Preview: WU vs. Longwood

2022-23 Winthrop Men’s Basketball Season – GAME #24 (BIG SOUTH GAME #11)

vs. Longwood Lancers
Wednesday, February 1, 2023, 7:00 pm EST
Winthrop Coliseum, Rock Hill, SC
WU (5-5 Big South record; 10-13 overall record; NET/KPI/SOR/BPI/POM/SAG Rankings: 261/257/264/256/255/239)
LW (7-3 Big South record; 15-8 overall record; NET/KPI/SOR/BPI/POM/SAG Rankings: 167/215/168/160/165/192)

Livestats

Live Video – ESPN+

Live Audio – 94.3

Longwood’s Profile

Head Coach: Griff Aldrich (5th season as head coach at LW)

Possible Starters:



G Walyn Napper, jr (6-1, 185) – 9.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.6 spg, 44.8 FG%, 23.1 3PT% (9 made threes), 50.9 FT% – 29.2 min/game

G DeShaun Wade, sr (6-2, 200) – 10.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 37.3 FG%, 37.8 3PT% (42 made threes), 81.0 FT% – 30.7 min/game

G Isaiah Wilkins, sr (6-4, 220) – 12.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.2 spg, 45.8 FG%, 36.2 3PT% (34 made threes), 81.3 FT% – 26.1 min/game

F Jesper Granlund, jr (6-6, 210) – 7.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 43.5 FG%, 36.2 3PT% (25 made threes), 69.0 FT% – 24.5 min/game

F Zac Watson, sr (6-7, 225) – 8.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 61.6 FG%, 0 made threes, 77.2 FT% – 21.6 min/game

Key players off the bench:

G DA Houston, jr (6-1, 212) – 6.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.3 apg, 43.5 FG%, 27.3 3PT% (9 made threes), 69.7 FT% – 21.1 min/game

F Michael Christmas, sr (6-6, 225) – 7.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 45.1 FG%, 27.3 3PT% (9 made threes), 79.6 FT% – 17.1 min/game

F Leslie Nkereuwem, sr (6-7, 225) – 8.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 63.0 FG%, 0 made threes, 54.1 FT% – 16.2 min/game

G Nate Lliteras, jr (6-7, 210) – 6.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 40.2 FG%, 35.9 3PT% (28 made threes), 83.3 FT% – 15.9 min/game

G Jaylani Darden, so (6-5, 185) – 2.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 38.2 FG%, 47.6 3PT% (10 made threes), 64.3 FT% – 10.7 min/game

With eight conference games remaining, WU sits in 5th place, and will face the four teams ahead of them in the league race in their next five games. The first of these massive matchups is Wednesday night at home as the Eagles host Longwood. WU has dropped three straight to the Lancers, but none of the previous three were at the Winthrop Coliseum.

Longwood beat the Eagles in early January, but since that time, the Lancers have gone 3-3, and have dropped two games in a row. Two of those losses are not surprising, as they fell on the road to Asheville and Radford. But on Saturday, Longwood lost by 12 at home to Charleston Southern. So is Longwood a bit on the ropes? Can Winthrop keep them reeling? Or are the Lancers due for a bounce-back?

Needless to say, Winthrop should be very eager to avenge the three losses that the Lancers have racked up against the Eagles in the last two seasons. Those games all had a different flow, but the end result saw WU on the losing end. And while there are a few things that can be pointed to that explains the losses, the easiest one is that Eagles have not been able to get stops against the Lancers. In those three games, Longwood has been at or above 1.2 points/possession in each contest. In the last four seasons, WU has only allowed a conference foe to score 1.2 points/possession four times, and three of those four are these losses to Longwood. To stop this skid, WU’s defense is going to have to figure out ways to slow down the Longwood offense.

Winthrop has won two in a row and have looked really good on the offensive end. But those two wins were against PC and CSU…two of the weaker defensive units in the conference. The Lancers aren’t the best defensive team in the league, but they are strong on that end of the court, and WU will need to continue to shoot the ball well if they are to have any chance of winning. In the matchup earlier in the season, the Eagles looked great offensively in the first half, but got completely locked down in the second half, turning it over a ton and not hitting any shots. Avoiding scoring droughts will be very important for Winthrop.

The Eagles still have a chance to climb into the upper part of the standings, but it will require piling up some wins down the stretch. A win over Longwood would do a lot for this team’s confidence down the stretch, and I think they’ll be able to do just enough to edge out the Lancers on Wednesday night.

