Carrollton, GA November 2, 2005 – It has been nearly eight months since a senior-dominated West Georgia Braves basketball team ended its 2004-05 season with a loss in the NCAA Tournament. Now, the Braves are set to begin what they hope is a journey toward another trip to post season play.
A Braves team with a very new look makes its first appearance Wednesday when they visit Kennesaw State for an exhibition game. Tip time is set for 7:00 at the new Convocation Center on the Kennesaw State campus.
This years UWG team features but two players who saw significant action on last years 23-7 squad: forwards Antonio Shaw and Chris Burras. Shaw averaged 7.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game a year ago, while Burras scored 6.9 points and pulled 6.6 rebounds per contest.
West Georgia will this season rely heavily on a highly regarded recruiting class. This group includes a pair of transfers from Division I Towson, guard 6-5 guard Andrius Petkunas and 6-10 center Jake McCartney. Also, the Braves added 6-4 guard Sam Richardson, a transfer from Southern Mississippi, and Adam Stanger, a freshman point guard who hails from Australia.
Kennesaw State is coming off a successful campaign in their season as a member of the Division II. The Owls were 24-6, and like the Braves, were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. This season, Kennesaw State moves to NCAA Division I, playing in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Directing UWGs squad Wednesday will be Mike Cooney. The Braves veteran assistant is serving as acting head coach while Ed Murphy recuperates from last months surgery.
Wednesdays game at Kennesaw State is the first-of-three Division I exhibition games for the Braves. Saturday, UWG travels to Starkville, Miss., for a game vs. Mississippi State. Tuesday, West Georgia travels to face Jacksonville State.
UWG begins regular season play November 16, hosting Carver.