Cougars Blow Another Double Digit Lead, Fall to 3-4 in CAA

Final Score: William & Mary 74, College of Charleston 63
Top Performers:
Marcus Thornton 26 points (10-17 FG)
Anthony Thomas 16 points, 5 rebounds, 1 stl, 4 TO's

The two game CAA/Virginia road swing was not kind to the Charleston Cougars. After surrendering a first half lead for a loss to the Dukes of James Madison University, the Cougs bussed to Williamsburg and did it again at the home of the William & Mary Tribe. It was a similar song and dance in both cases. Build an early lead behind some three point shooting, cool off from downtown, allow the other team to stick around and eventually unravel late. The Cougar-slayer in this one was Marcus Thornton, who was held in check the first half but came roaring back in the 2nd to put another boom on CofC in the form of a 49-29 home team point advantage in the final half.

The game started with the Cougars exhibiting the best of themselves. Anthony Thomas, who fouled out in the JMU game, looked like he had a chip on his shoulder as he drove and finished at the rim consistently. He even went up for a huge alley oop slam. That assist came courtesy of Anthony Stitt, who had his own stellar first half. The Cougar point guard is normally the offensive x-factor. If Sitt's streaky shooting is on, he can make up for the team's deficiencies in scoring. With one Anthony going 6 for 7 from the field and the other going 4 for 4 from three, the Cougars looked to be in good shape even with minimal contributions from Willis and Nori.

In the "Wojcik" categories the Cougars were also standing pat. Most notably they were preventing the Tribe's attack from outside the arc. William and Mary (the CAA's best from long-range) attempted just two threes in the first half (both misses) and Thornton settled for very inefficient long two-pointers off each screen. The Tribe's leading scorer was only hitting a dime a dozen. CofC also controlled the rebounding edge and forced a few turnovers when W&M tried to run pick-and-rolls. Thomas, Baru and even Nori have gotten good at seeing those plays develop and getting a hand on the ball. Seeing William and Mary's guards get around CofC's off the dribble was nothing new but 50% shooting from outside and strong enough defense gave the Cougs a 34-25 halftime lead over one of the CAA's premier offensive teams.

Things began to turn in Williamsburg about 5 minutes into the second half. Charleston has had so much trouble holding onto leads, especially when they face the slightest adversity. The adversity in this case was when Marcus Thornton and the Tribe started to heat up from three. Here's the problem - in these low-scoring games that CofC forces themselves into with their slow (call it deliberate, methodical, pace, whatever) offense and strong defense, every possession is so critical. The Cougars looked like the better team for much of the game. But a dominant majority of the game will at best result in a lead bordering on double-digits - and that's fine considering the numbers the Cougars are limiting opponents to. But things can sway so quickly. All it took was a looong Thornton jumper and another three from Boatner off a helter skelter play to completely erase the grinding effort CofC put in.

Once the door was cracked open just a little bit, a guard-oriented team like William & Mary is able to jump on it - especially at home. CofC fans remember these moments fondly from the Goudelock days. You start to feel good when the shots finally fall, you get a second wind in your step and the team takes it to the next level. The Tribe start four seniors and they were able to do this.

That's when things unraveled again for Charleston. It was a toxic solution of forced offense, unforced turnovers, missed free throws and poor defense. Once the Cougars got punched in the mouth and were caught on their heels they really struggled to get back to what got them the lead in the first place. The Tribe scored 18 points off 11 CofC turnovers. They hit 7 threes in the final 20 minutes after going 0-2 in the first twenty.

After failing to convert off pick-and-rolls in the first half, the Tribe elected to go with a drive-and-dump off strategy and it decimated the Cougars. The CofC guards cannot keep up with speedy point guards and that's exactly what William & Mary is built on. Over and over again Thornton and Britt were able to get into the lane and drop off a pass to their bigs. Despite this, Wojcik stuck with mostly man-to-man and threw very few curveballs at the Tribe offense until the lead was insurmountable.

Then there were a few shots by Thornton that were just un-guardable. We knew going into this game what kind of shooter he was and his 26 points were proof of his All-CAA status. Tough to win when you let the other team's best player have a great game, tough to win when you surrender almost 50 points in the 2nd half. Now it's back to the drawing board for CofC after a very disappointing road trip.

Mental Errors Cost CofC Another Winnable Game

James Madison University 58, College of Charleston 56

Top Performers:

Jackson Kent 17 pts (3-6 3pt), 5 rebs

Adjehi Baru 13 pts (7-12 FT), 13 rebounds

"He's not even that strong!"

That's what Coach Wojcik kept yelling at his players every time a Cougar picked up a another superfluous foul. Charleston's lineup was already bigger and more physical at most positions but any needless contact was already unnecessary and was going to get called a foul. Any time there was an over-the-back, an offensive push-off or a leaning screen called on the visiting team, all Wojcik could do was grit his teeth and squeeze his notes a little tighter as he reiterated that statement to his players. 

"Guys if we keep this up it's gonna be just like the game two weeks ago!"

That's what came out of CDW's mouth when Anthony Thomas picked up his third personal foul in quick succession. In print these two phrases come across as explosive. After sitting as close to the bench as I was at this game, I can tell you that Coach Wojcik is not the in-game maniac he is sometimes portrayed as when the TV cameras pan by him. Each time Wojcik reiterated one of those two phrases his tone had a hint of pleading to it. He knew his guys were smarter than this and he knew they were more than capable of walking on to James Madison's floor and taking care of business.

This was another game the Cougars should have won, but things really did end up like two weeks ago against Hofstra. The Cougars built a double-digit first half lead, but a series of unforced errors in the form of turnovers, fouls and missed free throws caused them to unravel late in the game. Again, despite foul trouble from the team's best defender (AT) and shooter (Nori), the Cougars still could have won going up against a Dukes team missing Charles Cooke.

Wojcik was able to scrape by with minutes from Theo Johnson and Joe Chealey filling in. He also got stellar games out of Willis Hall and Adjehi Baru. The front court duo combined for 35 points and 21 rebounds. Willis provided the flash but Adjehi really provided the substance. Taking the "He's not even that strong" mentality to heart, Adjehi consistently looked physically unstoppable going one-on-one and was sent to the line multiple times after absorbing contact. Unfortunately his game could have been better from the stripe.