My Prediction: Winthrop 81, Longwood 75

Other Big South games on Feb. 1-2:
Radford (8-2) @ Presbyterian (1-9), 7pm Wednesday
Gardner-Webb (6-4) @ Charleston Southern (4-6), 7pm Wednesday
USC Upstate (4-6) @ Campbell (4-6), 7pm Wednesday
High Point (2-8) @ UNC Asheville (9-1), 7pm Thursday

Recap: WU @ Presbyterian

2022-23 Winthrop Men’s Basketball Season – GAME #23 (BIG SOUTH GAME #10)

Final Score: Winthrop 76, Presbyterian 58

Boxscore

Much like the game vs. Charleston Southern on Wednesday, the first half was pretty even between WU and Presbyterian on Saturday, but then the Eagles exploded to dominate the game. Winthrop came through on the road with a 76-58 victory, in one of the more dominant performances of the season.

The positives:
-The Eagles had their best defensive performance of the conference season, and tied their best effort for the whole year vs. a D1 opponent, allowing only .89 points/possession (which tied the Middle Tennessee game). The Eagles held PC to only 44.8% from 2PT range and 31.6% from three. The Eagles also forced 15 turnovers and only allowed 6 offensive boards.

-Toneari Lane led the way on offense, scoring 16 points, hitting three three-pointers.

-Kasen Harrison had a great all-around performance, scoring 14 points, dishing out 4 assists, and grabbed 6 boards.

-Cam Whiteside had his best performance as an Eagle, playing 27 minutes and scoring 12 points.

The negatives:
-WU was a little loose with the ball, turning it over 16 times.

-Cory Hightower was not with the team, and it was reported that it was due to him attending to a family matter. Hopefully all is well with that, and hopefully he can return to the team soon. The Eagles responded well with him out of the lineup, though.

Final takeaways:
With Hightower out, it was impressive to see the Eagles win by 18 points on the road, even against a PC team that is on a 9-game skid. The performance by Whiteside was promising, and needed, and it was great to see him play so well. If you told me that the Eagles would not have Hightower and that Talford would only score six points, I would have been worried…so it was nice to see other players step in and perform like that on the road.

Next game:
WU vs. Longwood – Wednesday, February 1, 7:00pm EST

Results around the Big South:
Gardner-Webb 86, High Point 58
UNC Asheville 78, Campbell 65
Radford 55, USC Upstate 52
Charleston Southern 75, Longwood 63

Current Standings:
1. AVL 9-1
T2. RAD 8-2
3. LW 7-3
4. GWU 6-4
5. WU 5-5
T6. CU 4-6
T6. CSU 4-6
T6. UPST 4-6
9. HPU 2-8
10. PC 1-9

If the Big South Tournament started today (in Charlotte):
First Round:
#9 High Point vs. #8 USC Upstate
#10 Presbyterian vs. #7 Charleston Southern

Quarterfinals:
HPU/UPST winner vs. #1 UNC Asheville
#5 Winthrop vs. #4 Gardner-Webb
PC/CSU winner vs. #2 Radford
#6 Campbell vs. #3 Longwood

Preview: WU @ Presbyterian

2022-23 Winthrop Men’s Basketball Season – GAME #23 (BIG SOUTH GAME #10)

@ Presbyterian Blue Hose
Saturday, January 28, 2023, 2:00 pm EST
Templeton Center, Clinton, SC
WU (4-5 Big South record; 9-13 overall record; NET/KPI/SOR/BPI/POM/SAG Rankings: 274/255/273/266/270/257)
PC (1-8 Big South record; 5-17 overall record; NET/KPI/SOR/BPI/POM/SAG Rankings: 341/352/353/329/325/323)

Livestats

Live Video – ESPN+

Live Audio – 94.3

Presbyterian’s Profile

Head Coach: Quinton Ferrell (4th season as head coach at PC)

Possible Starters:

G Jalen Forrest, fr (6-4, 230) – 12.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 39.8 FG%, 31.0 3PT% (18 made threes), 75.6 FT% – 27.1 min/game

G Marquis Barnett, so (6-4, 195) – 8.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.2 spg, 41.9 FG%, 26.3 3PT% (20 made threes), 64.3 FT% – 30.6 min/game

G Trevon Reddish-Rhone, sr (6-4, 205) – 6.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.3 apg, 45.2 FG%, 10.0 3PT% (1 made three), 49.4 FT% – 28.3 min/game

F Terrell Ard, so (6-7, 220) – 6.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 45.0 FG%, 33.3 3PT% (1 made three), 53.2 FT% – 22.5 min/game

F Owen McCormack, sr (6-9, 230) – 7.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 40.6 FG%, 32.2 3PT% (29 made threes), 81.1 FT% – 26.2 min/game

Key players off the bench:

