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| Wofford Dropped a 78-67 contest to No.8 in the 2018-19 season opener |
Southern Conference basketball is officially underway, with all 10 teams in the league having played at least one game. It was an interesting opening couple of nights to open the 2018-19 season in SoCon basketball.
Most had their eyes trained towards on the game in Spartanburg, with one of the league favorites--Wofford--hosting No. 8 North Carolina at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. Much of the interest from the college basketball world hinged on the fact that Wofford upset North Carolina, 79-75, in Chapel Hill last season. Could the Terriers do the unthinkable twice in as many seasons?
In one word--no. However, there were moments in the 78-67 Terrier loss that offered us glimspes as to why the Terriers were so highly thought of in the preseason. Senior guard and preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year Fletcher Magee led four Terriers in double figures with 21 points, however, it proved to be a tough night overall for the senior from Orlando.
Magee finished the night connecting on just 7-of-23 shots from the field, including just 3-for-16 from three-point land in the lost. You have to figure things will start to get better for the senior sharp-shooter, as the Terriers travel to High Point to battle the Panthers in a 2 p.m. contest. High Point dropped its season opener with a 79-69 setback at William & Mary.
While Magee struggled to find his shot, that was not the case for sophomore point guard Storm Murphy. A SoCon All-Freshman team performer last season, Murphy finished the night against the Tar Heels connecting on 5-of-8 shots from the field, including going 3-for-6 from three-point range, as he finished the night with 15 points and dished out six assists.
Cameron Jackson, who is another preseason First-Team All-SoCon honoree, was solid in the post to start the 2018-19 season, as he finished his senior season lid-lifter with 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field, and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. Junior guard Nathan Hoover rounded out the double-figure scorers for the Terriers, with 12 points. Wofford struggled shooting the basketball as a team for much of the night, especially from beyond-the-arc, going just 9-for-35, and shot just 38.1% (24-for-63) from the field for the night.
North Carolina had a lot to do with Wofford's struggles in the season opener, and the Tar Heels got 24 points from All-America post Luke Maye, while fellow frontcourt mate Garrison Brooks added 20. The Tar Heels shot 49.2% (29-for-59) for the game.
What Did We Learn About Wofford:
What I can say is that we learned Mike Young has a pretty solid squad, and despite their shooting struggles, found themselves right there in the game for a large portion of the season-opener against one of college basketball's blue bloods. It won't get any easier for the Terriers in the non-conference later on down the road, as the Terriers still have games against pretty solid clubs from both No. 3 Kansas and No. Mississippi State on down the road.
UNC Greensboro found itself in a hard-fought game to open the 2018-19 season, as the Spartans battled North Carolina A&T in a Gate City battle, escaping with a 74-66 win to end the Aggies 13-game homecourt winning streak.
The Spartans, who are the preseason favorites to defend their Southern Conference regular-season and tournament titles from a year ago, found themselves trailing, 39-38, at the half. That's when the Spartans would find that defensive edge that made them so successful a year ago on the SoCon hardwood.
After seeing the Aggies shoot 50% (14-for-28) in the opening half of play, UNCG put the clamps down on the Aggies in the second, limiting the Aggies to just 35.7% (10-of-28) in the second frame. The Aggies ability to hit the perimeter shot with such effectiveness in the opening half (6-for-11) in the opening half was a little concerning from a UNCG standpoint, but open looks in the second half from long-range were hard to come by for North Carolina A&T were hard to come by, and the Spartans limited the MEAC members to just 3-for-7 from long-range in the second stanza.
UNCG got a big night from its backcourt to open the 2018-19 season, with senior First-Team All-SoCon guard Francis Alonso combining with 2017-18 SoCon All-Freshman team honoree Isaiah Miller to score 39 of the Spartans' 74 points in the win. Alonso, who is the pride of the Andalucia region of Spain's beautiful city Malaga, finishing with 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting from long range and 2-for-7 from three-point lange. Additionally, Alonso added six boards, two assists and a steal.
Miller, meanwhile, added 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field, while building off an outstading freshman season as a defender, posting a team-high four steals in the win. SoCon preseason Defensive Player of the Year James Dickey led the Spartans on the backboards, with seven points, seven blocks and a team-best 10 boards.Newcomer Kaleb Hunter rounded out the Spartans in double figures with 11 points. UNCG senior guard Demetrius Troy was a pace-setter for the offense, and while he struggled to find his shot in the opener, he finished with a team-leading four assists.
