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| Wofford upset North Carolina 79-75 in the Dean Dome last year |
It's here! The highly anticipated season for Southern Conference hoops season is upon us and nine of the 10 SoCon teams will be in action Tuesday night, highlighted by North Carolina's trip to Wofford. Stay tuned to find predictions and previews of all 10 SoCon games to open the season coming up Monday.
No. 8 North Carolina (0-0) at Wofford (0-0), 7 p.m.
Series: North Carolina leads 3-1
Coaches: Roy Williams (424-126/16th yr at UNC); Mike Young (269-239/17th yr)
Venue: Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium (3,500)
Brief Synopsis of Last Season's Clash:
Wofford was able to score a 79-75 upset win over No. 5 North Carolina in the Dean Dome last season powered by a 27-point performance from Fletcher Magee, as well as an outstanding 18-point, nine-rebound effort from Cameron Jackson.
Brief Preview:
We all know what happened when these two faced off against each other last season, as Wofford took down mighty No. 5 North Carolina, 79-75, in Chapel Hill.
The No. 3 Tar Heels will look to exact revenge in Spartanburg against Fletcher Magee (22.1 PPG, 2.9 RPG, ) this season. It will be easier said than done for the Tar Heels, who will face a Wofford team that enters the matchup as one of the favorites to win the Southern Conference this season, against a Mike Young-coached club he recently called the deepest team he has ever coached.
In the recent SoCon coaches and media polls which came out two weeks ago, the Terriers were a consensus No. 2 pick, while Magee was selected as the league's Player of the Year by the coaches. Meanwhile, North Carolina 6-8 senior forward Luke Maye (16.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG) was selected Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. Maye's versatility can't be questioned, as he shot 43.1% from three-point range last season.
Following a school-record 751 points and 148 three-point field goals last season, it must have seemed like a formality for league coaches upon selecting Magee Player of the Year.
The Terriers are far more than just Magee as well, combining the likes of Nathan Hoover (11.0 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.4 APG, 22 steals), Trevor Stumpe (10. 8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 25 steals), Storm Murphy (6.3 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 135 assists, 30 steals), Ryan Larson (Cretin-Durham HS/St. Paul, MN) and Isaiah Bigelow (Ben L. Smith HS/Greensboro, N.C.) in the backcourt, as the Terriers figure to be one of the deepest clubs in the Southern Conference this season in that respect.
Larson is just the latest in a great lineage of players that have played for Wofford out of the great state of Minnesota, with the likes of Noah Dahlman and Cameron Rundles having also starred for the Terriers in what was the beginning of the glory days for Wofford as a Division I college basketball member.
Set to give the Terriers even more depth in the backcourt in 2018-19 are veteran returnees Donovan Theme-Love (1.8 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 63 assists) and Tray Hollowell (3.2 PPG, 0.9 RPG), who were a pair of young guards forced to find their way in what was a young lineup last season for the Terriers in 2017-18, made up of most of their respective opportunities seeing significant time in the lineup for the first time in their respective careers.
One of the advantages the Terriers will have in the backcourt this season when getting into the Southern Conference is the ability to create matchup problems in the backcourt with the length of guys like 6-7 newcomer Bigelow. Larson is ahead of the learning curve for a young player, according to Young, and will see quality minutes from the outset in 2018-19. Larson was instrumental in helping Wofford get some wins in its trip to Portugal this past summer.
While the backcourt is in great shape and tremendous depth, it's the depth in the front court that could very well be enough to put Young's Terriers over the top this season in the Southern Conference. The centerpiece of that front court will once again be Cameron Jackson (12.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 53 assists, 55 steals, 45 blocks, 60.1 FG%), and with the depth added by Young and staff, no longer will getting Jackson in foul trouble offer such an advantage for opponents.