The final minutes of this one were brutal. Time after time the Cougars would hold JMU to a scoreless possession only to take the ball to the offensive end and hand it back over without even attempting a shot. Theo Johnson had a bad pass that went out of bounds, Baru got called for a walk and AT had an offensive foul with under 3 minutes to play to keep the Cougs from taking the lead back.

Then came the last play. Down two with 27 seconds to go the Cougars called timeout and drew something up. It looked like their first option was blown up pretty quickly so they went to Plan B. Chealey found Baru wide open under the basket. From where I was sitting it looked like Adjehi fumbled the pass and was at a bad angle with a double team headed his way by the time he collected it a split second later. Now, whether he should have gone up for the two (and possible contact) is obsolete now because he passed it out to Anthony Stitt for a contested three at the buzzer. The ball bounced off the rim and the Cougars dropped to 3-3 in conference. 

It's another tough pill to swallow in the CAA. When the outside shots are falling the Cougars can hang with anyone. In this game almost half their shots were from behind the arc and they only hit 22% (5-21). Not having AT out there to drive the lane or Nori Johnson late as the teams only consistent shooter certainly hurt but the team needs another way to manufacture points when the threes don't fall because that scenario happens too often. I'm still holding on to a sliver of hope that when Canyon comes back he can be at least a threat to drive to the hoop or hit an outside shot opposite Nori. But his finger was still in splint yesterday and he's not going to be ready when the Cougars face the volume shooting William & Mary Tribe Monday night.  

Cougars Travel to CAA Country for First League Rematch

James Madison University (6-13, 1-4)

College of Charleston (11-9, 3-2)

JMU Convocation Center

Tipoff at 2pm on on CSS/Comcast Sportsnet

Finally, a game I can attend in person! The ability to continue to watch the Cougars live and up close despite relocating to the nations capital after graduation was a strong personal draw to the CAA for yours truly. The Cougars make their two game road swing to Virginia and will be up early next month for a Towson-UD trip to round out regular season trips to the Middle East (coast). Saturday's matinee against James Madison also marks the Cougars' first time playing a CAA foe for a second time. 

Conference schedules have been a fickle beast for Wojcik and his coaching staff in his tenure at CofC. Last year, his first at the helm, CDW had to face every SoCon opponent for virtually the first time ever. The complete lack of familiarity means more time studying tape and less time tinkering with adjustments based off real playing experience. As Coach said in this week's podcast, you can only learn so much from watching a team play on film. But remember this, Wojcik and the Cougars went 8-1 last year against opponents they were seeing a second time in the SoCon.

What happened the last time these teams met

1st CAA game. Darius Rucker sings the national anthem. Anthony Stitt is on fire from three. Cougars cruise to a 75-61 victory. Overall it was one helluva night at TD Arena. The Cougars played one of their best games of the season but JMU proved they can be a nightmare for some of the upper echelon CAA teams. The Dukes got Andre Nation back for the first time in that game (now he's their leading scorer) and also got perimeter contributions from Charles Cooke and Andrey Semenov. JMU will surprise a few teams in the league when Cooke and Nation both pour in the points - they will be a tough team to face in their own building on Saturday.

Since then

The Cougars are a modest 2-2 in conference outside the JMU game but the Dukes have not won since CofC snapped their 3-game win streak on January 7th. However, the Dukes did lose by just 4 to both league leader Delaware and Towson-beater Northeastern. In their most recent game a full week prior to this weekend's matchup, JMU was blown out by William & Mary, 78-56. The worst part of that game was an injury to Charles Cooke who will keep him out of the lineup versus CofC. 

Nation did and will continue to, put the team on his back without his backcourt running mate. In that W&M game, Nation led his team in points (25), rebounds and assists. The Dukes will need him to play like that because their bench is averaging enough points for you to count on one hand. If there's one goal on the whiteboard for CofC it should be to limit Andre Nation to as inefficient a game as possible

 

X-Factor

 

How's this for an x-factor? Theo Johnson. Very quietly, Theo has been playing pretty significant minutes while Canyon Barry sits with an injured finger. His impact hasn't been noted on the box score but the defense hasn't skipped a beat when he comes in for AT. In the most recent game against UNCW Theo came closest to having a breakout game, but a missed dunk in transition was probably his most memorable play. JMU is a good matchup for him because he'll be asked to be versatile and guard the likes of Nation and Semenov all over the court. Maybe this is the game where he'll be able to sink a couple shots too and give the bench a boost.

 

*Disclaimer: Since I'll be traveling to this game and soaking in everything Harrisonburg, VA has to offer this weekend, it's unlikely that I'll have a recap of this one. Live tweets and in-game selfies will have to suffice.

 

 

 

 

Nori Drops 23 as Cougars Overcome Turnovers to Win

Final Score: College of Charleston 75, UNC Wilmington 70
Top Performers:
Nori Johnson 23 pts, 3 rebs, 2 stls, 2 blks
Chris Dixon 21 pts, 4 asts, 4 rebs, 1 stl

It's better to win ugly than to lose pretty. Against UNCW the Cougars needed another 20+ point outburst from Nori Johnson and some nearly flawless 2nd half shooting to secure a win against a scrappy Seahawk team. The Cougars had some defensive lapses, missed dunks and multiple turnovers but got enough offense in the final 20 minutes to prevent a loss to last place Wilmington. Buzz Peterson's team battled inside TD Arena all night trying to pick up their first conference win. They switched defenses, fought for loose balls, drained threes and got to the line in bunches over the final quarter of the game but the Cougars were ultimately successful after Joe Chealey came up with a big offensive rebound in the final seconds to kill the clock.

In the first half the Cougar offense was Nori Johnson. Everyone else for the home team struggled just to get an open shot but Nori drained five treys in the first 10 minutes to build an 11-point cushion for the Cougars. After a basket-less performance in his first start of the season against Towson, it was good to see Nori burn the Wilmington zone for points. The rest of the team again looked uncomfortable going against the defense without Nori or Willis in there to test the spacing. Baru had his issues with fouling and Stitt and Chealey had five turnovers between them for the game trying to find their teammates.

Picking up the slack offensively was the slashing combo of Anthony Thomas (11 pts, 4 stls, 4 assts, 2 blks) and Theo Johnson. Even though they play the same role on the team, the way they get to the rim is different. Theo was the most aggressive I've seen him in a while, gliding to the hoop and going up for a dunk on the baseline. AT was more utilitarian - driving, stopping and pump faking his way to points around the basket.

