CofC Sports Fan

Cougs beat Davidson by 8-Dr. Jenny is my new good luck charm!

2012-02-11T14:16:00.000-08:00

Cougs lead Davidson by 5-38-33

2012-02-11T12:52:00.000-08:00

Game vs Western Carolina Tonight @ 8 pm!

2012-02-09T17:11:00.000-08:00

Watch the Men's Basketball Game on TV Tonight!

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON vs. WESTERN CAROLINA
February 9, 2012 • 8:00 p.m. (ET)
TD Arena/John Kresse Court at Charleston, S.C.

Television:

WATCH CHANNEL 36
if your provider is DirecTV, Dish Network or AT&T U-Verse.
WATCH CHANNEL 13
if your provider is Comcast, Knology or Time Warner. GO COUGARS!

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CofC loses by 1 in OT to Elon

2012-02-02T18:26:00.001-08:00

Final score: College of Charleston Cougars 82
Elon Phoenix 83

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Cougs Trail Elon by 17 at the Half!

2012-02-02T16:58:00.001-08:00

College of Charleston Cougars 34
Elon Phoenix 51
at the end of the 1st Half

Click here to see the scoreboard.

Cougs take on Elon Tonight!

2012-02-02T16:15:00.001-08:00

The game College of Charleston Cougars at Elon Phoenix scheduled for 7:00 PM US/Eastern has just started

Click here to see the scoreboard.

Cougs End Losing Streak!

2012-01-30T18:56:00.001-08:00

With Coach Cremins stepping down and the Cougars riding a 4-game losing streak we were a bit apprehensive about tonight's game against Samford but could old Samford came through for us and the Cougs won! Final score: College of Charleston Cougars 68
Samford Bulldogs 52

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Cougs Lose By 3 to The Purple Paladins!

2012-01-26T19:24:00.001-08:00

Final score for tonight's game Furman Paladins 69-College of Charleston Cougars 63

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Cougs Trail Furman at the Half!

2012-01-26T18:01:00.001-08:00

Come on Cougs! What's going on? Let's get back on track! At the half Furman Paladins 31-College of Charleston Cougars 25

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Cougs are tied with Ga Southern at the Half

2012-01-21T17:26:00.000-08:00

College of Charleston Cougars 29
Georgia Southern Eagles 29

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Wildcats smoked us!

2012-01-19T18:55:00.001-08:00

I didn't have a chance to watch the game but the Final score was College of Charleston Cougars 69
Davidson Wildcats 87

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Davidson leads the Cougs by 12 @ the Half!

2012-01-19T17:09:00.000-08:00

College of Charleston Cougars 34
Davidson Wildcats 46

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Cougs face Davidson tonight!

2012-01-19T16:28:00.001-08:00

The game College of Charleston Cougars at Davidson Wildcats scheduled for 7:00 PM US/Eastern has just started
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Final Treat on Your NBA Advent Calendar: Goudelock & the Lakers take on the Chicago Bulls

2011-12-25T16:39:00.000-08:00

CofC Alum Drew Goudelock #0 has 6 points so far in tonight's game as the Lakers host the Bulls in the season opener for the NBA!

CofC vs Louisville-1st Half Stats graphics from ESPNU

2011-12-20T19:09:00.000-08:00

In-Game Update-Cougs lead 37 to Louisville 33!

2011-12-20T18:49:00.000-08:00

Sure the Cardinals are 10-0 and ranked 4th in the country but the College of Charleston Cougars are fearless. It helps that Louisville are inept at dunking and lay-ups.
That being said, I feel like not a lot of calls are going our way which was just explained by Melveeta as "Basketball politics: Refs probably paid off by Vegas and the Petino crime syndicate".
Also, Wideman might be sick or dream-walking; either way, we need him to get back to his normal aggressive game, pulling down more boards! Cougs keep up the pressure and chew up the Cardinals!
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Cougars are on the road in Louisville!

2011-12-20T18:14:00.000-08:00

The game has started, 4 minutes in and the Cougs trail the 4th ranked (10-0) Cards by 5 points! Let's go Cougs! Let me know if you're at the KFC-Yum Brands Center!
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Cougs Take Down The Vols!

2011-12-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

Final score from tonight's game: Tennessee Volunteers 65
College of Charleston Cougars 71

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Vols @ CofC-at the Half

2011-12-14T19:46:00.000-08:00

Tennessee Volunteers 34
College of Charleston Cougars 31
at the end of the 1st Half
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Men's Basketball - Schedule & Results - CofCSports.com--Official Web site of College of Charleston Athletics

2011-11-24T19:30:00.000-08:00

Men's Basketball - Schedule & Results - CofCSports.com--Official Web site of College of Charleston Athletics

Reds & Cardinals Brawl Re-enactment

2010-08-12T12:45:00.000-07:00

Brandi Carlile "I've Just Seen a Face" (Beatles Cover) Music Farm, Charl...

2010-06-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

Anthony Johnson Crushed by Benching!

