Throughout the 2019-20 season, the USC Aiken Athletic Communications office will provide weekly notes, giving all of Pacer Nation an in-depth look at the team.

Tough Tests Ahead

This season, head coach Mark Vanderslice has put his team to the test with the early slate. In addition to going against the NCAA.com No. 13 Davenport Panthers and No. 5 West Texas A&M Buffs, the Pacers take part in the Region Challenge against Tusculum and No. 9 Lincoln Memorial. The NABC has West Texas A&M at No. 7 and Lincoln Memorial at No. 6, respectively, while Davenport is receiving votes.

Core Group Returns

Although do-it-all standout Ty'lik Evans is gone, USC Aiken returns a core group of student-athletes from last year's NCAA Tournament team. Xzavier Barmore accounted for 18.5 points a season ago while Faison Brock poured in 15.4 points a contest. Robert Hill averaged 7.7 points. Shaquan Jules also chipped in 5.6 points and Kyle Tackeberry added 3.5 points a game.

Barmore Sets The Bar High

Senior Xzaiver Barmore set the standard in the league – and region – for his dynamic passing and scoring ability. Barmore led the team in assists (193), was second in steals (82) and in scoring (611). He set a PBC Tournament record with his 17-assist performance in the victory over Lander. Barmore was a first-team all-conference performer. Additionally, he earned PBC all-tournament team accolades and all-region honors.

Adding Experience

After transferring to USC Aiken prior to the 2018-19 season, redshirt-junior Damontez Oliver is ready to compete this year. The 6-5 Richmond, Va., product transferred from Campbell. During his sophomore year, he played in 29 games and averaged 5.4 points a contest. Oliver poured in 19 points against Miami (Ohio) and drained 45.7 percent of his shots from the floor.

King Of The Hill

Senior Robert Hill has had a quiet, but solid career. He is averaging 7.2 points and 7.3 rebounds a game throughout his first three seasons of play. Additionally, Hill his draining 64.9 percent of his shots from the floor. Should he keep it up, Hill will be the USC Aiken Division II career leader for field goal percentage. 

Talented Transfers

In addition to adding Damontez Oliver to the mix, head coach Mark Vanderslice picked up additional transfers in junior Gus Rowland and Tracus Chisholm. Rowland played his first two seasons at Chowan. There, he averaged 13.6 points and 5.9 assists a game. Chisholm played his first season at Spartanburg Methodist, earning first-team all-region honors.

Jules Shines Bright

Sophomore forward Shaquan Jules seems poised for a breakout sophomore campaign. During his rookie season, he played in 33 games, earning a pair of starts. Jules tallied 5.6 points and 3.8 rebounds a game while playing just 13.6 minutes a game. Jules poured in a career-high 20 points at Georgia College and pulled down a career-best 10 boards against Clayton State.

Noting The Newcomers

In addition to the talented transfers, USC Aiken inked freshmen Dhieu Deing, Donaven Hairston and Lance Monteiro Jr. Deing was a three-time all-state honoree who averaged 20.6 points a game as a senior at High Point Central. Hairston accounted for 20 points a game as a senior while earning first-team all-region honors at Milton H.S. Monteiro Jr., picked up Offensive Player of the Year accolades his junior season at L.C. Bird H.S.

Inside The Numbers

This week, USC Aiken will play Davenport on Friday, Nov. 1 ad West Texas A&M on Saturday, Nov. 2. Since moving to Division II, the Pacers are 26-24 (52.0 percent) in Friday games and 197-162 (54.9 percent) in Saturday contests. This marks the first time since moving to Division II USC Aiken will play on Nov. 1 or Nov. 2.