The microcosm for this game could be summed up by the lumbering battle between opposing 7-footers on the court: David Wishon vs CJ Gettys. While each had their moments (Wishon hit a jumper! Gettys drove to the hoop!), both players and teams had you thinking they were capable of more in this one. Both teams turned possession over like ball handling was going out of style. Both teams hit shots they had no business making and missed those they should make with ease.

The second half was when both squads seemed to wake up and The Dub and The College started scorching the nets. Right on cue, as has been the case all year, UNCW (lowest 3PFG% in the country) drained treys at a 50% clip to tie the game up at 52. Then Stitt would hit a three, Nori would get a steal, Hall would hit a reverse or Baru would get fouled and the Cougars would pull away. Then Dixon would drive to the hoop or the Seahawks would hit a three and make it a one-basket affair.

After the Seahawks were able to manufacture some offense by trapping Chealey and Stitt with double teams in the full court, the Cougars had the ball up just three with 52 seconds to go. Wilmington elected to play D and was able to force Stitt into a contested three as the shot clock expired. Luckily Joe Chealey was able to track the offensive rebound and the Cougars walked away with a victory.

The road has been pretty good to the Cougars this year so maybe we can breathe a sigh of relief and expect the team to get back to the way they played in their first 3 conference games when they head up to Virginia later this week for JMU and William & Mary. The Cougars shouldn't need a jaw-dropping performance from one guy to scrape away with a win. They need to tighten the screws and get back to their game (rebounding, defense, inside-out balance) after celebrating this victory.

Welcoming The Dub to Charleston: A Coastal Rivalry?

College of Charleston (10-9, 2-2)

UNC Wilmington (6-14, 0-5)

TD Arena

Tipoff at 7pm on CSS

Entering the season as mostly an unknown but a team likely in the mix at the top of the CAA standings, the Cougars find themselves in mediocrity four games into conference play. The Cougars are 2-2, trailing undefeated Delaware and Towson in the league standings. A road win against Hofstra slipped through their fingers and an inconsistent offensive effort against Towson dropped them to .500 amongst their peers. 

Now CofC goes from first to worst at TD Arena as they welcome their CAA neighbor and the only winless team in conference: UNCW to Charleston. The Dub catches a lot of flack from Coug fans for it's status as an inferior coastal university school in the Carolinas, but the last thing the Cougars should be doing is taking this team lightly. The wins over poor conference mates don't come as easy in the CAA as they did in the SoCon and the home shooting woes again weigh on the minds of fans as a very real disadvantage. The Cougars need a win, but not as bad as the Seahawks - and that makes them a very dangerous team to face. 

Are they any good?

Their record would have you say "no." They're the closest thing right now to a conference doormat at 0-5 in the CAA but they're not as bad as Citadel and Howard teams Charleston has already faced this year. It sounds like Wojcik is preaching to the team not to take the Seahawks lightly (after all, who wants to lose to the team 0-5 in the CAA?) by stating the Dub is a team with talented personnel and lousy consistency - which is a fair assessment. Big man Ced Williams is the guy to know in blue; a lanky 6-9 sophomore forward leading the team in points and rebounds who reminds me a lot of most-likely-related Samford Bulldog Tim Williams. 

What do they do well?

Believe it or not the Seahawks start a five man unit that is bigger than the Cougs and will challenge them on the boards and defensively. They get quite a few blocks and offensive putbacks because of this advantage. Buzz Peterson's (remember him from the App State days?) team also puts a lot of pressure on a defense behind PG Chris Dixon, who will push the ball and keep the Cougars on their heels. This will be a game where we'll probably feel fortunate to have AT and Stitt in the starting lineup to try and prevent Adjehi and Willis from getting burned with fouls in the paint. 

What do they struggle with?

Statistically UNCW is the most inefficient offensive team in the CAA. They're dead last in the league in field goal percentage from three (just 24.1%) and every where else on the court (40% per game). That does not bode well going against a Wojcik team that prides themselves on defense but it does seem like every time CofC "gives" an opponent an outside shot that they decide to live with if hit, the Cougars get burned (<cough> Miami <cough). Hopefully that does not happen. 

X-Factor

The UNC Wilmington bench is a big X-factor. The inconsistency of the reserves is a big reason why the offense is so out of whack. Against Towson the non-starters put up a big fat goose egg in points. Other nights they can get a hot streak from Tanner Milson (their best shooter) or backup guard Ben Eblen. Williams and Dixon lead this team - Peterson likely prays neither gets into foul trouble, but if they both play well and the team gets a boost off the bench the Cougars could be looking at a deficit.

Matchup to watch for

Cedrick Williams and Chuck Ogbodo versus Adjehi Baru and Willis Hall. Baru is going to be matched up size-for-size with Williams, Hall will be at a disadvantage going against a taller player with a penchant for defense. Worst case scenario involves some combination of foul trouble or turnovers from the Cougar bigs being harassed by these two and the rest of the team being unable to pick up the slack. The overall length of UNCW has me fearing another Towson-like scenario in which Ogdobo can simultaneously help double Baru and close out on Willis' jumpers. If the Seahawks want a battle of height we can give them a battle of height! Unleash the Ginja Ninja!

Cougar Offense Regresses, CofC Drops to 2-2 in CAA

Final Score: Towson 72, College of Charleston 57
Top Performers:
Jerelle Benimon 21 pts, 11 rebs, 40 mins
Willis Hall 20 pts, 12 rebs

For the past six games the Cougars had been clicking offensively behind the return of Nori Johnson and consistent shooting of Anthony Stitt. The clunky, turnover-prone play that buried the Cougs in half their out-of-conference games faded away and good things appeared to be on the horizon. This afternoon, facing one of the CAA's stingiest defenses, the Cougars' flaws were exposed and they struggled mightily en route to a season and league low in field goal shooting (33.3%).

Early on Willis Hall once again carried the team. He was responsible for almost all of Charleston's point and rebounding production in the first half and probably has the bumps and bruises to prove it. Nori Johnson, starting his first game of the year, was unable to seize the moment (0 points for the game on 0-7 shooting). He was not the only CofC player to struggle. Anthony Stitt seemed hesitant to drive to the rim all night with Towson's size inside. Chealey had trouble finding the passing lanes to the paint and had two turnovers and a personal foul within his first few minutes of playing time. AT is normally the teams fifth scoring option but found himself driving into traffic with his backcourt mates all but smothered.