2009-06-13T07:08:00.000-07:00

From the NBA Fan House: Article by Tim Povtak

ORLANDO -- Magic journeyman Anthony Johnson has been in the NBA 12 years, a former second-round pick from the obscure College of Charleston. He has scratched and clawed every step of the way, bouncing through 10 different teams with stops in the Development League and free agent summer camps in between.

He has had 10-day contracts and minimum wage contracts, never far from being outside looking in. He has been traded more than once for a cup of coffee and future consideration. Nothing has come easy.

It's why he thought this NBA Finals was going to be the highlight, the crowning moment of his career, coming on the heels of his most consistent, most satisfying season.

Instead, it was turned into the biggest disappointment of his life.

"This is the toughest thing that's ever happened to me,'' Johnson said Saturday afternoon. "I've dealt with a lot of stuff through the years, but to help my team get to the Finals, the biggest stage in basketball, and then get told you're not going to play, that has been very, very difficult.''

The Magic are trailing the Lakers 3-1, on the verge of elimination Sunday in Game 5. It is eating at Johnson because he was rendered helpless by the Magic decision to bring back Jameer Nelson for the Finals – essentially benching Johnson -- after being out for four months with a shoulder injury. It's a decision that is haunting the Magic because their play at point guard has been erratic, but it's haunting Johnson even more."

He (Nelson) looks like a guy who is a little rusty, but that's to be expected. He's doing the best he can after being away. He's a scorer, a shooter and the shoulder is very important,'' Johnson said. "From the sideline, you think on every possession, what you might be doing differently, but the truth of the matter is, I'm not out there. It is what it is.''

Johnson played 80 games during the season, first as a backup to Nelson and then as the backup to Rafer Alston, always providing the stabilizing force of a well-seasoned veteran. He averaged 18.5 minutes, 5.3 points and 2.5 assists. In the first three rounds of the playoffs, behind Alston, he averaged 14.7 points, 4.3 points and 2.1 assists.

He has not played in the Finals.

Johnson, 34, actually has more Finals experience than anyone on the Magic roster. He was a backup to Jason Kidd in New Jersey when the Nets lost in the Finals both in 2002 and 2003, although his role was minimal.

"I was looking forward to having a more prominent role this time, having my play help determine whether we won or lost,'' he said. "I was really looking forward to that. It's why you work so hard in the summers and during the season. This has been tough.''

Although Johnson was probably thinking it, he wouldn't say that he would have made a difference in this series. After all, neither Alston nor Nelson have played particularly well. They have combined to hit just two of 16 3-point shots. They are averaging only 3 and 2.5 assists respectively. Coach Stan Van Gundy seems to have lost confidence in both of them.

Although he saw it coming in the days leading up to the Finals, he wasn't told definitively until the morning of Game 1 that he was losing his role to Nelson. No real explanation was given.

"I guess I would have liked to know more of the reason why,'' he said. "But maybe I'm not owed a reason or explanation. That's just part of the business. It's still tough.''

Cougars's Womens Tennis Team Wins So-Con Championship and Birth In NCAA Tournament!

2009-04-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

From the Post & Courier:

ELON, N.C. — The College of Charleston won the Southern Conference women's tennis tournament title with a 4-1 victory over top-seeded Furman in the final Sunday at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.

(photo courtesy of cofcsports.com)

"Our girls laid it all on the line and left everything out on the court," said Cougars coach Angelo Anastopoulo, whose second-seeded team improved to 24-4. "They have battled through injuries all season and still managed to rise up to the occasion every time this season. (Sunday) they played the hardest I've ever seen them play.

"Anytime you can beat a team like Furman (17-8), it is special. They are an oustanding team. They have dominated the league year in and year out. We knew going into the tournament that we needed to play better at doubles. During the regular season we were 0-3 at the doubles point against the teams we played in the tournament. We went 3-0 this weekend, and that gave the girls a tremendous boost going into the singles."

The Cougars won their first conference championship since 2003 and secured the SoCon's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The 24 wins represent the most by a Charleston team since earning NCAA Division I status in 1991-92. The NCAA Tournament Selection Show will air on ESPNU at 5:20 p.m. Tuesday.

In doubles play, the teams split matches in the Nos. 1 and 3 spots. At No. 2, Kinsey Casey and Keely Mulligan earned a 9-8 victory to capture a team point for the Cougars.

After Furman won the first match in singles play, Charleston swept matches in the number four, six and two positions to get to the four points needed to clinch the SoCon championship.

Casey (No. 6), Anna Lee Evans (No. 4) and Holly Dowse (No. 2) supplied the singles wins the Cougars needed.

Singles: Laura Gioia (F) d. Laura Borza 6-0, 6-1; Holly Dowse (C) d. Monica Arguello 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Jessica Preeg (F) vs. Caroline Newman 3-6, 6-3, unfinished; Anna Lee Evans (C) d. Susan Bitetti 6-1, 6-4; Lauren Tomory (F) vs. Keely Mulligan 6-7 (2-7), 6-2, unf.; Kinsey Casey (C) def. Jennifer Betts 7-5, 6-2.

