Fayetteville, NC – Fayetteville State University received a bit of news earlier this week that it hasn't associated with its men's basketball program in a long time. The NCAA Division II Sports Information Directors Association (D2SIDA) ranked the Broncos fifth overall in the Atlantic Region. The only CIAA school ranked in any poll on the men's side.
 
Fayetteville State (7-0 overall), under the leadership of first-year head Coach Luke D'Alessio, currently lead the CIAA is scoring defense at 63.7 points per game, ranking 18^th in Division II. D'Alessio became the Broncos' 18^th head men's basketball coach after helping guide NCAA Division I North Carolina Central University to three Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championships and NCAA Tournament appearances as an assistant coach. He is no stranger to the CIAA with ten seasons (2000-2009) as the head coach at Bowie State University. Luke D'Alessio finished with a 199-96 overall record at Bowie State with a 2003 CIAA Championship, multiple divisional titles, a NCAA Finial Four appearance and a South Atlantic Regional Championship.
 
Coach D'Alessio has found a winning combination to ascend from the bottom portion of the CIAA Southern Division. With a preseason prediction to finish fifth in the South and ninth overall, Fayetteville State has found early success with its "Hard Eight".
 
If this was a game of dice (commonly known as craps), the number eight can be obtained three ways. The "easy way" by rolling a 6 and 2 or a 3 and 5, or the "hard way" by rolling a 4 and 4.
 
The Fayetteville State "Hard Eight" is led by junior Jalen Seegars (Greensboro, NC), who transferred in from UNC Asheville. Seegars leads the squad with 14.2 points per game with six games played. He has scored 85 points thus far and shoots 90.5% from the free throw line with 19 made shots from 21 attempts.  He averages 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks with an average time of 28 minutes on the floor. This past weekend, Seegars scored 22 points against Johnson C. Smith.
 
Senior Denzell Hosch (Shelby, NC) is one of the first players off the bench, has the most points scored (99), and averages 14.1 points per game. He has a game-high of 23 points against Bloomsburg and has netted 18 three-pointers so far with a long-range percentage of 37.5%. He is efficient behind the charity stripe at 19-of-23 for 82.6%.
 
Raymon Pratt (senior – Greensboro, NC) bangs down low and has made five threes for an average 12.3 points per game. He also averages six rebounds per game with 3.6 of them coming on the defensive end.
 
Junior Mark Burton (Tokyo, Japan) is another long-range sniper with the second highest number of three-pointers made (13). With a dual role of playing from the No. 1 and No. 2 positions, Burton averages 8.9 points and 2.4 assists in 19 minutes.
 
Jalen Spicer (junior – Greensboro, NC) shares the point position with an average of 4.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game in 22 minutes played.
Former South View High School standout Isaiah Vinson (Fayetteville, NC) returned for his senior season with the Broncos and provides a spark for the "Hard Eight". The numbers of five points and 3.4 rebounds per game doesn't indicate his presence on the floor in 16.4 minutes.
 
The Broncos post play is centered around seven-foot Will Brown (Gresham, SC) and six-seven Darian Dixon (Bowie, MD). Both starters are averaging a little over 5.6 rebounds per game. Dixon has hit 8.6 points per game by way of a 69.7 shooting percentage and 5.6 boards. Brown has 5.7 rebounds and 5.9 points per game. He has deflected more than 1.6 opponent shots.
 
Ty McClain (Goldsboro, NC) has also returned to the court for FSU after a year's hiatus and has been vying for a spot in the "Hard Eight". He averages 12.5 minutes per game with 3.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in six games.
 
Fayetteville State will travel a few miles up Ramsey Street on Saturday, December 7^th for a 2 pm show down against Methodist University in the Riddle Center.
 
The Broncos will host Livingstone College on Monday, December 9^th for the first of its "Community Games". All patrons are invited into Capel Arena with free admission. Fans are asked to bring a new teddy bear and/or stuffed animal for the halftime "Teddy Bear Toss" for the local Toys for Tots campaign.
 
Fayetteville State will host Elizabeth City State on December 16^th for another "Toys for Tots" donation event and fans can enjoy a second double-header with free admission.