If there was a welcome sight in this game it was that Adjehi finally looked like the Adjehi Baru of old. Unlike previous scouting reports for CofC, Towson chose to leave him un-doubled and he looked polished and patient operating in the low post (7 for 11 for 15 points). Defensively he challenged Benimon all afternoon, sticking with him when he drove to the basket and bothering the potential CAA POY with his length.

We knew this game would be a battle in the paint but I don't think anyone predicted how much the Cougars (outside Hall and Baru) would struggle. With Baru going one-on-one, the rest of the Tigers were free to close out CofC's shooters and things went south quickly in the second half when Willis' superhuman efforts started to wear thin. The Cougs went on a 7 minute drought without a field goal, shot 19% for 12 points in the 2nd period before garbage time kicked in and couldn't buy a bucket without Nori or Hall on the floor to attract the defense's attention.

On the other side of the ball, Towson was able to capitalize off CofC's 10 turnovers (18 points off those) and 14 offensive rebounds. Charleston made the final rebounding numbers respectable but that number is misleading given all the misses by The College. Benimon, as would be expected, was the one to lead Towson's pulling away. Baru gave him space to take jumpers and in the span of a few minutes he had hit three in a row to put a mini boom on the scoreboard. Four McGlynn, someone the Cougars had not faced yet, also found himself open behind the arc and burned the Cougars for 11 points. Rafriel Guthrie, coming off the bench for Towson had 14 points. The Charleston bench contributed just 6 points all together.

The loss hurts since Charleston could have narrowed the gap between teams at the top of the CAA standings. Now they fall to the middle of the pack and Towson remains undefeated in conference play. You can live with the effort by CofC - they fought until the very end of regulation, but the wins will continue to be tough to achieve the rest of the season.

Cougars Welcome CAA Pre-Season Favorite Towson Back to TD Arena

College of Charleston (10-8, 2-1)

Towson University (11-6, 2-0)

TD Arena

Tipoff at 3:30 on NBC Sports

It's been almost a full week since the Charleston Cougars took the floor. This afternoon they will play their second-consecutive nationally televised game on NBC Sports Network (their first CAA home game on the network). Coming back to TD Arena for a second time is the Towson Tigers - albeit under different expectations. Last year CofC welcomed a Towson team, in both squads' season openers, who was the worst in Division 1 basketball the year prior. The Cougars easily smacked that Tigers team behind one of their best shooting games of the year. However, Towson would go on to have the largest single-season turnaround in history and finished the season as a front runner in the CAA. This year they were picked in the preseason to win the entire conference.

From doormat to front-runner the Tigers will surely be looking for revenge of last years game and look to prove against their toughest competition in the CAA that they are the team to beat. The Cougars have been much-improved in conference play and are playing with a confidence we had not yet seen this year. Both teams play a big, physical brand of low-scoring, old-school ball. It's going to be another slugfest at TD Arena with conference bragging rights on the line. Here's your preview.

Are they any good?

Yes, they are pretty good. The Tigers were picked to win the Colonial this past fall because they are loaded with talent and experience. Jerrelle Benimon is the name everyone thinks of when the Tigers or the CAA in general is brought up. The former Georgetown Hoya is now a senior, preseason CAA Player of the Year, borderline All-American and epitome of what Towson does best - he's averaging a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds per game. But Benimon is just the headliner. Wing player Marcus Damas is another talented player who the Cougars were able to neutralize last year but has been a consistent second contributor next to Bennimon. He had a career-high 26 points in their last game. Four McGlynn, who was ineligible after transferring from Vermont last year, provides the outside shooting balance that becomes available with the rest of the team clogging up the middle.

What do they do well?

Anything you can do, I can do better. Both the Cougars and the Tigers are built the same sort of way. They rebound, they play excellent defense and run an efficient-if-low-scoring offense. Out of the following categories, the Tigers and Cougars rank tops in the CAA in each: scoring defense (CofC 1st), field goal percentage defense (Towson 1st, CofC 2nd), rebounding offense (Towson 1st, CofC 2nd), rebounding margin (Towson 1st, CofC 2nd), blocks (Towson 1st, CofC 3rd). 

The Tigers are one of the best rebounding teams in the country, ranking 19th nationally to the Cougars' respectable 58th. They also use their big front line to block shots and alter attempts inside the paint. 

What do they struggle with?

Two things stick out in Towson's losses this year: they consistently struggle with turnovers and they do not play well away from their brand new arena. The Tigers were able to amass a tough schedule with their preseason expectations but they disappointed with losses to Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston State and North Dakota State. Bennimon alone has had games with 5, 6 and (yikes!) 9 turnovers. The swarming, poking defense CofC showed last weekend against Northeastern could get the Tigers into some trouble. 

Matchup to watch for

This one is easy, it's Bennimon against the combination of Baru, Hall, Wishon and Thomas. Adjehi has not played up to what he is capable of in conference play so far. He's gotten himself into foul trouble in each game and hasn't been hitting the shots inside we've seen him make game-after-game. This is contest where he needs to play like the teams lone All-CAA mention. Baru was thought to be the anti-Bennimon coming into the season and he needs to show up focused and aggressive against the other talented big man in conference. But I expect those other three to take a crack at stopping Bennimon as well. The Cougars can't afford another foul fest like the Hofstra game because the gritty Tigers will eat them alive inside the paint. 

X-Factor

Not necessarily a player or a statistic, but in a game so evenly matched as this, the little things are going to make the difference. Turnovers, free throws, foul trouble, a few threes here and there could decide who wins and who losses. I want CofC to show up and show out at home and send a message to the rest of the CAA that they are amongst the league's elite. To do so, they'll need to play close to their best. 

Cougars Steal and Swat Their Way to 1st CAA Road Win

Final Score: College of Charleston 58, Northeastern 49

Top Performers:

Anthony Thomas 16 pts, 9 rebs, 5 assts, 5 stls

Scott Eatherton 19 pts, 11 rebs, 3 blks

I was a little bit worried about how the Cougars were going to respond in this game following the referee BS that took place two nights before on Long Island. Part of me thought the team would hang their heads a bit after surrendering the lead the way they did or come out disillusioned for the second end of a back-to-back CAA road swing. Early on it looked ugly as Scott Eatherton torched the Cougs for a first half double-double. But timely shooting and a more sinister defense proved enough for a gritty victory in Boston.