Doubles: Arguello-Gioia (F) d. Evans-Borza 8-1; Casey-Mulligan (C) d. Tomory-Betts 9-8 (8-6); Dowse-Newman (C) d. Preeg-Bitetti 8-5.

--Furman (22-7) won its second straight SoCon men's tennis tournament championship, posting a 4-0 victory over host Elon (21-6). The Paladins earned the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

2009 College Basketball Invitational Tournament!

2009-03-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

The College of Charleston men's basketball team has been selected to play in the 2009 College Basketball Invitational. The Cougars will play at Troy on Wednesday, March 18 at 8:00 p.m. EST as part of the tournament's East Regional. This is the second meeting all-time between the schools. The Cougars beat the Trojans, 92-42, at John Kresse Arena on January 5, 1998. The winner plays either Richmond or St. John's on March 23.

Brackets / Schedule!

To download the CBI Tournament brackets click here.

Possible Home Game?

The College Basketball Invitational is a single-elimination tournament, up until the "Best of Three" Championship Series, with all games being played at campus sites. Prior to the semifinals, the remaining teams will be re-seeded. The Championship Series is a "Best of Three" (home-away-home) in which the higher seeded team will host the first and last (if necessary) home games.

Interested in Traveling to Troy?

For those who are looking to travel to Troy, Alabama, please click here.

Listen To The Men's Tournament Live!

All men's games will air on ESPN radio 910-AM in Charleston. You can also follow the live stats by clicking here.

Tip-off is at approximately 8:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday!

From Brass @ the Post & Courier

2009-03-17T08:08:00.000-07:00

Like every team that competes, the ultimate goal for the College of Charleston men's basketball team was an opportunity to compete in the 65-team NCAA Tournament. But with nearly 350 schools in Division I, the Cougars are happy that there are a few other dances besides the big one.

Charleston, which lost to Chattanooga in the SoCon Tournament championship game, got word late Sunday that the Cougars' 26-8 record wasn't enough to land them a spot in the National Invitation Tournament. But it was more than enough for a spot in the College Basketball Invitational, a second-year event featuring a 16-team field. The Cougars will travel to play Troy (19-14) of the Sun Belt Conference at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Cougars coach Bobby Cremins is a big advocate of having more teams invited to the NCAA, which in turn would offer more opportunities in the National Invitation Tournament. But right now he's happy for the CBI and the opportunity if affords his team.

"I think these tournaments are great. Until we put more teams in the Big Dance, I'm a big advocate of these tournaments," said Cremins, noting that The Citadel (20-12) also will get a postseason opportunity in the inaugural College-Insider.Com Tournament.

Senior guard Marcus Hammond said the Cougars are excited to still be playing. Hammond said he kept up with the selection process on the computer and by text messages and was happy when the word finally came around 11:30 p.m. "It extends our careers and gives us another opportunity to play and show our value to the program," Hammond said. "I think the CBI is a tournament that will grow. It's not where the NCAA or NIT is, but the tournament will grow. We want to go out and win the tournament and go out as champions.

"We don't have a lot of time to find out about Troy. It's a quick turnaround. We'll give it all we've got. We'll do a lot of studying and then we'll be ready Wednesday."

Fellow senior Jermaine Johnson said he knows the Trojans are members of the Sun Belt Conference, whose champion is Western Kentucky, and that says a lot.

"I'm ready to play," Johnson said. "We've already been off the court too long. This is the most exciting thing ever. I've never been to a postseason tournament. The fact we actually have a chance to do this is a great feeling."

Cremins said prior to the two new tournaments, the only SoCon teams that would be in postseason play would be tournament winner Chattanooga and regular season champion Davidson.

"So this is fun for us," he said. "But we need to take this tournament seriously. We need to go in thinking we want to prove ourselves. I'm going to tell them how fortunate they are to still be practicing. We could be closing shop right now. We have an opportunity to play in a postseason tournament. Let's go out and give it everything we have."

Cremins said the opportunity is a step in the right director for the College of Charleston program.

"You have to remember, we have four sophomores, we have Tony White, who is a junior, and we have these freshmen. The more they play, it might mean something next year," Cremins said.

"I'm happy for the seniors. That was a tough loss for them in Chattanooga. Jermaine, Marcus, Dustin Scott. They really wanted to win that game. Now, they keep playing. Our first choice, obviously, was to beat Chattanooga and go to the Big Dance and get involved with March Madness."

Reach Tommy Braswell at braswell@postandcourier.com

Full Court Press: "A Heck of a Game" from the Post & Courier

2009-03-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

Photo Credits: BRETT FLASHNICK/AP

Despite disappointment, USC determined to match quality of first-round NIT pairing

By Travis Haney

The Post and Courier

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

COLUMBIA — Even with an All-American coming for a nationally televised game, you still have to wonder if South Carolina will be up for a postseason tournament it didn't necessarily want to be part of.