G Crosby James, jr (6-0, 185) – 10.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 36.0 FG%, 31.0 3PT% (31 made threes), 70.3 FT% – 27.4 min/game

G/F Kobe Stewart, jr (6-6, 180) – 6.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 50.0 FG%, 34.9 3PT% (15 made threes), 55.6 FT% – 20.1 min/game

G Quadir Pettaway, fr (6-1, 170) – 1.7 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 44.4 FG%, 40.0 3PT% (2 made threes), 66.7 FT% – 11.8 min/game

G James Lovorn, so (6-0, 175) – 1.3 ppg, 0.6 rpg, 30.0 FG%, 16.7 3PT% (2 made threes), 66.7 FT% – 8.3 min/game

G Houston Jones, fr (6-4, 185) – 2.7 ppg, 0.5 rpg, 37.1 FG%, 36.7 3PT% (11 made threes), 57.1 FT% – 8.1 min/game

The second half of the Big South season begins on Saturday, and WU is on the road to face Presbyterian in Clinton. In the first meeting, the Eagles won 82-72, jumping out to an early lead and staying comfortably ahead most of the way on the way to a win at home.

Since the teams last met, PC has continued to lose, as that meeting marked the 2nd loss of a current 8-game losing streak by the Blue Hose. But Presbyterian has been competitive, especially lately. In their last five games, they’ve had an OT loss at Asheville, an OT loss at home vs. Gardner-Webb, and one possession losses to Upstate and Longwood.

In recent weeks, Jalen Forrest has emerged as PC’s most dangerous player and perhaps the best freshman in the Big South. In conference play, Forrest is tied for 3rd in scoring at 16.0 ppg. In the first meeting between these teams, he scored 17 points. But as a whole, PC still struggles to shoot the ball, and relies on getting to the line (even though they struggle there too) and on crashing the offensive glass to get their points. Defensively, PC doesn’t have any true rim protectors and the Eagles feasted on that in the first meeting, hitting 66.7% from 2PT range, led by Kelton Talford’s 10 for 11 outing (on his way to 21 points). Expect Winthrop to attack the basket when they can, especially with Talford.

Winthrop only has one road win this year, but this is a decent opportunity for another road victory, though PC has been pesky lately and is likely due to crack through with a win after so many close calls. So the Eagles need to play like they did in the first meeting against the Blue Hose, or like they did in the second half of the CSU game on Wednesday…if they do, they should have enough to come through with the W.

My Prediction: Winthrop 74, Presbyterian 65

Other Big South games on Jan. 28:
UNC Asheville (8-1) @ Campbell (4-5), 2pm
Radford (7-2) @ USC Upstate (4-5), 2pm
High Point (2-7) @ Gardner-Webb (5-4), 2pm
Charleston Southern (3-6) @ Longwood (7-2), 6pm

Recap: WU vs. Charleston Southern

2022-23 Winthrop Men’s Basketball Season – GAME #22 (BIG SOUTH GAME #9)

Final Score: Winthrop 76, Charleston Southern 64

Boxscore

Winthrop and Charleston Southern were red-hot to start the game, and the Eagles carried a 1-point lead to halftime. After the break, WU quickly took control and cruised to a double-digit home win over the Bucs.

The positives:
-The WU offense was sharp throughout the game, scoring 1.31 points/possession, which is the second highest output of the year (only behind the PC game). WU was lights-out from three, hitting 13 of 28 (46.4%), along with grabbing 10 offensive boards (34.5 OR%), and only turning it over 8 times, against a CSU defense that guarded full-court for most of the game.

-Cory Hightower led the way with 19 points and 6 assists. He was attacking the basket, and also drained 3 threes.

-Toneari Lane was the early spark for the WU offense, and finished with 17 points, hitting 5 threes.

-Xavier McKelvy had only played 14 total minutes in conference games, but he provided 17 valuable minutes off the bench, scoring 9 points (a season-high vs. a D-1 opponent).

The negatives:
-I mentioned that WU was good on the offensive glass earlier, but unfortunately, so was CSU. The Eagles really struggled to secure defensive rebounds (especially in the first half), and the Bucs finished with 12 offensive boards (42.9 OR%).

-There was an incident late in the game, resulting in quite a few technical fouls between the teams. If I understand correctly, Sin’Cere McMahon was ejected for leaving the bench area, which may also lead to him not being able to play on Saturday.

Final takeaways:
CSU came into the game with the league’s best offense, and it definitely showed at times, as they were able to make some tough shots. But WU’s offense took advantage of the Bucs’ weak defense, and also found some success from the three-point arc after being below 30% from three in three of the last four games. It was nice to see the Eagles make a big run in the second half to put the game away, and the defense was active and forcing turnovers (14 for the game), leading to some easier baskets.

