Examining the Lineup: Part 2

The last time we discussed the Cougars starting lineup, Baru had still not been cleared to play and practices had not begun. With the season opener in just a few short days, the 8-9 man rotation is a bit clearer but far from established.

Let's start with the positions that ARE set in stone.

• Andrew Lawrence, Anthony Stitt at the 1
• Even though he rested for the Limestone game, Lawrence's control of the offense and outside shooting make him a lock at the point guard position. Bobby Cremins has already publicly stated that Stitt will be the first sub off the bench, primarily running the point. His defense and scoring ability will ensure the team doesn't miss a beat.

• Wiggins starts at the 3
• Defensive stopper, lone senior, no chance he doesn't start here

• Trent and Adjehi start inside; James Carlton rotates in
• Trent is the obvious choice here because of his experience starting for Jeremy at the end of last season. Adjehi has shown enough potential and hustle on both sides of the court to justify this start. Like Carlton, Baru is still an unfinished product, but gets the edge due to the performances we have seen so far. JC will still see plenty of time. His energy and athleticism will likely get the better of second teams in conference play. 

And now it gets interesting. Let's take a look at the logjam we have on the wing. One (or more) of these guys is going to be the odd one out if Cremins keeps with the trend of a short bench. From my angle, it's still too early to tell who makes the rotation because Nori and TD have both played well and I have yet to see what Sundeberg can do. My hope is that Bobby continues to play a 9 or 10 man rotation until the right guys distinguish themselves from the pack. 

• Jordan Scott
• Pros- led the team in scoring in both exhibition games, showed enough in practice to warrant a start, arguably the most athletic player on the first team
• Cons- wasn't mentally prepared for playing time last year, still spotty on D

• Nori Johnson
• Pros- more experience playing as a sophomore, rebounds well, high IQ, solid defender
• Cons- didn't take advantage of playing time against Queens, doesn't excel in any one area

• Trevonte Dixon
• Pros- very smart player, posted stats similar to Nori against Limestone, physically strong
• Cons- still getting adjusted to game speed, struggled against Queens, a bit of a tweener between the 2 and the 3

• Matt Sundberg
• Pros- experience and playing time, one of the team's best shooters, height
• Cons- hasn't played a game in over a year

I can see any number of possibilities occurring. My gut instinct is that TD is left out just because he's the youngest and least experienced of the four. However, he rebounded from a bad first collegiate game to post solid numbers against Limestone. I also know that the coaches really want him to play this year. I am guessing Jordan continues to start until he gets outplayed but I don't know who could do that based off what we've seen so far. Matt's injury could cause him to sit for the beginning of the year. Maybe he subs in along the front line. Nori is one of those guys (like Willis) that finds ways to help out the team. 

Right now there is no right or wrong answer. Things get real on Friday and everything will be magnified. Mistakes will justify a benching and above average play could be the stepping stone for time on the court the rest of the season. We'll have to wait and see what happens.

CBSSports Recognizes Wiggins, Baru

I don't always check CBSSports.com, but when I do, it's to see how my fantasy football team is doing.

However, I was alerted to the fact that two Cougar players were recognized in articles by CBS bloggers. Antwaine Wiggins was named one of the Top 20 Defenders in the nation for his work on the perimeter. Adjehi Baru snuck into the Top 30 Freshman. Both were the only Southern Conference players mentioned on either list (although Davidson was picked to represent the Socon in March).

Cougars Go Phi Slamma Jamma on Limestone

Another preseason game and another lopsided victory for the Cougars, 95-61 over Limestone. As you can see from some of the above highlights, this year's Cougar team has the length and athleticism to dunk all over this type of competition. The aerial acrobatics from James, Trent and Adjehi were entertaining, but the real meat and potatoes of this victory lay in the stat sheet. Very balanced scoring from Charleston.  Trent and James both finished with double-doubles, five other Cougars finished with 10 or more points and Baru was right on the cusp with 9 points and 7 rebounds.

Let's go ahead and answer the questions I posted in my preview yesterday.

1) Can Trent rebound? (figuratively and literally)

• Yes and Yes. Hulk led the way and could have finished with more if Cremins hadn't run sets for Baru in the 2nd half.

2) What ever happened to that competition at the 2-guard spot?

• Because of a minor injury to Andrew Lawrence, Anthony Stitt made the start at point and further clouded the backcourt quagmire. AL will start at the one and Jordan Scott seems to have done enough to secure a start at the two. Coach really wants Stitt to see playing time this year, but he couldn't overtake Jordan (and seems a more natural fit at point), so his consolation prize will be the 6th man role. To complicate matter further, Nori and TD played nearly identical games and neither distinguished themselves enough to be the final rotation player. More analysis on all of this in my final "Examining the Starting Lineup."

3) Will Baru settle in?

• Adjehi did look much more comfortable in this game as opposed to last week. He wasn't getting offensive touches in the first half, but BC ran some one-on-one plays for him in the second half. Baru finished the game going 4-13 and 1-3 from the charity stripe. I don't think the inefficiency was from nerves though. He was making nice moves on his opponent, the shots just weren't going in. This problem should be solved with more reps.

A few more parting thoughts:

• Cramps?! Both Wiggins and Stitt had to be nearly carried off the court in the final minutes do to severe cramps. I know it's still preseason, but shouldn't the guys have better conditioning?
• The offensive disparity between the halves was interesting. Lots of threes from the "Drew Goudelock" offense in the first, lots of inside-out play in the 2nd. Nothing wrong with either, but I hope we find an identity. Or maybe we can play both. Too early to tell.
• Love how the perimeter defense of Wiggins and Stitt allows us to get out in transition so often. Combine that with three big man who can run the floor and you have a recipe for crowd-pleasing baskets.
• Speaking of running the floor, there was a play in the first half when Baru was stripped of the ball. He chased his defender down, sped in front of him, didn't foul and forced the turnover. Awesome one-on-one defense. 

Final Exhibition Game: Limestone Preview

In their final preseason tune-up, the Cougars will host another Conference Carolinas opponent in DII Limestone. After handling Queens University with ease, the Cougs will use this contest to implement a little more of the new offense and see who steps up for the final spots in the rotation. 

Limestone is coming off of a preseason loss to something called the Athletes in Action. This is just sort of a team consisting of former college players from all three divisions of college basketball. I've never heard of a college team hosting a game like this but the Limestone Saints were defeated 75-64. This should be an opportunity to see lots of experimental line-ups and offensive sets from the Cougars.

Here are three things I'm hoping to see from today's game:

1) Can Trent Rebound? (figuratively and literally)

• I documented last week how Trent struggled and appeared frustrated for the majority of the Queens game. I would love to see him bounce back to his old self and be one to lead the Cougars. That means more efficient offensive post play and fewer bone-headed turnovers and fouls.

2) What ever happened to that competition at the 2-guard spot?

• Cremins stated before the Queens game that the starting shooting guard position was being hotly contested. Eventually, Jordan Scott showed enough in practice to get the starting nod and responded by leading the Cougars with 23 points. Meanwhile, the players who were supposedly pushing for the spot didn't show anything during game time. Nori and TD were laying bricks all game and Sundberg was nursing a sprained ankle. Matt will likely still be out, so let's see what the other two have to contribute.

3) Will Baru settle in?

• Nerves got the best of young Adjehi last week, but he showed signs of calming down and playing his game as the minutes ticked by. Hopefully he got all those first game jitters out of his system and is ready to dominate today.

Go Cougars!

10 Thoughts on Exhibition Victory

Finally got a chance to watch the first exhibition game of the year. Taking a page out of Peter King's book, here are 10 things that struck me about the game.

1) Jordan Scott surprised me

- If you read my starting lineup preview, you know that Jordan wasn't being handed the starting guard spot opposite Lawrence. Dixon and even Stitt were going to push him to seize the opportunity. In Jordan's first significant playing time, he did not disappoint. He led the team in scoring with 23 points and posted a very efficient stat line of 9-11 shooting and 5-6 from behind the arc in just over 20 minutes of play. Jordan's offensive game is multi-faceted. He's a great shooter, can drive to the rim and finish and has the athleticism to score in transition. If he can pick up the defense a little bit, Jordan Scott will be another key cog in the Cougar arsenal. He's certainly not short on confidence.

2) Andrew Lawrence made running the point look easy

-Scott's backcourt compatriot ran the team so effortlessly at times that it was hard to believe he's getting his first real shot at being a starter. I guess when you spend your summer going up against Tony Parker, an exhibition game against a DII opponent aint nuthin but a thang. Lawrence kept an even keel throughout the contest and knew when to distribute and when to take his own shot. When he did shoot, he showed tremendous accuracy by going 4-5 from three and finishing with 18 points in 20 minutes.

3) Wiedeman had a rough, rough game

-The Hulk just wasn't himself yesterday. Trent was called for some borderline travel and foul calls early in the game and was visibly frustrated. To add injury to insult, he also took a nasty spill after a flagrant foul in the back. The big man hit his side hard on the floor and was wincing on the ground for a few seconds before getting up. After the injury, he continued to struggle offensively. One thing Trent is going to have to adjust to this year is the double teams against him. Having Jeremy and a number of outside shooters around him last year opened up space for Wiedeman to operate. Now he'll have to refine his post moves and learn to use his new bulk to his advantage. Big Trent found other ways to contribute, he pulled down 6 rebounds and had 10 very scrappy points to go along with 4 fouls and 4 turnovers.

4) Baru definitely had some nervous jitters, but showed what he is capable of

-Adjehi's first offensive touch of the game resulted in a near-travel and an out-of-control turnover. We have to remember that for all the pressure and savior status we are putting on Adjehi, he's still just a kid. Like the other freshman, Baru needs time to learn the college game. Even throughout the course of the game, he seemed to settle in a little bit and calm down. Just play your game young fella. On the other hand, Baru's motor and rebounding dominance were definitely on display. He had a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds (6 offensive) and ran the floor very well. Great start to his career.

5) Wiggins looks less like Wiggins

-We go from freshman to senior. Antwaine Wiggins had a pretty good game. His defense on Stabler wasn't the best we've seen from him, but good ol' Twan was looking silky smooth on offense. He seems to be driving to the basket a little bit more before thinking about shooting the trey. If not for some so-so free throw shooting ("Come on Antwaine!" yelled Cremins), A-Wiggy probably could have eclipsed his 19 points.

6) Carlton has the potential to be a very serviceable big off the bench

- Note that I said potential. James had 7 rebounds off the bench yesterday. However, he needs to show me some signs of an offensive game. He's so athletic that he can rely on getting his points in transition, but a solid post game would really keep defenses honest when Wiedeman or Baru is out. Word is he worked real hard on his jumper this summer. It wasn't there today, so the jury is still out til next week. 

7) Stitt has fast feet

-A lot was thrown at young Anthony Stitt this week. He had to adjust from high school to the college game, learn a new offense and perform well enough to earn himself some playing time. In my mind, he did really well. In his relief of Lawrence, Stitt ran the point well, had a nice give-and-go layup and showed great potential on defense. He's just so quick on his toes that his man has a tough time getting around him. His full-court pressure was also impressive.

8) Nori will find ways to contribute

-The 2/3 sophomore Cougar didn't wow anybody with his stat line, but he's an intelligent player who is confident in his abilities. He plays solid defense at the small-forward position and isn't afraid to drive to the basket or shoot from outside.

9) Cremins was vocal

-Probably the most in-game shouting I've heard from BC in a while. He was constantly dishing out orders to the players. Its easy to lose sight of how much Cremins lost with 4 starters gone. Whole new set of players he needs to teach the nuances of his game plan to.

10) Goudelock makes a pretty damn good color commentator

-With the lockout continuing and no roster spot at CofC, Andrew Goudelock stopped in to do some commentating for the CofCSports.com broadcast of the game. I thought he did a surprisingly good job. He was also more biased than Lou Holtz or John Kresse; coaching the CofC players on the court and cheerleading strong play by his fellow Cougars.

Highlights 

Post-game from Coach and Jordan Scott

Exhibition Game 1: Queens

First look at the 2011-2012 Cougars kicks of at TD Arena in approximately 2 hours against Queens University of Charlotte. Don't know much about the Royals other than they are senior-laden and a top tier DII team. Summary and premature, small sample analysis to come tomorrow. Lets get it poppin' Charleston! Go Cougars!

Coaches Preview Front/Backcourt

Assistant Coaches Dupree and Byington were interviewed by cofcsports to preview each individual going into the season. Byington provided criticism of the backcourt and Dupree previewed the frontcourt players. 

ANDREW LAWRENCE
"The biggest thing we've noticed this year is he's being much more aggressive. Last year, he was a bit more passive and let Donavan Monroe or Drew Goudelock play their game. This year, when he looks around, he knows it's his team. He's much more aggressive, and it's in a lot of different areas. He's always been our best passer on the team. This year, he's going to show people he's capable of scoring the ball in different ways, too."
MATT SUNDBERG
"Matt is currently dealing with injuries. He's had problems with his knees, arches and ankles. But, the one thing Matt has done is he's shown us he can make shots in games. It's a quality not everybody can do. Matt had a game-winner when we beat Eastern Kentucky on the road in a postseason tournament. There were other games where he made three or four three-pointers in a game. Matt will be kind of a hybrid player for us. Sometimes he will play the small forward, sometimes he'll play the four spot and just kind of change things up for us. He is like our curve ball, where we can put him in and help us stretch the defense."
BART BENTON
"I think on every good team, and every team that has great chemistry, they have a player like Bart on it. Our players are all very tight with him. He is one of the most popular guys on our team. He's one of the guys who always has energy and is always ready to practice. He's always ready to do whatever we ask him to do. If it's to go box-out Trent (Wiedeman) for five minutes, he has to do it. If it's to go pass the ball for five minutes, he'll do it. Bart never complains. He is the ultimate teammate and we are very fortunate to have him on our team."
NORI JOHNSON
"Nori has definitely improved from his freshman to his sophomore year. He's more comfortable out there. He understands our concepts more and what's expected of him. The one thing we can say about Nori is he has definitely gotten better. He's shooting the ball better, he's one of our better defenders and he's athletic. If Nori can keep improving, then he's going to have an impact on this team."
JORDAN SCOTT
"Jordan is the most athletic guy on our team and he has every skill possible. Jordan can dribble, he can shoot, he can jump and he has a lot of tremendous basketball skills. Jordan's thing is he has to get comfortable and learn the game. He's definitely improved from his freshman year. We need him to keep developing and to keep getting better. He's worked hard and is going to have a big role on this team this year."
PAT BRANIN
"Pat's done a good job. One thing Pat is learning right now is the speed of the game is so much different between high school and college. Pat's a good shooter. He's been working hard and is probably our hardest worker on the team. He spends many hours on his own shooting and working on his game. He has tremendous work ethic, and once his body catches up and he starts understanding the speed of the game, his best basketball is ahead of him."
TREVONTÉ DIXON
"TD is physically, besides Andrew Lawrence, the strongest guy on our team. For a freshman, that's unusual. He's got great strength and a strong body. TD is going through the same transition as the rest of the freshmen which is the speed of the game right now. He's trying to catch up with it. He's learning and is very bright. He picks things up as quickly as anybody. We are going to play him at a couple of different positions. We'll play him at the two, the shooting guard and small forward, because of his strength. He's definitely going to have an impact on this team and play a lot."
ANTHONY STITT
"Anthony's been one of the surprises for us as far as his knowledge of the game and how fast he's picking things up. We almost thought Anthony might be a year away when we recruited him, but we know that he's the quickest guy on the team. He's fast. He can really change speeds well. He can dribble the ball well, but what he's shown us is that he's very tough and he competes. He picks up concepts very quickly. We have to find ways to get Anthony on the floor, because he's obviously going to be our back-up point guard behind Andrew Lawrence. He's done enough to prove to us that we're going to give him more minutes."

Frontcourt after the break