Looking at WU at the Halfway Point of Big South Play – 2023-24

A bulk of my content on this blog is to preview upcoming WU opponents…but except for before the season, I don’t tend to dedicate an entire post to the Eagles.  So with WU having a ‘bye’ during the week, and also with it being the halfway point of the conference schedule, this seems to be a perfect time to move the magnifying glass over the Eagles and see what’s going on with the team.

Winthrop Eagles
WU (5-3 Big South record; 14-9 overall; NET/KPI/SOR/BPI/POM Ranking: 166/166/156/129/155)

Winthrop Profile

Head Coach: Mark Prosser (3rd season as head coach at Winthrop)

Typical Starters:

G Kasen Harrison, sr (6-2, 190) – 11.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.5 spg, 38.9 FG%, 28.1 3PT% (18 made threes), 76.9 FT% – 30.9 min/game

G Nick Johnson, sr (6-4, 230) – 11.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.4 spg, 42.9 FG%, 38.0 3PT% (27 made threes), 61.0 FT% – 27.9 min/game

F KJ Doucet, jr (6-7, 230) – 12.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 46.7 FG%, 40.2 3PT% (39 made threes), 75.3 FT% – 23.3 min/game

F Chase Claxton, sr (6-7, 185) – 3.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 51.1 FG%, 28.6 3PT% (6 made threes), 58.1 FT% – 22.8 min/game

F Kelton Talford, sr (6-7, 195) – 14.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 62.1 FG%, 25.0 3PT% (2 made threes), 69.9 FT% – 26.4 min/game

Key players off the bench:

G Micheal Anumba, sr (6-4, 220) – 6.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 42.2 FG%, 36.4 3PT% (8 made threes), 81.3 FT% – 25.9 min/game

G Sin’Cere McMahon, sr (6-1, 167) – 8.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 41.1 FG%, 40.7 3PT% (48 made threes), 69.0 FT% – 20.2 min/game

C Alex Timmerman, sr (6-10, 270) – 8.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 54.2 FG%, 27.3 3PT% (3 made threes), 86.0 FT% – 19.5 min/game

G Xavier McKelvy, so (6-2, 180) – 3.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 42.6 FG%, 28.6 3PT% (6 made threes), 76.9 FT% – 10.4 min/game – HAS MISSED LAST 2 GAMES DUE TO INJURY.  FUTURE STATUS UNKNOWN

F Yoro Diallo, fr (6-8, 200) – 2.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 57.1 FG%, 16.7 3PT% (1 made three), 54.5 FT% – 9.1 min/game

It’s been a bit of an odd start for Winthrop since Big South play has started.  Two of the wins (@ Presbyterian and @ Charleston Southern) were pretty comfortable, with WU leading the whole way (essentially) and not really having any major threat of losing either contest.  As for the three other wins, those all came in overtime, and with WU overcoming 15-point (vs. Radford), 11-point (vs. Longwood), and 9-point (@ Upstate) deficits to win those games.  While in the three losses, WU had 18-point (@ Gardner-Webb), 17-point (vs. High Point), and 10-point (vs. Asheville) leads that they gave up in the defeats.  So you could see scenarios where WU could be anywhere from 2-6 to 8-0 in the league depending on how a play or two unfolded in any of those games.  But is it encouraging that WU has the ability to overcome slow starts to win games?  And able to get to double-digit leads against the top teams in the league?  Or discouraging that they’ve had some slow starts that they’ve had to come back from?  Or can’t seem to hold a big lead when they get one?  I’m sure it is all of the above, which makes you think that this team can still be very good if they can just play with a little more consistency, but that their margin for error isn’t very big either, especially as the Big South looks to be as deep/competitive as it has ever been.

The Eagles currently play a nine-man rotation.  Isaiah Wilson is missing the entire season due to injury.  Michael Moore has never cracked the rotation this year.  Noah Van Bibber had some moments early in the season when he was getting significant playing time, but that has gone away, especially once Mike Anumba returned to action.  And Xavier McKelvy has missed the last couple of games due to injury, and I have not personally heard if/when he’s expected to return.  Kelton Talford is definitely the focal point of the offense, though KJ Doucet and Nick Johnson have transferred in and made big impacts offensively from the wing.  Kasen Harrison is really the only healthy option at point guard, and therefore leads the team in minutes/game and he seems to be the key barometer for the team.  When Harrison is struggling with his shot, the team generally struggles to win.  Chase Claxton and Mike Anumba anchor the defense, while Sin’Cere McMahon and Alex Timmerman are key weapons off the bench, with McMahon firing from outside and Timmerman working the post.  Yoro Diallo has added some depth in the frontcourt as a redshirt freshman.

This year’s Winthrop team is not quite as good offensively as the last two Prosser-led teams.  The team doesn’t shoot the ball as well as recent Winthrop teams, from either 2PT or 3PT range.  Though the 2PT% has gone up drastically since conference play, with every key rotation player (other than Alex Timmerman) seeing a big uptick in that statistic since Big South play has started (WU actually ranks first in the conference in 2PT% in conference games as of right now at 58.2%).  The one thing this team is great at is getting to the FT line, ranking first nationally in FT rate.  Unfortunately, the team isn’t great (though not terrible) at making FTs, and has had a few games where they’ve faltered late at the FT line.  The Eagles’ biggest struggle on offense, though, is with turnovers.  They’ve improved from the last two seasons, but that’s still an area that tends to be a problem-spot.

