HICKORY, N.C. -- The 15th-ranked Railsplitters (4-1, 1-0 SAC) will face their toughest test thus far of the 2015-16 season on Wednesday evening, when they travel to Hickory, N.C. to square off against the new-look Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (6-0, 2-0 SAC) in a 6 p.m. South Atlantic Conference showdown at Shuford Memorial Gymnasium.
 
Lincoln Memorial has beaten Lenoir-Rhyne 10 consecutive times since the start of the 2010-11 season, but the Bears are operating at a completely different level under the direction of first-year head coach Ryan Odom.
 
After missing out on the South Atlantic Conference tournament and finishing with just an 8-18 record last season, Lenoir-Rhyne parted ways with longtime head coach John Lentz, who amassed 432 wins in 29 seasons guiding the Bears. In stepped Odom, the son of Dave Odom, who spent 12 seasons as the head man at Wake Forest and coached five-time NBA champion and future first-ballot Hall of Famer Tim Duncan.
 
With the help of Old Dominion transfer Keenan Palmore, Odom has completely altered the philosophy of the Lenoir-Rhyne men's basketball program, and that shift has borne immediate results to the tune of a 6-0 start with a 2-0 record in SAC play. The Bears played at a glacial pace last season, averaging a league-low 65.3 points on just 52.0 shot attempts per game. The Bears were also among the bottom of the league in three-point attempts with just 17.5 per game. This season, the Bears are hoisting up 29.8 three-pointers per game and making a league-best 13.7 per (tops in the nation), as they are tied with Lincoln Memorial for the SAC lead in points per game with 96.0, which ranks 12th in the nation. Additionally, the Bears are ranked second in the nation with 22.2 assists per game.

"Like all good teams, they can beat you in a lot of different ways," LMU head coach Josh Schertz said. "They're terrific in transition so you have to sprint back and get set, which is harder against them than most. You have to be unbelievably focused each possession because they move the ball and have really good players. They present a variety of conundrums in a lot of different areas."

The Bears have slipped in one key area, though, as they are giving up 82.7 points per game on 45.8 percent shooting, as compared to 70.5 points per on 42.1 percent shooting last season.
 
Palmore - a two-time SAC Player of the Week and transfer from Old Dominion - has taking the league by storm, putting up per-game averages of 20.5 points, 9.7 assists and 7.8 rebounds on 51.8 percent shooting. The 6-2 point guard has already accounted for two triple-doubles in six appearances this season, registering 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in the SAC opener against Catawba, and later recording 14 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists against Livingstone.

"There's very few transcendent players in basketball in general and there's even less at this level," Schertz said. "Palmore is kind of a transcendent guy. He changes the fortune of a team by having a point guard that is that good."

Palmore's emergence as inarguably the best point guard in the SAC has helped the players around him, most of which are returning from last season's 8-win team, shine. Senior forward Rob Noyes - the reigning SAC Player of the Week - is averaging 20.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per game on 82.7 percent shooting, while Will Perry is knocking down 42.1 percent of his three-point attempts and contributing 15.2 points per game. Reed Lucas is chipping in 13.3 points per game with a 52.6 percent clip from downtown.
 
The Railsplitters' offensive attack has been equal to that of the resurgent Bears, as Lincoln Memorial is shooting the rock at a 51.7 percent clip and leading the SAC in field goals made per game with 33.8. The Railsplitters are also tied with Lenoir-Rhyne for the SAC lead in points per game with 96.0.
 
But Lincoln Memorial should have a distinct advantage on the defensive end of the floor, where they once again lead the conference in field goal percentage defense by holding opponents to just 39.6 percent shooting. The Railsplitters are also among the best in the league at limiting their foes' efficiency from three-point range, as opponents are shooting a mere 31.8 percent from deep against the stingy LMU defense. That was most clearly on display in Saturday's 114-69 win over Virginia-Wise, as the Railsplitters forced the Cavaliers into a dismal 5-for-30 effort from behind the three-point arc.
 
The Railsplitters are being led by senior guards Gerel Simmons (Accokeek, Md.) and Jalen Steele (Knoxville, Tenn.), who have each surpassed 15 points in the past three games. Simmons scored a career-high 37 points against Carson-Newman last Tuesday, while Steele led the Railsplitters with 18 points in Saturday's dominant win over Virginia-Wise. Simmons is shooting 57.7 percent from the field, while Steele is sitting at 46 percent.
 
Shuford Gymnasium has always been a difficult place to play and provides one of the more distinct home court advantages in the South Atlantic Conference. The Railsplitters lead the all-time series against Lenoir-Rhyne 13-8, which includes 10 consecutive wins, but are just 6-5 on L-R's court.

"It's been a great atmosphere and environment historically, and now with the success that they are having it's going to be enhanced to an even higher degree," Schertz said. "But to be a really good team you have to be able to go in and do your job in difficult circumstances."

The Railsplitters held the Bears to an 0-for-9 mark from three-point range and defeated Lenoir-Rhyne 67-55 in Hickory last season. Luquon Choice (Laurens, S.C.) led Lincoln Memorial with 16 points, while Simmons put up 10 points in 15 minutes off of the bench. Noyes recorded 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Bears.
 
Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. in Hickory, N.C. Live stat, video and audio links will all be available at www.LMURailsplitters.com, while fans can also listen along with Voice of the Railsplitters Rusty Peace at WLMU 91.3 The Gap.