The matchup of the night was going to be Willis "The Illest" Hall versus Scott "The Beasterton" Eatherton. Both men came out guns blazing to start this one. Eatherton abused Baru on early on, driving past him for layups and vacuuming up seemingly all available rebounds. Kind of reminded me of the Cohen matchups of the last two years that would test Baru's patience and frustrate the hell out of him. After picking up another early foul, it was next man up and David Wishon was the next to be victimized by Eatherton. The Ginja Ninja dared Scotty to shoot over him from past the three point line and got burned. Wishon also gave up three points the old fashioned way by foolishly fouling Eatherton en route to an uncontested dunk. Eatherton was on pace for a Willis Hall versus Davidson type performance.

Lucky for CofC Willis Hall got back to his usual double-double self. Hall was 4-4 from behind the arc last night and had three in the first half to keep The College from falling behind early. Like we've seen so many times this year, the Cougar defense carried us through the game while the offense struggled. Unlike we've seen this year, the Cougars were able to get out in transition. As has been discussed on this blog, CofC's defense isn't the type for steals and blocks - it's built for contested shots and boxing out for the rebound. That was far from the case against NU because the Thomas, Baru and Stitt sniffed out everything the Huskies were doing on offense and picked off or blocked shots with ease. Somebody must've been watching a lot of tape on the 250-mile bus ride from Long Island to Boston.

Led by another state sheet-stuffing performance by AT, the Cougars swatted a season high 7 shot attempts and stole the ball another 9 times. That led to some easy offense while the shooting struggled. In the 2nd half the shots started falling for the team in their road blacks. Spearheaded by a run of treys by Hall, Joe Chealey and Anthony Stitt, CofC pulled away. Baru, who was challenged by Wojcik at halftime, tightened up on Eatherton and the Huskies offense became the latest Cougar opponent to be held to a season low in points.

Charleston is proving that they have a number of guys who can beat you. They've had at least one stellar performance by the following: Hall, AT, Stitt, Nori Johnson, Chealey and the injured Canyon Barry to go along with some very solid games from Baru prior to league play. When everybody is clicking they're very dangerous. As Huskies coach Bill Coen said this morning "I think [CofC is] a really good club. I think they're starting to find their groove." Here's to hoping groove is in the heart this Saturday as preseason favorite Towson returns to Chucktown hoping to get revenge for the butt-whooping they took at TD Arena last year. It'll be a solid measuring stick for just where CofC ranks in the CAA pecking order this season. 

Pride Crawls to Victory as Four Cougars Foul Out

Hofstra 75, College of Charleston 71

Top Performers:

Anthony Stitt 17 pts, 11 rebs, 7 assts

Zeke Upshaw 22 pts, 3 assts, 40 mins

In CofC's first CAA road game, the refs wasted no time welcoming the Cougars to league play. A grand total of 51 fouls were called between Hofstra and the College and the broad disparity between those called on either team resulted in the Cougars losing a game they very clearly should have won.

After the Pride went on a 6-0 run to start the game, the Cougars (playing in their most up-tempo offense all year) started torching the nets and racked up a 14-point lead in the first half of play. The refs were not shy about blowing their whistles, with both teams hovering around 20 free throw attempts. Unfortunately for the Cougars they made just 11 of 21 attempts at the charity stripe and kept a would-be-higher lead in the lower double digits. Nori Johnson again poured in buckets from outside (25 points for the game), Anthony Stitt was on his way to one of the best all-around performances and Baru was going to the line at will as he again struggled to convert in the paint.

Things started to turn when Willis Hall picked up his third foul late in the first half. Already playing Theo Johnson extended minutes, Wojcik elected to bring sparingly used freshman Terrance O'Donohue off the bench for minutes at power forward. Smelling blood in the water with a mostly inexperienced lineup on the floor to hold on until halftime, Zeke Upshaw drained two treys and the Pride went on an 8-0 run to close CofC's lead to just four points going into the break.

The second half is when things turned absolutely ludicrous. A few key stats to remember - the Cougars ranked in the Top 10 nationally last year for playing defense without fouling. With the new defensive rules in place this year, Wojcik put in a lot of hours with his players and staff to continue to play aggressive defense and adjust to the new rules. So far this year CofC is still one of the best non-fouling teams in the country: averaging just over 18 per game before last night.

In the second half of the game yesterday the Pride attempted 29 free throws....the Cougars attempted just six. Adjehi Baru fouled out, Nori and Theo Johnson fouled out, Willis Hall fouled out and Anthony Thomas could not intentionally foul in the final seconds of a one possession game because he had four. Wojcik would say after the game that he had never had four players on one team pick up five personal fouls apiece. I've never seen it either. 

In one trip to the line, the Pride attempted eight free throws before possession was given back to the Cougs because of ghost fouls on Baru, Hall and Theo Johnson. In a game with 51 fouls called the Cougars went on an 11 minute stretch in the 2nd without getting a trip to the line. Hofstra had more free throw attempts than field goal attempts. Things became downright laughable late in the game when the clock had to be stopped as both Anthony Stitt and a Hofstra player had to attend to nose bleeds - no fouls called during that sequence.

To be fair, the Pride did lose Jordan Allen due to fouls and Nwaukoni had four but this game was decided in the second half by the whistles. The Cougars shot 44% for the game, 44% from three, had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio and the CofC bench outscored Hofstra's 31-6. Credit the Pride for being one of the few teams this season to out-rebound the Cougars (38-30) but it's hard to find fault in CofC's performance. That's what makes the loss so hard to swallow.

Aside from the lackluster play of Adjehi and the missed free throws the Cougars played another solid game on the road. They should have cruised to a double-digit win with their strong guard play alone and actually had a number of chances late despite all the adversity they faced. It's just a lot to overcome when freebies at the line favor the home team 29-6.

The College can't let this loss fester because next up is another big test against the defending regular season champs; Northeastern. The Huskies should be a winded bunch coming off a double OT defeat to Drexel on Saturday but the Cougars need to shake off yesterday's disappointment and come out focused. Go Cougars. 

