MONTEVALLO, Ala. – Montevallo men's basketball is set to tipoff the 2024-25 season on Friday morning for the first game of the Gulf South Conference – Sunshine State Conference Crossover.
 
"When we tip it up on Nov. 8, everyone is 0-0 and, more importantly, when we host Lee for our first conference game, we're 0-0 and they're 0-0," said Head Coach Anthony Komara.
 
The Falcons open the season with games against Barry and No. 2 Nova Southeastern during the GSC-SSC Crossover before heading to Mobile to face Spring Hill on Nov. 15. Montevallo kicks off a five-game home stretch with meetings against Point, Carolina Christian and Cumberland before hosting Lee and Trevecca for the first GSC games of the season. The Falcons head to Mississippi to take on Delta State and Mississippi College before returning home for games against Christian Brothers and Union. Montevallo opens the 2025 calendar year on the road at Auburn Montgomery before facing fellow in-state foes Alabama Huntsville and West Alabama. Montevallo then hosts Valdosta State and West Florida prior to a road trip to Trevecca Nazarene and Lee in late January. Another pair of meetings with Mississippi College and Delta State proceed a road trip to Union and Christian Brothers in early February. The Falcons final homestand starts with an AUM matchup on Feb. 15 before hosting Alabama Huntsville and West Alabama. Montevallo closes the season on a two-game road trip to West Florida and Valdosta State.
 
On the roster, Head Coach Anthony Komara returns a total of six players from a season ago with Cole Maddox, Brandon Fussell, Aidan Gardiner, Jaylen Curry, Tyson Sexton and Reese Gurner returning to the bricks. Maddox joined the squad midway through the 2023-24 season and appeared in 13 games while averaging 5.5 points and 3.0 rebounds on a 37.5 percent clip from the floor in 16.9 minutes per game. Brandon Fussell returns as one of the Falcons' top scorers from a season ago at a 14.9 points per game average to goal along with 2.8 rebounds and 3.42 assists per game in 26 starts and 33.3 minutes per game. Aidan Gardiner boosts the Falcons' rebound production with a 4.8 rebound per game clip a season ago while scoring 7.1 points per game in 23.8 minutes. Jaylen Curry returns as one of the Falcons' top players during the first half of the season with a 16.2 points per game average with a 4.9 rebounds per game mark. Tyson Sexton returns as one of the Falcons' starters from a season ago with 21 starts in 28 appearances with an average of 7.1 points per game on a .439 shooting clip.  
 
"From the first week of practice, I know these guys know this drill, they know how we do things, and they know the standard," said Komara about his six returners. "They've done more of implementing the new guys than I have which is what our program is becoming. I'm really proud of those guys."
 
The Falcons 2024-25 roster features 12 newcomers with Max Gardner and Jay Gillispie earning a spot on the 2024 GSC Men's Basketball Newcomer Watchlist. Gardner, a graduate transfer from Huntingdon College, comes to Montevallo after playing four seasons in Montgomery, Ala. As a team captain at Huntingdon, Gardner averaged 15.5 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game and 3.3 assists per game in his senior season. The Decatur, Ala. native was a two-time All-Conference selection in each of his last two seasons at Huntingdon. Gillispie joins Anthony Komara's squad after spending four seasons at Div. III Birmingham Southern. In his time at BSC, Gillispie averaged 10.2 points per game on a .479 career shooting percentage in 89 career games. The graduate transfer also tallied 7.7 rebounds per game while being named All-Conference in back-to-back seasons.
 
Alongside the GSC's newcomer watchlist, the conference office released its Preseason Coaches' Poll with Montevallo ranked ninth in the GSC with a total of 39 points ahead of Trevecca Nazarene, Auburn Montgomery, and West Florida. Montevallo's ninth-place ranking mirrors the Falcons' finish from a season ago after Montevallo posted a 12-16 overall record with an 11-13 mark in conference play to finish just outside the GSC tournament places.
 
"We're not focusing on last year and we never talk about what's going to happen tomorrow. We've made an emphasis to focus on what can we do today," said Komara. "No one knows what's going to happen tomorrow. We have just got to focus on what can we do to be better today."