While the offense has taken a bit of a step back, this year’s Winthrop squad is the best defensive unit that Prosser has had, and that has been helped with Anumba’s return.  The Eagles have been very stingy with the three-point arc, as opponents shoot under 30% from three against them, but they’re not great at preventing teams from scoring around the basket, or from the FT line.  Winthrop has been good at forcing turnovers this season, though oddly enough, they don’t get many steals.  So they don’t get the benefit of many live-ball turnovers that lead to easy baskets on the other end, but they’re good at drawing charges and forcing opponents into other mistakes.  The biggest problem this team has on the defensive end is that they don’t rebound well, leading to many second chance opportunities for opponents.

This team has a long road ahead if it wants to earn the regular season championship.  But it appears the Eagles have enough talent and depth to win a conference tournament, though the league probably has as much quality depth as I’ve ever seen, so the road to an NCAA tournament berth will be rough for everybody.  I’ll have a deeper look at the rest of the league later this week.

Big South games on January 31-February 1:
UNC Asheville (6-1) @ Gardner-Webb (5-2), Jan. 31, 7:00pm EST
USC Upstate (1-6) @ Presbyterian (1-6), Jan. 31, 7:00pm EST
Charleston Southern (2-5) @ Radford (3-4), Jan. 31, 7:00pm EST
Longwood (2-5) @ High Point (7-0), Feb. 1, 7:00pm EST
Winthrop (5-3) has the day off

Recap: WU vs. High Point

2023-24 Winthrop Men’s Basketball Season – GAME #23 (BIG SOUTH GAME #8)

Final Score: High Point 83, Winthrop 81

Boxscore

For most of the first 27 minutes of Winthrop’s game against High Point, it looked like the Eagles would give the Panthers their first loss of the conference season, even leading by as many as 17 points. But HPU was able to make a furious second half comeback, and won the game on a last second shot by Kezza Giffa, giving them the 83-81 road win over the Eagles.

The positives:
-As a whole, the Winthrop offense was productive, scoring 1.19 points/possession, the second highest of the conference season (only behind the PC game). This was because the Eagles were relentless at getting to the basket, hitting 28 of 45 2PT attempts (62.2%) and doing a decent job of getting the FT line (earning 24 FT attempts).

-Kelton Talford was very effective offensively, scoring 22 points on 9 of 14 from the field and 4 of 6 from the line. 

-Kasen Harrison added 18 points, going 6 for 9 from the field and 5 of 5 from the FT line.

The negatives:
-The WU offense wasn’t generally the problem, but the defense was. High Point scored 1.22 points/possession (the 2nd highest WU has allowed all season). Specifically, the Eagles could not stop Kezza Giffa, who scored 37 points, making 9 of 11 of his 2PT attempts and earning 16 FT attempts.

-Fouls were a big problem for WU, with HPU earning 35 FTs in the game, and KJ Doucet fouling out in 17 minutes, and Chase Claxton also battling foul trouble through the game.

-WU losing big leads has become an issue in recent weeks. In this one, WU saw a 17 point lead evaporate in under 7 minutes. That’s after having an 18-point lead at Gardner-Webb and a 10-point lead vs. UNC Asheville disappear in losses last week.

Final takeaways:
Winthrop looked great in the first half and early in the second, but High Point was able to snatch the game away in what was a relentless offensive performance by the Panthers late in the game, especially from Giffa, who has been carrying the offensive load in the absence of Duke Miles from the HPU lineup the last three games. This definitely felt like another win that slipped away from the Eagles, though they’ve also had some conference games that have gone the other way, where what looked like a loss most of the way turned into a win. Either way, it is clear that the top of the Big South is deep this year, and it takes playing two good halves to win games against the title contenders.

Next game:
WU @ UNC Asheville – Saturday, February 3, 2:00pm EST

Results around the Big South:
UNC Asheville 71, Charleston Southern 65
Gardner-Webb 75, USC Upstate 70
Radford 73, Presbyterian 58
Longwood was off

Current Standings:
1. HPU 7-0
2. AVL 6-1
3. GWU 5-2
4. WU 5-3
5. RAD 3-4
T6. LW 2-5
T6. CSU 2-5
T8. UPST 1-6
T8. PC 1-6

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

Quarterfinals:
PC/UPST winner vs. #1 High Point
#5 Radford vs. #4 Winthrop
#7 Charleston Southern vs. #2 UNC Asheville
#6 Longwood vs. #3 Gardner-Webb

Preview: WU vs. High Point

2023-24 Winthrop Men’s Basketball Season – GAME #23 (BIG SOUTH GAME #8)

vs. High Point Panthers
Saturday, January 27, 4:00pm EST
Winthrop Coliseum, Rock Hill, SC
WU (5-2 Big South record; 14-8 overall record; NET/KPI/SOR/BPI/POM Rankings: 161/166/141/126/150)
HPU (6-0 Big South record; 17-4 overall record; NET/KPI/SOR/BPI/POM Rankings: 115/108/93/120/129)