Cougars Embark on First CAA Road Trip to Hofstra, Northeastern

Hofstra (4-11, 0-1)

College of Charleston (9-7, 1-0)

Mack Sports Complex, Heampstead, NY

Tipoff at 4pm here (free live stream) 

It's been four days since the Cougars dispatched JMU in their CAA opener. Shortly thereafter they took off via plane on the furthest in-conference road trip in program history with a stop in New York to play Hofstra today and Northeastern (outside Boston) on Monday. It's a sharp disparity from SoCon bus trips but it's the type of travel schedule the school gladly welcomes in an upgraded conference. In fact, the guys should be excited about this trip. Wojcik's CofC teams have an outstanding 14-3 road record and last year on a similar road swing to Marist and Vermont, the Cougars played some of their best ball of the year. 

It's the first full slate of CAA men's basketball today and, like the Cougars, the Hofstra Pride have played one conference game - an 86-79 loss at Delaware. I haven't kept up with the Pride since 2011 when Andrew Goudelock and Charles Jenkins were battling it out to be the NCAA's leading scorer. Hofstra is struggling this season, but then again so had the Dukes and they gave the Cougars some problems. CofC needs a bounce back game from Hall and Baru because shooting doesn't always carry over on the road.

Are they any good?

Not really, but a poor CAA team is still better than half the teams CofC is used to playing in league play over the past three years. The Hofstra Pride will likely finish in the bottom tier of the Colonial with new coach Joe Mihalich but they do have some pieces. Chief among them is senior swing man Zeke Upshaw (what a sweet name) who is averaging 19 points a game; 2nd in the CAA. However, all of their wins have come at home this season. 

What do they do well?

Hoftsra is actually the best offensive rebounding team in the conference. That's a stat that ranks up there with turnovers and Adjehi Baru missed double-doubles as the most frustrating for CofC fans. The Cougars can shut a team down for the duration of the shot clock but just one missed box out erases that entire defensive possession. I know what you're thinking, "poor offense and missed shots usually leads to inflated offensive rebounding numbers." Well you're right but you don't write this blog. The Cougars are one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the country so which way the rebounding needle points will be something to keep an eye on.  

What do they struggle with?

As one Hofstra message board contributor put it, the Pride's zone defense is more akin to "swiss cheese." That was their downfall against high-scoring Delaware this week and could be an issue the way the Cougars finally started to solve the 3-2 against JMU on Tuesday. 

Matchup to watch for

Let's give Theo Johnson some love. In Canyon Barry's absence, Theo contributed a season-high 19 minutes against JMU and "did some of the defensive dirty work" against the Dukes as Wojcik would later put it. Upshaw is the guy the Cougars have to key in on and when Anthony Thomas is out of the game that duty will fall on Theo. Aside from a block or the occasional three-pointer from TJ, he's hard to notice on the court. It will be his job to do the little things like holding Hofstra off the offensive glass and limiting their ability to penetrate.

X-Factor

Here is the difference in the Cougars' numbers over the last 3 games. Most of that production can be attributed to Nori Johnson's return to the lineup in 2014. It's impossible to ask Nori to keep up his sharp shooting (sitting at a cool 50% from three), but as long as he is hitting, he is the X-factor. 

CofC Guards Shine in First CAA Win

Final Score: CofC 75, JMU 61
Top Performers:
Anthony Stitt 23 points (5-8 3PM-A), 3 assts
Charles Cooke 21 pts, 6 rebs, 2 stls
Anthony Thomas 10 pts, 11 rebs

This game was supposed to be a grit-and-grind matchup between two low-scoring teams with size and athleticism. One of those games the Cougars have played a half dozen times already this season in which the offense takes the night off and the wins come ugly. That prediction was quickly flipped upside down as Anthony Stitt drilled three consecutive long balls and the Cougars elected to go under every ball screen JMU set. The game ended up being a SoCon throwback of sorts, with both teams running the offense through their guards and hoisting up jumpers. The difference was that CofC's were coming as a result of the pressure JMU put under the basket. That's the luxury you afford when your starting power forward/center combo is the talk of the league.

Long considered the weaker half of this team, the College of Charleston trio of guards - Anthony Stitt, Nori Johnson and Joe Chealey - contributed a combined 53 points while the forwards cleaned the glass (+17 edge for CofC).  Reigning National Player of the Week Willis Hall had a quiet game on offense (2 points) as did Adjehi Baru (6 points, 6 turnovers) but they received enough attention from JMU's defense to free up space for the rest of the team.

As expected, JMU started the game in a 3-2 zone. Not so expected was how the Cougars attacked the defense. Wojcik mentioned postgame that moving the ball against the zone was the primary point of emphasis in practice and it showed. Stitt broke out of a light scoring drought from the outside and the penetration from Anthony Thomas and Joe Chealey was a welcome sign of aggression. With CofC's hot start, the Dukes bailed on the zone about midway through the first half. On offense, JMU started off hot like the Cougars but they rely heavily on jumpers and when those stopped falling things started to get ugly. Andre Nation gave them a big boost off the bench with 7 points but his team also went on a 6 minute scoreless streak toward the end of the first half. An Andre Semenov three (I already don't like that guy, reminds me too much of Van Scyoc) and a cold-blooded response from Stitt wrapped up the first 20 minutes.

In the second half things started to swing back in favor of the visiting Dukes. The Cougar bigs were missing all sorts of easy buckets inside and turning the ball over every time they got doubled - rendering an offensive rebounding advantage they had obsolete. The JMU guards also started bullying their CofC counterparts by posting them up. That's something the Cougs rarely encounter and the quick fouls picked up by Nori Johnson and Joe Chealey could have unraveled them. Luckily both those guys made up for it on the offensive end. Nori specifically gave a vintage Cremins-era CofC performance with his former coach in the stands. The senior went 5-of-9 from deep for the game and was absolutely unconscionable in the 2nd half as he drained shot after shot to blow open what was a 49-49 tie. He even had a momentum-shifting steal and drive to the basket for an and-1 to show CDW he cares about defense too. Chealey had perhaps his best game since the season opener. He got to the rim and finished through contact as well as hit some timely second half threes. Guard play and the first double-double of AT's career proved too much for JMU to overcome.

Overall just a really solid first conference game for the Cougars. They came out with more energy and passion than I have seen all year. In a game without much offensive production from Hall, Baru and no Barry, the CofC guards were fired up all night and seized the opportunity to boost those dreadful ppg and field goal numbers. James Madison is young but they look like they could be real trouble the next time we meet. The hot shooting is unlikely to carry over from game to game but I don't expect the poor inside play of Hall and Baru to remain either. Regardless, tonight was a great way for the Cougars to introduce themselves to the rest of their new conference.