Jackson, a 6-8 senior forward from Winchester, VA, put up quite a line in the win over the Tar Heels last season, posting 18 points, nine rebounds, six blocks, three assists and three steals in the 79-75 Terrier win. Teamming with Jackson in the paint this season will be veteran Matthew Pegram (5.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG), and folks should also keep an eye on highly-touted newcomers Chavez Godwin (College of Charleston transfer sat out last season per NCAA rules) and Messiah Jones (Simeon HS/Chicago, Ill).
Jones was rated as the No. 1 forward in the state of Illinois. Jones was committed to join the Drake basketball program and former Furman head coach Niko Medved before switching his committment to Wofford following Medved’s matriculation to Colorado State after one year at the helm of the Drake program. It turned out to be a blessing for Young and the Terriers, who will now acquire the services of the three-star recruit Jones, and he comes into the SoCon as one of the most highly acclaimed recruits in SoCon football coming into the season.
Goodwin, a 6-9, 225-lb sophomore native of Blythewood, S.C., appeared in 35 games for the College of Charleston as a freshman during the 2016-17 season, averaging 2.3 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 9.8 minutes of action per game. He scored a season-high eight points on three occasions. Goodwin will add size and most importantly, depth, the the Terrier frontcourt.
Two other frontcourt players expected to step up and give Maye support this season are 6-9 forward Garrison Brooks (4.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG) and 6-11 sophomore Sterling Manley (5.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG), who both hope to be more consistent for the Tar Heels this season.
Rechon Black (Cox Mill HS/Concord, N.C.) and Coby White (Greenfield School/Goldsboro, N.C.) will are other highly-touted newcomers from Williams' latest recruiting class, and both will be eager to show what they can do in their first collegiate game Tuesday night at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. White and junior returning guard Seventh Woods (1.1 PPG, 1.APG) will likely be the two starters for Williams in the backcourt, and will be the candidates to replace Joel Berry at point guard.
Reliable returning starters Cameron Johnson (12.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.3 APG) and Kenny Williams (11.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.4 APG) return in starting roles, and will help give the Tar Heels one of the best backcourts in the ACC this season.
Who Wins: This game will be close, however, I just can't imagine North Carolina losing two years in a row to the Terriers even though I think Wofford is a better team overall this season. Trust me, North Carolina will get tested in this one!
North Carolina 74, Wofford 68
Bob Jones (0-2) at Furman (0-0), 7 p.m.
Series: Furman leads 1-0
Coaches: Bob Richey (23-11, 2nd Yr); Burton Uwarow (22-13/2nd yr at BJU)
Venue: Timmons Arena (3,500)
Brief Synopsis of Last Season's Clash:
Preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year Devin Sibley posted 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, which included a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the arc, leading six Paladins in double figures, as the Bob Richey era opened in style with a 101-48 win over Bob Jones to open the 2017-18 season.
Brief Preview:
Furman will open its second season under head coach Bob Richey against the same opponent, which saw Richey pick up his first win against as a Division I college basketball coach--the Bob Jones Bruins.
Year two will see plenty of change on both the sidelines and on the floor, with the loss of a couple of assistant coaches, as well as on the floor, with three starters and 42 points of production having graduated from a team that tied a school-record with 23 wins and finished third in the SoCon last season.
Back are a pair of starters and another player that logged starts in the final eight games of the 2017-18 season. One of those returning starters back for the 2018-19 season--senior forward Matt Rafferty (11.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG)--and he will be looked to as the catalyst for this Furman basketball team throughout the 2018-19 season.
Rafferty, a 6-8 senior from Hinsdale, Ill, garnered third-team All-SoCon honors last season following a campaign that saw him start all 33 games for the Paladins and was one of four players averaging in double figures. In addition to averaging over 11 PPG and leading the team in rebounding at just over seven boards per contest, Rafferty also added 2.8 assists-per-game and was sensational on the defensive end of the floor, finishing with a team-leading 54 steals.Rafferty found his way into double figures 23 times last season.
The other returning starter from a year ago--senior guard Andrew Brown (8.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.1 APG)--has had a tough go of it during the off-season, having to overcome a knicked intestitine during routine surgery for a hernia and then suffered a broken foot in August--but he's back and 100% just in time for the 2018-19 college basketball season.