Livestats

Live Video – ESPN+

Live Audio – 94.3

High Point’s Profile

Head Coach: Alan Huss (Interim head coach at HPU)

Possible Starters:

G Duke Miles, jr (6-3, 182) – 19.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.4 spg, 58.4 FG%, 37.3 3PT% (25 made threes), 83.1 FT% – 31.3 min/game – HAS MISSED LAST 2 GAMES. STATUS FOR SATURDAY UNKNOWN

G Abdoulaye Thiam, so (6-4, 185) – 11.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 42.9 FG%, 32.9 3PT% (25 made threes), 80.0 FT% – 27.5 min/game

G Trae Benham, jr (6-4, 205) – 9.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 40.0 FG%, 39.4 3PT% (52 made threes), 90.5 FT% – 28.0 min/game

F Kimani Hamilton, so (6-7, 220) – 15.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.1 spg, 43.3 FG%, 26.1 3PT% (18 made threes), 78.9 FT% – 31.0 min/game

F Juslin Bodo Bodo, fr (7-0, 240) – 5.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.7 bpg, 59.7 FG%, 0 made threes, 37.3 FT% – 21.6 min/game

Key players off the bench:

G Kezza Giffa, jr (6-2, 165) – 15.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.0 apg, 43.4 FG%, 41.7 3PT% (30 made threes), 87.3 FT% – 27.1 min/game

F Cade Potter, so (6-8, 235) – 3.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 38.3 FG%, 16.7 3PT% (5 made threes), 57.1 FT% – 12.9 min/game

G Titas Sargiunas, fr (6-4, 180) – 2.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 36.2 FG%, 30.0 3PT% (6 made threes), 92.3 FT% – 9.6 min/game

F Denzel Hines, fr (6-7, 205) – 3.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 50.0 FG%, 37.5 3PT% (3 made threes), 71.4 FT% – 9.1 min/game

We’re approaching the midway point of the Big South conference season, and Saturday presents a big opportunity for Winthrop, as the Eagles host first-place High Point at the Coliseum.

HPU was a huge unknown entering this season, as they hired Alan Huss (who was an assistant coach at Creighton) to take over as head coach, and they turned over virtually their entire roster, with Abdoulaye Thiam as the only primary rotation players that was on last year’s team. But Huss has made his impact immediately known, as the Panthers have had a great season so far, and they have a legitimate chance to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history (and don’t forget, they will be hosting the tournament this year). They only have 4 losses all year, with two of them in the first weeks of the season on the road by one possession each (@ Wofford and @ Queens). Since then, their only losses are vs. a solid Hofstra team in OT, and @ Georgia (by only 8 points). They didn’t play a very tough out-of-conference schedule, so they don’t have any huge wins, but they did pick up very solid wins vs. Iona, Western Carolina, and UNC Greensboro, all by double-digits.

While Winthrop fans might consider this an over-the-top take, I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that Huss is making a Gregg Marshall-like impact in his first season. The turnaround this HPU team has had is remarkable, and this doesn’t appear fluky. And you can maybe argue that the transfer portal makes turning around a team easier than it once was, but you have to get the right players, and you can make a legitimate argument that HPU picked up the three highest-impact transfers in the league this season (Duke Miles, Kimani Hamilton, and Kezza Giffa), along with the highest-impact freshman (Juslin Bodo Bodo), so it appears that Huss has an eye for talent, and he’s constructed a very impressive roster. And while the Panthers aren’t a deep team, they’ve withstood the absence of Miles in the last two games, which is impressive given he is a possible Player of the Year candidate, but Giffa has started in his place and has been very productive.

The Panthers are on pace to have the highest ranked Big South offense in the KenPom era (since the 99-00 season), as they are ranked 38th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency. Like Winthrop, they do a great job at getting to the FT line (and they are one of the best teams in the nation in FT%, hitting 78.3% against D1 foes, with only Bodo Bodo being a liability at the line). They are also relentless on the boards, ranking in the top-10 nationally in offensive rebounding %. They aren’t a high volume three-point shooting team, but they have a few guys that are dangerous out there, and they are effective at getting to the basket and avoiding turnovers.

HPU’s weakness is on the other end, as they rank 297th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, though for the most part, their offense has been good enough where it hasn’t mattered much. They don’t force many turnovers at all, and they can be a bit foul-prone at times. Also, opponents have tended to shoot well from outside against them. But what they do an amazing job at is rebounding, as just as they are elite on the offensive boards, they are also top-10 in the nation in defensive rebounding %. So they really do a great job of limiting second chance opportunities.

This is obviously a big game for Winthrop, and will definitely be a challenging opponent, especially if Duke Miles returns. But either way, even though WU’s defense has been excellent since conference play has started, this isn’t an opponent you can expect to shut down, so the Eagles are going to have to take advantage of facing a team that doesn’t lock down opponents. WU will need to shoot the ball well, and find a way to not get dominated on the glass against an elite rebounding team. If they can do that, they should be able to ride their advantage at depth, and their home court, to pull out a win.