CAA Play Begins: CofC Opens at Home with Defending Champs

College of Charleston (8-7, 0-0)

James Madison University (6-9, 1-0)

TD Arena

Tipoff at 7pm on CSS and UStream

The time has finally come. After over a year of waiting (or more depending on how much you follow conference realignment) the College of Charleston men's basketball team begins CAA play tonight against James Madison - the defending CAA Tournament Champions. The game marks the end of the out-of-conference half of the schedule and the beginning of a new era at CofC. A big enough occasion to warrant a special appearance by Darius Rucker to sing the national anthem. It's essentially a brand new season for the Cougars, who still have a blank slate in the CAA, and a chance to make an impression on the rest of the league. So let's do a scout of the JMU Dukes:

Are the Dukes any good?

JMU struggled earlier this year dealing with a number of missing pieces but have started to turn things around - winning 4 of their last 5 games. After pulling out an upset in last year's CAA Tournament, the Dukes graduated two starters. In the fall, the team announced the suspension CAA preseason second-team guard Andre Nation for 15 games. Game number 16 - Tuesday, January 7th at the College of Charleston. 

Despite these shortcomings, JMU has picked up where they left off last year in conference and defeated UNCW in North Carolina Saturday in the CAA opener. JMU has a big, glass-cleaning team with a starting lineup that measures 6'4 and above. In the absence of Nation, sophomore guard Charles Cooke has picked up the scoring load with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists per game. Without Canyon Barry in this one, Stitt, Burroughs-Cook and Thomas will have their hands full covering Cooke and Nation (presumably coming off the bench).

What do they do well?

You're not going to like this, but the Dukes play a strict 3-2 zone on defense - the same set that Howard used sporadically to give the Cougars offensive fits. After Sunday's performance I would expect attacking the zone to have been a major point of emphasis in practice. Nori Johnson is the designated zone-buster but he can't be the only one making the defense pay. I hope Baru and Hall come out attacking the zone and looking to get to the line. We'll also be lucky to get some wide open threes to fall from our guards. 

What do they struggle with?

Consistency mostly. That's what happens when you have an already young team, take away a major piece and run the offense through a high-usage scoring guard. It's hard to get a read on the Dukes because their performances from week to week are all over the place. They don't score the ball very much, 62.8 ppg is not much better than Howard, so expect this game to be another ugly contest. Lot's of banging in the paint, probably a lot of fouls called and between the zone defense played by JMU and CofC's man-to-man I would expect a lot of bricked shots as well. 

Matchup to watch for

Willis Hall versus anyone trying to stop Willis Hall. The fifth-year senior is taking no prisoners in his last season at The College and his back-to-back CAA Player of the Week Honors and 20.3 points and 17 rebound average during the Cougs' three game win streak is putting teams on notice. It's hard for other teams to key in on Willis because his game is A) so versatile (he leads the team in rebounds and 3-point percentage) and B) based so much on his hustle. He gets a lot of his points by turning trash into treasure down low. As the emotional leader of this team I expect Willis to set a fire under the guys before tipoff and for a full 40 minutes.

X-Factor

This is the easiest response of all: it's Andre Nation. We have no idea what to expect in Nation's first game back since the NCAA Tournament. Does he slide right back into the rotation or does it throw things off trying to integrate him? The Cougars have to respect what he can do so how will their defense change when he comes into the game? The Cougars haven't faced a team with TWO explosive guards, how are they going to fare? These are questions I need answered dammit!

Let the CAA season begin.

Cougars Dispatch Howard, But Leave Us Wanting More

Final Score: College of Charleston 60, Howard 50
Top Performers:
Willis Hall 18 pts, 17 rebs
Prince Okoroh 27 pts (9-25 FG)
Adjehi Baru 12 pts, 10 rebs, 2 blks

Facing another NCAA bottom-dwellar at home, the Cougars again fell victim to playing down to the level of the competition. Leading Howard by as many as 19 in the first half, CofC went on another patented offensive nap to start the second that saw the Bison close the gap to as little as five points. It took another monster game from Willis Hall, a double-double from Baru and two consecutive three balls by Joe Chealey to save CofC from another embarrassment at home. On the other side of the coin however - a win is a win and the Cougars are just a game behind Towson for best record heading into CAA play.

Howard, playing a lineup of mostly freshmen, was able to get back into this game behind the efforts of forward Prince Okoroh and their 2-3 zone defense. Okoroh was inefficient on the night, needing almost half his teams shot attempts to get his 27 points, but he went on a prolonged hot streak to start the second that saw Howard claw back into the game while the Cougs struggled to score.

The 2-3 zone defense continues to be a thorn in CofC's side as long as they continue to struggle to score on jump shots. As soon as Baru, Hall or Wishon gets the ball down low the defense collapses, and when they pass back out the guards need to burn the opponents by drilling an open trey. Nori in the first half and Chealey in the second half were able to provide some balance but the team still looked out of sorts on multiple possessions passing the ball around the perimeter. The Cougars tend to turn the ball over when they get crowded and when they do pass out of double teams, the inability for players to make an open jumper hurts them.

Luckily for the Cougars they still have one of the best forward tandems in the league to fall back on. Willis turned in a third straight awe-inspiring game and should very deservedly repeat as CAA Player of the Week. Adjehi decided to join the party as well. He wasn't even able to attempt a shot in the first half with the Bison harassing him in the paint but he was able to get to the line in the 2nd and hit enough free throws to give him his own 12-10 game.

While these performances are great, this was a golden opportunity for CofC to runaway early and never look back. Shortly before the game we learned that Canyon Barry could miss as much as a month with a finger injury on his shooting hand and the team needs to develop some depth. Taking their foot off the gas pedal and allowing Howard to get back into the game prevented them from getting quality minutes from guys like Burroughs-Cook, Theo Johnson or Terrance O'Donohue.

If there's one thing the Cougars will get out of this it's that they need to work on penetrating the zone - because CAA teams will use it. Right now Willis is the only player who can hit a shot from the elbow in the cavity of the zone so the focus should be on passing the ball out of trouble as soon as they recognize the defense. CAA play is here and it's time to show up and blow up.

