Men's Basketball Resumes Play in Wounded Warrior 2K Sports Classic

2012-13 University of the District of Columbia Men's Basketball 2K Sports Classic Notes

Nov. 9 - Villanova 78  UDC 58

Nov. 16 - UDC vs. Marshall, 4:30 p.m.

Nov. 17 – UDC at Hofstra, 5 p.m.

Nov. 18 – UDC vs. South Dakota St., 12:30 p.m.

Opening Tip-Off

After a brief return to Division II play, the Firebirds (1-1) resume play in the 2K Sports Classic with three games in three consecutive days, all against Division I foes. First up is Marshall on Friday evening at 4:30 p.m., followed by tournament host Hofstra on Saturday at 5 p.m. and finally, South Dakota St. on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.

Updating the Firebirds

The Firebirds opened the 2012-13 season and the 2K Sports Classic with a 20-point loss at Villanova on Nov. 9, but rebounded nicely the very next night with a decisive, 76-63 regular season win over USciences in their season home opener. Quasim Jones, a first-year transfer and Junior College All-American last season, has emerged as the scoring leader, averaging 16.0 ppg and shooting 56-percent from the field, 55-percent from long-range, and 89-percent from the free-throw line.

Scouting Marshall

Tom Herrion is in his third season as head coach of The Herd after leading the team to 20-plus wins in each of his first two seasons. Marshall, who competes in Conference-USA, is off to a 1-1 start to the season and is coming off of an 80-68 loss at Villanova on Sunday. The Herd lead the all-time series against District of Columbia, 3-0. They won the last meeting on Nov. 25, 1991 in Huntington by a score of 87-69.

Scouting Hofstra

The Pride has had a rough start to the season with lopsided road losses to Monmouth University (91-62) and Purdue (83-54). After a 10-22 campaign last season, Hofstra is rebuilding with nine players suiting up for the Pride for the first time. Hofstra, the host of this three-day, six-game Sub-Regional, will first take on South Dakota St. on Fri., Nov. 16. Saturday's game against the Firebirds will mark the first ever meeting between these two schools.

Scouting South Dakota St.

The Jackrabbits, reigning Summit League Champions and an NCAA Tournament qualifier, are 1-1 to start the 2012-13 season. They lost a heartbreaker in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 9 to Alabama, 70-67 in their season opener on a buzzer-beating three-pointer, but bounced back to beat Tennessee State, 78-71 in their season home opener on Nov. 13. SDSU is currently ranked No. 12 in the collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll. The Jackrabbits will first play host Hofstra on Friday night, then play Marshall on Saturday afternoon, and finish up with a 12:30 p.m. showdown with the Firebirds on Sunday. This marks the first ever meeting between District of Columbia and SDSU.

Big Shoes to Fill

The Firebirds lost 65-percent of their scoring from last season with the departure of their top-three scorers in 2011-12, Division I transfer guards: Nigel Munson, Brandon Herbert and Dishawn Bradshaw. All three scored well over 1,000 points in their college careers and keyed a District of Columbia offense that ranked 12^th last year in Division II with 81.8 ppg.

New-Look Firebirds

District of Columbia added five new players to its 2012-13 roster, including: three Division I transfers, one Division II transfer and a Junior College All-American.

Reigning ECC Defensive Player of the Year Returns

Junior Dyrek Jones, the reigning East Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, returns for the Firebirds in 2012-13 for his senior season. Last year, he blocked an NCAA Division II 4^th best, 3.44 shots per-game.

Trends from Last Year

The Firebirds were 16-0 last season when leading at halftime and 13-0 when they out-rebounded their opponent.