My Prediction: Winthrop 83, High Point 77

Other Big South games on Jan. 27:
USC Upstate (1-5) @ Gardner-Webb (4-2), 4:00pm
Presbyterian (1-5) @ Radford (2-4), 4:30pm
UNC Asheville (5-1) @ Charleston Southern (2-4), 5:30pm
Longwood (2-5) is off

Recap: WU @ Charleston Southern

2023-24 Winthrop Men’s Basketball Season – GAME #22 (BIG SOUTH GAME #7)

Final Score: Winthrop 78, Charleston Southern 59

Boxscore

This game got out of hand quickly. WU led CSU by double-digits for the final 33:34 of this contest, and by 20+ for essentially the entire second half, and by as many as 33 points. The Eagles cruised to a 78-59 road win over the Bucs to end a two-game skid.

The positives:
-KJ Doucet had a monster performance. He scored 28 points on 11 for 12 from the field (including 3 of 4 from three. He also had 4 assists, no turnovers, and only 2 fouls (which has often been a problem for him).

-With Kelton Talford battling foul trouble at times, Alex Timmerman got 21 minutes, and made the most of them, scoring 17 points, on 8 for 10 from the field.

-The Eagles dominated the paint on both ends, with WU shooting 71.1% on 2PT shots, and CSU only shooting 45.2% from 2PT range.

The negatives:
-Rebounding was about the only thing the Eagles didn’t do well in this game. WU only had 5 offensive boards (19.2% of their misses), while CSU had 16 (36.4% of their misses).

Final takeaways:
This is exactly what the Eagles needed after losing two in a row. This game was never in doubt, and WU was able to overwhelm CSU early, which allowed them to not overload anyone with too many minutes. 

Next game:
WU vs. High Point – Saturday, January 27, 4:00pm EST

Results around the Big South:
Gardner-Webb 76, Longwood 64
UNC Asheville 81, Radford 69
High Point 78, USC Upstate 67
Presbyterian was off

Current Standings:
1. HPU 6-0
2. AVL 5-1
3. WU 5-2
4. GWU 4-2
T5. CSU 2-4
T5. RAD 2-4
7. LW 2-5
T8. UPST 1-5
T8. PC 1-5

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

Quarterfinals:
PC/UPST winner vs. #1 High Point
#5 Charleston Southern vs. #4 Gardner-Webb
#7 Longwood vs. #2 UNC Asheville
#6 Radford vs. #3 Winthrop

Preview: WU @ Charleston Southern

2023-24 Winthrop Men’s Basketball Season – GAME #22 (BIG SOUTH GAME #7)

@ Charleston Southern Buccaneers
Wednesday, January 24, 7:00pm EST
Buccaneer Fieldhouse, North Charleston, SC
WU (4-2 Big South record; 13-8 overall record; NET/KPI/SOR/BPI/POM Rankings: 167/167/150/128/156)
CSU (2-3 Big South record; 6-12 overall record; NET/KPI/SOR/BPI/POM Rankings: 324/312/303/327/323)

Livestats

Live Video – ESPN+

Live Audio – 94.3

Charleston Southern’s Profile

Head Coach: Saah Nimley (Interim head coach at CSU)

Possible Starters:

G RJ Johnson, so (6-1,185) – 16.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.8 apg, 44.5 FG%, 45.3 3PT% (29 made threes), 89.1 FT% – 32.4 min/game

G A’lahn Sumler, so (6-4, 185) – 12.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 40.1 FG%, 38.8 3PT% (38 made threes), 76.1 FT% – 27.5 min/game

F Kalib Clinton, jr (6-4, 207) – 4.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 52.4 FG%, 66.7 3PT% (2 made threes), 50.0 FT% – 16.2 min/game

F Taje’ Kelly, jr (6-7, 253) – 16.1 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 51.4 FG%, 40.0 3PT% (8 made threes), 72.2 FT% – 31.5 min/game

F Reginald Duhart, sr (6-9, 210) – 4.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.1 bpg, 57.6 FG%, 42.9 3PT% (9 made threes), 66.7 FT% – 29.7 min/game

Key players off the bench:

G DJ Patrick, jr (6-6, 200) – 11.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 38.9 FG%, 33.0 3PT% (36 made threes), 76.9 FT% – 30.6 min/game – MISSED LAST GAME. UNSURE OF STATUS FOR WEDNESDAY

G Jaiden Thompson, fr (6-0, 170) – 2.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 40.0 FG%, 0 made threes, 70.0 FT% – 14.3 min/game

F Nobal Days, sr (6-9, 225) – 1.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 25.0 FG%, 25.0 3PT% (3 made threes), 60.0 FT% – 10.6 min/game

Winthrop hits the road again on Wednesday night to face Charleston Southern, after dropping a pair of contests last week (home vs. Asheville and @ Gardner-Webb) to drop to 4-2 in conference play. The Eagles will be facing a Buccaneer program that has dealt with quite a bit of instability this season. The biggest news out of CSU is Barclay Radebaugh resigning after the Bucs lost to the Citadel by 29 points, with Saah Nimley taking over as interim coach. Their roster has also seen some volatility. Louis Hutchinson started 6 of CSU’s first 8 games, but hasn’t played in their last 10 contests (I’m unsure of the reason and whether he’s expected to return). DJ Patrick started the first 17 games of the season, but missed CSU’s game at High Point on Saturday (I’m unsure of the reason and whether he’s expected to play Wednesday).  Kalib Clinton played in the first five games of the season, missed 12 games in a row, but returned on Saturday. And Gaddis Heath played in the first 17 games of the season, but missed the High Point game, and is not even listed on the roster anymore.