It was holding out for the school's first NCAA bid since 2004. Not for the program's fifth NIT appearance since 2001.

The Gamecocks host Stephen Curry and Davidson at 7 p.m. tonight in the opening round of the NIT (TV: ESPN2).

South Carolina guard Devan Downey and the Gamecocks aim to make the most of their NIT bid when they host All-American Stephen Curry and the Davidson Wildcats in a first-round game today at 7 p.m.

"You'll know in the first five minutes of the game whether we're ready to play or not," USC senior Zam Fredrick said. "I think we'll be ready. ... I know we'll be ready."

Bobby Cremins is a qualified handicapper for the game.

His Charleston team played both teams in the regular season — and beat both of them. Then the Cougars knocked Davidson from the Southern Conference Tournament, ending its NCAA hopes.

From the outside looking in, Cremins says he gives the Gamecocks a slight nod. But says if Curry and Davidson (26-7) are clicking, it wouldn't surprise him to see the Wildcats steal a road win.

An ankle injury now behind him and the team, Curry is averaging 28.6 points a game.

"If we were not playing, I would be headed to Columbia to watch that one," said Cremins, the South Carolina grad whose Charleston team will play at Troy on Wednesday in the College Basketball Invitational. "It should be a heck of a game. It's a heck of an NIT game. The NIT is very fortunate to have these guys playing."

USC's Devan Downey, despite being a half-foot shorter, will guard Curry some during the evening. But USC coach Darrin Horn said the game is transcendent of the one-on-one matchup, specifically.

"I think it's more about two great guards playing in the same game rather than them going at it," Horn said. "Hopefully that's as appealing as the matchup itself."

Cremins said he expects to see the Gamecocks come out "flat" because of their exclusion from the NCAAs. But, to him, it's all about how USC responds throughout 40 minutes.

Cremins said he once coached a team that had to turn down an NIT bid because it was too bummed to continue playing.

"Of course we're disappointed about not getting a bid," Fredrick said. "As a man, as a person, you have to move on."

As it turns out, despite a 21-9 record and 10 SEC wins, the Gamecocks weren't even all that close to the bubble. The selection committee held the SEC in the same esteem as a mid-major.

It took three teams, which would've been two if not for Mississippi State winning the SEC tourney. It made regular season champ LSU an 8 seed, Tennessee a 9 seed and Mississippi State a 13 seed.

That clearly left no room for teams such as South Carolina and Auburn — the first SEC teams to win 10-plus conference games and fail to make the NCAA field.

But a matchup with Curry quickly grabs your attention, Fredrick said.

The junior, and son of former NBA standout Dell Curry, willed the Wildcats to the Elite Eight last season.

There, they lost to eventual national champ Kansas — by two. And they had a shot to win at the buzzer, but Curry was double-teamed and Jason Richards couldn't connect.

Richards is gone, but 6-8 post Andrew Lovelace will provide a physical test for USC forward Mike Holmes.

And then there's Curry.

"I think he's like a lot of really good players we've seen this year," Horn said of Curry. "I don't think you're going to stop a guy that shoots 20-plus times a game or put up 30 all year long. I think the key against someone like him is hopefully you make him work for everything."

Horn said the Gamecocks would treat Curry and Davidson very similarly to how they did Jodie Meeks and Kentucky.

Meeks had three games of 40-plus points and averaged about 25 a game. Both times the Gamecocks held Meeks below his average. And USC won both meetings.

Similarly, Charleston held Curry to 12 of 41 shooting — and 6 of 24 3-point tries — in those two Cougars wins.

To give you an idea of the norm, Curry hit 10 or more field goals in 16 games. That includes a close loss at Oklahoma and a victory against North Carolina State. He had 44 points in each of those games.

"Good players find a way to do what they do, regardless of what the opponent is doing," Horn said. "You just don't want it to be easy. You don't want 25 on a normal night to turn into one of those 40 plus-point nights."

Reach Travis Haney at thaney@postandcourier.com and check out the South Carolina blog atpostandcourier.com/gamecocksblog/.

SoCon all-tournament teams

2009-03-12T20:05:00.000-07:00

First Team

Stephen McDowell, UTC (MVP)

Tony White Jr., College of Charleston

Stephen Curry, Davidson

Kevin Goffney, UTC

Bryan Friday, Samford

Second Team

Nicchaeus Doaks, UTC

Dustin Scott, College of Charleston

Donald Sims, Appalachian State

Andrew Goudelock, College of Charleston

Jeremy Simmons, College of Charleston

Cougars' loss is basketball fans' gain

2009-01-31T08:47:00.000-08:00

From my neighbor Tommy Braswell @ the Post & Courier

Posted 03:58 p.m., January 30, 2009

The College of Charleston is having a hard time getting over last week's 72-63 loss at The Citadel, which ended the Cougars' 13-game winning streak against its cross-town rival.

