Game Details and Key Players
The projected starters for North Florida include sophomore guard Jaylen Smith, senior guard Oscar Berry, sophomore guard Jasai Miles, senior guard Nate Lliteras, and freshman forward Josh Harris. Each player brings their unique skills and contributions to the team.
Coach Driscoll emphasizes the importance of this time off during fall finals week. It allows the team to focus on honing and sharpening the little details that can make a difference in Atlantic Sun regular season play.
Last Time Out
In a historic night at Georgia Southern's new Hill Convocation Center, North Florida men's basketball nearly pulled off a comeback. They erased a 17-point second half deficit but came up two points short in overtime against the Eagles on Dec. 7. This shows the team's determination and resilience.
Despite the close loss, North Florida's performance demonstrated their ability to compete at a high level and come back from difficult situations.
National Rankings and Awards
North Florida ranks in the top ten in the nation in three different statistical categories. They are seventh in the NCAA in scoring offense with 88.5 points per game, first in three-point attempts per game with 37.7, and first in three-pointers per game with 13.9. These rankings highlight the team's offensive prowess.
Josh Harris and Jasai Miles swept the Atlantic Sun weekly awards last week. Harris was named Atlantic Sun Newcomer of the Week after averaging 22.5 points per game, while Miles was tabbed Player of the Week with 23 points per game. Their performances have been crucial to the team's success.
Historical Moments
Miles' 30-point and 11-rebound performance was just the fourth-ever 30-point and 10-board performance in UNF history, and the first since Carter Hendricksen did so in 2023 at Central Arkansas. This shows the individual talent and potential on the team.
UNF's 5-2 start to the season matches the program's best mark in November, previously set during the 2015-16 season. It's a significant achievement and sets the stage for more success.
Scouting the Opponent
UNC Greensboro was tabbed to finish sixth in the 2024-25 SoCon Preseason Coaches Poll. Their roster features nine returners and seven newcomers. They went 21-11 last season and 12-6 in league play. Their recent wins against High Point and NC A&T demonstrate their current form.
Kenyon Giles leads the squad with 17 points per game and 2.4 rebounds a contest. The team poses a strong challenge for North Florida.
Freshman Phenom
Freshman Josh Harris has been a standout early in the season. He notched 23 points against Charleston Southern and poured in 22 at Georgia Tech. His 16.3 points per game scoring average is the highest by any UNF freshman in the program's DI era through three games. He also broke the 20-point marker ahead of any previous UNF freshman during that era.
His performance shows the potential of the team's young players and adds to the excitement surrounding the season.
The Familiar Faces
North Florida men's basketball returns five players who started the majority of last year's games or have been starters throughout their collegiate career. Nate Lliteras started the most games among the returners with 31 starts in 31 contests, averaging 10.4 points per game. Jaylen Smith stepped up as the starting point guard last year after an injury to junior guard Ametri Moss and earned all-freshman honors.
Oscar Berry is the most veteran Osprey, having played two years with UNF after starting at Fairleigh-Dickinson. Jasai Miles returns after making 19 starts and averaging 5.7 points per game.
Rundown on the Newcomers
UNF's roster features eight newcomers, including redshirt-freshman Mason Lee. Four are true freshmen like Josh Harris, Arden Begaj, Taylor Thompson, and Dante Oliver. The other four newcomers bring significant experience as transfers, such as Liam Murphy and Nestor Dyachok.
Murphy averaged 12 points and 7 boards a game at Columbia as a freshman, while Dyachok scored over 9 points per game for Southern Utah. Alex Vargo joins from Garrett College, scoring over 26 points per game and lighting up Southern Maryland for 47 in a single contest. He started his collegiate career at Youngstown State after scoring 1,634 points at Wheeling Park HS. Sharpshooter Kamrin Oriol returns to Florida after earning league freshman of the year honors in 2022-23 and was named conference player of the week once last season.