Clayton State Basketball. (Photo: Karl L. Moore)
Karl L. Moore

Season Review: Men's Basketball

By Chuck Tidmore: Sports Information Director
Clayton State Basketball. (Photo: Karl L. Moore)

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

Ricardo Saams Jr. | Jr. | Miramar, Fla. | 

Somerset Academy Central Miramar

 

Saams had a strong season despite starting three of the team's eight games. He averaged 24.9 minutes per game and led the team with 6.9 rebounds per game while scoring 13.3 points per game. He set a career-high with 13 rebounds against Ga. Southwestern and scored a season-high 22 points at Lander. 

The junior was named Team MVP and had scored double-digit points in six games while shooting .563 from the field.  

 

Clayton State Basketball. (Photo: Karl L. Moore)

 

Justin Figueroa | Jr. | Brooklyn, N.Y.

Georgian Court

 

After transferring to the Lakers, Figueroa led the team with 14 points per game while playing only six of the team's nine games. In those six games, he averaged a team-high 32.8 minutes per game and 3.3 assists per game. 

Against North Georgia, he scored a career-high 22 points and scored double-digit points in five games. 

Justin Figueroa

 

Daniel Melvin | Jr. | Columbus, Ga. | 

Tarleton State

Melvin was a solid role player for the Lakers and averaged 24.6 minutes per game while making five starts. He was third on the team with 8.4 points per game and averaged 4.5 rebounds. 

Against Ga. Southwestern, Melvin scored 18 points and added nine rebounds, three assists and two steals. 

Stef Korfas | Jr. | Thessaloniki, Greece

Cuesta

Korfas' season was a tale of two halves. Over the first four games, he averaged just 3.75 minutes before injuries and COVID protocols elevated his time to 37.2 minutes per game over the final four games where he averaged 16.2 points per game. 

In the final game of the Lakers' season, Korfas scored 25 points and went a perfect 10-for-10 at the free-throw line. He finished the season shooting .553 from the field, .579 from three and was 12-for-12 from the charity stripe. 

Clayton State Basketball. (Photo: Karl L. Moore)
Stef Korfas
Roster
Men's Basketball
Clayton State Basketball. (Photo: Karl L. Moore)
Clayton State Basketball. (Photo: Karl L. Moore)
Clayton State Basketball. (Photo: Karl L. Moore)
Clayton State Basketball. (Photo: Karl L. Moore)
Clayton State Basketball. (Photo: Karl L. Moore)
Clayton State Basketball. (Photo: Karl L. Moore)
Clayton State Basketball. (Photo: Karl L. Moore)
Ricardo Saams Jr.
Tibor Palinkas
Micah McAllister
Justin Figueroa
Johnson_UNCP

ALEXANDER NAMED HC

On March 25, Clayton State Director of Athletics Ryan Erlacher announced the hiring of Vince Alexander, a four-time PBC Coach of the Year, to lead the men's basketball program. Alexander came to Clayton State after a two-year stint at Rice University. 

“It feels a bit surreal to be back in the Peach Belt Conference, but I am thrilled to return to a conference that has some outstanding programs and amazing coaches. Not only am I familiar with this conference, but I am confident I can guide the Clayton State men's basketball team to be a competitive contender within the Peach Belt.”
Head Coach Vince Alexander

Alexander comes to Morrow with 20 years of head coaching experience. The NCAA Division II veteran boasts a 341-250 record and has coached 30 All-Conference players across three institutions. 

Prior to Rice, Alexander served as the head men’s basketball coach for Saint Leo University where he won over 50 games in four seasons. In his first season with the Lions, Alexander guided the team to a 19-12 record, the most wins by a head coach in their first season at Saint Leo.

Alexander's fast style of play saw the Saint Leo offense go from 64.2 points per game in the season prior to 83.4 points and an improved field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage.

Before joining Saint Leo, Coach Alexander spent 10 seasons (2005-15) at South Carolina-Aiken as the head coach and amassed 196 wins with a .634 winning percentage and six 20-win seasons. Alexander remains the all-time winningest coach in school history. 

While at Aiken, Alexander coached 14 All-Conference student-athletes including a pair of PBC Player of the Year recipients in Chris Commons (2008 & 2009) and Re’mon Nelson (2013). In 2014, Alvin Brown was named PBC Defensive Player of the Year while DeVontae Wright earned Tournament MVP honors in the same season. 

From 2007-08 to 2013-14, Alexander and USC-Aiken won 168 games, turning around a program that had posted six consecutive losing seasons from 2002-07. During that span, the Pacers collected four PBC Regular Season Championships ('08, ‘12, ’13, ‘14), five conference tournament championship game appearances (’08, ‘09, ’10, ‘13, ’14) and three tournament titles, including back-to-back titles in 2013 and 2014. 

Both seasons culminated with trips to the Elite Eight and, in 2014, the Final Four. Adding to his accolades, Alexander was named the Herbert Greene PBC Coach of the Year in 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2014. He also earned NABC Southeast Region Coach of the Year honors in 2008, 2013 and 2014. 

In 2013, he was a finalist for the Clarence “Big House” Gaines National Coach of the Year award. 

During the 2007-08 season, Aiken lost in the conference title game to Clayton State 89-87. That game went into three overtimes and was the first and only conference tournament title the Lakers have won. 

Alexander began his collegiate head coaching career at Mansfield University, where he led the Mountaineers from 1999-05, posting an 89-74 record. He earned his first 20-win season during the 2003-04 campaign and helped guide the team to a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Division championship in 2005. Mansfield has not had a 20-win season since Alexander left the program. 

After starting 32-45 in his first three seasons, Alexander finished his time in Mansfield with three consecutive winning seasons and a 57-29 record. The Mountaineers would go 24-12 in the PSAC during that time.   

Alexander earned his Associate of Arts degree in physical education from Blinn College (Texas) in 1987 and received his Bachelor of Science degree in physical education and recreation from Oklahoma Baptist University in 1989. He earned All-Conference and All-Region honors at Blinn and served as the team captain for two seasons at Oklahoma Baptist.

Vince Alexander 3

SEASON RECAP

Clayton State Basketball. (Photo: Karl L. Moore)

The 2020-21 men's basketball season did not go as planned as the Lakers were only able to play nine of the scheduled 16 games. Clayton State played the first five games of the season before having its next five games postponed/cancelled. The Lakers were able to to play four more more games before having their final two games cancelled due to COVID protocols. 

The Lakers entered the season with a three returners, two freshman and six transfers and had to deal with injuries and COVID throughout the season. 

Schedule / Results

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