Brown, a 6-5, 212-lb senior from nearby Travelers Rest, S.C., is one of the top returning perimeter shooters in the Southern Conference heading into the season. He connected on an outstanding 43.3% (61-of-141) from three-point range for the Paladins as a junior last season.
Brown really came on towards the end of the regular-season in 2017-18, scoring in double figures in four of his final six games of the campaign, including a career-high 22 points in a 78-55 route of Western Carolina in Cullowhee. He followed that up by scoring 11 points in a, 79-76, regular-season finale win on the road at East Tennessee State.
He was a major part of why the Paladins entered the Southern Conference Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the SoCon, having won six-straight games entering the postseason. However, Brown did struggle in the tournament, as he was held scoreless in Furman’s quarterfinal win over Western Carolina. And in Furman’s season-ending, 63-52, loss to East Tennessee State, the Bucs held Brown to just two points.
Junior guard Jordan Lyons (8.3 PPG, 1.5 RPG) and sophomore point guard Alex Hunter will also be key pieces for the Paladin backcourt this season, and maybe the most improved player on the whole roster is Clay Mounce (3.6 PPG, 1.3 RPG), who averaged 16 PPG in a pair of closed scrimmages for the Paladins coming into the 2018-19 season. The sophomore from Mt. Airy, N.C., posted 17 points and nine boards in a recent scrimmage with the University of Florida.
Redshirt freshman Noah Gurley adds length and athleticism on both ends and will be a player to watch all season as one of the top newcomers in the SoCon.
Bob Jones will offer a nice tune-up for the Paladins, who will see the intensity turn up a notch on Friday night, when the Paladins travel to Final Four participant to face Loyola-Chicago.
Who Wins: The game should be a chance to see what Furman does against other competition, but other than that there won't be much drama in the intra-city battle.
Furman 108, Bob Jones 65
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| City rivals UNCG and North Carolina A&T set to face each other to open the 2018-19 season |
Series: NCA&T leads 11-7
Coaches: Wes Miller (112-110/8th yr UNCG); Jay Joyner (28-49/3rd yr at NCA&T)
Venue: Corbett Sports Arena (5,500)
Brief Synopsis of Last Clash Between The Two:
The two Gate City rivals last faced off in late November of 2016, with the Spartans coming up with a 86-66 win at the Greensboro Coliseum. Five three-point field goals from Francis Alonso and two big scoring runs of 16-0 and 16-2 helped the Spartans post a 20-point victory over the visiting Aggies.
Brief Preview:
Southern Conference favorite UNC Greensboro opens the season with the first of three road games to start the season with a tricky game against cross-town rival North Carolina A&T. The Spartans captivated the SoCon basketball world with a defensive performance that would have made Dick Bennett smile from ear-to-ear, as the Spartans captured their first Southern Conference Tournament title and subsequent NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since 2001 by holding off ETSU 62-45 in the championship game in the SoCon Tournament in Asheville last March.
The Spartans were also outright SoCon regular-season champs, collecting their second regular-season crown in as many seasons finishing with a 24-7 overall record alongside a 15-3 league mark. Three starters return this season hoping to help the Spartans live up to those lofty preseason expectations.
Leading the way is senior sharp-shooter Francis Alonso (15.6 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.9 APG, 111 three-point FGs, 40.1% from three-point range, 86.9% from FT line) and savvy, battle-hardened point guard Demetrius Troy (7.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG). Alonso is one of the best shooters in mid-major basketball, and needs just three more trifectas to have 300 triples for his career, and should easily surpass the program's career record holder, Scott Hartzell (1993-96), who finished his career with 309 three-point field goals.
As a junior last season, Troy distributed the ball extremely well, and will enter his final season as the eighth-leading assist man in program history.