That was evidenced by recent comments from Charleston forward Jermaine Johnson, who said he'd rather not score a point, get a rebound or play a single minute if it meant the Cougars had to lose to The Citadel or that he would have to listen to Bulldogs' forward Demetrius Nelson's mouth.

A Cougar fan recently expressed sentiment that he wished Johnson hadn't said such things. (For the record: that was not yours truly) Imagine that. After several years of smug, condescension when it comes to the Bulldogs' basketball program, there are actually Cougars' fans out there who don't want to risk offending The Citadel.
It's the best thing that has happened to basketball in Charleston for some time.
A dormant rivalry is once again relevant.

Admittedly, it's still Davidson and everyone else as far as the Southern Conference is concerned.
But for the city of Charleston, it means hot times are ahead when the teams meet Feb. 14 at the Cougars' Carolina First Arena.

As of Friday afternoon, fewer than 400 tickets remain. (Photo credits: Jed Trabert)

Davidson Wins Against the Cougs, but the Cougs Looked Good!

2008-12-29T20:25:00.000-08:00

Despite only shooting 25% from behind the arc and 37% from the field, the College of Charleston Cougars looked good tonight against the Wildcats. It seemed as though every time the Cougars started to get things going a media time out or an arrant foul would take place; thus ending our momentum. Did we get robbed by the officials with that last foul called by the zebras to send Steph Curry to the line? Yes, but the SoCon refs are part-time CofC haters and have picked our pockets more than once through the years. But let's be honest, the Cougars will beat Davidson later on in the season, all the Cougars need is for their legs to look a little more conditioned and the shots fall a little better.

Free-Throw Juice

Regardless, the Cougars looked good. Jermaine Johnson (as Goldfinger would say) drank his "free-throw juice", hitting 10-12 from the charity stripe and 3-8 from the field notching 16 points for the game. Goudelock was 10-22 from the field and 2-9 from behind the arc (take the extra dribble before you pull up kid) as Andrew put up 22 points to lead the Cougars in the game. Tony White Jr looked great hitting 4-9 from the field and 2-5 from behind the arc. That kid has really come of age this season. Marcus Hammond did the Cougs a solid on defense and was 2-4 from the field and 2-5 from behind the arc.

Ball Hawg!

Sure Stephanie Curry scored 29 points but he was off to a slow start in the first half and Davidson suffered trailing the Cougars until the 6 minute mark before the half. The next Wildcat even close to the young ball hog was Will Reauchambeaux (actually it might be Archambault-sorry my media guide is a bit blurred on that one) with 14 points. Stevie "Wonder" Rossiter put up 11 points to become the only other Wildcat with double-digit points.

As we all watched Momma Curry nervously (albeit "she looked smashingly fabulous" as my non-heterosexual friends from Davidson would say) waiting for the time to expire as our beloved Cougars closed in on her son's squad. We also saw something else, North Carolina Hall of Famer and former Charlotte Hornet who kept the "Hive Alive" with one heck of a sweet shot, Dell Curry (aka: Papa Bear) shook his head in discontent as he saw his son's genetically inherited "quick and sweet" released shot over and over. You could read on the jumbo-tron his lips saying, "Pass the ball son, don't be a hog". But alas, his son (who had a few mentionable assists in the first half) was the ball hog for the kids in Davidson red.

The Breakdown

Teams: 1st 2nd Final

Davidson: 44 35 79

CofC: 33 42 75

The Cougs Host Davidson Tonight @ 9 PM

2008-12-29T07:54:00.000-08:00

In their last game until the New Year, the Cougars welcome rival Davidson and their wonder-boy Stephen Curry to the Carolina First Center. Davidson (nationally ranked 22^nd in the country, but still 2^nd to the Cougars in the South Division of the SoCon) is coming off an embarrassment in Indy, where the Wildcats lost whole-handily to Purdue by almost 20 points in perhaps the “whitest” game played on the court since all 10 players wore Chuck-Taylors. Or maybe that wasn’t a loss at all for Davidson fans, Curry only put up 13 points instead of his average of 31, so if we jettison our math and instead apply our Steph-matics, Davidson (could have) beat Purdue.

Purdue (err, Purr-Don’t)

How did Purdue blow-out the Wildkittens? Old-fashioned defense, Purdue’s Chris Kramer was in Curry’s boyish face the entire game and the Boilermakers never took their foot off the gas. Even after Purdue led 21-0 in the first half, they continued to ride Curry and never let him find his rhythm. When Curry hit his first 3-pointer (after missing 8 consecutive shots) did the Boilermakers get worried-“Oh man, here they come, Curry is hot now”? Nope, they responded with a trey of their own and just kept face blasting Curry.

Keys to the win: 1) Keep a hand in Steph Curry’s cute little face. I know with his boyish smile, you just want to cut up with him and tell a couple of jokes, but put a hand in his face so he can’t see the basket and disrupt the rhythm as soon as he crosses mid-court. 2) Limit Lovedale and (benchwarmer) Archambault’s touches: these guys aren’t all that great of players, barely almost 50% shooters from the field, but they are the next best thing Davidson has in their arsenal. 3) Holy crap, McKillop’s kid plays for Davidson-shocked, completely shocked. 4) Makes some noise kids!