So needless to say, this is a CSU team that is going through a lot, and it has shown on the court. They only won one non-conference game (a home contest against SC State), but they have managed to start conference play 2-3, including an impressive win at Gardner-Webb. And since Nimley has taken over, they do seem to be playing better, as they have been competitive against a couple of good teams in losses (most notably South Carolina and High Point). But this is a CSU team that wasn’t expected to do much this season, and is at/near the bottom of the league in most metrics, so while their conference start is a bit better than maybe expected, I’d still likely assume they will occupy one of the bottom spots in the standings come March.

The Bucs have one of the thinnest rosters in the nation (352nd in bench minutes per KenPom), but they do have two players playing at an all-conference level, with RJ Johnson in the backcourt and Taje’ Kelly up front. They lead an offense that has been dangerous from behind the three-point arc, and good at getting to the FT line (and making their FTs when they get there). But they really struggle at scoring around the basket (other than Kelly), they turn it over quite a bit, and they are don’t get many offensive boards. And they are worse on the defensive end, where they do anything particularly well, and they are one of the worst teams in the nation at forcing turnovers.

WU is definitely hungry for a win, and while the Buccaneers can be dangerous at times, and no road game is a sure thing, I think this is a good chance for the Eagles to bounce back after a rough week last week. The Eagles have much more depth, and have the advantage inside on both ends. If they can keep CSU from lighting it up from outside, I think WU should be able to come out of the BucDome with a victory.

My Prediction: Winthrop 70, Charleston Southern 60

Other Big South games on Jan. 24:
Radford (2-3) @ UNC Asheville (4-1), 6:30pm
High Point (5-0) @ USC Upstate (1-4), 7:00pm
Gardner-Webb (3-2) @ Longwood (2-4), 7:00pm
Presbyterian (1-5) is off

Recap: WU @ Gardner-Webb

2023-24 Winthrop Men’s Basketball Season – GAME #21 (BIG SOUTH GAME #6)

Final Score: Gardner-Webb 79, Winthrop 74

Boxscore

In what felt somewhat like a replay of Thursday night’s loss to Asheville, Winthrop led for a large portion of this game, and even led by as many as 18 points. But the Eagles faded late, and Gardner-Webb played well in the second half, leading to a 79-74 victory for GWU in Boiling Springs.

The positives:
-Kelton Talford continues to be productive. He finished with 20 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, a block, and 2 steals. He even drained the first two threes of his college career.

-Sin’Cere McMahon hit four threes in the first half, a big reason why WU jumped out to a big early lead. He finished the game with 14 points and 5 rebounds.

-WU continues to get to the FT line at an amazing rate, this time getting there 38 times (and hitting 76.3% of them)

The negatives:
-The WU defense struggled to get stops in the second half, and GWU was able to score around the basket, hitting 62.5% of their 2PT shots and getting 29 FT attempts. The Eagles struggled around the basket offensively (other than Talford), only hitting 37.5% of their twos.

-WU was sloppy with the ball, turning it over 17 times.

-The Eagles could get nothing going offensively for the final 10:45 of the game. In that stretch, WU was 2 for 6 from the field, 6 for 12 from the FT line, and committed 7 turnovers. GWU outscored Winthrop in that stretch, 23-10.

Final takeaways:
Winning on the road in conference play is tough, so falling in a game in which you had an 18-point lead definitely feels like a missed opportunity. And coming off the Asheville game, it was tough to see the Eagles struggling again down the stretch, when for most of the season, they’ve played well late in games. When things are clicking with this team, it looks great, but they have been vulnerable to scoring droughts, and that sometimes leads to some loss of focus on the defensive end as well. 

