Feb. 29, 2008
Complete Upstate vs. East Tennessee Game Notes in PDF Format 
Spartanburg, S.C. - USC Upstate plays host to East Tennessee State on Senior Day at the Hodge Center, taking on the Bucs Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Upstate will say a fond thank you to seniors Luke Payne and Jeremy Byrd prior to the start of the game. The Spartans enter the game with a 7-22 overall record and a 5-10 mark in the A-Sun. East Tennessee State is 17-12 overall and 10-5 in the league. The Bucs are in third place in the conference. ETSU claimed a 67-60 meeting over Upstate on Jan. 5. Spartan fans can listen live on the radio in the Spartanburg area on ESPN 1400 AM or online at www.espn1440am.com or www.upstatespartans.com. The game can be seen live on the internet through ASun.TV at www.asun.tv/uscupstate. Get live statistical updates via GameTracker on the official Upstate Athletics website at www.upstatespartans.com.
Recapping Gardner-Webb
Josh Chavis scored 15 straight points for Upstate in the first half to help push Upstate to a 22-14 lead. However, Gardner-Webb answered by closing out the half with a 25-8 run and the Spartans could never really cut into the lead in the second half as the Bulldogs took an 82-55 win last Saturday.
Chavis was the only Spartan to finish in double figures, turning in a career-high 17 points. Luke Payne added nine points, while Bobby Davis grabbed nine rebounds.
Senior Salute
Saturday marks a special day at Upstate as the Spartan family says a heartfelt thank you to seniors Luke Payne and Jeremy Byrd. Both players have played key roles on the team for four seasons. The duo has combined for 68 wins (average of 17 per year) and led Upstate to the 2005 Peach Belt Conference regular season championship and the 2006 Peach Belt Conference Tournament title. Payne and Byrd also helped lead the Spartans to back-to-back NCAA Division II Tournament appearances.
It's A Boy!
Upstate assistant coach Steve Smith and wife Fran are the proud new parents of a bouncing baby boy, Jordan Myles Smith. Jordan weighed 6 lbs., 12 ounces at the time of birth and both baby and mother are doing well.
Recapping First East Tennessee State Game - Jan. 5
In USC Upstate's first A-Sun game, East Tennessee State built a 13-point lead in the second half only to watch Upstate fight its way back into the game Saturday evening in the A-Sun season opener for both teams. In the end, ETSU was able to hold off the Spartans, 67-60, at the Memorial Center.
Upstate held ETSU without a basket from the 17:11 mark until the 9:43 mark of the second half. During that stretch, the Bucs were only able to manage three free throws. Upstate used the strong defense to cut into the deficit significantly. The Spartans got within seven, 42-35, with 15:05 to play in the game. Upstate continued to battle, cutting the lead to six with under 12 minutes remaining. The Spartans fought to cut the lead to five late in the game, but ETSU was able to fend off Upstate.
Spartans Are No. 1...
USC Upstate has gotten defensive in A-Sun play and the recent rankings prove it. Upstate ranks No. 1 in the A-Sun in scoring defense, limiting league opponents to 66.7 ppg. That figure is 1.7 points fewer than No. 2 on the list, Stetson, which allows opponents to score 68.4 ppg in conference games.
Hitting The Century Mark
Upstate head coach Eddie Payne won his 100th game at the helm of the Spartans program at Campbell on Feb. 21. Payne is in his sixth season at Upstate and his 23rd overall. He owns a 100-76 record at Upstate and led the Spartans to two Peach Belt Conference championships and back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament prior to Upstate's move to Division I and the Atlantic Sun Conference this season.
Spartans Non-Conference Schedule 18th
Upon completion of the 14-game non-conference schedule on Jan. 2 at Iowa State, USC Upstate's schedule was ranked as the 18th-toughest schedule by Jeff Sagarin in his daily updated strength of schedule index of all 341 Division I teams.
Byrd Would Be No. 7 If...
Senior point guard
Jeremy Byrd is used to sitting atop conference or national statistical lists for steals. He led the Peach Belt Conference in steals in each of the last three years and spent over half of the season last year atop the nation in steals in NCAA Division II.