Next game:
WU @ Presbyterian – Saturday, January 28, 2:00pm EST

Results around the Big South:
UNC Asheville 88, Presbyterian 80 (OT)
Campbell 72, High Point 64
Gardner-Webb 78, USC Upstate 66
Radford 63, Longwood 59

Current Standings:
1. AVL 8-1
T2. RAD 7-2
T2. LW 6-2
4. GWU 5-4
T5. WU 4-5
T5. CU 4-5
T5. UPST 4-5
8. CSU 3-6
9. HPU 2-7
10. PC 1-8

If the Big South Tournament started today (in Charlotte):
First Round:
#9 High Point vs. #8 Charleston Southern
#10 Presbyterian vs. #7 USC Upstate

Quarterfinals:
HPU/CSU winner vs. #1 UNC Asheville
#5 Winthrop vs. #4 Gardner-Webb
PC/UPST winner vs. #2 Radford
#6 Campbell vs. #3 Longwood

Preview: WU vs. Charleston Southern

2022-23 Winthrop Men’s Basketball Season – GAME #22 (BIG SOUTH GAME #9)

vs. Charleston Southern Buccaneers
Wednesday, January 25, 2023, 7:00pm EST
Winthrop Coliseum, Rock Hill, SC
WU (3-5 Big South record; 8-13 overall record; NET/KPI/SOR/BPI/POM/SAG Rankings: 284/259/279/275/275/265)
CSU (3-5 Big South record; 7-12 overall record; NET/KPI/SOR/BPI/POM/SAG Rankings: 280/296/294/268/278/303)

Livestats

Live Video – ESPN+

Live Audio – 94.3

Charleston Southern’s Profile

Head Coach: Barclay Radebaugh (18th season as head coach at CSU)

Possible Starters:



G RJ Johnson, fr (6-1, 185) – 7.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.2 apg, 36.3 FG%, 33.3 3PT% (11 made threes), 94.7 FT% – 25.7 min/game

G Claudell Harris, so (6-3, 190) – 18.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.0 spg, 47.9 FG%, 31.5 3PT% (41 made threes), 78.7 FT% – 31.2 min/game

F Kalib Clinton, so (6-4, 207) – 6.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.1 spg, 53.9 FG%, 28.6 3PT% (2 made threes), 61.5 FT% – 18.9 min/game

F Tyeree Bryan, so (6-6, 202) – 9.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.1 apg, 43.7 FG%, 35.8 3PT% (19 made threes), 84.6 FT% – 30.8 min/game

F Taje’ Kelly, so (6-7, 253) – 11.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 56.9 FG%, 0 made threes, 69.8 FT% – 26.3 min/game

Key players off the bench:

G Tahlik Chavez, jr (6-2, 160) – 11.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 37.2 FG%, 36.7 3PT% (54 made threes), 75.8 FT% – 26.5 min/game

F Cheikh Faye, sr (6-8, 216) – 5.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 36.1 FG%, 32.7 3PT% (16 made threes), 100 FT% – 18.1 min/game

G Emorie Knox, so (6-0, 171) – 2.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.0 apg, 45.8 FG%, 46.2 3PT% (6 made threes), 87.5 FT% – 14.6 min/game

F Reginald Duhart, jr (6-9, 210) – 2.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 43.2 FG%, 50.0 3PT% (3 made threes), 69.2 FT% – 12.7 min/game

G Tres Berry, so (6-4, 183) – 3.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 37.1 FG%, 34.8 3PT% (8 made threes), 73.3 FT% – 12.1 min/game

F Imajae Dodd, so (6-7, 268) – 3.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 77.3 FG%, 0 made threes, 33.3 FT% – 7.5 min/game

WU hosts Charleston Southern on Wednesday night to close out the first half of the conference season. The Eagles have dropped four of their last five contests, and are facing an improved Buccaneers team, but the Bucs have dropped three straight….so both teams are desperate for a win.

CSU has the best offense in the Big South, by far…both overall and in league play. In conference games, the Bucs are averaging 1.13 points/possession, which would be the best offensive efficiency in the Big South since the 2019-20 Winthrop team. They do a lot of things well on that end of the court…They have a balanced attack, shooting well from inside and out. They shoot free throws well (though they don’t get to the line a lot). They are very good on the offensive glass, and they’ve gotten very good at limiting turnovers since Big South play began. Claudell Harris has become one of the top scorers in the league, and combined with RJ Johnson, Tahlik Chavez, and Tyeree Bryan, they have a versatile group of guards/wings that can score. Up front, Taje’ Kelly leads the way, and gives the Bucs a legit inside presence.