UNCG has another big contest coming up on the road, when the Spartans travel to face the LSU Tigers at the Pete Maravich Center Friday night, with tip-off set for 7 p.m.
What Did We Learn About UNCG:
We learned that while there was no Jordy Kuiper or Marvin Smith Jr. to look to for veteran leadership in key moments, the Spartans got what they needed out of veteran stars like Alonso, Miller, Troy and Dickey when those adverse moments presented themselves against a solid MEAC opponent on the road in a hostile environment in the season opener. We also learned that this team might have a little more scoring punch and shot selection this season. With the emergence of players like Kaleb Hunter, Eric Hamilton and Kyrin Galloway this season. The Spartans are also a tad bit deeper than the team that claimed the 2017-18 SoCon regular-season and tournament titles.
Much like the 2017-18 season opener at Northern Kentucky to open the season, East Tennessee State's basketball season got off to a cold start, with a 74-68 loss on the road at perennial Sun Belt power Georgia State.
Although it was far from the margin of defeat as the 2017-18 season-opening loss in Highland Heights, KY, as the Bucs fell 81-63 to the Norse to suffer their biggest non-conference loss of the 2017-18 season, the shooting from last season's season opener in comparison to the 2018-19 season opener was similar. The Bucs opened the season against NKU last season connecting on just 36.7% (22-for-60) from the field and just 11.1% (2-for-18) from three-point range.
In the 2018-19 season opener against a Georgia State team many have tabbed to take the Sun Belt title this season and make its third NCAA Tournament appearance in five seasons, the Bucs were just 35.1% (26-of-74) and just 17.4% (4-for-23) from three-point range against the Panthers. Credit Ron Hunter's club for that, but also don't signal the alarm bells for Steve Forbes' club after the 2018-19 season opener on the road against a team that will very likely find themselves in some postseason tournament, if not the NCAA Tournament.
There positives, however, as the Bucs held a 43-39 edge on the backboards. The Bucs also played well on the defensive end of the floor, limiting a high-octane Georgia State offense, which featured four returning starters and the preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year, to just 38.6% (22-for-57) shooting for the game and 37.5% (9-for-24) from three-point range. The Bucs also held a significant 42-24 advantage on the offensive glass.
The Bucs got a solid debut from JUCO transfer guard Isaiah Tisdale, who posted 19 points, five boards and dished out four helpers, and was one of three Bucs in double-figures in the season opener. Tisdale was joined in double figures by sophomore guard Bo Hodges, who posted 11 points, six rebounds and dished out three helpers in the season opener. Hodges also had a steal and a block on the defensive end of the floor.
Hodges had a strong summer shooting the basketball in statted scrimmages for the Bucs, but connected on only 5-of-20 shots from the field in the season opener, including going just 1-for-5 from three-point land. That being said, I have no doubts that it will be a big season for the reigning SoCon Freshman of the Year. Mladen Armus started his sophomore season in solid fashion, just missing a double-double with 11 points and nine boards. He also had a team-high three blocks.
Georgia State was led by forward Jeff Thomas' 26 points, while preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year D'Marcus Simonds added 21 points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 39 minutes of floor time. The Panthers swatted away 10 ETSU shots in the season opener.
What Did We Learn About ETSU: We learned that even though this basketball team struggled to score the basketball on the road against one of the better mid-major programs in the country, they found a way to stay in the basketball game. The troubling thing for Forbes and the Bucs in the season opener is that it looked as though the Bucs were going to steal a big road win to open the season with just under eight minutes left, taking a 56-52 lead following a Jeromy Rodriguez layup, however, the Panthers offered what was probably a tide-turning 10-0 run to take a 62-56 lead following three-straight made free throws from Thomas with 4:23 remaining. Thomas had six points and a block during the run. ETSU had another big chance late, following a Armus dunk, which got the Bucs to within a point (68-69) with 1:37 left, but a huge triple from GSU's Damon Wilson with 50 seconds left put the Panthers lead back to four. ETSU will face Hiwassee College Thursday night in the season opener at Freedom Hall.
I have been calling The Citadel my SoCon darkhorse all off-season, and Duggar Baucom's Bulldogs did nothing to disappoint my overall impressions in the 100-80 season-opening loss at No. 22 Clemson Tuesday night.
