LIVINGSTON, Ala. - The University of West Alabama Men's Basketball team is set to hit the road, traveling to Mississippi for matchups against Delta State and Mississippi College on Thursday and Saturday.
The Tigers and Statesmen are set to compete on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. while UWA's matchup against Mississippi College is slated for Saturday at 4:00 p.m.
West Alabama (8-1, 4-0 GSC) enters the week on a six-game winning streak with their latest win coming over Trevecca Nazarene, 78-70. For Delta State (5-4, 2-2 GSC) they come into Thursday's game after a 83-65 win over AUM. Mississippi College (6-4, 3-1 GSC) enters the week after having their three-game winning streak snapped to Montevallo.
UWA's Head Coach, Nick Woodruff, enters the week with 99 career wins, seeking win number 100 and 101 in Mississippi.
We're a month into the 2025-26 season and the West Alabama Tigers stand as the last remaining undefeated team in conference play. Nine games into the year, UWA has been dominant, defeating teams by an average of 17.0 points. A massive reason for the Tigers excellent start is their tenacious defense. West Alabama is currently allowing 63.4 points per game while holding opposing teams to 38.3 percent from the floor and 31.4 percent from three.
BJ Brown Jr. and Christian Thompson leads the Tigers' defensive efforts. Brown Jr. has become a two-way star as he's averaging 17.7 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.3 steals in the last three games. The Point Guard excels at poking the ball loose on drives and intercepting passes in the passing lane, leading to 10 steals in the last three contests, but is also a standout perimeter defender. The junior enters this week's play after a 19-point, 10-assists, and seven-steal performance against Trevecca Nazarene on Saturday. As for Thompson, he's a force in the painted area. The 6'9" Forward leads the conference and ranks fourth in the country with 11.6 rebounds per game. The junior also leads the GSC in blocks with 2.0 per game, making him the best interior defensive big man in the league at the moment.
While Brown Jr. and Thompson anchor West Alabama defensively, Rasean Frederick, Caleb Parr, and Elliot Tulip have been consistent scorers on the offensive end. Frederick is the Tigers' leading scorer with 12.8 points per game on 51 percent shooting. Parr brings in a scoring average of 11.2 points per game on 51 | 43 | 87 percent shooting splits while Tulip is arguably the best shooter on the roster, averaging 10.6 points on 48 | 43 | 88 percent shooting splits.
Delta State's offense is built off of the three ball. The Statesmen have shot 304 threes through the first nine games of the season, averaging 34 attempts per game. An uptick in three-point attempts is a trend we've seen on the Professional scene, and DSU is still trying to perfect this switch in philosophy.
Delta State's leading scorer is Bryce Clayton. Clayton, a 6'4" Guard, is averaging 14.1 points per game on 47 | 43 | 94 percent shooting splits. The Junior has thrived in the Statesmen's new look offense and enters Thursday's game after a 21-point performance against Montevallo and a 27-point performance against AUM. Clayton's backcourt partner, Dacorey Porter comes into the matchup against the Tigers playing his best ball of the season. The senior Guard is averaging 11.9 points and a team-high 3.7 assists per game through the first nine contests. In the last four games, Porter is averaging 15.0 points and 5.7 assists as he continues to improve as the year goes along.
In the front court, Je'Marion Westbrook is the guy for Delta State. Westbrook is currently second on the team in scoring with 13.4 points per game and leads the Statesmen in rebounds with 6.3 boards per game. The Forward isn't as proficient at shooting the three but he isn't afraid to let it fly as he's attempted 64 this season, keeping the defense honest.
As for Mississippi College, they've gotten off to a solid start in conference play, defeating Christian Brothers, Union, and AUM before dropping their first GSC game to Montevallo. The Choctaws hired Josh Brooks as their Head Coach back in March and he's led MC to their best start in GSC play since the Choctaws re-joined the conference in 2014.
Offensively, Mississippi College is averaging 77.9 points per game on 46 percent shooting and 34 percent from three. Marcel Bridges and Phil Nelson are the Choctaws' best scorers as Bridges leads the team with 16.5 points per game while Nelson is right behind him with 16.1 points per game. Bridges, a 6'7" Forward, is an inside out scorer who is shooting 55 percent from the floor. Nelson, a 6'0" Point Guard, is a slasher that likes to get paint touches. The freshman can also shoot the three but isn't a volume three-point shooter as he's 12-24 on the year from beyond the arc thus far.
Demarcus Powe and Avaughn Johnson are also averaging double digit points. Powe is in the backcourt alongside Nelson and is averaging 12.4 points while leading the Choctaws in assists with 2.6 per game. Johnson is scoring just over 10 points per game while snagging a team-high 7.8 rebounds per game.
Tip-off for Thursday's game against Delta State is set for 7:30 p.m. while Saturday's matchup against Mississippi College is slated for 4:00 p.m.