Remember this Cougars: You have a clean slate facing Davidson in our new arena! Let the record of Davidson in the Carolina First Center be a welcoming 0-1 when they leave the arena tonight! If McKlump and his boys want a win whilst in Charleston, they need to get it across town when they play the Citadel this week. The SoCon belongs to Charleston, Davidson is just 2^nd best with a little more press (perhaps distractions) than they deserve.

73 Year Old, Ken Mink Still Shooting For The Roane State Raiders

2008-11-04T19:05:00.000-08:00

As we now wait for the election results
Fifty-three years ago, Ken Mink dropped out of Ju-Co in Kentucky and joined the Air Force putting his NCAA eligibility and college career on hold. Today at the age of 73 he is wearing the number 13 and is a shooting guard for the Roane State Raiders. (Roane State competes in the Tennessee Junior Community College Athletic Association.)

As promised, this is the video I watched on Nate Ross' iPhone this morning whilst waiting to punch my vote for Obama. The best part of this video is when they mention he had to get his wife's permission to go to a party, to which she replied "No". I guess, the Bushido's Papi was right about guys from Kentucky-they can shoot!

Click here for the article on KnoxNews
Video posted by Knoxnews.com

The 2008-2009 College of Charleston's Mens Basketball Schedule

2008-11-03T19:16:00.000-08:00

Thu, Nov 20	Charleston Southern	at NC Coliseum	7:30
Mon, Nov 24	South Carolina State	at Orangeburg, S.C.	7:30
Fri, Nov 28	South Carolina (CSS)	Carolina First Arena	7:00
Thu, Dec 04	Elon *	at Elon, N.C.	7:00
Sat, Dec 06	UNC Greensboro (SportSouth) *	at Greensboro, N.C.	3:00
Wed, Dec 17	Coastal Carolina	Carolina First Arena	7:00
Fri, Dec 19	UNC Wimington	Carolina First Arena	7:00
Mon, Dec 22	Winthrop	at Rock Hill, S.C.	7:00
Mon, Dec 29	Davidson (ESPNU) *	Carolina First Arena	9:00
Wed, Jan 07	North Carolina (FSN South)	at Chapel Hill, N.C.	9:00
Sat, Jan 10	Georgia Southern (CSS) *	Carolina First Arena	4:00
Mon, Jan 12	Samford (CSS) *	Carolina First Arena	7:00
Thu, Jan 15	Wofford *	at Spartanburg, S.C.	7:00
Sat, Jan 17	Furman (CSS) *	at Greenville, S.C.	8:00
Wed, Jan 21	Appalachian State *	Carolina First Arena	7:00
Sat, Jan 24	The Citadel (SportSouth) *	at Charleston, S.C.	3:00
Thu, Jan 29	UNC Greensboro *	Carolina First Arena	7:00
Sat, Jan 31	Elon *	Carolina First Arena	4:00
Thu, Feb 05	Western Carolina *	at Cullowhee, N.C.	7:00
Sat, Feb 07	Davidson (ESPN2) *	at Davidson, N.C.	6:00
Wed, Feb 11	Western Carolina *	Carolina First Arena	7:00
Sat, Feb 14	The Citadel *	Carolina First Arena	4:00
Mon, Feb 16	Appalachian State (CSS) *	at Boone, N.C.	7:30
Thu, Feb 19	Georgia Southern *	at Statesboro, Ga.	7:30
Mon, Feb 23	Chattanooga (CSS) *	at Chattanooga, Tenn.	7:00
Thu, Feb 26	Wofford (CSS) *	Carolina First Arena	7:00
Sat, Feb 28	Furman (SportSouth) *	Carolina First Arena	4:00

Joey Dorsey Stinks As Much As My Bracket Does...

2008-04-05T22:50:00.000-07:00

I don't know how bad Joey Dorsey's passed gas smells, but UCLA's Darren Collison reacted to it. All I can think is that it doesn't stink as much as my bracket does. Thanks Memphis for crushing my dreams! (Photo courtesy of AP/Mark Humphrey)
Posted by The Bushido

Unanswered Prayers: Davidson Beats Themselves!

2008-03-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

Let me begin by saying that the Davidson Wildcats represented both their school and the Southern Conference quite well. Unfortunately, Davidson's coach Bob McKillop's prayers were unanswered by the great Wildcat in the sky as his team lost to Kansas today 59 to 57 at Ford Field in Detroit.