While Upstate is playing in its first season of Division I competition and is in its reclassifying years, the NCAA does not recognize players on teams who are reclassifying on their statistical leader lists. However, if Byrd were eligible, he would rank seventh in the nation with 2.8 steals per game. He does lead the A-Sun in steals.
Byrd 17th All-Time In NCAA Steals Category...
Jeremy Byrd now has 346 steals in his standout career at Upstate. The 346 steals ranks 17th all-time in the NCAA in total steals among individuals in all divisions (I, II and III). He is currently tied at No. 17 with Alabama A&M's Obie Trotter and Utica's Scott Clarke. At his current average, Byrd could finish in the Top 15 by season's end.
Home Sweet Home
Despite playing just 10 games at home this season, the Spartans will be happy to do so. Upstate has a solid home record, going 58-21 in six years under head coach Eddie Payne.
Hold `Em At 59
USC Upstate is 6-1 when holding opponents under 60 points this season and 1-19 when allowing opponents to score 60 or more. The Spartans claimed wins over Brevard (78-54), SMU (58-56), Gardner-Webb (73-59), North Florida (53-52), Mercer (75-49) and Gardner-Webb (79-58) when holding opponents under 60 points. The only time Upstate has lost while holding opponents under 60 points came on Feb. 14 against Lipscomb as the Spartans fell, 57-53.
Breaking The Trend
Upstate did something against Kennesaw State that the team had not accomplished in any game this season, the Spartans won a game despite allowing an opponent to score 60 or more points. Prior to the Kennesaw State game, Upstate was 0-17 in games when the opponent scored 60 or more points.
Byrd Feeling Sunny In League Play
Senior point guard Jeremy Byrd has certainly come into his own during A-Sun play this year. Having served a three-game suspension earlier in the season, the Greenville, S.C., native seemingly lost confidence. Since league play began on Jan. 5, though, Byrd has returned to the form he had during his first three seasons when the electrifying player led the team as the floor general. He currently ranks third on the team in scoring during league games at 10.2 ppg. He also averages 3.3 rebounds per outing, has dished out a team-best 48 assists and picked a team-high 34 steals in the 15 league games. He has reached double figures in nine of the 15 league games, including a season-high 18 against Lipscomb. Prior to the start of conference play, nine had only reached double figures one time.
Three In Double Figures
Three Spartans average in double figures in league games. Payne leads the way at 14.5 ppg, but Bobby Davis and Jeremy Byrd are close behind. Davis, who is second on the team overall with 9.8 ppg, averages 10.8 ppg, while Byrd scores at a 10.2 ppg clip.
Shaking Up The Lineup
Head Coach Eddie Payne has used 12 different starting lineups in 29 games this season. Bobby Davis is the only Spartan to start every game this season. Luke Payne has started 28 of the 29 games this year, his lone missed start coming against IUPUI when he did not start because of a severe thigh bruise. Despite not starting, he played 30 minutes in the game and finished with nine points.
Payne Receives A-Sun Weekly Honor
Senior guard Luke Payne became the first basketball player (men or women) at USC Upstate to receive weekly honors from the Atlantic Sun Conference when he was named the league's player of the week on Dec. 24. Payne received the honor after averaging 18.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game and leading Upstate to their first win over a Division I opponent, a 58-56 victory at SMU (Dec. 18).
Payne Receives BP TOWC Honor
Despite playing the final two games, and part of the first, with a deep thigh bruise at the BP Top of the World Classic Nov. 16-18, starting guard Luke Payne played well enough to garner All-Tournament honors. He scored 43 points in three games, averaging 14.3 points and three rebounds per outing in the tournament. He scored 17 points against Akron and Oregon State and nine against IUPUI.
Payne Receives Sun Bowl Honor
Luke Payne had a tremendous tournament at the State Farm Sun Bowl Tournament in El Paso, Texas, Dec. 21-22. His performance, in particular, in the second game of the tourney against Buffalo not only secured his spot on the All-Tournament team, but it overshadowed a standout two-game performance by teammate Bobby Davis.
Payne finished the UTEP game (Dec. 21) with 11 points, five assists and four rebounds. In the tourney finale against Buffalo the next day, the senior guard went for a career-high 26 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists. He was named to the All-Tournament team after averaging 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.