CofC Wraps Up Non-Conference Schedule with Howard

College of Charleston (7-7, 0-0)
Howard (3-13, 1-1)
TD Arena 
Tipoff at 4pm on MyTV Charleston and UStream

Coming off a 2-0 week, the Cougars look to head into their first ever CAA league game with a win over the struggling Howard University Bison. Since Nori Johnson entered the rotation against Citadel, the Cougars have added the missing link to their offense while maintaining their edge in rebounding and defense. The results have been two victories by an average of 18 points. The decision by Wojcik to let his seniors see more playing time as the freshmen struggle looks to be a smart one. Willis Hall won CAA Player of the Week behind dominant play from Christmas through New Years Day and could very well repeat the title. Anthony Thomas has also brought his defense and swiss army knife versatility to the to the starting five.

In Howard, the Cougars have the opportunity to let Canyon, Joe and Johnathan play extended minutes if the starters do their jobs. If those three can get their sea legs under them the Cougars will have some serious depth as they enter conference play. Here's your Howard preview:

Are the Bison any good?

No, they are not. The Howard men's basketball team has just one D1 victory on the season - an overtime defeat of conference foe Delaware State. They have losses to familiar opponents like William & Mary (albeit in overtime as well) and Old Dominion. Howard has one of the youngest teams in the country - starting four freshman and one junior. It's not uncommon for teams to schedule down heading into conference play, it's a great opportunity to fine-tune things, and this looks like a great matchup for the Cougars.

If there's one thing the Cougars have been doing consistently the last two months it's play fundamental team defense. Against a young team like Howard the Cougars could very easily force them into some frustrating and inefficient offense. But remember, the guys should not be taking any opponent lightly (especially at home), Marist walked in here with zero wins and used CofC as a springboard to a four game winning streak.

What do they do well?

Ehhhh.....they're an ok rebounding team. That's the only major team stat that puts them amongst the top 300 nationally. Carrying the load for the Bison is that one junior in the starting lineup I mentioned - small forward Prince Okoroh. He averages 16 points and 6 boards per game and appears to be the straw that stirs the drink on offense for Howard.

What do they struggle with?

CofC has gone through some growing pains integrating two or three freshmen into collegiate play. Howard is dealing with twice that many and their offense struggles as most young teams do. They don't share the ball very well, take poor shots and it results in just over 60 points per game (ironically the same number Wojcik's defense strives to keep opponents at). They can get out and run but they will likely struggle today to get the ball in the hoop.

Matchup to watch for

Easily the matchup of the afternoon will be Okoroh versus Anthony Thomas. The Bison picked the wrong candidate to be the one carrying the team against CofC because AT takes opposing small forwards out of the game. The two match up size wise and since Thomas was inserted back into the starting spot on the wing it's given the Cougars a team defensive and rebounding boost.

X-Factor

Paging the class of 2017...come in. Since their hot start to begin the season, Canyon Barry, Joe Chealey and Johnathan Burroughs-Cook have all seen their production drop. It's not unexpected and we all have seen the tantalizing potential each one of them exhibits. Any of those three could use a good game to boost their confidence back up for league play and give the Cougars the x-factor they need.  

Cougars Open 2014 With Rare Win Behind Hall's Monster Game

Final Score: College of Charleston 76, Davidson 64

Top Performers:

Willis Hall 26 points, 21 rebounds, 40 minutes played

De'Mon Brooks 7 points, 3 rebounds in 19 minutes (fouled out)

Anthony Thomas 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals

The Cougars started off the new year with a bang this afternoon. Playing at Davidson's Belk Arena, where CofC has not one since a miracle finish versus Steph Curry in 2009, the Cougar front line dominated the much smaller Wildcats to pull away in the second half and win by a dozen. The MVP of the game as well as my universe was senior Willis Hall. Before a small contingency of family and friends, Willis turned in the biggest game of his career with The College's first ever 20-20 game at the DI level and utterly put the team on his back in his last game against the Wildcats. The grown man double-double was the fourth of the year for Hall, matching his career total and giving him enough points and rebounds for two games worth of numbers. 

I said that the team would not get by with just every Cougar playing a solid game; and aside from Willis they got contributions from several other teammates, mostly along the front line. Adjehi Baru picked up his first foul less than a minute into the game and was quickly replaced by David Wishon. The big man immediately established Wojcik's strategy to control the paint as he rumbled through Davidson's minuscule forward line-up for the Cougars' first four points. He finished with 8 points and showed that if he can hold on to the ball when he's looking to pass and gets doubled he can be an above serviceable back up. A true "utility" stat line from AT and a 9 assist floor game from Anthony Stitt should also not be over shadowed by Hall's stellar performance.

The game started as close as any, with 13 lead changes and neither team building more than a 4-point lead in the first half. The Cougar defense was stout all afternoon but 13 second-chance points for Davidson were keeping them in it despite CofC holding the advantage in shooting percentage. In the second half it was all Cougars, especially as McKillop had to be cautious with how he managed Brooks' foul trouble. The Cougars are already taller at every position and the spot minutes for Brooks only further solidified the advantage. For the game the Cougars shot an insane 73.3% from inside the arc. Many of these were within a few feet of the basket as Hall, Wishon, Baru and Thomas had their way. 

In the second period, some timely threes by Nori Johnson (3 of the team's 4 treys, 11 points), Baru and further beast-moding by Willis Hall stretched the lead to as many as 15. Davidson was troubled all night by forced turnovers and poor shooting. The Wildcats shot 45% from the charity stripe on 20 attempts. This coming after last year's Davidson squad was the best free throw shooting team in the country. 

This was a big win for several reasons. It was just the 4th win at Belk Arena for the Cougars and the first victory over Davidson in Wojcik's career. The 3 game sweep of the SoCon in OOC play is also a nice send-off as we move into the first CAA game on Tuesday. The Wojcik system was successful against Davidson. The Cougars got easy shots off and worked their advantage inside (39-27 rebounding edge also) to put up 76 points without a good three-point shooting night. The Cougars also milked the clock for the last 8 minutes of the game. When they can work the clock down and get a shot to fall they can put opponents away, when they milk the clock down and don't score you get grumbling from fans about lack of offense. Today it worked.

Very solid start to the year against a quality team who has had the Cougars' number for some time. Up next is the last out-of-conference game against Howard on Saturday and then it's on to the first ever CAA game against JMU the day before school starts back up. Happy New Year and Go Cougars!