Rounding out the backcourt starters for Miller's Spartans will likely be ultra-athletic guard Isaiah Miller (8.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG), who garnered SoCon All-Freshman honors last season. Miller was exceptional defensively on of the the best defensive clubs in all of mid-major hoops last season, recording a team-high 47 steals last season. Miller registered 15 double-figure scoring performances in his inaugural season with the Spartans and is one of the SoCon's most electrifying dunkers.
Junior 6-10 center James Dickey (8.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG) is the reigning Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He will be the key cog in the paint, and hopes to once again cut down the nets in Asheville will likely rest upon the shoulders of Dickey to turn in the type season he was able to fashion last season. Dickey is also one of the best rim-protectors in mid-major hoops, posting a league-leading 67 blocks last season. His 8.3 rebounds-per-game also led the SoCon.
Dickey will team underneath the basket with junior Kyrin Galloway (5.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG), who steps into the starting lineup with the graduation of Jordy Kuiper. Galloway will look to increase his scoring this season, adding that element to all the other little things he does on the defensive end of the floor to help fill the void left with the graduation of the big Dutchman.
North Carolina A&T hopes to be a factor in the MEAC this season, and with the return two starters under third-year head coach Jay Joyner, as the Aggies finished 20-15 last season in what was a breakthrough campaign. The Aggies didn't lose a home game last season and come into this evening's contest riding a 13-game winning streak. After such a big season last year, Joyner was named MEAC Coach of the Year.
Joyner will be welcoming 10 new players into the fold, however, will have senior forward Femi Olujobi (16.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG) back, who was a second-team All-MEAC selection last season and will likely be a preseason favorite to be a first-teamer this season. The Aggies will enter the season opener for both clubs with a 13-game winning streak.
Who Wins: I think this is a tricky game for UNCG and there's no doubting that North Carolina A&T is a tough place to play, but the Spartans will pull away in the last 10 minutes of the game and win going away.
UNCG 81, North Carolina A&T 65
East Tennessee State (0-0) at Georgia State (0-0)
Series: ETSU leads 3-1
Coaches: Steve Forbes (76-29/4th yr at ETSU); Ron Hunter (147-85/7th yr at Georgia State)
Venue: GSU Sports Arena (3,854)
Brief Preview:
One of the more intriguing early-season mid-major games to keep an eye on will be the one between East Tennessee State and Georgia State. It will be a battle of two teams that have competed in the past two NCAA Tournaments, with the Bucs playing in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, while Georgia State made the Big Dance last season.
In fact, Ron Hunter has had the Panthers a regular contender for the Sun Belt year in and year out in the SBC, much the same as Forbes has done with the Bucs as a perennial power in the SoCon in his short time in the Tri-Cities. The Panthers have been to the NCAA Tournament in the past four years.
Tuesday night's season opener between the Bucs and Panthers will mark the first meeting between the two since 1986, which saw the Panthers victorious. ETSU is coming off a 25-win season, while Georgia State won 24 games last season.
Where the two teams differ coming into Tuesday night's lid-lifter is in returning starters. The Panthers welcome back four regulars from a team that won 24 games and went 12-6 inside the Sun Belt last season. The Panthers are the preseason favorites within their league.
Leading the way for the Panthers is the preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year D'Marcus Simonds (21.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG). The 6-3 wing guard comes into the matchup with the Bucs already ranking 15th on the program's all-time scoring list.
Simonds will team with senior Devin Mitchell (12.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG) and Damon Wilson (6-5, 200 lbs/redshirted last season). Wilson spent two seasons at Pitt prior to his arrival in Atlanta. Mitchell was a second-team All-Sun Belt selection and is coming off a season in which he connected on a team-high 98 triples last season.
Inside the paint, the Panthers will start a pair of talented, skilled players, in Malik Benlevi (9.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG) and Jeff Thomas (10.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG). Thomas has 141-career three-pointers, ranking eighth on the school's all-time ledger in that particular category. No player in the starting five is over 6-6 for the Panthers, so the Bucs will have a distinct size advantage this evening.