So why is CSU only 3-5 despite having a very good offense? Because they have the worst defense in the Big South. They don’t really do anything well on the defensive end.

When you have two teams with struggling defenses and good offenses, there’s a good chance that this will be a high-scoring game. WU really needs to find a way to pick up this win at home and go into the second half of Big South play on a win.

My Prediction: Winthrop 83, Charleston Southern 77

Other Big South games on Jan. 25-26:
Presbyterian (1-7) @ UNC Asheville (7-1), 6:30pm Wednesday
USC Upstate (4-4) @ Gardner-Webb (4-4), 7:00pm Wednesday
Campbell (3-5) @ High Point (2-6), 7:00pm Wednesday
Longwood (7-1) @ Radford (6-2), 7:00pm Thursday

Recap: WU vs. Gardner-Webb

2022-23 Winthrop Men’s Basketball Season – GAME #21 (BIG SOUTH GAME #8)

Final Score: Gardner-Webb 63, Winthrop 61

Boxscore

In typical Winthrop/Gardner-Webb fashion, this was a close, physical game. But despite Winthrop holding a 9 point lead with under seven minutes remaining, the Runnin’ Bulldogs were able to come out on top this time, beating the Eagles 63-61.

The positives:
-This was one of WU’s better defensive outputs, holding GWU to 1.00 points/possession. GWU only shot 45.2% from 2PT range, and while they did hit 41.7% from three, that was only on 5 makes.

-The Eagles also had a good rebounding game. In just the raw numbers, WU outrebounded GWU, 41-29. And the Eagles also grabbed 10 offensive rebounds (32.3 OR%), while the Runnin’ Bulldogs had 8 (20.5 OR%).

-Free throw shooting continues to be a bright spot for the team. Today they hit 80% from the line, on an impressive 30 attempts.

The negatives:
-Turnovers continue to haunt the Eagles. And not only did WU turn it over 16 times, but on the other end, the Eagles only forced 6 turnovers.

-WU’s shooting continues to struggle. The Eagles only hit 42.3% of their 2PT attempts and only made 5 of 17 (29.4%) from three.

-Foul trouble really hurt WU at times in this game, and given the lack of depth the team has (Howie Fleming missed a third straight game and Xavier McKelvy didn’t play today either), this can become a big problem. Luckily, GWU really struggled from the line, keeping WU in the game.

Final takeaways:
WU has now dropped four of their last five, and a common theme has been prolonged shooting slumps down the stretch in most of those losses. When you combine that with turnover issues, it really keeps the the Eagles’ offense (which should be the strength of the team) in check. The defense has actually played pretty well the last couple of games, but unfortunately that doesn’t do any good if the team isn’t scoring enough on the other end.

Next game:
WU vs. Charleston Southern – Wednesday, January 25, 7:00pm EST

Results around the Big South:
Longwood 58, Presbyterian 56
UNC Asheville 64, USC Upstate 58
Radford 95, High Point 80
Campbell 78, Charleston Southern 76 (OT)

Current Standings:
T1. AVL 7-1
T1. LW 7-1
3. RAD 6-2
T4. UPST 4-4
T4. GWU 4-4
T6. WU 3-5
T6. CU 3-5
T6. CSU 3-5
9. HPU 2-6
10. PC 1-7

If the Big South Tournament started today (in Charlotte):
First Round:
#9 High Point vs. #8 Charleston Southern
#10 Presbyterian vs. #7 Campbell

Quarterfinals:
HPU/CSU winner vs. #1 UNC Asheville
#5 Gardner-Webb vs. #4 USC Upstate
PC/CU winner vs. #2 Longwood
#6 Winthrop vs. #3 Radford

Preview: WU vs. Gardner-Webb

2022-23 Winthrop Men’s Basketball Season – GAME #21 (BIG SOUTH GAME #8)

vs. Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs
Saturday, January 21, 2023, 2:00pm EST
Winthrop Coliseum, Rock Hill, SC
WU (3-4 Big South record; 8-12 overall record; NET/KPI/SOR/BPI/POM/SAG Rankings: 267/243/268/271/266/259)
GWU (3-4 Big South record; 8-11 overall record; NET/KPI/SOR/BPI/POM/SAG Rankings: 195/265/240/147/192/218)

Livestats

Live Video – ESPN+

Live Audio – 94.3

Gardner-Webb’s Profile

Head Coach: Tim Craft (10th season as head coach at GWU)

Possible Starters:



G Julien Soumaoro, so (5-11, 165) – 10.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.1 spg, 40.3 FG%, 41.0 3PT% (41 made threes), 81.4 FT% – 26.7 min/game

G DQ Nicholas, jr (6-1, 180) – 11.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.2 spg, 43.8 FG%, 27.5 3PT% (14 made threes), 67.1 FT% – 28.3 min/game

G Anthony Selden, jr (6-6, 220) – 11.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.1 bpg, 47.2 FG%, 24.6 3PT% (14 made threes), 71.1 FT% – 27.3 min/game

F Ludovic Dufeal, sr (6-8, 200) – 6.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.7 bpg, 61.6 FG%, 38.5 3PT% (5 made threes), 63.3 FT% – 26.1 min/game

F Kareem Reid, sr (6-9, 205) – 10.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.1 bpg, 57.6 FG%, 0 made threes, 57.4 FT% – 24.2 min/game

Key players off the bench:

G Lucas Stieber, jr (6-3, 185) – 4.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.0 apg, 40.0 FG%, 38.6 3PT% (17 made threes), 53.3 FT% – 22.4 min/game

G Quest Aldridge, sr (6-4, 185) – 7.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 35.8 FG%, 32.6 3PT% (31 made threes), 66.7 FT% – 20.1 min/game

G Caleb Robinson, so (6-5, 200) – 7.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 45.3 FG%, 25.0 3PT% (3 made threes), 56.5 FT% – 17.4 min/game

F Ademide Badmus, so (6-7, 245) – 2.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 60.0 FG%, 0 made threes, 36.4 FT% – 7.6 min/game

Winthrop and Gardner-Webb typically play tight/intense games against each other, and their matchup on Saturday should be the same, as these two teams are each 3-4 in conference play, and desperate not to fall toward the bottom part of the standings.

GWU relies heavily on their defense, as they protect the rim very well and block a ton of shots (which is a problem for Winthrop, as the Eagles get their shots blocked more than just about any team in the nation). They are aggressive on the glass and also do a pretty good job at forcing turnovers. But there is two areas of weakness that GWU has on that end of the court, and WU can hopefully take advantage of both of those things. The Runnin’ Bulldogs foul a lot, and Winthrop has typically been a good free throw shooting team this year. Also, opponents have shot the three pretty well against them as well, so hopefully the Eagles can find their outside shot.

Gardner-Webb is not very good offensively, though. They struggle to make shots at time, especially from outside, as they only have two reliable three-point shooters, in Julien Soumaoro and Lucas Stieber. They do have some solid post scoring options with Kareem Reid and Ludovic Dufeal, along with a couple of good slashers with DQ Nicholas and Anthony Selden. The Runnin’ Bulldogs are an awful free throw shooting team, with Suomaoro being the only player above even 72% from the FT line (he’s at 81.4%), and most of the rotation is well under 70%. They are also a bit turnover prone, as is Winthrop, so this could be a sloppy game at times.

I expect a pretty intense game, and Gardner-Webb will likely want to make this physical and slow. If WU can find some offensive tempo and find their outside shot, they have a good chance of getting the win, especially with the game being at home. But as we’ve seen, this isn’t exactly the most consistent Eagle squad of recent years, and GWU is the type of team that can force you into scoring slumps, which WU cannot afford to have in this game.

My Prediction: Winthrop 69, Gardner-Webb 64

Other Big South games on Jan. 21:
Longwood (6-1) @ Presbyterian (1-6), 2pm
USC Upstate (4-3) @ UNC Asheville (6-1), 2pm
High Point (2-5) @ Radford (5-2), 2pm
Campbell (2-5) @ Charleston Southern (3-4)

Recap: WU @ High Point

2022-23 Winthrop Men’s Basketball Season – GAME #20 (BIG SOUTH GAME #7)

Final Score: High Point 71, Winthrop 66

Boxscore

WU fell behind early on the road, trailing by 16 at the half at High Point. The Eagles managed to erase that halftime lead quickly in the 2nd half, even taking the lead for a brief moment, but the Panthers pulled away and won, 71-66

The positives:
-WU shut down Jaden House, who came into the game as the league’s leading scorer. House finished the game with only 2 FG attempts, scoring 4 points, and turning it over 6 times.

-The Eagles decisively won the turnover battle, 21-14, resulting in the rare occurrence this season of the Eagles taking more FG attempts than their opponent.

-WU shot FTs well, hitting 15 of 19 (78.9%)

The negatives:
-The Eagles may have shut down House, but the rest of the Panthers seemed to be able to score when they wanted, as the Panthers hit 64.3% from 2PT range, 36.8% from three, and attempted 25 FTs (luckily for the Eagles, HPU only made 14 of those FT attempts).