Payne's efforts overshadowed those of Davis who turned in his second double-double of the season with 11 points and 13 rebounds against UTEP and finished with 13 points and six boards against Buffalo. Davis averaged 12.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in the tournament.
Monumental Win
USC Upstate's 58-56 win at SMU (Dec. 18) was another milestone victory for the Spartans this year. Upstate claimed its first win in the Division era against Brevard on Dec. 6. However, Brevard is a Division II member, making the SMU win the first against a Division I program this year as well as the first win over a Division I opponents in the history of the school.
Upstate has several wins over programs currently competing on the Division I level, but the wins came in the 1970s and 80s when the institutions played in the NAIA before moving to NCAA Division I membership.
Payne Reaches Milestone
Senior guard Luke Payne notched his 1,000th-point at UNC Greensboro (Nov. 24). The Spartanburg High School graduate sank a three-pointer with a little over seven minutes to play in the game to give him 12 points in the contest and 1,000 for his career. He went on to finish with 15 points in the game.
Payne became the 17th player in the history of the storied program to reach the 1,000-point milestone. He currently has 1,357 points in his career and has cracked the top 10 all-time in scoring. He has moved past Jay Free for ninth place on the all-time list as well as recently passing Darren McDuffie (11th), Todd Gambrell (12th), Upstate Athletics Hall of Fame member Mike Smith (12th), Charles Ford (14th), Terrance Gist (15th), Carlos Bryson (16th) and Upstate Athletics Hall of Fame member Willie Murdaugh (17th) on the all-time scoring list.
In addition to his scoring prowess, Payne ranks among the program's all-time leaders in 15 other statistical categories.
Playing No Gimmies
Upstate's ambitious schedule in 2007-08 certainly has no slouches on it. In fact, when you combine the win-loss records of the 17 Division I opponents the Spartans have played so far this year, the opponents are a combined 307 wins. Upstate's non-conference opponents are a combined 171-149 for a winning percentage of .534. The Spartans have played eight teams ranked in the Top 100 in the latest RPI ranking released by the NCAA, and nine in the Top 150.
In the Mid-Major Top 25 Poll released by CollegeInsider.com, the Spartans have played three teams ranked in the poll. Akron, who gutted out a tough 64-60 victory over Upstate in the first game of the BP Top of the World Classic, is ranked 18th. IUPUI, the second-day opponent of the Spartans in the BP TOWC, is ranked 14th. Belmont, which has claimed two wins over the Spartans this season, is ranked 20th.
Upstate Road Warriors
By season's end, USC Upstate will have played 30 games with two-thirds of the games being played away from the G.B. Hodge Center. In fact, the Spartans opened the season playing their first seven games away from the friendly confines of the Hodge Center before playing its home opener against Brevard on Dec. 6. Upstate played 13 of its first 15 games on the road this season. In all, Upstate will travel more than 12,000 miles away from Spartanburg, and nearly 24,000 miles round trip, this season to play 20 games away from home.
Byrd Flies To The Top
Jeremy Byrd collected six steals in the season-opening game at Utah, surpassing Terrance Gist (276) to move atop the all-time steals list at Upstate. Byrd now has 346 picks in his stellar four-year career with the Spartans.
Byrd, from Greenville, leads the Atlantic Sun with 2.8 steals per game. He led the Peach Belt Conference in steals the first three years of his collegiate career, recording 94 steals as a reserve his freshman campaign and 90 each as a sophomore and junior.
Hines Gives Schneiders Props
Reigning Southern Conference player of the year and UNC Greensboro standout Kyle Hines gave Upstate center Nick Schneiders praise on his blog. Hines was in the middle of recapping recent action when he talked of Schneider's thunderous dunk over him.
"USC Upstate had a 7-2 player on their team that I had to guard in the game," Hines blogged. "He was the tallest player I had played against. I faired well against him until one play in the second half, he dunked on me pretty bad. Coach (Mike) Dement showed the play like five times during our film session. I must admit it looked really bad on film. The coaches and rest of the team got a good laugh out of that one."