The Bulldogs hung around better than most casual college basketball fans would have expected, but ultimately fell for the 16th-straight time in the series against the Tigers. In the respectable 20-point loss to a team known for its defensive prowess in the ACC under Brad Brownell, the Bulldogs still managed to hit 80 points. Something Kansas just managed to do last year against virtually the same cast of characters for Clemson, as the Jayhawks ended the Tigers' season with an 80-76 Sweet Sixteen win last March.
The Bulldogs found themselves with nine points following a Lew Stallworth layup, which trimmed Clemson's lead to just 80-71 with 6:38 to play. However, a Shelton Mitchell three-pointer for Clemson helped commence a 20-9 run to close out the game for the Tigers, as they held off Baucom's pesky Bulldogs.
The Citadel had four players finish the contest in double figures, with Stallworth--a transfer from UT Rio Grande Valley--leading the way with 15 points, while senior sharp-shooting guard Matt Frierson chipped in 12 points, which all came on triples. Kaelon Harris and preseason First-Team All-SoCon selection Zane Najdawi added 11 points apiece.
Six Tigers found their way into double figures in the Palmetto State clash, with Marcquise Reed's 20 points pacing Top 25 Clemson with 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the field, including 2-for-6 from three-point range and a perfect 4-for-4 from the line. The Tigers shot the ball at a 55.7% (34-of-61) for the game, including 42.3% (11-of-26) from three-point land.
What Did We Learn About The Citadel: It's not all too often that a Brad Brownell coached ball club gives up 80 points to an opponent, so I think we learned the Bulldogs not only maintained what they have had the previous three seasons under Baucom, but may have improved it with the pieces they have added during the off-season, especially Stallworth, who appears to be more than an adequate replacement for Preston Parks in the backcourt. Watch out for the Bulldogs. The Citadel returns to the floor Monday night, hosting Mid-Atlantic Christian.
Odds and Ends:
Chattanooga opened the 2018-19 season with a solid, 80-69, win over Charlotte. The Mocs have virtually an entire new roster brought in by second-year head coach Lamont Paris. Fairfield transfer Jerry Johnson Jr. was the most impressive of those newcomers in the season opener, leading four Mocs in double figures, finishing with 18 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the field and 4-for-7 from three, as the Mocs opened the season in style with at Charlotte's Halton Arena.
Donovann Toatley (17 pts), Thomas Smallwood (14 pts) and highly-touted freshman wing Kevin Easley (13 pts) rounded out the double-figure scorers for the Mocs. Chattanooga returns to the floor for its home opener of the 2018-19 season against OVC member Eastern Kentucky. Tip-off for that contest will be 7 p.m.
Mercer was in Birmingham, AL, to face UAB to open the 2018-19 season, and found out why the Blazers are so tough to beat on their home floor, dropping a 75-67 contest at Bartow Arena. Like Paris, Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman basically had to turn over plenty from a year ago, as the Bears graduated all five starters from a team that won 19 games last season.
The youthful Bears were led in the season opener by three players finishing in double figures, with Serbian-born sharp-shooter Djordje Dimitrijevic leading the Bears with 19 points in 20 minutes of floor time. Dimitrijevic was joined in double figures by veteran guards Jaylen Stowe and Ethan Stair, who added 12 and 11 points, respectively, in the season-opening setback. Mercer returns to the floor on Friday when it hosts Piedmont College Friday night in a game slated for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
Furman and VMI faced a pair of Non-Division I foes to open the season this past Tuesday night, with the Paladins scoring a 102-48 win over Bob Jones, while the Keydets posted an 89-56 win over Washington College.
The Paladins rode career-high performances from Matt Rafferty (24 pts) and Jordan Lyons (23 pts), and second-year head coach Bob Richey saw his team commit just three turnovers and dish out 21 assists in the season-opening win. The Paladins have quite a test ahead, facing 2018 Final Four participant Loyola-Chicago at Gentile Arena Friday night. Tip-off for that contest is set for 8 p.m.
The Keydets, too, have a young roster heading into the 2018-19, and add to that, some preseason injuries made Dan Earl's club a little thinner than usual heading into the season opener. Leading the Keydets in their 33-point home-opening win was predictably Bubba Parham.
