Men's Basketball | 12/1/2016 10:44:00 AM

UT Permian Basin men's basketball is off to a hot start, and the Falcons feature one of the top offenses in the nation as UTPB gets ready to enter its first season in the Lone Star Conference.
 
The 7-1 Falcons lead all Lone Star teams and rank third in the nation through eight games in averaging 101.8 points per game. UTPB has scored over 100 points in four of its eight games including a season-high 124 against Paul Quinn. Head coach Andy Newman explained why this year's team, featuring just three returners, has gotten off to such a quick start so far.
 
"We've bought in faster than in the past and this is a team of really good guys who are about being good," said Newman. "There aren't any selfish guys out there. They know they're going to get the ball.  If you're playing 40 minutes and you know there's only going to be 40 shots, guys are trying to divvy up those shots. But when you know there's going to be 85, everyone's going to get 10-15 shots and they aren't pressing to get theirs on that possession because they know throughout the game the opportunities will be there. These guys are just really good basketball players with a high basketball IQ and they want to make the right play and have bought into making a play for a teammate instead of just for them self."
 
The team's quick style of offense proved handy last weekend when the Falcons overcame a 20-point deficit in the second half against Ouachita Baptist. Down 60-40 with 14:06 to play in regulation, UTPB scored 54 points in the final 19:06 to pull out a 94-88 win in overtime.
 
"We're always going to play a fast style of basketball that gets up and down the floor," said Newman. "We try to do everything in transition because as coaches will tell you, trying to get a team to execute a defensive game plan in transition is almost impossible. We try to exploit that and get every offensive concept in a transition environment and that's why we play so fast. We always want to spread the floor, penetrate and kick, and make plays for teammates. It's not hard to get by your defender and make the other team help; what's hard is to get by your defender, make the other team help, and then make the right decision and get the ball to the right guy. That's what this team has been really good about early is making the right decision. Make the defense help in transition and make the right decision."
 
UTPB currently has four players averaging double figures with eight scoring at least five points a night. Four different players have led the team in scoring this season, but junior Daeshon Francis has made the largest impact on the offense. The 6-4 wing and two-time Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week has led UTPB in scoring four times this season, including a team-best 34 points against Southwestern Adventist. He's the leading scorer in the Lone Star Conference and is 39th in the nation with 21.4 points while shooting 64 percent from the field.
 
"He's had an incredible start to the year, and that's him. He's really good around the basket and really good outside. Why he's so good is he's so smart defensively and takes really good shots. There's no shot he takes that he can't make and that's what makes him so valuable. He uses his athleticism to get to the rim for a layup or he's taking wide open shots and making those. His energy and rebounding, averaging nine rebounds for us at the three-spot, is huge for us."