Next game:
WU @ Charleston Southern – Wednesday, January 24, 7:00pm EST

Results around the Big South:
High Point 86, Charleston Southern 79
Radford 64, USC Upstate 61
Longwood 80, Presbyterian 70
UNC Asheville was off

Current Standings:
1. HPU 5-0
2. AVL 4-1
3. WU 4-2
4. GWU 3-2
T5. CSU 2-3
T5. RAD 2-3
7. LW 2-4
8. UPST 1-4
9. PC 1-5

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

Quarterfinals:
PC/UPST winner vs. #1 High Point
#5 Charleston Southern vs. #4 Gardner-Webb
#7 Longwood vs. #2 UNC Asheville
#6 Radford vs. #3 Winthrop

Preview: WU @ Gardner-Webb

2023-24 Winthrop Men’s Basketball Season – GAME #21 (BIG SOUTH GAME #6)

@ Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs
Saturday, January 20, 1:00pm EST
Paul Porter Arena, Boiling Springs, NC
WU (4-1 Big South record; 13-7 overall record; NET/KPI/SOR/BPI/POM Rankings: 160/145/133/126/151)
GWU (2-2 Big South record; 7-12 overall record; NET/KPI/SOR/BPI/POM Rankings: 218/232/263/227/218)

Livestats

Live Video – ESPN+

Live Audio – 94.3

Gardner-Webb’s Profile

Head Coach: Tim Craft (11th season as head coach at GWU)

Possible Starters:

G Julien Soumaoro, jr (5-11, 175) – 13.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.3 spg, 41.1 FG%, 34.7 3PT% (42 made threes), 64.6 FT% – 28.1 min/game

G DQ Nicholas, sr (6-1, 180) – 10.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.6 apg, 37.2 FG%, 33.8 3PT% (23 made threes), 67.2 FT% – 28.5 min/game

G Lucas Stieber, sr (6-3, 206) – 6.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.2 apg, 34.5 FG%, 29.7 3PT% (19 made threes), 71.1 FT% – 27.6 min/game

G Quest Aldridge, sr (6-4, 185) – 6.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 41.0 FG%, 32.9 3PT% (23 made threes), 60.0 FT% – 18.2 min/game

F Ademide Badmus, jr (6-7, 257) – 4.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 58.2 FG%, 0 made threes, 42.4 FT% – 16.3 min/game

Key players off the bench:

G Caleb Robinson, sr (6-4, 200) – 13.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.1 spg, 43.7 FG%, 30.0 3PT% (9 made threes), 66.3 FT% – 24.3 min/game

F Isaiah Richards, jr (6-10, 225) – 5.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 62.1 FG%, 40.0 3PT% (2 made threes), 63.4 FT% – 14.5 min/game

G Brandon Mykalcio, jr (6-7, 208) – 4.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 47.0 FG%, 33.3 3PT% (2 made threes), 66.7 FT% – 14.0 min/game

G Darryl Simmons, fr (5-11, 160) – 3.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 40.0 FG%, 35.7 3PT% (10 made threes), 75.0 FT% – 13.2 min/game

G Shahar Lazar, fr (6-2, 215) – 3.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 38.6 FG%, 23.3 3PT% (7 made threes), 83.3 FT% – 12.8 min/game

F Cheickna Sissoko, sr (6-9, 236) – 2.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 42.2 FG%, 0 made threes, 75.0 FT% – 10.4 min/game

G Taku Youngblood, so (6-2, 180) – 1.3 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 23.1 FG%, 9.1 3PT% (1 made three), 83.3 FT% – 5.7 min/game

Winthrop is coming off its first conference loss of the season, and has a quick turnaround, facing Gardner-Webb on the road less than two days later. 

The Runnin’ Bulldogs have been a bit difficult to figure out this year. They played a very difficult non-conference schedule, leading them to only a 2-10 record vs. D1 teams in non-conference play. But those two wins were two of the more impressive wins around the league, as they beat Weber State and Western Carolina. And because their schedule was so tough, they didn’t really pick up many ‘bad’ losses, aside from dropping a contest at Queens and losing at home to Wofford. But once conference play started, they dropped their first two contests, including a home loss to Charleston Southern. But then they’ve followed that up with a pair of wins, including a road win at Radford in their last outing.

Gardner-Webb has really struggled offensively this season. They don’t really shoot the ball well from any part of the court, and really struggle at the foul line. They also rarely get second chance opportunities. The one thing they do well on that end of the court is they protect the ball well, ranking 29th in the nation in offensive turnover percentage per KenPom. They are a bit better on the defensive end, but they don’t look like recent GWU teams. In the last few years, the Runnin’ Bulldogs relied heavily on shot blocking and size in the middle. They no longer have that, as they have a pretty small team across the board, and the big guys they do have don’t block many shots at all. As a result, they are vulnerable at being scored on around the basket. They also foul a lot, which is something hopefully Winthrop can take advantage of. They are strong on the defensive glass though, so WU may struggle to get second chance points. They also do a pretty good job of limiting three-pointers.

WU and GWU have played plenty of close/exciting games in recent years, and with this game in Boiling Springs, I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens again. Winthrop has a size advantage, and shoots the ball much better than Gardner-Webb. So I think the Eagles find a way to come out of Paul Porter Arena with a double-digit win.

My Prediction: Winthrop 83, Gardner-Webb 72

Other Big South games on Jan. 20:
USC Upstate (1-3) @ Radford (1-3), 2:00pm
Presbyterian (1-4) @ Longwood (1-4), 3:00pm
Charleston Southern (2-2) @ High Point (4-0), 7:00pm
UNC Asheville (4-1) is off

Recap: WU vs. UNC Asheville

2023-24 Winthrop Men’s Basketball Season – GAME #20 (BIG SOUTH GAME #5)

Final Score: UNC Asheville 82, Winthrop 77

Boxscore

As is typical of most Winthrop/Asheville games, this one was close most of the way, though Winthrop led for most of this contest, but eventually falling to the Bulldogs, 82-77.