The 2017-18 SoCon co-Freshman of the Year posted 23 points, leading four Keydets in double-digits. Connor Arnold, who his first-ever three three-point shots ala Furman's Geoff Beans for Furman against Liberty back in the 2014-15 season, finished with 12 points, while Myles Lews and Greg Parham added 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Like Furman, VMI's road gets a little tougher from here, as the Keydets travel to face ACC member Pittsburgh Saturday, with tip-off set for 7 p.m.
Samford is yet another unknown heading into the Southern Conference hoops race in 2018-19, but the Bulldogs showed us all they could against North Alabama in the season opener at the Pete Hanna Center, downing North Alabama, 91-74, on the strength of a blistering 62.3% shooting effort from the floor in the 17-point win.
One of the knowns for the Bulldogs coming into the season was lightning-quick point guard Josh Sharkey, who finished the season opener with 18 points, six rebounds and dished a team-high seven assists. Playing his first game in a Samford uniform, junior guard Myron Gordon led the way with 19 points, while forward Ruben Guerrero added 17 points to close out the double-digit scorers for the Bulldogs. Samford returns to action Friday night, hosting OVC member Jacksonville State at the Hanna Center, with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. EST
Finally, Carlos Dotson showed why he was one of the top incoming recruits in the Southern Conference leading Western Carolina with 17 points, but it wasn't enough, as the Mark Prosser era began with a 96-73 loss at 2018 NCAA Tournament qualifier Wright State.
Dotson led four Catamounts in double-figures, with sophomore guard Matt Halvorsen (16 pts), forward D.J. Myers (11 pts) and guard Kameron Gibson (10 pts) completing the double-figure scorers for the Catamounts. Wright State forward Bill Wampler led all scorers with 26 points on 9-of-15 from the field, including 5-for-9 from three-point range in the win. Dotson finished with six rebounds in addition to his 17 points. The Catamounts return to action for their home opener against former SoCon rival and reigning CAA champion College of Charleston on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is set for high noon at the Ramsey Center.
Team of Opening Night:
G--Josh Sharkey--Samford
G--Francis Alonso--UNCG
G--Isaiah Tisdale--ETSU
F--Carlos Dotson--WCU
G--Jerry Johnson Jr.--Chattanooga
Most had their eyes trained towards on the game in Spartanburg, with one of the league favorites--Wofford--hosting No. 8 North Carolina at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. Much of the interest from the college basketball world hinged on the fact that Wofford upset North Carolina, 79-75, in Chapel Hill last season. Could the Terriers do the unthinkable twice in as many seasons?
In one word--no. However, there were moments in the 78-67 Terrier loss that offered us glimspes as to why the Terriers were so highly thought of in the preseason. Senior guard and preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year Fletcher Magee led four Terriers in double figures with 21 points, however, it proved to be a tough night overall for the senior from Orlando.
Magee finished the night connecting on just 7-of-23 shots from the field, including just 3-for-16 from three-point land in the lost. You have to figure things will start to get better for the senior sharp-shooter, as the Terriers travel to High Point to battle the Panthers in a 2 p.m. contest. High Point dropped its season opener with a 79-69 setback at William & Mary.
While Magee struggled to find his shot, that was not the case for sophomore point guard Storm Murphy. A SoCon All-Freshman team performer last season, Murphy finished the night against the Tar Heels connecting on 5-of-8 shots from the field, including going 3-for-6 from three-point range, as he finished the night with 15 points and dished out six assists.
Cameron Jackson, who is another preseason First-Team All-SoCon honoree, was solid in the post to start the 2018-19 season, as he finished his senior season lid-lifter with 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field, and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. Junior guard Nathan Hoover rounded out the double-figure scorers for the Terriers, with 12 points. Wofford struggled shooting the basketball as a team for much of the night, especially from beyond-the-arc, going just 9-for-35, and shot just 38.1% (24-for-63) from the field for the night.
North Carolina had a lot to do with Wofford's struggles in the season opener, and the Tar Heels got 24 points from All-America post Luke Maye, while fellow frontcourt mate Garrison Brooks added 20. The Tar Heels shot 49.2% (29-for-59) for the game.
