TroyTrojanMan
10-18-2005, 02:36 AM
By Ken Rogers, The Messenger
It started innocently enough. Troy University head basketball coach Don Maestri wanted to show recruits that the Trojans have traditionally been a prolific three-point shooting and scoring team.
He didn't know just how prolific. Some research by assistant coach Ben Fletcher revealed that Troy's name stands in some pretty impressive basketball company.
"I didn't know any of this," Maestri said Monday as the Trojans prepare for the upcoming season. "Troy holds seven NCAA records when it comes to scoring and three-point shooting - in Division I and Division II."
Clearly, the Trojans have determined their best opportunity for winning in their inaugural Sun Belt Conference season is to continue that tradition of firing up three-pointers.
"We're going to try to press again this year and try to play fast again," Maestri said. "For people who have been coming to our games for years, they'll see some giants in our building this year. There are 30-something conferences in the country and our league is ranked in the top third. It's a big step up, but I think our guys are looking forward to that challenge."
Senior guards Bobby Dixon and Jacob Hazouri joined Maestri on Monday.
"I'm looking forward to playing in the Sun Belt," Dixon said. "It's more competitive. I like being the underdog. I tend to do better when people doubt me."
"Like Bobby said, it's a better league than the A-Sun and we're looking forward to the challenge," Hazouri said.
Those two are the only two returning seniors with significant playing time who are back from last year's team. But some much taller newcomers and junior returnee Jarvis Acker will give the Trojans a chance to "be competitive," Maestri said.
"We're the biggest question mark in the league," the coach said.
But the Trojans should be able to score - and Maestri laughed and joked if they can't score, at least they'll shoot.
Troy holds the NCAA Division II scoring record with 121.1 points per game. They also led Division II in scoring in 1991 and 1962.
They holds the Division II record for most three-pointers made made per game (1992, 15.3 average), most threes in a game (51) and most three's attempted in a game (159) - both against Devry in that 258-point game in 1992.
But the Trojans also won NCAA Division I scoring championships in 1996 and were runner up to Arizona in 2003.
The record for most three-pointers made in a season is 407 - a mark set by Duke in 2001. No. 2 on the list is Troy in 2004. No. 3 on the list is Arkansas's 1995 team and No. 4 is Kentucky (1993). No. 5 on the list is Troy 2005. Troy is No. 11 on the same list in 2003 and No. 25 on that list in 1996.
Troy also holds Division I records for most three-pointers made per game (11.74); most three-pointers made in a single game (28) and most three-pointers attempted in a game (74).
It started innocently enough. Troy University head basketball coach Don Maestri wanted to show recruits that the Trojans have traditionally been a prolific three-point shooting and scoring team.
He didn't know just how prolific. Some research by assistant coach Ben Fletcher revealed that Troy's name stands in some pretty impressive basketball company.
"I didn't know any of this," Maestri said Monday as the Trojans prepare for the upcoming season. "Troy holds seven NCAA records when it comes to scoring and three-point shooting - in Division I and Division II."
Clearly, the Trojans have determined their best opportunity for winning in their inaugural Sun Belt Conference season is to continue that tradition of firing up three-pointers.
"We're going to try to press again this year and try to play fast again," Maestri said. "For people who have been coming to our games for years, they'll see some giants in our building this year. There are 30-something conferences in the country and our league is ranked in the top third. It's a big step up, but I think our guys are looking forward to that challenge."
Senior guards Bobby Dixon and Jacob Hazouri joined Maestri on Monday.
"I'm looking forward to playing in the Sun Belt," Dixon said. "It's more competitive. I like being the underdog. I tend to do better when people doubt me."
"Like Bobby said, it's a better league than the A-Sun and we're looking forward to the challenge," Hazouri said.
Those two are the only two returning seniors with significant playing time who are back from last year's team. But some much taller newcomers and junior returnee Jarvis Acker will give the Trojans a chance to "be competitive," Maestri said.
"We're the biggest question mark in the league," the coach said.
But the Trojans should be able to score - and Maestri laughed and joked if they can't score, at least they'll shoot.
Troy holds the NCAA Division II scoring record with 121.1 points per game. They also led Division II in scoring in 1991 and 1962.
They holds the Division II record for most three-pointers made made per game (1992, 15.3 average), most threes in a game (51) and most three's attempted in a game (159) - both against Devry in that 258-point game in 1992.
But the Trojans also won NCAA Division I scoring championships in 1996 and were runner up to Arizona in 2003.
The record for most three-pointers made in a season is 407 - a mark set by Duke in 2001. No. 2 on the list is Troy in 2004. No. 3 on the list is Arkansas's 1995 team and No. 4 is Kentucky (1993). No. 5 on the list is Troy 2005. Troy is No. 11 on the same list in 2003 and No. 25 on that list in 1996.
Troy also holds Division I records for most three-pointers made per game (11.74); most three-pointers made in a single game (28) and most three-pointers attempted in a game (74).