Countering the Panthers talented starting five will be a talented mix of veterans and newcomers that will look to establish its own championship identity in 2018-19 for Buccaneer nation.
Head coach Steve Forbes is most excited about both theprospects of having Bo Hodges (9.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 6-for-25 from three-point range/24.0%) in more his element this season on the perimeter will be very beneficial to the Bucs’ SoCon title hopes. Hodges was the co-SoCon Freshman of the Year last season.
Hodges will be joined in the ETSU backcourt by Appalachian State transfer Patrick Good (Appalachian State transfer/David Crockett High School).
Good is a local product known to ETSU fans for his prowess he displayed as a prep during his time at David Crockett High School in nearby Jonesborough. Bucs fans had hoped Good would end up in Johnson City originally, but he decided to committ to Appalachian State after his standout career at David Crockett High School.
Isaiah Tisdale--an intelligent decision maker and good shooter--will round out the starting trio in the backcourt for ETSU.
Keep an eye on Wofford transfer Kevon Tucker--a player I think could very pivotal to the Bucs backcourt this season much like Jalan McCloud was in his one season for ETSU last season after transferring in from Texas Southern. Tucker will provide leadership, quickness and will add a prolific touch from the perimeter much like McCloud did last season.
Tisdale was a two-time JUCO All-American during his time at Viccennes, and even helped lead the program to the JUCO Final Four in 2018. He was ranked as the 15th best JUCO player in the nation last season. He averaged 17.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 4.5 APG during the 2017-18 season.
The talented post player has also been called the most-talented individual overall player the Bucs have in their embarassment of talent heading into the 2018-19 season. Rodriguez does everything well, according to Forbes, as he especially active on the boards, and is an adept passer out of the post. His presence alone will allow Hodges to now play his natural wing guard position, as opposed to being a post presence, as he was asked to last season for the Bucs.
Serbian-born Mladen Armus (6.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG) , who might be the most-improved scorer on the roster, returns in the paint and will complete the starting five for Forbes' Bucs in the 2018-19 season opener. Armus was a SoCon All-Freshman Team selection last season.
Who Wins: I expect this to be the game of the night on the SoCon hardwood, and this one really could go either way, however, I am going to say ETSU pulls out the big road win by a bucket!
ETSU 71, Georgia State 69
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| High expectations has been the talk of the Low Country during the preseason |
The Citadel (0-0) at No. 22 Clemson (0-0), 7 p.m. EST
Series: Clemson leads 60-22
Coaches: Duggar Baucom (33-64/4th yr at The Citadel); Brad Brownell (149-113/9th yr at Clemson)
Venue: Littlejohn Coliseum (9,000)
Brief Preview:
Both The Citadel and Clemson open the 2018-19 college basketball season with high expectations. The Bulldogs are looking to be a top-six finisher in the SoCon this season, which would allow them to garner a bye in the opening round of the Southern Conference Tournament--a tournament the team has never won and the Bulldogs remain one of the few teams to have never qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
Clemson is coming off its first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2010-11 season and first Sweet Sixteen appearance in the Big Dance since Rick Barnes was the head coach back in 1997. Last season marked the Tigers' second NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Brad Brownell, who heads into his ninth season at the helm at Clemson.
He sees his Tigers return four of five starters from that team that won 25 games last season. The Tigers are picked towards the upper half of the 15-team Atlantic Coast Conference and enter the season ranked No. 22. The lone loss to graduation is Gabe Devoe, who will be missed primarily as the Tigers' main perimeter threat last season.
Clemson has several reasons to be excited about the 2018-19 campaign, which see the Tigers put their most talented team on the floor under the veteran Brownell. Leading the way in the backcourt this season will be seniors Marquise Reed (15.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG) and Shelton Mitchell (12.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG), who should team to not only give the Tigers one of the best backcourts in the ACC this season, but all of college basketball.