The positives:
-WU shot the ball well from the outside, going 10 for 22 (45.5%) from three.

-Kelton Talford led the team with 21 points and 10 rebounds. He was 8 for 13 from the field.

-Nick Johnson scored 20 points, draining 3 threes. He also had 4 assists to lead the team in that category.

The negatives:
-Despite Talford’s big game, and success around the basket, WU got outplayed in the paint overall. The Eagles only ended up shooting 48.3% from 2PT range in the game, while Asheville shot 61.5% on twos.

-Though the Eagles did a good job getting to the FT line (27 attempts), and the final % wasn’t too bad (70.4%), it did feel like WU let this game slip away from the FT line. After making their first 13 attempts, the team was only 6 for 14 from the line down the stretch.

-WU had 15 turnovers, with quite a few leading to easy points for Asheville. The Bulldogs had 16 fast break points.

Final takeaways:
Similar to WU’s only other loss at home this year (Drexel), while it was close most of the way, it felt like the Eagles were in control for most of the contest, until falling late. Asheville executed better down the stretch, and Winthrop wasn’t able to get stops down the stretch, or hit as many big shots as the Bulldogs. It hurts to drop one at home, but the top half of the league is very strong, so these games between contending teams are likely to be tough battles like this.

Next game:
WU @ Gardner-Webb – Saturday, January 20, 1:00pm EST

Results around the Big South:
High Point 86, Presbyterian 83
Gardner-Webb 74, Radford 68
USC Upstate 73, Longwood 71
Charleston Southern was off

Current Standings:
1. HPU 4-0
T2. AVL 4-1
T2. WU 4-1
T4. CSU 2-2
T4. GWU 2-2
T6. RAD 1-3
T6. UPST 1-3
T8. LW 1-4
T8. PC 1-4

If the Big South Tournament started today (in High Point):
First Round:
#9 Presbyterian vs. #8 Longwood

Quarterfinals:
PC/LW winner vs. #1 High Point
#5 Gardner-Webb vs. #4 Charleston Southern
#7 USC Upstate vs. #2 UNC Asheville
#6 Radford vs. #3 Winthrop

Preview: WU vs. UNC Asheville

2023-24 Winthrop Men’s Basketball Season – GAME #20 (BIG SOUTH GAME #5)

vs. UNC Asheville Bulldogs
Thursday, January 18, 7:00pm EST
Winthrop Coliseum, Rock Hill, SC
WU (4-0 Big South record; 13-6 overall record; NET/KPI/SOR/BPI/POM Rankings: 150/136/110/120/143)
AVL (3-1 Big South record; 11-8 overall record; NET/KPI/SOR/BPI/POM Rankings: 158/125/167/153/170)

Livestats

TELEVISED LIVE ON ESPNU
Live Video – ESPN+

Live Audio – 94.3

UNC Asheville’s Profile

Head Coach: Mike Morrell (6th season as head coach at AVL)

Possible Starters:

G Trent Stephney, sr (6-2, 173) – 4.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 46.3 FG%, 48.4 3PT% (15 made threes), 65.4 FT% – 15.4 min/game

G Caleb Burgess, sr (6-3, 185) – 6.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.8 apg, 38.8 FG%, 23.8 3PT% (5 made threes), 55.9 FT% – 25.2 min/game

G Josh Banks, sr (6-5, 175) – 13.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 38.8 FG%, 40.4 3PT% (42 made threes), 86.5 FT% – 28.7 min/game

F Nick McMullen, sr (6-8, 237) – 10.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.0 spg, 61.7 FG%, 66.7 3PT% (2 made threes), 52.2 FT% – 24.6 min/game

F Drew Pember, sr (6-11, 215) – 20.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.4 apg, 2.0 bpg, 46.4 FG%, 32.1 3PT% (26 made threes), 86.3 FT% – 29.1 min/game

Key players off the bench:

G Fletcher Abee, sr (6-4, 190) – 10.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 39.5 FG%, 44.1 3PT% (45 made threes), 97.0 FT% – 26.4 min/game

F Jamon Battle, sr (6-5, 207) – 4.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 52.3 FG%, 27.3 3PT% (3 made threes), 41.4 FT% – 20.7 min/game

F Toyaz Soloman, jr (6-9, 185) – 5.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 64.5 FG%, 28.6 3PT% (2 made threes), 61.9 FT% – 14.0 min/game

F Greg Gantt, sr (6-8, 210) – 2.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 100 FG%, 0 made threes, 0 made FTs – 14.0 min/game – MISSED FIRST 15 GAMES OF THE SEASON

G Davion Cunningham, so (6-3, 165) – 4.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 47.9 FG%, 9.1 3PT% (1 made three), 67.6 FT% – 11.8 min/game

G Evan Johnson, jr (5-11, 165) – 3.8 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 34.0 FG%, 25.0 3PT% (8 made threes), 100 FT% – 10.3 min/game

Winthrop/Asheville matchups often get featured as the wild card ESPNU game, and this one is no exception, as the Big South and ESPN moved this game from its regularly scheduled Wednesday night date, to Thursday, to be the featured game of the week in the league.

