Texas State Men’s Basketball Season Preview: Point Guards

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State men’s basketball team is coming off a 15-win season and making its second straight appearance in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. Returning six players, including Preseason All-SBC Third Team selection Kavin Gilder-Tilbury, from last year, the Bobcats look to defy expectations with eight new players on the rosters.

In the first of a five-part series previewing the 2016-17 team, TXStateBobcats.com takes a look at the players competing for time at the point guard situation.

Senior Ojai Black returns for his third season in a Texas State uniform. Last season he started all 31 games and played a team-high 31.2 minutes per game. He dished out 3.9 assists per contest and finished the year second in the Sun Belt Conference and 38th in the nation with a 2.79 assist-to-turnover ratio.

“Ojai will be a key component for our program this season,” said head coach Danny Kaspar. “He had a very good conference season last year, especially the last half where he had a great assist-to-turnover ratio and provided leadership.”

Over the last 16 games of the season, Black handed out 4.9 apg and recorded a 4.9 a/t ratio. In all of those contests he turned the ball over two or fewer times and committed no turnovers in five games. The senior also had a 12-assist game against Troy to finish one shy of tying the Bobcat single game record.

Black also added 7.2 points per game during the 2015-16 season and made 39.6 percent of his shots. He set a career-high with 14 points at McNeese State and matched the mark three more times during the campaign.

Competing to back Black up this season is Marlin Davis and Nathan Josephs.

Davis is a true freshman that prepped at Westbury Christian High School in Houston, Texas. He helped the Wildcats to four consecutive TAPPS 4A State Championships. A two-time first team all-state selection, he averaged 20 points and five assists per game as a senior.

“Marlin is the best freshman point guard I have had here,” said Kaspar. “He is very heady, shoots the ball and sees the floor well. I think he is a very good basketball player and will do good things for the next four years.”

Josephs played in 11 games off the bench for the Bobcats last season. The sophomore averaged 0.9 points, 0.5 assists and 0.2 rebounds per game. During the year he made two baskets and went 6-for-8 at the free throw line. His best performance came during against Howard Payne when he totaled four points and two rebounds in 10 minutes of action, all career bests.

“I am hoping Nathan will be able to help us more this year,” Kaspar said. “Last year as a freshman, he was a little bit behind the eight ball after walking onto the team. I think he understands what I want and we will get more minutes out of him as a walk-on as most would expect.”

Texas State hosts Southeastern Oklahoma State in an exhibition game at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday in Strahan Coliseum. The season opener for the Bobcats is against Florida Atlantic in the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii on Friday, November 11.

Season tickets are currently on sale for the 2016-17 basketball season. They can be purchased online at www.txstatebobcats.com/tickets, over the phone at 512-245-2272 or by visiting the Mark and Linda Smith Ticket Office at Bobcat Stadium between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Individual game tickets will go on sale to the general public on November 1.

For the latest on Texas State men’s basketball, visit the official website of Texas State athletics at www.txstatebobcats.com, follow the team on Twitter at @TxStateMBB and like on Facebook at /TexasStateMensBasketball.