Written by: Shane Thomas / Photo contributed by: Dowling Payne   Following a 97-58 win over Trinity Baptist in Monday’s opener, the VSU men’s basketball team will host Florida Memorial on Saturday in the first of two weekend games. In the opener, the Blazers made 13 of 27 beyond the arc, attempted 37 free throws and out-rebounded the Eagles 43-36. ...

The Valdosta State men’s basketball team overcame a sluggish first half and outscored Trinity Baptist 60-22 in the second half en route to a 97-58 win in its season opener. The Blazers (1-0) shot 59 percent in the second half and 7-of-11 three-pointers to blow the game open behind the hot shooting of Preseason All-GSC forward David Murray. Murray scored ...

Written by: Eric Jackson  Jalen Crawford slides off a down screen to find some wiggle room in the corner of the floor during practice. After inhaling a crisp pass from one of his new teammates, Jalen doesn’t hesitate.  At the peak of his leap the ball releases off his fingertips  almost picturesquely- he  assuredly stares at the ball in mid-air ...

Written by: Shane Thomas  The VSU men’s basketball team opens its season Monday against the Trinity Baptist Eagles.  The Blazers have 11 new players around Preseason All-Gulf South Conference forward David Murray, forward Colin Cook and guard Dylan Nsiah.  Head coach Mike Helfer admits he is excited to start the season but warns that his team still has room to ...

written by: Shane Thomas The Valdosta State men’s basketball team will have 11 new players this season around returners David Murray, Colin Cook and Dylan Nsiah.   The Blazers were picked to finish fifth in the Gulf South Conference in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Picked to finish sixth in the conference in 2012-13, the Blazers went on to have a 19-10 ...

written by: Shane Thomas  The Valdosta State men’s basketball team took the floor for its first official practice on Monday, led by senior forward David Murray who was named Preseason All-Gulf South Conference over the weekend.  Murray enters this season as the lone returning starter from last season, a season in which the Blazers finished 19-10 and advanced to the ...

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 ...