The #13 ranked Rollins Tars open up the 2017-18 campaign as they host Clark-Atlanta in Winter Park on Friday. Tip time is set for 3 PM at Warden Arena inside the Alfond Sports Center. You can catch all the action with Jim "Shooter" Ferro and Robert Segal on 91.5 FM WPRK and at RollinsSports.com. Florida Tech and Morehouse will meet in the opening game of the SSC/SIAC crossover at 1 PM.
The Tars come into Friday looking to build off a historic season a year ago. Rollins tied the best post-season run in school history when they reached the Elite Eight. After winning the SSC Conference Tournament and the South Region Tournament a season ago, the Tars will look to pick up where they left off.
Rollins loses just two players from the Elite Eight team last season, albeit both important ones. Defensive wizard Joey Galvis and big man Mike Bedulskis are the two who are gone from a season ago. Jeff Merton is among the returnees. Merton was both the SSC Tournament and South Region MVP. Merton averaged a team second best 14.7 points and .7 rebounds a game. Sam Philpott led the team in scoring at 15.3 points a game. The Nobelsville, Indiana produce is just 20 points shy of 1,000 for his Rollins career. Connor McKim who was outstanding in the run last March, including a pair of buzzer beaters returns after winning SSC- Freshman Of The Year honors. Deion Clark returns after getting a medical redshirt after playing just five games a season ago. Rollins was picked to finish second in the preseason conference poll behind conference front-runner Barry.
Coach Tom Klusman comes into the season just 23 wins shy of 700 for his career. In his 38th year as Rollins head coach Klusman is now 677- 393. He is one of 16 coaches with 600 or more wins in all of Division II.
Clark-Atlanta also comes into the season coming off an NCAA berth a year ago. The Panthers won the SIAC tournament before falling to Alabama-Huntsville in the opener of the South Region. In the preseason poll Clark-Atlanta was picked third in the conference. A pair of seniors, Damien Davis and Anthony Williams were named to the All-SSC Preseason Team.
The Tars and Clark-Atlanta have met three times with the Tars winning all three. In the past 10 seasons the Tars are 8-2 in season opener's. They are 39-23 in such games overall.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:
Rollins by 10
Other Game: Florida Tech -5 vs Morehouse
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