Pacers Tabbed Possible Breakthrough Team in 2010-11 by Sporting News

AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken men’s basketball team has been tabbed as a possible breakthrough team in NCAA Division II by the 2010-11 Sporting News College Basketball Preview.

The Sporting News preseason publication hit store shelves late last week.

“It is always nice to be recognized as one of the top teams in Division II,” said USC Aiken men’s basketball head coach Vince Alexander. “Right now, we are focused on one game at a time and becoming the best team that we can. We are looking forward to the start of preseason practice and getting ready for the upcoming season.”

USC Aiken is one of three Peach Belt Conference programs listed as possible breakthrough teams in the publication with Georgia College & State and Montevallo also listed by Basketball Times preseason prognosticator Chuck Mistovich in the 2010-11 Sporting News College Basketball Preview.

The Pacers are no strangers to being mentioned as one of the top programs in all of NCAA Division II by the publication as USC Aiken entered the 2008-09 season as the preseason No. 1 in the publication.

USC Aiken’s Byron Faison (Sumter, S.C./Crestwood) was named an Honorable Mention All-America selection by the Sporting News. Faison joins Francis Marion’s Simel Boyd as the only players from the PBC listed as preseason All-Americans.

Faison concluded his first campaign in a Pacer uniform in the 2009-10 season averaging 12.7 points per game. Faison shot a lethal 46.1 percent from the floor last year. For his efforts, Faison was chosen to the PBC All-Conference second team.

Faison was also named the 2010 Peach Belt Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player en route to helping to lead the Pacers to their first Peach Belt Conference Tournament crown since 1993.

USC Aiken men’s basketball program has won a school-record 72 games over the last three seasons. The 72 victories over the three-year span are the most in the Palmetto State among all levels of college basketball.

Under the guidance of Alexander, USC Aiken has become a national force in NCAA Division II over the past three seasons.

In addition to the victories, the 2007-08 USC Aiken men’s basketball team won the Peach Belt Conference Regular Season Championship and the 2008-09 Pacer men’s basketball team advanced farther than any other squad in program history to the NCAA Division II “Sweet Sixteen.” The 2009-10 USC Aiken men’s basketball team claimed the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship.