Toughest Test Yet as Cougars Travel to Miami

College of Charleston (7-2, 0-0)

El Cid (8-1, 0-0)

BankUnited Center

Tipoff at 2:00 pm on Fox Sports (regionally) and ESPN3

So far this season, the young, injury-depleted Cougars are outperforming the underwhelming expectations set this summer. With seven wins in their first nine games, CofC is just two victories shy of matching last year's season total. The eye test alone shows improvement, Coach Grant has familiarized the players with his system and a dash of new blood has revitalized the team. Practices have a looser tone and the team is clearly showing confidence (something they have lacked for some time) during the current five game win streak.

However, it has also been a softer schedule that has helped the Cougar pups get to where they now sit. Sure Davidson and LSU are no joke, but compared to last year's gauntlet of games that included UConn, WVU, Texas A&M and this same Miami team, the Cougars are not taking the same gut punches every week. And that's a good thing. It's tough to have faith in a system when you're routinely getting crushed by ranked teams. The Cougars never recovered from those losses and struggled all year.

The Miami team the Cougars face on Saturday will be the toughest game they have played so far and maybe the toughest game all year. The nationally-ranked, Jim Larranaga-coached Canes have just one loss on the season and ironically it was to a CAA team: Northeastern. Miami has had 11 days to prep for this game, and you know they won't be taking another mid-major team lightly. 

The first thing that you'll notice about the Hurricanes is their size; they are massive. They are also experienced, starting two redshirt seniors, one true senior, a fourth year junior and a true junior. Sheldon McClellan, the team's leading scorer, is an all-ACC caliber player who can break a defense down. The Cougars' staunch defense will also be tested against a team that ranks top-30 nationally in both points per game (85.2) and field goal percentage (49.9%).

It all amounts to a tall order for Earl Grant and the Cougars. In order to win, the CofC bigs will have to show up like they did against LSU - playing physically and rebounding without fouling. All Charleston players will have to protect the ball and hit shots. 

Northeastern won using that exact gameplan (plus some late game heroics from Quincy Ford). The confidence this CofC team is playing with is palpable, they will need it for this one.

CofC Cruises in Post-Exam Tune-Up

Final Score: College of Charleston 89, North Greenville 52

Top Performers: 
Canyon Barry 26 points (5-9 3pt), 3 rebs, 3 asts

Marquise Pointer 16 pts (6-7 FG, 2-2 3pt), 4 asts, 1 stl

It's not uncommon for teams to schedule soft games around the fall semester final exam period. Other CAA opponents this week include Delaware's Wesley College and Mary Washington University. The Cougars were no exception by placing Division II North Greenville on the schedule this afternoon - an unofficial tune-up game to get their legs and minds prepared for a tough road test against the nationally ranked Miami Hurricanes next weekend. 

The Cougars certainly started the game looking like their heads were not in this one - whether they were looking ahead to the Canes or knocking off the rust from being off the court for a couple days. The Cougars would fall into a quick 5-1 hole, but quickly got things turned around off their defense and sharing of the basketball.

Returning to form, the Cougars set a season high in points (89) and assists (22). Marquise Pointer set a new career high with 16 points, Evan Bailey regained his shooting stroke with a career high 14, Barry notched another 20+ point performance and the Cougars committed just 10 turnovers and 13 personal fouls.

Even though North Greenville was hot from behind the arc (7-16 for the game), the CofC defense clamped down to force 21 turnovers and 38% shooting from two point range. The Cougars had a blistering 35-0 advantage in points off turnovers.

You can't take too much from a game against a non-D1 opponent, but anything less than a blowout win by the Cougars would be disappointing and this one was never really close. The defense was there, shots were falling at a high clip (over 50% from the field, the arc and the line) and the walk-ons got a few minutes of playing time.

Meanwhile, Jim Larranaga and the Miami Hurricanes are in the middle of 11 days of prep for their home contest against the Cougars. In order for CofC to sneak out of Coral Gables with a win, they'll need to execute to near perfection and maybe hope for a bit of a post-exam rustiness by The U.

More notes below:

• Twelve Cougars saw playing time in this game, including John Eck, Tim Branin and Harrison Bowne. Five players (Barry, Pointer, Bailey, Brantley, Johnson) scored in double figures.
• Donovan Gilmore returned to the court after suffering an ankle injury versus LSU and came off the bench to contribute five rebounds and a basket in 16 minutes
• The NBA saw it's first 5 x 5 game in four years from Draymond Green the other night. Payton Hulsey is going to come close to accomplishing the same one day. Once again he led the Cougars in assists (5) and rebounds (6). He already has a five steal game and registered two blocks today. He also averages 5 points per game.
• Great body language from the Cougars for much of this game. Loved seeing Brantley dive for a loose ball and Cam pumping up the bench after forcing a turnover. The team is loving this five game win streak and they'll need that energy next week.

Cougars Handle ECU for Fourth Straight Win

Final Score: College of Charleston 77, East Carolina 73

Top Performers: 
Canyon Barry 27 pts (13-14 FT), 2 asts, 2 rebs

Kentrell Barkley 22 pts, 10 rebs, 5 asts, 2 stls

A key initiative of the CofC coaching staff all season has been getting the guys to close out games better. The previous two seasons the Cougars had squandered far too many late game leads with turnovers, missed free throws and inefficient offense. The Davidson and Coastal games notwithstanding, CofC has done a much better job of shutting the door on opponents this year.

Now the Cougars need to learn how to play with a lead. As Coach Grant mentions above, he's still debating how he wants the guys to play when they are up big. Should the Cougars continue to play aggressive, or should they try to slow the pace? Only time and experience will prove which strategy is more effective.

The Cougars' 18 point lead in the second half last night was their biggest post halftime lead since the LSU game (22 points at one point). The Cougars were able to notch 37 first half points because of their ability to dissect the ECU zone defense - no small feat considering the Cougars had just one day of prep after a much different pace and defensive scheme at Citadel. The Cougars must have hit cutters coming from the left corner a half dozen times before the Pirates were able to stop that play alone.

Then CofC got a little complacent in the second half, not attacking the rim as they had before and instead settling for jumpers. ECU was able to gain some momentum off turnovers and hit 4-9 three pointers in the second period to erase CofC's lead.

In the final two minutes, much like the Citadel game, the Cougars kept their opponent to one shot per possession and hit their free throws to ice the game. 

The Cougars now have some time off for exams before taking on non-D1 North Greenville in a glorified scrimmage to keep their bodies warm before the road game at Miami on the 19th.

A few more notes below:

• Thought Jarrell Brantley had a nice game. He was often the guy in the soft spot of the zone (the ol' Willis Hall sweet spot) and did his job by hitting a short jumper or attacking the glass before guys could rotate in to stop him
• Canyon Barry got back to his high-scoring, dunking ways with 27 points and an outstanding 13 for 14 line from the charity stripe. He is at his best when he's attacking the basket and shooting in rhythm. 
• Did you know Cam Johnson leads the team in field goal shooting percentage? He also led the team with 9 boards last night
• I still wish Payton Hulsey would shoot more when he's open, but he had a stat-stuffing evening - 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals to go with 3 points
• Nick Harris was in the starting lineup once again, but picked up his fourth foul midway through the second half. James Bourne gave some quality minutes at center.
• Team stats were very similar across the board - rebounding, shooting percentages etc. The Cougar bench was actually outscored 36-12. Twenty two of those ECU bench points came from Kentrell Barkley.
• Despite the second half surge (52 points) from ECU, they never led in this game

Shorthanded Cougars Survive The Citadel

Final Score: College of Charleston 82, Citadel 74

Top Performers: 
Payton Hulsey 10 pts (5-6 FG), 7 rebs, 2 asts, 2 stls

Derrick Henry 15 pts (6-14 FG, 1-7 3pt)

It became evident within the first few minutes of yesterday's contest that Coach Grant and the Cougars used their four full days of prep to effectively gameplan for the nation's best offense/worst defense. 

Once the Cougars made 2-3 passes out of the Bulldogs' full court pressure, it was a layup line for the CofC bigs under the basket. In terms of pace, the Cougars were able to slow the game down to their liking. 

Unfortunately, the Cougars were without two big men - starter Donovan Gilmore and reserve Terrance O'Donohue. In a game dependent on endurance, finishing at the rim and rebounding, CofC was without two quality bodies. 

Luckily the Cougars got a well-rounded effort from the eight guys who saw playing time. Nick Harris, in his first collegiate start, posted a career high 13 points on 5 for 5 attempts from the floor. James Bourne also found himself in the right spots and finished through contact a couple times to put up an identical 5 for 5 performance off the bench.

Even though CofC's three leading scorers (Barry, Johnson, Pointer) were a combined 1 for 12 from beyond the arc, the team still managed to put up 82 points. Evan Bailey and Payton Hulsey also produced solid numbers playing extended minutes at forward.

This game however was no cake walk. Even with the Cougars getting easy looks in the paint, the man-to-man Citadel defense out of timeouts and in the halfcourt caused issues. Charleston spotted their city rivals 21 points off 20 turnovers. That allowed Baucom's squad extra possessions to score. Even if they don't have the most efficient offense, it's a pure numbers game that the Bulldogs can keep up on the scoreboard if they're getting two or three cracks at scoring to every one that CofC worked to achieve.

Despite not valuing the ball, CofC put together their third or fourth strong Always Be Closing stretch. An Achilles heal that doomed the Wojcik era #CardiacCougs in past seasons, CofC was able to put away The Citadel the same way they have Navy and Western Carolina.

After the Bulldogs went up 4 with 4:05 left in the game, the Cougars locked up their defense and took care of the ball to rip off a decisive 9-0 run to ice their ninth straight win over Citadel. As Coach Grant said after the game, the team knew no lead was safe against an offense that can score 9 points in 30 seconds. The Cougs forced two key turnovers to limit those looks in the waning minutes.

Next for CofC is a primetime matchup against East Carolina tomorrow night at TD Arena. The Pirates have won three straight and sit at 5-3 overall.

Some more notes from the annual Chucktown showdown:

• Citadel was held to their second lowest scoring offensive output of the year, behind only the 71 points they had against Butler
• The rebounding margin was a wash, 34-34, but Citadel held the advantage in offensive rebounding 12-5
• In such an odd, sloppy game, Marquise Pointer looked more like a freshman than he has at any other point this year since the first exhibition game. He was able to generate 5 assists, but was 0-4 from behind the arc and had 5 turnovers in 20 minutes of play.
• The Citadel will win some games at the free throw line this year. That's an advantage to having a five man lineup of shooters. The Bulldogs shot 75% from the charity stripe in this game, while CofC was just 20 for 30.

Cougars Look to #EraseThePace vs Citadel

College of Charleston (4-2, 0-0)

El Cid (5-3, 0-0)

McAlister Field House

Tipoff at 11:00 am on ESPN3

Although these teams no longer meet twice a season as conference foes, the city rivalry (sorry, Charleston Southern) will continue in non-league play for the foreseeable future.

Charleston holds the edge in the all-time series 53-39, but this will be the first matchup between Earl Grant and new Citadel Head Coach Duggar Baucom.

Baucom is in his first season at The Citadel after spending the previous 10 at VMI (Virginia Military Institute). Now, if you've followed college basketball over the past decade, you know the association between the VMI Keydets and offensive production.

VMI led the nation in scoring for six seasons of Baucom's tenure - the result of a feverish pace of play that sacrificed defense and rebounding for transition baskets and three point attempts. The results were a mixed bag - VMI created an entertaining brand of basketball but their style was labeled a gimmick when opposing teams were able to put up unusually high stats against minimal defense. Baucom was 151-159 in his time at VMI.

In all honesty, he is a perfect fit for The Citadel. Recruiting to military colleges is a tough gig and Baucom has a decade of experience in that field. The Citadel is also a football school. Even if this year's Citadel team finishes around .500, but with a style of play that puts fans in the seats - that is a big win for the program. Plus, who wouldn't want to upgrade from Lexington, VA to Charleston?

So far, Citadel has epitomized Baucom's style. They are currently first of all Division 1 teams in scoring offense (97 pts/game) and dead last (346th) in defense, surrendering 93 points per game to opponents. Take out their two non-D1 games on the season, and Citadel is actually giving up 102 points per game.

The Bulldogs return to Charleston after five straight games on the road. In their last contest, a 97-93 loss to Air Force, Citadel allowed their opponent to shoot an unfathomable 45 free throws. The Bulldogs attempted a whopping 50 three points attempts (connecting on 18) and were out rebounded 47-33.

The Cougars, who are tied for 30th in scoring defense, will have their work cut out for them trying to get back and limit Citadel's attempts. This is a game where the Cougars' roster depth will help them. Coach Grant will be able to roll out fresh bodies throughout the contest and afford to play small with Gilmore / O'Donohue at the 5 or Evan Bailey at power forward.

The Cougars have had several days to prep for this game in the wake of the LSU victory. If they're going to avoid a letdown game, they'll have to limit the Citadel shots as best they can and take advantage of the soft defense and interior play.

Cougars Stymie Ben Simmons, Beat LSU

Final Score: College of Charleston 70, LSU 58

Top Performers: 
Canyon Barry 19 pts (6-18 FG, 2-6 3pt), 3 rebs, 2 asts

Ben Simmons 15 pts (4-15 FG), 18 rebs, 7 to's

Wow. That was a lot of fun.

Coach Grant downplayed this win as much as he could after the game, reverting to the same coach-speak fans are used to; "It's just one game...we'll enjoy it and move on...there's plenty of basketball to be played...etc." But for the CofC men's basketball program this was a big win that should be savored. 

I couldn't be happier for Coach Grant, Canyon Barry, the freshmen, the student section and the casual CofC basketball fan. For Grant, his sparkling personality and game management skills were put on display under the national magnifying glass and he had a chance to witness his young team take a huge leap forward. Canyon Barry, a redshirt junior on the court but a senior in the classroom, enjoyed the apex of his career and balled out in front of a dozen NBA scouts mostly familiar only with his dad and brothers. 

The feel good story for me was Nick Harris who, as I mentioned was a possibility to make an impact, seized the opportunity of Gilmore sitting with an ankle injury to put together a masterful performance. Nick is a favorite of team parents and those close to the program. He's had to patiently wait through a redshirt season and shoulder injury as he watched the team struggle from the bench, but last night he showcased a glimpse of his skill set. In 25 minutes of play (another career high) he had 6 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, the highlight of the game and was rewarded with a front page pic.

For fellow freshmen Marquise Pointer, Jarrell Brantley and Grant Riller - they got to see the TD Arena experience at its finest. Props to the Sea of C (who can now get drunk AT the game) and the nearly 5,000 in attendance for keeping the place rollicking throughout the contest. This is a big win for the students and Charlestonians who have not kept up with the program since the Cremins/Goudelock days.

How crazy is it that for all the applause the Cougars have gotten for cutting off the head of the snake in Ben Simmons - he still finished with a 15-18 double-double? Shows you how talented he is and will be. The Cougars guarded him by committee - crowding him with gold jerseys and active hands all night. Brantley - who was zeroed in on defense from the opening tip, seemed to have no interest in following up his first career double-double with another offensive outing. He was locked in on Simmons every time they shared the court and forced two crucial steals despite being plagued with foul trouble.

Terrance O'Donohue, James Bourne and Nick Harris also took their turn on Simmons, performing above expectations defensively and on the glass. Hulsey, Cam Johnson and Marquise Pointer will also not get enough credit for limiting fellow freshman and LSU leading scorer Antonio Blakeney to just one point for the game.

As players and coaches reiterated after the game, this win was the summation of everyone doing their part and executing the game plan. Charleston took advantage of LSU coming out of the gates looking apathetic - like they'd roll over this team - and didn't take their foot off the gas until midway through the second half.

Big win for a program that has had a lot of negativity around it for the last few years. Again, it is just one win, and it means little this season if the Cougs don't build off the performance. They still have a long way to go (this season is all about growth, as we've said all year) but now the Cougs should be confident that they can get there.

A few more notes:

• Despite Simmons' 18 boards, the Cougars actually out-rebounded LSU 48-47
• When most people see a mid-major upset a power conference team, they assume it was because of a heroic outside shooting performance. You could maybe make that argument in the first half, but CofC was just quicker getting to their spots. The Cougars also held a 10 point advantage in the paint and doubled up the Tigers in bench points. CofC hardly shot lights out for the game.
• Seriously, why was alcohol not available for purchase inside the arena when I was a student?
• Coach Grant challenged Terrance O'Donohue to be a more consistent performer before the game. TO responded with an efficient shooting night and a big nine rebounds
• Payton Hulsey - swiss army knife with 9 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds in 17 minutes
• Marquise Pointer continuing to grow every game - 12 points, 4 steals and on the court in crunch time every game this year

Who Defends Ben Simmons?

College of Charleston (3-2, 0-0)

LSU (3-2, 0-0)

TD Arena

Tipoff at 7:00 pm

Tonight marks the biggest home game of the season for the College of Charleston as they host projected #1 NBA draft pick Ben Simmons and the LSU Tigers at TD Arena for a primetime matchup.

Simmons, the 6'10 225 lbs freshman forward, is a defensive nightmare. He leads the country in rebounding at 14.4 per game, is a smooth moving precise passer and chips in 16.2 points per contest despite complaints of being too passive offensively at times.

So far this season, how Simmons goes is how the Tigers go. The team offense too regularly devolves to four guys standing around and waiting for him to go to work, and they have lost their past two contests in that fashion. For the Cougars, they'll need to be zeroed in on #25 all night long and hope he doesn't put together a SportsCenter-worthy highlight package against them. It's going to take a total team effort, but here are five options to check Simmons in the half court.

1) Canyon Barry

Canyon is a likely Cougar to be tasked with slowing down Simmons and it makes sense on many levels. For one, Simmons will probably be the one guarding Canyon because of the similar positions they play and the stats they put up for their team. Canyon has also proved to be a competent defender on the perimeter and has the NBA pedigree and genetics of his father and brothers. 

When guarding the bigger Simmons, Canyon has to be aware that the refs are going to be watching him very closely. The Cougars cannot allow their leading scorer to be on the bench in foul trouble with an SEC team in the building. Barry also has to avoid turning the ball over or leaking out on offense before the Cougars gain possession - because you know Simmons is crashing the glass

2) Jarrell Brantley

If we're putting freshman on freshman, Jarrell Brantley may be following up his big day against Western Carolina with a tall defensive task. Brantley can hang with Simmons athletically and actually might have a few pounds on him. The two also have similar strengths in rebounding and getting to the rim on offense. 

But Brantley has not yet been asked to be a defensive stopper, as fifth-year senior James Bourne has usually been trusted to stop opposing big men one-on-one. Brantley's weaknesses in this matchup are experienced-based. If he is put on Simmons, he'll need to be in sync with his team, avoiding screens, staying low, boxing out and not getting called for hand checking.

3) Donovan Gilmore

In terms of pure athleticism, Gilmore is the Cougars' best option. Remember this? Gilmore can run, he can jump, he can dunk and block shots. He's not the bulkiest player, but neither is Simmons - who plays a lot of power forward like Gilmore. Donovan falls into the same buckets as Brantley - namely in lack of experience and a still unproven ability to be a defensive presence. Like many players, Donovan is adjusting to the new NCAA rules on fouling and it has at times limited his playing time. But if LSU is getting out on the break, as they like to do, it might not be the worst thing to have Gilmore going stride for stride with Simmons.

4) Nick Harris

In terms of height, sparingly used redshirt freshmen Nick Harris is the only player on the CofC roster who can stand eye-to-eye with Ben Simmons. Nick is still being slowly integrated into the rotation following an early fall injury that put him out of preseason practice, but Saturday against Western Carolina he saw the most minutes of his career so far. 

Nick is still a question mark, but in limited time he has shown himself to be a capable player now and one with a lot of room to fill out. He projects to be a major piece for the next few years, but he's still growing into his potential. We don't yet know if he can check someone out on the perimeter and not get left behind on drives, but he can defend the paint and alter shots with his enormous wingspan. The Cougar big man rotation is deep, and if Nick can make a quick impact, Coach Grant might lean on him a lot.

5) Cameron Johnson / Marquise Pointer 

The Cougars' dynamic duo of underclassmen guards (the healthy ones at least) might be the two best defenders on the team. Cam Johnson has proven from Day 1 of his freshman year that his football background has helped him to become a tenacious and physical presence on defense, and he takes a lot of pride in being asked to guard the team's best player. Pointer is also very quick on his feet and can move laterally and keep his hands active.

What neither of these guys possess is the necessary height to contest a near seven footer from shooting threes. If Simmons is settling for outside jumpers because the CofC guards are preventing him from getting past them, that's one thing, but that's about the best the Cougs can hope for from these guys.