Tomorrow is senior night for the CofC men's basketball team. Bart Benton, Matt Sundberg and Andrew Lawrence will all be honored at halftime of the Wofford game and ride off gracefully from TD Arena into the postseason sunset (with a stop at Furman). I thought now would be a good time to reflect on each man's career.
Bart is captain of the scout team and a key component in the Cougars' practice and pre-game preparations. He replaced Jordan Turok as my favorite bench-riding white kid and was never a disappointment when he entered late in games. He's usually good for a three-pointer or a couple free throws within a minute of playing time. Bart will most likely become a state judge and put the careers of other Cougar alumni to shame.
While We-Want-Bart Benton is a fan favorite, Matt "Sunny-D" Sundberg is a King Kresse All-Star. Matt came in as a lanky freshman three-point specialist with little weight to throw around in the block and even fewer post moves. That didn't stop 18-year old Matt from not backing down against Tyler Hansbrough, delivering some hard fouls to keep Psycho T in check and winning the hearts of Cougar fans everywhere. Because of injuries, his own defensive lapses and coaching changes Matt never got to flourish as anything more than a part-time starter. Still, it didn't stop Sunny D from giving us a few awkward haircuts and truly man-crush worthy performances when he lit it up. The career defining shower he rained down on Louisville last year, his Lowcountry-inspired bow ties during his redshirt season and his numerous drawn charges over his career have made Sundberg the most bloggable Cougar player of all time. He may have never starred but he probably bedded quite a few CofC coeds and gave us dozens of memories over his half-decade at CofC.
Finally there's the captain, the Olympian, the Brit: Mr. Andrew Lawrence. Over the past four years there has been nobody steadier on the court than Andrew. As a freshman he was a spark off the bench for Tony White Jr and Andrew Goudelock. His sophomore season he was good for some nifty assists and a couple treys spelling Donovan Monroe at the point. Last year Andrew was asked to step up big with the class of 2011 gone. He was spectacular in increased minutes and single-handily won a couple games at home. After a stint in the 2012 Olympics, Andrew has been the Cougars most consistent player when he's on the court. He can beat teams off the dribble, he can score from inside and out and he can distribute when his shot's not falling. He rarely forces things and is solely responsible for another handful of victories this year. If I were voting, The Captain would be a lock for one of the guard spots on the All-SoCon team.
Andrew Lawrence will have a long and fruitful basketball career wherever he plays next year. He's got pro-level strength and shooting ability and under Wojcik he has become a better defender and post-passer. All of us Cougar fans would love to send Andrew, Matt and Bart away with a SoCon Championship.
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