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Cavaliers Open Season At Home Against South Carolina State On Sunday
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CHARLOTTESVILLE-The Virginia men’s basketball team opens its 2011-12 season on Sunday (Nov. 13) at John Paul Jones Arena when the Cavaliers host South Carolina State. The game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
Single-game tickets for the Virginia-South Carolina State game are available and can be purchased online at VirginiaSports.com/tickets. Tickets may also be purchased on game day at the JPJA box office starting at 12:30 p.m.
Family packages are also available for the South Carolina State game. A minimum of four tickets must be purchased at a family package price point and a voucher will be included with each ticket for a hot dog and a 22-ounce soda.
The game will be broadcast on the Virginia Sports Radio Network and will be carried on ESPN3.
The 2011-12 season is the third for Tony Bennett as Virginia’s head coach. Ten lettermen return from last year’s UVa team that compiled an overall record of 16-15 and a 7-9 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Cavaliers have also added three scholarship freshmen to their roster.
Mike Scott, a 6-8 senior forward and a preseason All-ACC selection, returns for the Cavaliers after missing all but 10 games last season because of an ankle injury. A medical hardship waiver request was approved and he has one year of eligibility remaining.
Scott averaged 15.9 points and 10.2 rebounds a game in the 10 games he played last season and had six double-doubles. He enters the season with 963 career points and 679 career rebounds.
Among the other key returning players for the Cavaliers are senior guard Sammy Zeglinski, senior center Assane Sene, junior guard Jontel Evans, sophomore guards KT Harrell and Joe Harris, and sophomore forward Akil Mitchell.
Harris averaged 10.4 points and 4.4 rebounds a game last season and led the team with 65 three-point field goals, while Zeglinski averaged 7.8 points and 3.1 rebounds a game. Zeglinski has 141 career three-point field goals and needs just one to move into the program’s career Top 10 in that department.
Sene averaged 5.1 points and 5.5 rebounds a game last season and ranks 10th in program history with 93 career blocked shots. Evans averaged 5.7 points and 3.5 assists a game last season and led the Cavaliers in both assists (109) and steals (40).
Harrell averaged 8.0 points and 2.1 rebounds a game last season, while Mitchell averaged 2.4 points and 3.0 rebounds a game.
Forward James Johnson also returns after red-shirting as a freshman last season.
Joining the UVa team as scholarship freshmen are forward Darion Atkins, guard Malcolm Brogdon and guard Paul Jesperson.
South Carolina State enters Sunday’s game with a record of 1-0 after opening its season with a 70-53 victory over Claflin at home on Friday (Nov. 11). Junior guard Khalif Toombs scored 17 points and had five rebounds to lead the Bulldogs. Sophomore guard Shaquil Barber added 15 points for South Carolina State.
The Bulldgos, a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, were 10-22 last season with a 5-11 record in the conference.
Sunday’s game is the first meeting between Virginia and South Carolina State.
Tim Carter is in his fifth season as head coach at South Carolina State. The Bulldogs have compiled an overall record of 58-70 under his direction the last four seasons. In 15 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Carter’s teams have compiled an overall record of 218-222.
After playing South Carolina State, the Cavaliers return to action on Tuesday (Nov. 15) at John Paul Jones Arena against Winthrop. That game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.