-Winthrop really struggled to shoot the ball, making only 42.9% from 2PT range and 29% from three.

-The Eagles were without Howie Fleming for a second straight game, and though 9 Eagles made an appearance in the game, Xavier McKelvy, Cam Whiteside, and Michael Moore only played 2 minutes each, meaning that the five starters each played 33 or more minutes.

Final takeaways:
As we’ve seen several times this season, the Eagles dug themselves into a deep hole. The team fought hard, and quickly erased the big halftime deficit, but didn’t have enough left in the tank to hold off HPU for too long after that. Shots weren’t falling for the Eagles as the game went along (only 2 made FGs in the final 7:30 of the game…and both of those came in the final 11 seconds when the game was out of reach), and High Point did enough down the stretch to keep WU at arms length down the stretch. It’s tough to win conference games on the road when you spot your opponent a double-digit lead.

Next game:
WU vs. Gardner-Webb – Saturday, January 21, 2:00pm EST

Results around the Big South:
Radford 63, Campbell 55
UNC Asheville 73, Charleston Southern 63
USC Upstate 61, Presbyterian 60
Longwood 64, Gardner-Webb 59

Current Standings:
T1. AVL 6-1
T1. LW 6-1
3. RAD 5-2
4. UPST 4-3
T5. GWU 3-4
T5. WU 3-4
T5. CSU 3-4
T8. HPU 2-5
T8. CU 2-5
T9. PC 1-6

If the Big South Tournament started today (in Charlotte):
First Round:
#9 Campbell vs. #8 High Point
#10 Presbyterian vs. #7 Charleston Southern

Quarterfinals:
PC/CU winner vs. #1 UNC Asheville
#5 Gardner-Webb vs. #4 USC Upstate
HPU/WU winner vs. #2 Longwood
#6 Winthrop vs. #3 Radford

Preview: WU @ High Point

2022-23 Winthrop Men’s Basketball Season – GAME #20 (BIG SOUTH GAME #7)

@ High Point Panthers
Wednesday, January 18, 2023, 7:00pm EST
Qubein Center, High Point, NC
WU (3-3 Big South record; 8-11 overall record; NET/KPI/SOR/BPI/POM/SAG Rankings: 266/244/275/276/264/261)
HPU (1-5 Big South record; 9-9 overall record; NET/KPI/SOR/BPI/POM/SAG Rankings: 277/247/264/278/274/299)

Livestats

Live Video – ESPN+

Live Audio – 94.3

High Point’s Profile

Head Coach: G.G. Smith (1st season as head coach at HPU)

Possible Starters:



G Abdoulaye Thiam, so (6-4, 190) – 14.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.0 spg, 42.2 FG%, 37.3 3PT% (44 made threes), 72.1 FT% – 28.6 min/game

G Bryant Randleman, sr (6-4, 190) – 8.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.0 spg, 52.3 FG%, 0 made threes, 53.8 FT% – 25.3 min/game

G Jaden House, jr (6-4, 201) – 19.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.1 apg, 45.0 FG%, 25.0 3PT% (17 made threes), 67.8 FT% – 28.4 min/game

F Ahmard Harvey, jr (6-7, 190) – 4.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.1 bpg, 56.9 FG%, 42.9 3PT% (3 made threes), 51.9 FT% – 19.1 min/game

F Emmanuel Izunabor, sr (6-8, 217) – 4.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 58.9 FG%, 0 made threes, 52.2 FT% – 19.5 min/game

Key players off the bench:

F Zack Austin, so (6-7, 201) – 12.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.0 spg, 1.8 bpg, 41.3 FG%, 31.4 3PT% (32 made threes), 74.1 FT% – 25.9 min/game

G Bryson Childress, jr (5-9, 150) – 3.4 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 37.7 FG%, 36.0 3PT% (18 made threes), 80.0 FT% – 12.8 min/game

F Alex Holt, jr (6-8, 245) – 3.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 48.0 FG%, 0 made threes, 33.3 FT% – 11.6 min/game

G Brock Williams, so (6-0, 171) – 3.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 31.0 FG%, 14.3 3PT% (1 made three), 51.9 FT% – 11.5 min/game

G Justin Taylor, fr (6-2, 175) – 1.9 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 39.3 FG%, 33.3 3PT% (4 made threes), 36.4 FT% – 10.4 min/game

F Sam Perez, fr (6-8, 210) – 2.2 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 37.5 FG%, 35.3 3PT% (6 made threes), 80.0 FT% – 6.7 min/game

Winthrop is on the road again, a few days after their first road victory (at Campbell), this time, heading to High Point, NC to face High Point on Wednesday night. HPU started the season 8-1, but then dropped 8 straight games (including their first 5 conference games), before winning their last contest vs. Presbyterian.