What Did We Learn About Wofford:
What I can say is that we learned Mike Young has a pretty solid squad, and despite their shooting struggles, found themselves right there in the game for a large portion of the season-opener against one of college basketball's blue bloods. It won't get any easier for the Terriers in the non-conference later on down the road, as the Terriers still have games against pretty solid clubs from both No. 3 Kansas and No. Mississippi State on down the road.
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| UNCG ends North Carolina A&T's 13-game winning streak on its home floor |
UNC Greensboro found itself in a hard-fought game to open the 2018-19 season, as the Spartans battled North Carolina A&T in a Gate City battle, escaping with a 74-66 win to end the Aggies 13-game homecourt winning streak.
The Spartans, who are the preseason favorites to defend their Southern Conference regular-season and tournament titles from a year ago, found themselves trailing, 39-38, at the half. That's when the Spartans would find that defensive edge that made them so successful a year ago on the SoCon hardwood.
After seeing the Aggies shoot 50% (14-for-28) in the opening half of play, UNCG put the clamps down on the Aggies in the second, limiting the Aggies to just 35.7% (10-of-28) in the second frame. The Aggies ability to hit the perimeter shot with such effectiveness in the opening half (6-for-11) in the opening half was a little concerning from a UNCG standpoint, but open looks in the second half from long-range were hard to come by for North Carolina A&T were hard to come by, and the Spartans limited the MEAC members to just 3-for-7 from long-range in the second stanza.
UNCG got a big night from its backcourt to open the 2018-19 season, with senior First-Team All-SoCon guard Francis Alonso combining with 2017-18 SoCon All-Freshman team honoree Isaiah Miller to score 39 of the Spartans' 74 points in the win. Alonso, who is the pride of the Andalucia region of Spain's beautiful city Malaga, finishing with 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting from long range and 2-for-7 from three-point lange. Additionally, Alonso added six boards, two assists and a steal.
Miller, meanwhile, added 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field, while building off an outstading freshman season as a defender, posting a team-high four steals in the win. SoCon preseason Defensive Player of the Year James Dickey led the Spartans on the backboards, with seven points, seven blocks and a team-best 10 boards.Newcomer Kaleb Hunter rounded out the Spartans in double figures with 11 points. UNCG senior guard Demetrius Troy was a pace-setter for the offense, and while he struggled to find his shot in the opener, he finished with a team-leading four assists.
UNCG has another big contest coming up on the road, when the Spartans travel to face the LSU Tigers at the Pete Maravich Center Friday night, with tip-off set for 7 p.m.
What Did We Learn About UNCG:
We learned that while there was no Jordy Kuiper or Marvin Smith Jr. to look to for veteran leadership in key moments, the Spartans got what they needed out of veteran stars like Alonso, Miller, Troy and Dickey when those adverse moments presented themselves against a solid MEAC opponent on the road in a hostile environment in the season opener. We also learned that this team might have a little more scoring punch and shot selection this season. With the emergence of players like Kaleb Hunter, Eric Hamilton and Kyrin Galloway this season. The Spartans are also a tad bit deeper than the team that claimed the 2017-18 SoCon regular-season and tournament titles.
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| Bo Hodges and the Bucs fall at Sun Belt Power Georgia State in the season opener |
Much like the 2017-18 season opener at Northern Kentucky to open the season, East Tennessee State's basketball season got off to a cold start, with a 74-68 loss on the road at perennial Sun Belt power Georgia State.
Although it was far from the margin of defeat as the 2017-18 season-opening loss in Highland Heights, KY, as the Bucs fell 81-63 to the Norse to suffer their biggest non-conference loss of the 2017-18 season, the shooting from last season's season opener in comparison to the 2018-19 season opener was similar. The Bucs opened the season against NKU last season connecting on just 36.7% (22-for-60) from the field and just 11.1% (2-for-18) from three-point range.
In the 2018-19 season opener against a Georgia State team many have tabbed to take the Sun Belt title this season and make its third NCAA Tournament appearance in five seasons, the Bucs were just 35.1% (26-of-74) and just 17.4% (4-for-23) from three-point range against the Panthers. Credit Ron Hunter's club for that, but also don't signal the alarm bells for Steve Forbes' club after the 2018-19 season opener on the road against a team that will very likely find themselves in some postseason tournament, if not the NCAA Tournament.
