It is a busy time in Valdosta State athletics.

While the fall sports are in the midst of wrapping up their seasons and making pushes for post season prominence, the Valdosta State basketball teams are set to begin their 2011-12 campaigns this upcoming week.

But first, the two teams will hold their annual Meet the Blazers event this evening at the P.E. Complex.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. and will conclude at 7:30 p.m., and will include split squad scrimmages, with a kids shootaround afterwards. Players from both teams will be available for autographs and photos following the scrimmages.

“I think our kids are really excited,” Valdosta State men’s basketball coach Mike Helfer said. “I think, as a staff, we thought maybe scrimmaging in front of our fans and students, and anybody that comes to it, that will be a great chance to get a preview of what our team is going to look like, both us and the women’s team.”

The event is free to the general public, and free food and drinks will be provided.

“It will be a good chance to display some of our kids and their abilities,” Valdosta State women’s basketball coach Kiley Hill said. “It is for our fan base to get excited and to get the ball rolling.”

As for how the VSU basketball teams will look this season, Hill returns seven players from his 2010-11 team, which posted a 14-13 record and missed out on the NCAA tournament.

Through the beginning of practice, Hill has been impressed with the work ethic of his team.

“We have some kids across the board, 14 kids on our roster, who work hard every day,” Hill said. “They give maximum effort, and this team is going to be entertaining to watch because of that effort. They are going to lay their hearts on the line every single day. We are going to be in a position to be very competitive this year, if we can stay healthy, because of the major effort that this team is willing to give.”

Brittany Nelson, whose older brother, Ryan Nelson, was a member of the men’s 2010 Elite 8 team at Valdosta State, will be eligible to play for the Lady Blazers in December. Nelson joined the team last January, but, by NCAA rules, was forced to sit out for an entire year after transferring to her third different institution.

“Nelly is going to help us stretch the floor a little bit more,” Hill said. “I think already we can take you off the bounce a little bit and shoot it from the perimeter, but she is going to be able to add a little bit more dynamic for us. She is a big guard, six foot, who can shoot the three.”

Along with Nelson, the Lady Blazers will be helped out by guard Sczeny Hartry, who carried VSU at the point guard position in 2010-11. Hartry was named to the pre-season all-conference team.

“(Sczeny) is going to be another piece to our puzzle,” Hill said. “She has been a four-year starter for us, and yes, she got the accolades from being all-conference, and that is exciting. … We are going to be able to share the wealth with our depth, which will help make her a better player.”

The Lady Blazers tip-off their season Friday, when they visit Nova Southeastern in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. They will visit Barry University the following night, in a game that was originally scheduled for a neutral site. Due to a scheduling conflict, the game has been moved to Barry’s campus.

The Lady Blazers’ home opener is set for Nov. 15 against Georgia Southwestern.

The Lady Blazers won’t be at home for long, as they are scheduled for three more road contest across the four games following their meeting with Georgia Southwestern.

The early road contests give way to a schedule filled with home games through December and January. Valdosta State will play nine of the 14 contests during those two months at home.

In 2010, the Lady Blazers were 12-2 at home, and just 2-10 on the road.

“In reality, we actually have a little more on the road than we want to have,” Hill said. “Yes, we love being at the Complex. It has been good to us through the years, great crowds. But at the end of the day, for us to compete on a regional and national level, we have to be able to compete on the road at a very high level.”

As for Helfer and the Valdosta State men’s basketball team, the Blazers return five players from last year’s 21-9 team. Of the five returning, four started games in 2010.

“I think all four of our returning guys, Tristan (Steele), Josh (Sparks), Sidney (Harris) and Will (Alston), have all developed their game during the offseason,” Helfer said. “I think they’re in the positions to step into those prominent roles that we lost last year.”

Despite posting over 20 wins, VSU missed out on the NCAA tournament.

Steele, a guard, should carry the 3-point load. He made 72 three-point field goals in 2010-11. As a team, the Blazers set a new school record with 277 long balls on the season.

“I definitely think that Sidney Harris is going to step up and make more threes as he gets more opportunities this year,” Helfer said. “He is a 3-point shooter who will shoot a high percentage for us.”

Joining the returning Blazers will be Drew Maynard, who transferred to Valdosta State from Division I Oakland University.

“Drew is a great addition to our team, because he is so big and so athletic and he can play multiple positions,” Helfer said. “He is going to be a very difficult matchup for opposing teams, and I just like Drew’s mentality. I like him as a person, and as a player I think he has a chance to really, really contribute this year to our success.”

Early on, the Blazers will hit the road, as five of their first seven games are away from the P.E. Complex. The Blazers will finish the season with nine of the final 16 games coming at home.

“I think what happened was, we had some difficulty getting teams to come to Valdosta to play,” Helfer said. “So, we have to go on the road early on. That will hopefully prepare us for the Gulf South (Conference). Once you get into the GSC schedule, I think you’re hoping that you’re in the position where every game means something, and that is going to be our goal.”