Men's Basketball | November 07, 2023

Each week, USC Aiken will post notes. This week, the USC Aiken men's basketball team plays at Erskine on Friday, Nov. 10 before hosting UNC Pembroke on Sunday, Nov. 12.

Horn Getting Louder

Senior Tehree Horn was a first-team all-PBC selection and a second-team all-region honoree a season ago. He surpassed the 1000-point plateau for his USC Aiken career and is now 11^th on the program's Division II all-time list. He stands just 19 points behind 10^th place and 434 points away from first place. He accounted for 8.1 points per game during his first year as a Pacer before tallying 15.7 points and 15.9 points his next two seasons. Last week, he was tabbed as a preseason all-conference selection.

The Real McCoy

Teams had the difficulty of trying to handle Jalen McCoy last season. The ambidextrous standout averaged a career-high 13.4 points per game and 4.4 rebounds a year ago. He is on pace to score 1,000 points during his career. In the Sweet 16, McCoy erupted for a career-high 34 points, marking the most postseason points by a Pacer in Division II history. McCoy connected on 12-of-22 shots from the floor, including six-of-eight from distance. In the final 3:13 of the game, he poured in 19 points.

Upperclassmen With Experience 

Head coach Mark Vanderslice's team has eight upperclassmen, including five seniors. The eight student-athletes have a wealth of experience to their credit. The amount of starting experience that Tehree Horn, Tyler Johnson and Jalen McCoy alone have is tremendous. However, the rest of the upperclassmen have been able to make their mark in various games and times, resulting in a very experienced team.

Fan Favorite

USC Aiken senior standout Melvin Archie is known as a fan favorite. The Columbia, S.C., native played in 12 games last year and etched his name in the point column three times – once against Anderson, once against Fayetteville State and with a three-point bucket at Georgia College & State. 

Human Highlight Reel

Tyler "Chip" Johnson is an all-conference performer. An all-tournament team honoree as well, Johnson poured in 13.5 points per game. With his outstanding instincts on defense, many times Johnson registers a steal that leads to a highlight-worthy slam dunk on the offensive end of the court.  

Young But Good 

Head coach Mark Vanderslice's team has only three new student-athletes from a season ago. Junior Simeon German is a transfer from Gulf Coast State while Rhyjon Blackwell is a redshirt-sophomore from McNeese State. The lone true freshman on the team is Samarion Bond – a native of Decatur, Ill. The newcomers are experienced and coupled with sophomores Jameel Rideout, Dwight Canady, Jr., Christopher Brown and Chedlet Delva, the team has very capable student-athletes on the squad. 

Rankings 

On Nov. 2, the USC Aiken men's basketball team was selected second in the PBC Preseason Poll. The squad received 74 points and the team was given four first-place votes. The Pacers also secured voted in the NABC Division II Coaches Poll, which was released on Oct. 31. 

Against Nationally Ranked Teams

Since moving to Division II, the Pacers are 27-39 against national-ranked opponents. Last season, the team went 6-2 against teams in the national rankings. The contest against UNC Pembroke marks the first time USC Aiken will have ever faced a team ranked No. 8 in the national polls. 

Inside The Numbers

This week, the USC Aiken men's basketball team plays at Erskine on Friday, Nov. 10 before hosting UNC Pembroke on Sunday, Nov. 12. Since moving to Division II, the Pacers are 27-29 (48.2 percent) in Friday games and 18-13 (58.1 percent) in Saturday contests. During the same time, the squad is 2-1 on Nov. 10 and 3-2 on Nov. 12. 

Against The Opponents 

This week, the USC Aiken men's basketball team plays at Erskine on Friday, Nov. 10 before hosting UNC Pembroke on Sunday, Nov. 12. The Pacers hold a 21-16 edge in the all-time series against the Flying Fleet. USC Aiken is 9-8 on the road in the series. The Pacers hold a 35-23 advantage in the all-time series against the Braves, including a 20-10 lead at home.