Date Posted: 11/2/2007

12 Days of A-Sun Basketball heads to Jacksonville, Fla., for a second time, this time to look at the UNF Ospreys. The Ospreys enter their third year in the conference returning all five starters from last year's squad. UNF will open the season in front of a national TV audience, facing Maryland on ESPNU in an opening-round match of the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic

The Ospreys participated in a three-game swing through St. Catherines and Welland , Ontario - which are located near Niagara Falls - in a tour sponsored by the Basketball Travelers, Inc. UNF knocked off the Canadian Military All-Stars and the Southern Ontario All-Stars, but fell to host Brock University.

A pair of Division I transfers sat out last season for the Ospreys but will be ready for action in 2007-08. Tom Hammonds (East Carolina) and Stan Januska (Morehead State) will both return after sitting for a season under NCAA transfer rules.

Coach Matt Kilcullen on the Ospreys

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SEASON PREVIEW - (Courtesy UNF Media Relations)

As the University of North Florida men's basketball program enters its third season at the Division I level, head coach Matt Kilcullen admits that his squad is a work in progress.

It is a work, however, that is beginning to take shape.

After enduring a forgettable 3-26 campaign a year ago, the ninth-year head coach believes that his team has begun to assemble the parts and adopt the mentality to become a contender in the Atlantic Sun Conference. First things are first for Kilcullen, however, who is content focusing on the basics.

"The expectations are for improvement," Kilcullen said. "Through the addition of two quality transfers (Tom Hammonds and Stan Januska) and a quality freshman class we have really improved our overall athletic ability and talent. The challenge for us as coaches is to develop that talent into being successful on the court. Our Canada trip was a big step in the right direction."

The Ospreys made a three-day exhibition swing through Canada over Labor Day weekend and had an opportunity to take a sneak peek at what the 2007-08 season will hold. The trip resulted in a 2-1 record against three Canadian teams -- two of which were all-star squads featuring former Division I players -- and offered a glimpse of just how far the team has come in one offseason. The emergence of Hammonds (from East Carolina) and Januska (from Morehead State) was noticable, while the contributions from all four true freshmen signees (Justin Cecil, Kyle Groothuis, DeVon Jones and Brent Wood) left players and coaches alike believing that 2007-08 offers plenty of promise.

UNF returns five players who were starting at the end of the season a year ago -- led by senior point guard Chris Timberlake and senior center James Grimball, who are team co-captains. Sophomore guard/forward Germaine Sparkes and junior guards Ian Gibson, Cortez Riley and Jonson Yousefzadeh are also back.

"We have Division I players at each position this year, and we have depth," Kilcullen said. "We didn't have that depth a year ago."

Two of the team's biggest problems a year ago were producing a consistent outside scoring threat and an overall lack of depth. At one point due to injuries and academic casualties, the Ospreys were down to just seven players dressed, three of which had come to UNF as walk-ons. As minutes piled up and opportunities slipped away, the Ospreys found life in their second Division I season to be very challenging.

After falling on a last-second putback against Big Ten foe Northwestern, coming close and falling short against eventual A-Sun champion East Tennessee State at UNF Arena and holding a lead or being within five points with eight minutes to play in nine of their final 11 games, the Ospreys saved their best performance for their last homestand of the season when they upended conference power Lipscomb at UNF Arena to knock the Bisons out of conference title contention.

According to Kilcullen, that win was the most important occurence of the year.

"Our guys had been in so many close games and couldn't get over the hump," Kilcullen said. "To have that happen at the end of the year after all we had been through was very rewarding. It was great to see their happy faces, but it also helped them realize what we have to do to win games. Once you start to win, players start to talk about winning and it carries over into how they practice and how they approach the game. That win gave our guys a lot of motivation going into the offseason."

With the Ospreys' additional firepower and size, Kilcullen doesn't expect to see a repeat of last year's offensive woes -- when the team scored an A- Sun worse 52 points per game and reached 70 points in a game only twice. Grimball and Timberlake carried the majority of the weight, finishing as the top two scorers. This season, they will have plenty of help. In addition, the Ospreys only outrebounded eight opponents during the year. The addition of three players 6-foot-7 or taller (Jones, Groothuis and Cecil) will help in that regard.