There positives, however, as the Bucs held a 43-39 edge on the backboards. The Bucs also played well on the defensive end of the floor, limiting a high-octane Georgia State offense, which featured four returning starters and the preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year, to just 38.6% (22-for-57) shooting for the game and 37.5% (9-for-24) from three-point range. The Bucs also held a significant 42-24 advantage on the offensive glass.
The Bucs got a solid debut from JUCO transfer guard Isaiah Tisdale, who posted 19 points, five boards and dished out four helpers, and was one of three Bucs in double-figures in the season opener. Tisdale was joined in double figures by sophomore guard Bo Hodges, who posted 11 points, six rebounds and dished out three helpers in the season opener. Hodges also had a steal and a block on the defensive end of the floor.
Hodges had a strong summer shooting the basketball in statted scrimmages for the Bucs, but connected on only 5-of-20 shots from the field in the season opener, including going just 1-for-5 from three-point land. That being said, I have no doubts that it will be a big season for the reigning SoCon Freshman of the Year. Mladen Armus started his sophomore season in solid fashion, just missing a double-double with 11 points and nine boards. He also had a team-high three blocks.
Georgia State was led by forward Jeff Thomas' 26 points, while preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year D'Marcus Simonds added 21 points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 39 minutes of floor time. The Panthers swatted away 10 ETSU shots in the season opener.
What Did We Learn About ETSU: We learned that even though this basketball team struggled to score the basketball on the road against one of the better mid-major programs in the country, they found a way to stay in the basketball game. The troubling thing for Forbes and the Bucs in the season opener is that it looked as though the Bucs were going to steal a big road win to open the season with just under eight minutes left, taking a 56-52 lead following a Jeromy Rodriguez layup, however, the Panthers offered what was probably a tide-turning 10-0 run to take a 62-56 lead following three-straight made free throws from Thomas with 4:23 remaining. Thomas had six points and a block during the run. ETSU had another big chance late, following a Armus dunk, which got the Bucs to within a point (68-69) with 1:37 left, but a huge triple from GSU's Damon Wilson with 50 seconds left put the Panthers lead back to four. ETSU will face Hiwassee College Thursday night in the season opener at Freedom Hall.
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| The Citadel Acquitted itself well in season-opening loss at No. 22 Clemson |
The Bulldogs hung around better than most casual college basketball fans would have expected, but ultimately fell for the 16th-straight time in the series against the Tigers. In the respectable 20-point loss to a team known for its defensive prowess in the ACC under Brad Brownell, the Bulldogs still managed to hit 80 points. Something Kansas just managed to do last year against virtually the same cast of characters for Clemson, as the Jayhawks ended the Tigers' season with an 80-76 Sweet Sixteen win last March.
The Bulldogs found themselves with nine points following a Lew Stallworth layup, which trimmed Clemson's lead to just 80-71 with 6:38 to play. However, a Shelton Mitchell three-pointer for Clemson helped commence a 20-9 run to close out the game for the Tigers, as they held off Baucom's pesky Bulldogs.
The Citadel had four players finish the contest in double figures, with Stallworth--a transfer from UT Rio Grande Valley--leading the way with 15 points, while senior sharp-shooting guard Matt Frierson chipped in 12 points, which all came on triples. Kaelon Harris and preseason First-Team All-SoCon selection Zane Najdawi added 11 points apiece.
Six Tigers found their way into double figures in the Palmetto State clash, with Marcquise Reed's 20 points pacing Top 25 Clemson with 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the field, including 2-for-6 from three-point range and a perfect 4-for-4 from the line. The Tigers shot the ball at a 55.7% (34-of-61) for the game, including 42.3% (11-of-26) from three-point land.
What Did We Learn About The Citadel: It's not all too often that a Brad Brownell coached ball club gives up 80 points to an opponent, so I think we learned the Bulldogs not only maintained what they have had the previous three seasons under Baucom, but may have improved it with the pieces they have added during the off-season, especially Stallworth, who appears to be more than an adequate replacement for Preston Parks in the backcourt. Watch out for the Bulldogs. The Citadel returns to the floor Monday night, hosting Mid-Atlantic Christian.
Odds and Ends:
Chattanooga opened the 2018-19 season with a solid, 80-69, win over Charlotte. The Mocs have virtually an entire new roster brought in by second-year head coach Lamont Paris. Fairfield transfer Jerry Johnson Jr. was the most impressive of those newcomers in the season opener, leading four Mocs in double figures, finishing with 18 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the field and 4-for-7 from three, as the Mocs opened the season in style with at Charlotte's Halton Arena.