The Bulldogs are coming off a dominating season in which they won the league by four games. They returned most of the key players from that team, and are still very strong, but they definitely appear to have a few challengers this season. Asheville doesn’t really have any losses to bad teams, though the margin of defeat to teams like Michigan, UNC Wilmington, and Western Carolina early in the year were a bit concerning. But they’ve played pretty well lately, and have wins over Western Kentucky, Appalachian State, and Longwood, so they are definitely going to be right in the mix as this conference season continues.

As expected, Drew Pember is leading the way, and his production is right around where it was a year ago. The Bulldogs lost Tajion Jones, but transfer Josh Banks has filled that role pretty well on the wing, while Nick McMullen helps Pember inside and Fletcher Abee is dangerous as a spot-up option outside. Those are the primary offensive weapons for the Bulldogs. Winthrop has generally done a solid job against Pember, holding him under 50% from the field in the four meetings they’ve had with him, and only once allowing him to have double-digit FT attempts. Keeping him off the FT line is huge, as he’s an excellent FT shooter. WU has also been able to get him in foul trouble at times, and it would be helpful if they could do that again.

Asheville, like Winthrop, thrives at getting to the line, and that is their key offensive strength, though they are also a strong three-point shooting team and pretty good on the offensive glass. They are turnover prone though, and they don’t shoot the ball too well inside the arc, other than Pember and McMullen. Defensively, they haven’t been as strong as they were last season. They’ve been good at limiting three-pointers from opponents, but they are vulnerable inside, aside from Pember’s shot-blocking ability, and they’re also a bit foul prone. They don’t force as many turnovers as typical Asheville teams either, and they are susceptible to second-chance points.

These teams often play close, competitive games, and Thursday night should be no exception. I think the team that can get the other in foul trouble will have a big leg up, and I think Winthrop gets boosted by a strong home crowd and comes away with the win.

My Prediction: Winthrop 79, UNC Asheville 72

Other Big South games on Jan. 17:
High Point (3-0) @ Presbyterian (1-3), 7:00pm
Longwood (1-3) @ USC Upstate (0-3), 7:00pm
Gardner-Webb (1-2) @ Radford (1-2), 7:00pm
Charleston Southern (2-2) is off

Recap: WU vs. Radford

2023-24 Winthrop Men’s Basketball Season – GAME #19 (BIG SOUTH GAME #4)

Final Score: Winthrop 92, Radford 88 (3OT)

Boxscore

Winthrop escaped an early 15 point deficit, then had to play an extra 15 minutes, before finally overcoming a huge challenge at home against Radford. The Eagles played the second triple-overtime game in program history, and were able to come away with the 92-88 victory.

The positives:
-Kelton Talford was the constant late in this game, often getting the ball in the post or off the offensive glass and made a ton of big plays late. He finished with 27 points (8 of 13 from the field and 11 of 16 from the FT line). He also had 6 boards, and tied for the team lead with 3 assists.

-Nick Johnson scored 20 points, and was 4 for 8 from three. He also played strong defense, as he and Mike Anumba and Chase Claxton all seemed to come up with some big defensive plays at times and find ways to disrupt Radford’s dynamic backcourt players who were hitting some impressive shots throughout the game.

-FT differential is this team’s strength, and was a major reason they won this won, as they ended the game with 38 FT attempts, while Radford had only 15.

The negatives:
-While FT differential was key, WU’s performance at the line almost cost them the game at times, as they only made 63.2% (24 of 38) of their FTs. In contrast, Radford made 80% of theirs.

-I mentioned the defense from Johnson/Anumba/Claxton, and they did do a good job, and the WU defense as a whole was pretty solid, holding a good Radford offense to 1.04 points/possession. But the Eagles had no answer for Chandler Turner, who scored 33 points, was 11 for 16 from the field, and seemed to find ways to get a bucket anytime Radford needed one.

Final takeaways:
This is a resilient Winthrop team, as they looked overwhelmed in the first 8 minutes of this contest, but they regrouped, and methodically came back to even up the game right before halftime. From there, this game stayed close the whole way, and both teams made big plays at times, and WU was able to outlast the Highlanders and come through with this important win at home against a good opponent.

Next game:
WU vs. UNC Asheville – Thursday, January 18, 7:00pm EST

Results around the Big South:
UNC Asheville 65, Longwood 61
Charleston Southern 77, USC Upstate 70
Gardner-Webb 76, Presbyterian 60
High Point was off

Current Standings:
1. WU 4-0
2. HPU 3-0
3. AVL 3-1
4. CSU 2-2
T5. GWU 1-2
T5. RAD 1-2
T7. LW 1-3
T7. PC 1-3
9. UPST 0-3

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

Quarterfinals:
UPST/PC winner vs. #1 Winthrop
#5 Gardner-Webb vs. #4 Charleston Southern
#7 Longwood vs. #2 High Point
#6 Radford vs. #3 UNC Asheville