"Our biggest goal is improvement," Kilcullen said. "How do we determine that? I don't want to gauge it by the number of wins. I just want to see us get better on both ends of the floor. We were on the brink of some big wins last year, but we have to learn how to take care of business and learn to finish. If we do that, the wins and losses will take care of themselves."

GUARD

The Ospreys return their team leader in Timberlake, a fourth-year starter at point guard who has an opportunity to etch his name in multiple top spots within the UNF career record book this season.

Timberlake is just 114 points shy of becoming the fifth player in school history to score 1,000 points and needs just five more 3-pointers made to become the school's all-time leader in that category. He also is within striking distance of the school assists record, needing 125 to take over first place from Joe Gaetano (2000-03), and only 19 steals to move past George McLeod (1995-99) and into first place. He ranks in the top 10 in 10 UNF career categories.

With the strong cast of supporters and scoring threats working with Timberlake at the guard positions, it is likely that the Miami native will have an opportunity to reach all of those milestones -- and then some.

"The best part about adding the quality players we did at the guard position is that (Timberlake), who I think is one of the best point guards in this conference, doesn't have to carry the whole load," Kilcullen said. "With the threats we have on the perimeter this year, I believe Chris will blossom and excel. I am excited about what he can do. This is Chris' senior year and his chance to shine."

Returning at the point guard position to work in a backup role will be Riley, a Jacksonville native who provided quality minutes for the Ospreys down stretch last season after missing more than two months with a hairline fracture in his foot. Riley (5.6 points, 1.7 assists) averaged 25 minutes per game last season while also making six starts. Sparkes will also see some time at the point.

At the No. 2 guard spot, UNF is hoping that Hammonds can return to the form that allowed him to be selected to the Conference USA all-freshman team in 2005. After sitting out the 2006-07 campaign due to NCAA transfer rules, Hammonds will finally be back on the court this season and be counted on to provide some offensive punch from outside the arc while also providing a more physical, active defensive presence. An athletic, strong body Hammonds will give the Ospreys a new dimension on gameday.

"Tom has already been successful on the Division I level," Kilcullen said. "He has the ability to get to the basket and score from the outside. We are expecting good things from him and all of the players we have at that position."

Backing up Hammonds will be a versatile cast of characters, including Gibson, Wood, Yousefzadeh and freshman walk-on Ashton Jones. Gibson has become the team's defensive specialist during his first two seasons -- leading the club in steals last year with 46 thefts -- while Wood ended his high school career at Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers as one of the state's top 3-point shooters.

Youserfzadeh and Ashton Jones will provide solid depth.

FORWARD

On the wing, Januska and Sparkes will team to create a physical, explosive tandem that gives the Ospreys a solid one-two punch. Januska enjoyed a productive trip to Canada, averaging more than 15 points and seven rebounds in the three games, including a 23-point, 12-rebound performance against the Southern Ontario All-Stars. A solid shooter who can also take the ball to the basket, he will be an important factor for the Ospreys once he returns from a preseason foot injury.

"Stan, once he gets healthy, will really have a big impact for us," Kilcullen said. "He can shoot it from deep outside and take it to the basket. We got a glimpse of his ability while we were in Canada."

Sparkes started every game as a freshman but was bounced around from both guard and forward positions at various times throughout the year. A solid shooter who developed on the defensive end as a true freshman, he will again play an important role for the Ospreys in 2007-08. The Hinesville, Ga., native averaged 35 minutes per game last year (7.6 points, 4.6 rebounds) and finished second on the team with 65 assists.

At power forward, the Ospreys will offer up their biggest mystery -- a pair of true freshmen in Cecil and DeVon Jones.

Both come in as highly decorated high school players from successful programs, but both are very much untested on the Division I level. Their height -- at 6-foot-8 and 6-foot-7 respectively -- was much-needed by the Ospreys, however, and both bring unique aspects to the court, according to Kilcullen.