Davidson was not out-played by Kansas, in fact they kept Kansas out of their game by keeping the ball out of the hands of Kansas' big men. Davidson lost because they quit believing. All year the press has made Davidson the "Stephen Curry Show" but alas, there was always four other guys on the court when he was dropping thirty points in a game. (Photo courtesy of AP/Chuck Burton)

You may blow off my psycho-analysis as much to do about a thing, but when Curry quit hitting his shots his teammates became deflated and even when they had the open shots they wouldn't take them. They for lack of a better word became scared. Curry too had a deer in the headlights stare, and it seemed as though the clock was about to strike twelve for Cinderella. Yet, Coach McKillop kept his team in it and kept the faith. But as the old adage about leading a horse to water tells us, the foregone conclusion was that the Wildcats beat themselves as soon as they looked at the clock and the scoreboard. They quit trying to win the game and started to trying not to lose the game, which as we all know, usually ends in defeat.

Fah-King Davidson Just Killed My Bracket!

2008-03-23T23:30:00.000-07:00

I know that I should support the Davidson Wildcats and I did in the first round against Gonzaga, but the Wildcats and Stephen Curry just totally screwed my bracket by beating Georgetown 74-70 today. Now, I hate to be so narcissistic to think that my own desires to win the office pool here at the Bushido should spoil the dreams of the folks up in Davidson, North Carolina, but at the end of the game, I found myself saying the same thing I have since my beginnings at the College of Charleston-Fah-King Davidson!

Oh well, there has to be a winner and a loser and Stephen Curry showed his stuff with 30-points and the rest of the Wildcats squad pulled their weight to upset the favored Hoyas of Georgetown. Good luck in the next round guys-way to represent the Southern Conference in this years' NCAA Tournament. (Photo courtesy of ESPN.com/Chuck Burton)

And I need Curry to go VROOM! Just like a motorcycle!

2008-03-21T14:03:00.000-07:00

Davidson Wins Their 1st NCAA Tournament Game Since 1969!
Davidson beat Gonzaga today 82 to 76, shooting .500 from behind the arc, .491 from the field and .714 from the charity-stripe. I picked Davidson to win this game and as predicted it was one heck of a game. Good for Davidson, good for the SoCon and good for Stephen Curry's Mom, because everyone needs a good cry from time to time.

Curry goes VROOM!
Stephen Curry and the Wildcats proved a lot today: that a mid-major can compete on the next level and no matter how small the school or how small the player-if a kid can shoot he's hard to stop. Curry scored 40 points (30 in the second half) which to this b-ball fans was a big middle-finger to the "big" schools who passed on him (i.e. his Dad's alma-mater, Virginia Tech) due to his size and lack of chest hair. (Note: Curry has sprouted four inches during his tenure at Davidson). Another thing Curry accomplished today was that he became the first member of his family to win a NCAA Tournament game. Something his father and the Hokies never achieved. Good for you Stephen and congratulations to all of those in the Wildcat Nation.
(Photo courtesy of CNN.com)

Cougs land sixth seed in SoCon Tourney, face Citadel on Friday!

2008-03-03T00:13:00.000-08:00

2008 Men's and Women's SoCon Tournament Pairings

Men

Friday, March 7
Wofford vs. Western Carolina, 3 p.m. (Seeding TBD)
No. 7 Elon vs. No. 10 Furman, 5:15 p.m.
No. 6 College of Charleston vs. No. 11 The Citadel, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 8
No. 1 Davidson vs. Wofford/WCU winner, 2 p.m.
No. 4 App State vs. No. 5 UNC Greensboro, 4:15 p.m.
No. 2 Chattanooga vs. Elon/Furman winner, 7 p.m.
No. 3 Ga. Southern vs. Charleston/Citadel winner, 9:15 p.m.

Sunday, March 9
Semifinals, 6 and 8:30 p.m.

Monday, March 10
Championship game, 9 p.m.

Women

Thursday, March 6
No. 7 Furman vs. No. 10 Wofford, 3 p.m.
No. 8 App. State vs. No. 9 UNCG (30 minutes later)

Friday, March 7
Furman/Wofford winner vs. No. 2 Western Carolina, 10 a.m.
App State/UNCG winner vs. No. 1 Chattanooga

Saturday, March 8
No. 4 Georgia Southern vs. No. 5 College of Charleston, 9 a.m.
No. 3 Davidson vs. Elon, (30 min later)

Sunday, March 9
Semifinals, noon, 2:30 p.m.

Monday, March 10
Championship Game , 5 p.m.

For a printable bracket in PDF format, click here.

C of C Legend Kresse Closes Namesake Arena

2008-03-02T21:01:00.000-08:00

From Ken Burger at the Post & Courier:

Someday you can tell your grandchildren you saw the College of Charleston play basketball in the "old" Kresse Arena.

Hopefully they will look at you with some sense of awe and appreciation.

If you live long enough you'll see venues like this old gymnasium on George Street relegated to the pages of history. Some of us remember the old "Blue Heaven" at North Carolina where the Tar Heels played, Reynolds Coliseum where the Wolfpack prowled and the Old Field House at South Carolina where Frank McGuire sparked his magical run with the Gamecocks.

