigers were picked as the number 24 team in the country in the initial NABC Division II men's basketball rankings for the 2023-24 season, showing love to a squad that has won the GSC regular season title for the last two seasons along with the tournament title in 2023.
The Tigers return several notable pieces from the historic 27-win season last year in Guard Kuran Garner, Guard Thaddeus Williams, Forward Terry Durham, and Guard/Forward CJ Melton.
Transfer Guard Jaylen Lemons is expected to make an immediate impact for the Tigers in their starting guard spot left vacant by Justin Allison. Lemons averaged 15 points per game and 2.5 assists last year at Flagler College, giving West Alabama a huge boost and extra guard depth.
The Marauders of Central State finished the 2022-23 season with a 5-23 record overall and a 5-15 record in SIAC play. The team averaged 69.3 points per game and averaged 42.4% shooting from the field. The Marauders return Senior Guard Willie Jackson to lead the scoring efforts as he averaged 11.3 points per game last season.
As for Albany State, the Rams are coming off an 8-20 season with an 8-14 conference record. The Rams averaged 61.7 points per game and 38.6% shooting from the field on the year. Sophomore guard Terrin Wofford is the Rams leading returning scorer from the previous season, averaging 8.4 points per game in 2022-23.
West Alabama transfer Forward Maurice Dickson will play his 2nd game as a Tiger against his former team in Albany State, where he averaged 10.4 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game for the Golden Rams as a junior and led the team in minutes.
"These two games are extremely important and have major regional implications early in the year. Our guys have been working hard and are ready for the challenge of taking on two well coached teams," said Tigers Head Coach Nick Woodruff.
Tipoff for Friday's matchup with Central State is set for 5 p.m. ET. Sunday's matchup with Albany State is set for a 3 p.m. ET tipoff. Live stats and stream access will be available via link on uwaathletics.com/live.
