Opening Weekend Schedule

Fall must be upon us.

This Saturday is Football Senior Day.

Daylight Savings Time ends Sunday.

And, perhaps most importantly to many Yellow Jacket fans -- basketball season starts.

The WVSU men open by hosting the Earl Lloyd Classic on November 11 and 12 while the women host the Wingate by Wyndham Conference Challenge on November 12 and 13.

Before the official opening of the season the Yellow Jacket men with travel to Huntington Thursday for a 6 p.m. scrimmage against Marshall University at the Henderson Center.

That will provide fans their first opportunity to check out the "new look" Jackets as only four players are back from last season's 6-22 squad.

Senior Terrance Jenkins (at right), juniors Tyrie Elliott and Cody Morris, and sophomore Brent Bauer all saw significant action last season and started many games.

Elliott averaged 7.3 points in 18.5 minutes of action while Jenkins finished with 7.0 a contest while averaging 19.9 minutes.

The 6-foot-7 Morris saw the most playing time averaging 23.7 minutes. He scored at a 5.4 clip and pulled down 5.3 rebounds a game.

Bauer started 10 games at point guard averaging 5.3 points and 2.2 assists.

They are joined by a dozen new players.

Gone are the leading scorer and rebounder the past two season, Markee Mazyck (20.2 points, 5.9 rebounds) and guard Frank Webb (13.3 points, 3.0 assists).

That leaves plenty of unknowns surrounding the team which played a big part in the Yellow Jackets being picked to finish 10th in the league by conference coaches.

WVSU hosts Virginia Union at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 11 to open the season. UVa-Wise and Elizabeth City State open the Earl Lloyd Classic at 5 p.m. that day.

UVa-Wise takes on Virginia Union at 2 p.m. Saturday, November 12 followed by the Yellow Jackets facing Elizabeth City at 4 p.m.

The women take over after that.

The University of Charleston faces Kutztown at 6 p.m. with the 2016-17 Yellow Jacket women making their debut under first -year Coach Charles Marshall at 8 p.m. against Chowan.

On Sunday, November 13, Charleston takes on Chowan at 1:30 p.m. followed by WVSU playing Kutztown at 3:30.

Coach Marshall plans to bring the fast paced, frequent substituting, style he used with success at Glenville State to Institute.

The women also return only four players from last season's 13-16 team.

Senior Shealyn Shafer (below) leads the way. The four-year starter led the Jackets in rebounding last season with an average of 8.1 a game and scored 9.9 points a contest. 

Junior guard Shae Hines is also back and was second on the squad in scoring a year ago with an average of 11.2 a game.

Joining them are a pair of senior guard. Rachel Ward averaged 7.1 points per game and hit a team leading 55 3-pointers. and Amiea Summers averaged 1.3 points a game.

The Yellow Jackets lost leading scorer Lauara Szorenyi, 16.3 points per game, and point guard Dayahnna Styles, 9.9 points and a team high 3.5 assist a contest.

Also with 12 new players on the roster the women's squad was picked to end up ninth in the final standings by the conference coaches.