Reed is a big-time scoring threat and led the Tigers last season in that category. Mitchell could do a little bit of everything, averaging in double figures as a scoring threat, as well as being the Tigers' leading distributor in the backcourt this season, dishing out 3.6 helpers-per-game. Reed led the defensive-minded Tigers with 58 steals in 2017-18.
The frontcourt for the Tigers also has plenty of veteran leadership, with Elijah Thomas (10.9 PPG, 8.1), Aamir Simms (4.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG) and David Skara (3.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG) all returning to the fold. Thomas gives the Tigers a nice inside-outside game, and should be one of the best big men in the ACC this season. Thomas was named First-Team All-ACC Defensive Team last season following a campaign, which saw him block 79 shots last season.
While Clemson will run, they prefer a half-court game and like to lock down teams defensively. If you know anything about Duggar Baucom's coaching career, then you obviously Clemson's preferred style of play is the antithesis of the Bulldogs.
The Citadel was picked to finish sixth in the SoCon this season--it's highest preseason selection in the preseason league poll in now Baucom's fourth season in Charleston. Over the past three seasons, the Bulldogs have been the top three-point shooting team in the nation, connecting on 1,146 triples during that span.
Leading the sharp-shooting Bulldogs this season will be one of the SoCon's top shooters--Matt Frierson (13.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG). The 6-2 senior guard has connected on 220-career triples in the past three seasons, which ranks him sixth in program history. He's just 10 treys behind former sharp-shooter Noy Castillo, who starred for the Bulldogs in the mid-1990s, hitting 230-career triples for the Pat Dennis-led Bulldogs.
Frierson will be joined in the starting five of The Citadel backcourt by University of Rio Grande Valley transfer Lew Stallworth (5.7 PPG, 3.2 APG) and Arkansas State transfer Connor Kern (3.7 PPG, 1.4 RPG). Stallworth will run the point for the Bulldogs, while both Kern and Frierson will team as sharp-shooting wings for Baucom's club this season. Kaelon Harris (9.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, .8 APG), who completes a starting quartet of guards for the Bulldogs, adds another ball-handler on the floor for The Citadel, and the Bulldogs the element of a creator off the dribble, as well as quickness in the backcourt. Harris might be The Citadel's most-complete guard in terms of how he can challenge a defense.
Quayson Williams (9.2 PPG, 1.9 RPG) can score in a variety of different ways off the bench, and is a player that has never seen a shot he didn't like to take.
Preseason First-Team All-SoCon selection Zane Najdawi (15.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG) could give the Tigers a good preview of what they will face later this season when going up against North Carolina's Luke Maye. Najdawi has that type versatility, knocking down 40.7% of his three-point field goal attempts (44-of-108) last season. He was an impressive 51.3% overall from the field (172-of-335) in 2017-18.
Brownell's club should expect to see a variety of "junk defenses" tonight, as Baucom's club will throw everything they can to try and confuse the nationally-ranked Tigers.
Who Wins: If The Citadel shoots like they did towards the latter half of the 2017-18 season, however, Clemson is battle-tested and senior-laden, so expect the Tigers to chalk up their 16th-straight win over the Bulldogs. It will be anything but boring, however.
Clemson 94, The Citadel 75
Stay tuned for recaps, news and notes from tonight's matchups to follow later this evening.
Series: Clemson leads 60-22
Coaches: Duggar Baucom (33-64/4th yr at The Citadel); Brad Brownell (149-113/9th yr at Clemson)
Venue: Littlejohn Coliseum (9,000)
Brief Preview:
Both The Citadel and Clemson open the 2018-19 college basketball season with high expectations. The Bulldogs are looking to be a top-six finisher in the SoCon this season, which would allow them to garner a bye in the opening round of the Southern Conference Tournament--a tournament the team has never won and the Bulldogs remain one of the few teams to have never qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
Clemson is coming off its first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2010-11 season and first Sweet Sixteen appearance in the Big Dance since Rick Barnes was the head coach back in 1997. Last season marked the Tigers' second NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Brad Brownell, who heads into his ninth season at the helm at Clemson.
