More than six months since his last game in a Blazers uniform, Valdosta State’s all-time leading shot-blocker, Josh Sparks, is ready to test himself professionally. "I’m thousands of miles away from anyone I know, but it’s definitely a move that I needed to make. Getting paid to play basketball is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

by Shane Thomas   Entering his ninth season as head coach for Valdosta State basketball, Mike Helfer once again will take a new-look Blazers team into this season. Though the Blazers will not tip off the 2013-14 campaign until mid-November, Helfer believes his team is coming together nicely in the off season. “We have three guys that played minutes last ...

Written by Shane Thomas   Screaming fans, mascots going insane, teammates celebrating, coaches yelling instructions—this is the life of a college basketball player. On the court, Josh Sparks is an intense, energetic, high-flying forward who draws boisterous cheers inside the Valdosta State University P.E. Complex. When the lights dim and everyone goes home, Sparks goes back to the normal life ...

Written by Neil Frawley   With the bevy of “Cinderellas” (teams that have extremely low expectations of winning) remaining in the NCAA Tournament, college basketball has been provided its much needed spark needed in order to entice fans. Despite a season that failed to produce any great team(s) or any exceptional players, the myriad of underdog stories offers America something ...

Birmingham, Ala. – Senior Blazer guard Shaquille Harris’s contested potential overtime forcing three-pointer clanked off front-rim as time expired.  Just like the game’s final shot, VSU came up short in its quest for a first Gulf South Conference Tournament Championship title,  falling 65-62 to second seeded Christian Brothers at the Pete Hanna Center on the campus of Samford University Sunday evening. ...

Birmingham, Ala.- The Blazers aren’t ready to go home yet.  Valdosta State advances to the Gulf South Conference championship title game after defeating top seeded Alabama-Huntsville 76-68 in the semi-finals round at the Pete Hanna Center on the campus of Samford University Saturday night.  For VSU, the third time was the charm.  The entered the game 0-2 against the Chargers ...

Written by Shane Thomas Valdosta State men’s basketball will test its mettle in the Gulf South Conference tournament which tips off tonight in Birmingham, Ala.  The No. 4 seeded Blazers will look to prolong their season on Friday against No. 5 seed Delta State. Head Coach Mike Helfer and his team did not close out their regular season as well ...

Written by Shane Thomas   The Valdosta State men’s basketball team goes back on the road for its final two regular season games. Head Coach Mike Helfer and his team will try to continue their winning ways as they travel to Memphis, Tenn.,to take on rival Christian Brothers in the Canale Arena Thursday night. Following a come-from-behind overtime victory against ...

The Valdosta State Blazers needed a second half surge and an extra period to prevail, defeating Gulf South Conference rival West Florida 86-81 in the final home game of the season Saturday afternoon.  In a game where VSU said farewell to its four seniors, the Blazers, trailing by 14 points with 9:28 left in regulation, used a 26-13 run to ...

Written by Shane Thomas   Valdosta State men’s basketball team is gearing up for its final home game of the season, hosting West Florida Saturday afternoon. The Blazers enter the game on a three-game winning streak following a 70-69 victory over the West Alabama Tigers last Saturday at The Complex. UWF has won two consecutive games after defeating West Georgia ...