Donovann Toatley (17 pts), Thomas Smallwood (14 pts) and highly-touted freshman wing Kevin Easley (13 pts) rounded out the double-figure scorers for the Mocs. Chattanooga returns to the floor for its home opener of the 2018-19 season against OVC member Eastern Kentucky. Tip-off for that contest will be 7 p.m.
Mercer was in Birmingham, AL, to face UAB to open the 2018-19 season, and found out why the Blazers are so tough to beat on their home floor, dropping a 75-67 contest at Bartow Arena. Like Paris, Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman basically had to turn over plenty from a year ago, as the Bears graduated all five starters from a team that won 19 games last season.
The youthful Bears were led in the season opener by three players finishing in double figures, with Serbian-born sharp-shooter Djordje Dimitrijevic leading the Bears with 19 points in 20 minutes of floor time. Dimitrijevic was joined in double figures by veteran guards Jaylen Stowe and Ethan Stair, who added 12 and 11 points, respectively, in the season-opening setback. Mercer returns to the floor on Friday when it hosts Piedmont College Friday night in a game slated for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
Furman and VMI faced a pair of Non-Division I foes to open the season this past Tuesday night, with the Paladins scoring a 102-48 win over Bob Jones, while the Keydets posted an 89-56 win over Washington College.
The Paladins rode career-high performances from Matt Rafferty (24 pts) and Jordan Lyons (23 pts), and second-year head coach Bob Richey saw his team commit just three turnovers and dish out 21 assists in the season-opening win. The Paladins have quite a test ahead, facing 2018 Final Four participant Loyola-Chicago at Gentile Arena Friday night. Tip-off for that contest is set for 8 p.m.
The Keydets, too, have a young roster heading into the 2018-19, and add to that, some preseason injuries made Dan Earl's club a little thinner than usual heading into the season opener. Leading the Keydets in their 33-point home-opening win was predictably Bubba Parham.
The 2017-18 SoCon co-Freshman of the Year posted 23 points, leading four Keydets in double-digits. Connor Arnold, who his first-ever three three-point shots ala Furman's Geoff Beans for Furman against Liberty back in the 2014-15 season, finished with 12 points, while Myles Lews and Greg Parham added 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Like Furman, VMI's road gets a little tougher from here, as the Keydets travel to face ACC member Pittsburgh Saturday, with tip-off set for 7 p.m.
Samford is yet another unknown heading into the Southern Conference hoops race in 2018-19, but the Bulldogs showed us all they could against North Alabama in the season opener at the Pete Hanna Center, downing North Alabama, 91-74, on the strength of a blistering 62.3% shooting effort from the floor in the 17-point win.
One of the knowns for the Bulldogs coming into the season was lightning-quick point guard Josh Sharkey, who finished the season opener with 18 points, six rebounds and dished a team-high seven assists. Playing his first game in a Samford uniform, junior guard Myron Gordon led the way with 19 points, while forward Ruben Guerrero added 17 points to close out the double-digit scorers for the Bulldogs. Samford returns to action Friday night, hosting OVC member Jacksonville State at the Hanna Center, with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. EST
Finally, Carlos Dotson showed why he was one of the top incoming recruits in the Southern Conference leading Western Carolina with 17 points, but it wasn't enough, as the Mark Prosser era began with a 96-73 loss at 2018 NCAA Tournament qualifier Wright State.
Dotson led four Catamounts in double-figures, with sophomore guard Matt Halvorsen (16 pts), forward D.J. Myers (11 pts) and guard Kameron Gibson (10 pts) completing the double-figure scorers for the Catamounts. Wright State forward Bill Wampler led all scorers with 26 points on 9-of-15 from the field, including 5-for-9 from three-point range in the win. Dotson finished with six rebounds in addition to his 17 points. The Catamounts return to action for their home opener against former SoCon rival and reigning CAA champion College of Charleston on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is set for high noon at the Ramsey Center.
Team of Opening Night:
G--Josh Sharkey--Samford
G--Francis Alonso--UNCG
G--Isaiah Tisdale--ETSU
F--Carlos Dotson--WCU
G--Jerry Johnson Jr.--Chattanooga
Stay tuned for previews and recaps of this weekend's action.
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