He sees his Tigers return four of five starters from that team that won 25 games last season. The Tigers are picked towards the upper half of the 15-team Atlantic Coast Conference and enter the season ranked No. 22. The lone loss to graduation is Gabe Devoe, who will be missed primarily as the Tigers' main perimeter threat last season.
Clemson has several reasons to be excited about the 2018-19 campaign, which see the Tigers put their most talented team on the floor under the veteran Brownell. Leading the way in the backcourt this season will be seniors Marquise Reed (15.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG) and Shelton Mitchell (12.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG), who should team to not only give the Tigers one of the best backcourts in the ACC this season, but all of college basketball.
Reed is a big-time scoring threat and led the Tigers last season in that category. Mitchell could do a little bit of everything, averaging in double figures as a scoring threat, as well as being the Tigers' leading distributor in the backcourt this season, dishing out 3.6 helpers-per-game. Reed led the defensive-minded Tigers with 58 steals in 2017-18.
The frontcourt for the Tigers also has plenty of veteran leadership, with Elijah Thomas (10.9 PPG, 8.1), Aamir Simms (4.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG) and David Skara (3.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG) all returning to the fold. Thomas gives the Tigers a nice inside-outside game, and should be one of the best big men in the ACC this season. Thomas was named First-Team All-ACC Defensive Team last season following a campaign, which saw him block 79 shots last season.
While Clemson will run, they prefer a half-court game and like to lock down teams defensively. If you know anything about Duggar Baucom's coaching career, then you obviously Clemson's preferred style of play is the antithesis of the Bulldogs.
The Citadel was picked to finish sixth in the SoCon this season--it's highest preseason selection in the preseason league poll in now Baucom's fourth season in Charleston. Over the past three seasons, the Bulldogs have been the top three-point shooting team in the nation, connecting on 1,146 triples during that span.
Leading the sharp-shooting Bulldogs this season will be one of the SoCon's top shooters--Matt Frierson (13.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG). The 6-2 senior guard has connected on 220-career triples in the past three seasons, which ranks him sixth in program history. He's just 10 treys behind former sharp-shooter Noy Castillo, who starred for the Bulldogs in the mid-1990s, hitting 230-career triples for the Pat Dennis-led Bulldogs.
Frierson will be joined in the starting five of The Citadel backcourt by University of Rio Grande Valley transfer Lew Stallworth (5.7 PPG, 3.2 APG) and Arkansas State transfer Connor Kern (3.7 PPG, 1.4 RPG). Stallworth will run the point for the Bulldogs, while both Kern and Frierson will team as sharp-shooting wings for Baucom's club this season. Kaelon Harris (9.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, .8 APG), who completes a starting quartet of guards for the Bulldogs, adds another ball-handler on the floor for The Citadel, and the Bulldogs the element of a creator off the dribble, as well as quickness in the backcourt. Harris might be The Citadel's most-complete guard in terms of how he can challenge a defense.
Quayson Williams (9.2 PPG, 1.9 RPG) can score in a variety of different ways off the bench, and is a player that has never seen a shot he didn't like to take.
Preseason First-Team All-SoCon selection Zane Najdawi (15.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG) could give the Tigers a good preview of what they will face later this season when going up against North Carolina's Luke Maye. Najdawi has that type versatility, knocking down 40.7% of his three-point field goal attempts (44-of-108) last season. He was an impressive 51.3% overall from the field (172-of-335) in 2017-18.
Brownell's club should expect to see a variety of "junk defenses" tonight, as Baucom's club will throw everything they can to try and confuse the nationally-ranked Tigers.
Who Wins: If The Citadel shoots like they did towards the latter half of the 2017-18 season, however, Clemson is battle-tested and senior-laden, so expect the Tigers to chalk up their 16th-straight win over the Bulldogs. It will be anything but boring, however.
Clemson 94, The Citadel 75
Stay tuned for recaps, news and notes from tonight's matchups to follow later this evening.
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