Based on what I said in the last paragraph, the Panthers are a bit difficult to figure out. The 8-1 start was built on a pretty weak schedule, but they still looked pretty impressive at times. However, in conference play, they have really struggled. The Panthers rely heavily on their top three players, Jaden House, Zack Austin, and Abdoulaye Thiam. But behind them, there aren’t a ton of scoring options on the roster.

Offensively, HPU plays at an incredibly high pace, and they really look to attack the basket and draw fouls. They are one of the best in the nation in getting to the FT line, yet when they get there, they really struggle. In Big South games, they are only hitting 56.9% of the their FT attempts. They also don’t shoot the three-pointer well (30.4% in conference games). Their bigs don’t score much, but Ahmard Harvey and Emmanuel Izunabor are very good offensive rebounders and help keep possessions alive for the Panthers. On defense, there isn’t really anything particular that HPU does well. In Big South action, they have struggled at forcing turnovers, getting defensive rebounds, and stopping three-point shots.

HPU has really had a tough time in conference play, but despite their record, they do have dangerous players could blow up and have big nights at any time. So WU will need to make sure they are ready to play on Wednesday, and try not to give the Panthers any hope early in the game. Also, for the returnees on Winthrop, they should remember that they fell last season at High Point’s new arena, so I’m sure they’ll be looking for a bit of payback. I think this one stays close for a while, but WU pulls away late.

My Prediction: Winthrop 81, High Point 74

Other Big South games on Jan. 18:
Gardner-Webb (3-3) @ Longwood (5-1), 7pm
UNC Asheville (5-1) @ Charleston Southern (3-3), 7pm
Radford (4-2) @ Campbell (2-4), 7pm
Presbyterian (1-5) @ USC Upstate (3-3), 7pm

Recap: WU @ Campbell

2022-23 Winthrop Men’s Basketball Season – GAME #19 (BIG SOUTH GAME #6)

Final Score: Winthrop 78, Campbell 74

Boxscore

The Eagles picked up their first road of the season, and also snapped a two-game skid, coming back from 11 down to beat Campbell, 78-74

The positives:
-The WU offense shot the ball very well, hitting 77.8% from 2PT range, 45.8% from three, and 81% from the FT line.

-Sin’Cere McMahon came up big in helping WU come back in the second half. He led the team with 23 points, hitting 4 threes and all 7 of his FT attempts.

-Toneari Lane also made 4 threes, on his way to 16 points.

The negatives:
-The WU defense struggled at times, as Campbell scored 1.17 points/possession and hit 66.7% of their 2PT attempts.

-The Eagles also struggled to keep the Fighting Camels off the offensive glass, despite Campbell not being a team that typically gets a lot of offensive boards. They finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds (40.7 OR%), which was their best offensive rebound rate in a D1 game.

-Cory Hightower is in a bit of a slump. After scoring 19 in the first half against Longwood last weekend, he has 8 total points in the next 5 halves, and only 3 points against Campbell, on 1 of 5 from the field w/ 5 turnovers.

Final takeaways:
This was an important win for the Eagles, as they could not afford to drop 3 straight and fall to 2-4 in the league. They also finally broke their season-long road losing streak, and shook off a slow start in this game, coming back from a double-digit deficit. It was also nice to see Sin’Cere McMahon come up big after being in a bit of a slump. The schedule is a bit favorable for WU for the next couple of weeks, so hopefully they can take advantage of that and move up the standings going into the second half of the conference season in February.

Next game:
WU @ High Point – January 18, 7:00pm EST

Results around the Big South:
UNC Asheville 72, Gardner-Webb 67 (OT)
Radford 75, Charleston Southern 70
Longwood 72, USC Upstate 65
High Point 64, Presbyterian 56

Current Standings:
T1. AVL 5-1
T1. LW 5-1
3. RAD 4-2
T4. GWU 3-3
T4. CSU 3-3
T4. UPST 3-3
T4. WU 3-3
8. CU 2-4
T9. HPU 1-5
T9. PC 1-5

If the Big South Tournament started today (in Charlotte):
First Round:
#9 High Point vs. #8 Campbell
#10 Presbyterian vs. #7 Winthrop

Quarterfinals:
PC/CU winner vs. #1 UNC Asheville
#5 Charleston Southern vs. #4 Gardner-Webb
HPU/WU winner vs. #2 Longwood
#6 USC Upstate vs. #3 Radford