2007-08 Clayton State Men's Basketball Schedule
MORROW, Ga. – September 10, 2007 – For the first time in program history this season, the Clayton State Laker men’s basketball will take on a Division I opponent, and it is one that most basketball fans within the state are very familiar with.

Laker head coach Gordon Gibbons officially released his 2007-08 schedule on Thursday, and Clayton State will open the season with an exhibition game on Nov. 2 at Georgia. The Lakers and Bulldogs square off at Stegman Coliseum at 7:30 p.m. Georgia, under head coach Dennis Felton, is coming off a 19-14 season with a berth in the NIT.

"It is an honor for our program to go to Athens and compete against the Bulldogs," said Gibbons, who is 121-57 entering his seventh season at the Clayton State helm.

In addition to the heralded exhibition against Georgia, Clayton State has loaded its schedule with 12 teams, both from out of conference and in the Peach Belt Conference, that have competed at one point in the NCAA Division II National Tournament over the last four years.

The non-conference slate includes the traditional home-and-home series against in-state rival and Gulf South Conference power West Georgia. The Lakers host the Wolves on Nov. 20, and then travel to West Georgia on Dec. 8. In addition, Clayton State plays host to another traditional Gulf South power in North Alabama on Dec. 15, and travels to Gulf South contender Arkansas-Monticello on Dec. 31.

Finally, Clayton State plays host to St. Augustine’s from the traditionally strong CIAA as a part of the Heritage Bank Holiday Classic on Dec. 28. The Lakers officially open the 2007-08 season on Nov. 17 at home against Tennessee Temple.

Clayton State’s Peach Belt Conference slate will be stronger this season in that every team will play each other home-and-home. That means the Lakers have three Peach Belt Conference games prior to the holidays against USC-Aiken at home on Nov. 24, at Georgia College on Nov. 28 and against UNC-Pembroke at home on Dec. 1.

"We start with an extremely challenging non-conference schedule that includes those three conference games prior to Christmas," said Gibbons. "There is a lot of work ahead to be done for this slate."

LAKERS INK DIVISION I POWER FORWARD: As classes resumed for the fall semester recently, Gibbons put the finishing touches on a "reloading" recruiting class with the signing of a Division I transfer power forward.

The big coup to the Lakers is power forward Armel Traore dit Nignan from Drake. The the newest addition brings the number of Clayton State newcomers for the upcoming season to eight. They join six returning players from last season’s 24-8 squad that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

"Armel brings valuable experience to our squad," Gibbons said. "His strength will compliment the ability and skill of our team."

Traore dit Nignan, a 6-8, 240-pound senior who hails from the same African city (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso) as recently-graduated Laker center Aristide Sawadogo, comes to Clayton State after playing last season for the legendary head coach Dr. Tom Davis at Drake. He redshirted in 2005-06, and saw action in only seven games last season due to an injury.

Prior to signing with Drake in the spring of 2005, Traore dit Nignan was a two-year starter at Tompkins Cortland Community College in Cortland, N.Y., where he earned All-Mid State Athletics Conference honors in the 2004-05 season and was selected to the NJCAA Region 3 All-Star Team. He averaged 15 points and nine rebounds a game during his sophomore season, and set the Tompkins Cortland career records for rebounding (515) and blocked shots (94).