A-Sun Makes Some Noise
If the start if the season is any indication of how good the Atlantic Sun Conference is going to be this year, the league will be tough. Belmont, East Tennessee State, Gardner-Webb, Mercer and Upstate have pulled off impressive wins early in the season. Below is a listing of the notable wins this season by A-Sun schools.
N7--Gardner-Webb def. No. 22 Kentucky, 84-68
N9--Belmont def. Cincinnati, 86-75
N10--Mercer def. No. 18 Southern Cal, 96-81
N19--Belmont def. Alabama, 85-83
D18--USC Upstate def. SMU, 58-56
D21--East Tennessee State def. Georgia, 76-58
Greensboro Newbies Have Solid Pedigrees
When coaches bring in new recruits, they not only look for individual talent, they also look to see how well a player helps their former team and the how well the teams do in competition. Josh Chavis and Mezie Uzochukwu, both from Greensboro, N.C., come to Upstate after strong senior seasons.
Chavis, from Dudley HS, played in the North Carolina East-West All-Star game. He also spent the summer playing for the N.C. Gaters AAU team. He was the starting point guard on the team that won the AAU 19-Under National Championship. Uzochukwu, from Northeast Guilford HS, also played in the North Carolina East-West All-Star game. He finished the game with a team-high 16 points to go along with eight rebounds, leading the West squad to the 81-75 victory and earning MVP honors. He joined a prestigious club of East-West MVP winners, including recent honorees Kevin Swinton and William Graves, both of whom now play in the ACC.
Burrows Brings Experience To Sidelines
First-year assistant coach Bill Burrows is anything but new to the game. The veteran of the sideline has been a head coach on the high school level in North Carolina for nearly 30 years and was an assistant coach at Georgia Tech and Towson. He can tell stories of coaching greats such as Brad Daugherty and Brad Johnson, but his best quality may be his ability to tell stories that both entertain and educate.
Paul Makes Good
Former Spartan starting point guard C.J. Paul is now living the life around the NBA. No, he is not playing in the world's top league, he is serving as the personal assistant/manager for his younger brother, Chris, the former NBA Rookie of Year now in his third season with the New Orleans Hornets.
Scouting East Tennessee State
East Tennessee State enters the game with a 17-12 overall record and a 10-5 mark in the A-Sun. The Buccaneers are third in the league behind Belmont and Jacksonville. ETSU has won three of its last four games overall and two of the last three in the conference. Included in the win column was an 88-80 victory over Tennessee tech in ESPN's BracketBuster Saturday. The Bucs claimed non-conference wins over Eastern Kentucky, UNC Asheville, Tennessee Wesleyan, Marshall, Georgia, Appalachian State and Tennessee Tech. The Bucs lost to non-conference opponents Dayton, Marshall, Chattanooga, Oklahoma State, Syracuse, Saint Mary's and Louisiana-Lafayette. ETSU has won 10 A-Sun games and have lost just five times to Gardner-Webb twice, Belmont twice and Stetson.
About The Team
East Tennessee State can score a lot of points, but the Bucs also can give up points. ETSU averages 78.7 points per game, but allows opponents to score at a 77.5 ppg clip. The Bucs shoot better than 45 percent from the floor and better than 36 percent from behind the three-point arc. ETSU has 59 more steals than their opponents on the year.
Courtney Pigram, the preseason A-Sun Player of the Year, leads the team in scoring at 15.1 ppg. He also has dished out a team best 11 assists. Kevin Tiggs is right behind Pigram with a 15.6 ppg average.
About The Coach
Murray Bartow is in his fifth season at the helm of the East Tennessee State program. He has tallied an 93-60 record in Johnson City and has led the Bucs to one appearance in the NCAA Tournament (2003-04) and one NIT bid (2006-07).
Overall, Bartow owns a 196-143 career record in 10 years as a head coach. Prior to his stint at ETSU, he was the head coach at Alabama-Birmingham for six seasons. He tallied a 103-66 record at UAB and took the Blazers to one NCAA Tournament (1998-99) and two NIT appearances (1996-97 & 1997-98).
Bartow served as an assistant coach at UAB and William & Mary before getting his head coaching start at UAB in 1996.
