GameDay Central 
Atlantic Region Conference Challenge
No. 15 IUP Crimson Hawks (0-0) 
vs. Urbana Blue Knights (0-0) 
& Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls (0-0)
Friday & Saturday, November 14-15, 2014 | 7:30 p.m. 
Memorial Field House & Kovalchick Complex | Indiana, Pa. 

IUP Game Notes (PDF)
2014-15 IUP Quick Facts
Live Stats: IUPAthletics.com
Live Audio: U92radio.com

THE GAME
The 15th-ranked Crimson Hawks open their 2014-15 regular season as they host the first Atlantic Region Conference Challenge on the IUP campus this weekend. Participating teams including PSAC West rival California (PA), Johnson C. Smith from the CIAA, and Urbana from the Mountain East Conference. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Crimson Hawks showed well in a pair of Division I exhibition losses during the preseason - falling 72-58 at Pitt and 77-72 at South Florida. Good individual performances against the Panthers came from R-Sr. F Jeremy Jeffers (Wilson, N.C./Greenfield School), who scored 16 points, and Gr. G Shawn Dyer (Marion, Ohio/Marion Harding) who had 13 points and 6 assists. In Tampa, R-Jr. F Daddy Ugbede (San Mateo, Calif./Serra) scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in just 20 minutes on the floor in the narrow loss. 

WHAT'S NEXT
After the opening weekend of the regular season, IUP remains at home to host West Virginia Wesleyan in the Kovalchick Complex next Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 PM. The Bobcats lead the all-time series with IUP 7-4, including a 64-57 Wesleyan win in the KCAC back in 2011. 

EXHIBITION TAKE-AWAYS
Dyer led the Crimson Hawks in scoring and rebounding during their preseason, averaging 14.5 PPG and 6.5 RPG. He made  9-18 FGs, including 7-14 3FGs, and went 4-5 from the line. Also scoring in double-figures were Jeffers and Ugbede at 11.0 PPG each. Sr. G Devante Chance (Philadelphia, Pa. /Electrical & Technology Charter) had 15 assists in 2 games, including 9 at USF. 

In addition to Dyer's 3-point shooting, Jeffers went a combined 6-11 from beyond the arc in the 2 games. The Crimson Hawks were on fire from 3-point range, making a combined 16-38 (42.1 pct). 

IUP outshot Pitt and USF a combined 46.1 pct to 41.2 pct from the floor. The Crimson Hawks also made more 3-pointers - 16 to 11 - and had more assists - 29 to 24. 

IUP IN THE NATIONAL POLLS
The Crimson Hawks debut at No. 15 in the NABC Division II preseason poll, which was released on Thursday afternoon. They show up in three other preseason national polls, including No. 9 by The Sporting News and Basketball Times and No. 20 by the Division II Bulletin.  

PSAC PRESEASON POLL
The PSAC preseason coaches' poll came out on Thursday, with IUP getting picked to finish 2nd in the Western Division. The Crimson Hawks received 3 of 9 possible 1st place votes, finishing behind Gannon (6 1st place votes). These two teams tied for 1st in the West a season ago, however the Golden Knights swept the regular season series with IUP (67-61, OT; 67-62). It's the first time since 2008-09 that IUP has not been the preseason favorite to win the PSAC West.

PRESEASON ALL-PSAC WEST
Chance was one of six players named to the preseason All-PSAC West team. Chance ran the point last year for the Crimson Hawks, and has 89 games and 36 starts under his belt. He led IUP with 124 assists (4.3 APG), 55 steals (1.9 SPG) and was 4th with 10.9 PPG a season ago.  He was also named to the All-PSAC West 2nd team. 

WHO'S COMING BACK
IUP returns three starters from last year's NCAA Atlantic Regional semifinal team, including Chance, Jeffers and Jr. G Brandon Norfleet (Virginia Beach, Va. /Landstown). Looking to move into a full-time starting role is R-Jr. F Devon Cottrell (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Gateway), who has 15 starts over the last two years. R-So. G Cornell Yarde II (Reading, Pa. /Schuylkill Valley) also returns after playing in all 29 games last year. Those five players accounted for 51.5 pct. of the scoring and 58.6 pct. of the minutes played for IUP a season ago. 

THE NEWBIES
Five newcomers dot the roster for the Crimson Hawks, including three transfers in Dyer (West Liberty), Jr. F Tevin Hanner (Baltimore, Md./Milford Mill) (McLennan C.C.) and Ugbede (Drake). Dyer has been a key member for three NCAA Division II Atlantic Region championship teams at West Liberty, scoring 1,323 career points in 106 games with the Hilltoppers. Hanner averaged 10.0 PPG and 8.0 RPG at McLennan Community College and Ugbede played in 44 games in two seasons at Division I Drake. 

COUNTDOWN TO 1000
Three Crimson Hawks enter the year with legitimate shots to reach 1,000 career points at some point during the season. Chance needs 347 points, an average of 11.6 PPG over the course of 30 games. Jeffers has 578 career points, needing 422 or 14.1 PPG over 30 games to reach the feat. Norfleet comes into the season with 595 career points, and needs 405 more or 13.5 PPG over 30 games to reach the milestone. 

BLOCK PARTY
In just two seasons, Cottrell is one of IUP's best ever blockers, as his 84 career swats are 4th all-time. He's currently on pace to finish his career with 168 blocks, which would break Darryl Webb's (2007-11) all-time record of 162.