"They bring totally different tools to the table," Kilcullen said. "Justin can shoot it and take it to the basket, while DeVon has more of an inside game and gives us a weapon we haven't had -- the ability to block shots. The position is young, and they don't have a lot of experience, but we will work through the growing pains. I expect good things from both of them."

CENTER

Grimball returns to anchor the middle for the Ospreys after enjoying a breakout season a year ago. The Jacksonville native started the season as a reserve behind senior Rashad Williams but was forced into a starting role after Williams was ruled academically ineligible following fall semester. Grimball stepped into the starting lineup at that point and produced 10 double-doubles in his final 20 games.

He finished as the team's leading scorer and rebounder (11.1 points, 7.7 rebounds) and ranked among the A-Sun leaders in both categories. He also led the team in blocks with 28, the fifth-most in a single season in UNF history. His 216 rebounds ranks fourth in UNF single-season history, while his 1,001 minutes played ranked third behind Timberlake's 1,053.

The Jacksonville native ranks in the top 10 in five UNF career statistical categories and is 261 point shy of joining the UNF 1,000-point club.

Luckily, in 2007-08 Grimball will have some help in the middle in the form of 6-foot-8 true freshman Kyle Groothuis from Bradley Central High School near Chattanooga, Tenn. Groothuis also looked solid during the team's trip to Canada and will provide another physical, strong body to spell Grimball and provide quality minutes off the bench.

"With those two guys we really have great depth for the first time in a long time at the post position," Kilcullen said. "(Grimball) is one of our two seniors who really turned it on in the second half of last season and showed us what he is capable of. If he can provide that to us consistently this year, it will give us a strong combination in the middle."

SCHEDULE

The Ospreys have elevated the difficulty of its schedule each season since moving to Division I -- and 2007-08 slate does nothing to slow that trend.

UNF will tackle a schedule filled with nationally ranked opponents, including road contests against defending national champion Florida, Maryland, Notre Dame and Miami (Fla.). In addition, the Ospreys will face NCAA Tournament participant Florida A&M as well as a demanding Atlantic Sun Conference schedule that includes road dates against defending tournament champion Belmont and defending regular-season champ East Tennessee State.

"This is a demanding schedule, no doubt," Kilcullen said. "Our non-conference opponents are very tough, and we always have a difficult schedule of Atlantic Sun Conference games, but we believe we can get some tremendous exposure for our program with the teams we are playing. Those games will also give our players an opportunity to play against some of the best programs in the nation."

UNF will play just 12 of its 29 games at home, including four against non-conference opponents. The Ospreys open with three of their first six games at UNF Arena before closing with nine of their final 17 contests at home.

For the second consecutive year, the Ospreys will open their season at a major national tournament - facing Maryland in the opening round of the O'Reilly Auto Parts College Basketball Experience Classic in College Park, Md., on Nov. 11. UNF will then play either Hampton or Tulsa a day later - also in College Park. The Ospreys played at Big East Conference foe St. John's to open the 2006-07 season at the 2K Sports Hoops Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.

Following the CBE Classic, UNF opens its home season against Concordia College on Nov. 16 and then travels to Gainesville to face the two-time defending national champion Gators on Nov. 20.

"We play four big-time opponents on the road, and we are excited about those opportunities. Those games are giving us opportunities to play in areas where we can recruit."

12 Days of A-Sun Basketball Schedule
Oct. 22 - Belmont
Oct. 23 - Campbell
Oct. 24 - ETSU
Oct. 25 - Florida Gulf Coast
Oct. 26 - Gardner-Webb
Oct. 29 - Jacksonville
Oct. 30 - Kennesaw State
Oct. 31 - Lipscomb
Nov. 1 - Mercer
Nov. 2 - UNF
Nov. 5 - USC Upstate
Nov. 6 - Stetson

Related Links:
 • Interview with Matt Kilcullen
 • Team Photo Gallery