The same can now be said of John Kresse Arena at the College of Charleston,

home court for the Cougars from the winter of 1982 until Saturday night when they played their last game here against Furman, winning 77-59.

It's only right that they closed this place with a victory because that's the way the Cougar faithful will remember it. All told, over all those years, the College logged a total of 342 wins with only 44 losses.

The credit for this legacy goes to John Kresse, a living legend in this town, for his remarkable run of 560-143, much of it accomplished in a building that Sports Illustrated magazine once described by saying it "looked like a high school gymnasium and smelled like a Chinese restaurant."

New York accent

Not only will this old gym be razed soon to make way for the "new" Kresse Arena on an adjacent property, but the oriental take-out joint next door is disappearing as well.

Cougar alumni who knew the College way back when can only marvel at how far the school and its fledgling basketball program have come in their lifetimes.

It seems like only a couple of decades ago that a young, energetic John Kresse came to this Southern city with his New York accent and bag of basketball tricks. Within a few years he took the Cougars all the way to an NAIA national title in the same year they opened play here in the F. Mitchell Johnson Physical Education Center.

Since then the program transitioned into Division I status and earned the reputation as a giant slayer during several appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

Some say Cougar basketball peaked in the late 1990s and suffered a setback when Kresse, the undisputed king of this homecourt, unexpectedly announced his retirement in 2001.

Since then the program has struggled to regain its dominant position in the Southern Conference and find a place on the national stage.

Few doubt, however, that former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins can find a way to bring the College back as it prepares to move into its new 5,000-seat arena next season.

Jittery genius

Regardless of what the future holds, there will never be a feeling at this school like there was on those cold winter nights when this little hothouse was rocking.

With Kresse, the jittery genius on the sidelines, this was the toughest ticket in town.

With students breathing down the referee's necks and a loyal, basketball-savvy home crowd, the Cougars turned this rather pedestrian place into a place of pain for opponents.

While it's doubtful this year's team (14-16, 9-11 in the SoCon) will capture America's imagination the way Kresse's teams did a decade ago, the future of Cougar basketball remains bright.

As today's players built a 20-point lead over the Paladins in the second half, they were celebrated by longtime fans and former players who came to give this special building a proper sendoff.

After the victory, the court was ringed by more than 120 former players dating back to the 1940s. In a special ceremony, they passed a basketball through the ages, ending with a handoff from Cremins to Kresse, who made the last layup to close the building for the ages.

Nice touch.

Nice shot.

(Photo courtesy of CofC Sports.com)

CofC Lose on the road to the Spartans

2008-02-26T07:23:00.000-08:00

GREENSBORO, NC – UNC Greensboro had only four players hit the scoring column, but three went for more than 20 as the Spartans topped College of Charleston, 75-67, in Southern Conference men’s basketball action at Fleming Gym on Thursday night.

The Spartans set a school record by shooting 84 percent from the floor in the second half, going 16-for-19. They made their first 10 shots of the half to erase a seven-point second half. Mikko Koivisto led the way with a career-high 25 points for UNCG (16-11, 10-8), which clinched the final bye slot in the upcoming Southern Conference Tournament with the win.

Kyle Hines had 23 points and eight rebounds for UNCG to extend his streak of games with 10 or more points to 77 in a row. The All-America candidate from Sicklerville, NJ also had three blocks and four steals. Kevin Oleksiak also had 22 points for the Spartans.

It was just the second time in UNCG’s Division I era that three Spartans topped 20 points in the same game. The only other time that happened was in an overtime loss to NC State last January.

The only other Spartan to score was Ben Stywall with five points, all of which came in the final 15:34.

Jermaine Johnson led the Cougars (12-16, 7-11) with 18 points and eight rebounds. Andrew Goudelock added 12 points and Donovan Monroe chipped in with 11 points for College of Charleston.

For the entire article courtesy of UNC-G athletics (click here)

From the Post & Courier: "Cougars' Cremins: 'No time to get down'"

2008-02-25T23:20:00.000-08:00

By Charles Bennett
The Post and Courier

Even though the College of Charleston is coming off a heartbreaking 87-86 double overtime loss at Elon, Cougars coach Bobby Cremins says he expects his team to bounce back with a big effort tonight at UNC Greensboro.
"We've just got to stay up, stay motivated," said Cremins.
"We've obviously been knocked around, but this is no time to get down. We've got three more games and then we go into the (Southern Conference) Tournament. These last three games, we really want to play well."
The Cougars (12-15, 7-10 SoCon) played well enough to win at Elon, shooting 50.7 percent from the field and committing only 11 turnovers after averaging nearly 20 turnovers in their previous three games.
"We played better, we just didn't catch a break," Cremins said. "We played well enough to win. It was a heck of a ball game. I felt bad for our guys. It was a tough one."
Breaks may be hard to come by once again when the Cougars take on the Spartans (15-11, 9-8 SoCon) at 7 p.m. tonight.
The last time the two teams met, UNC Greensboro power forward Kyle Hines scored 32 points and the Spartans shot 66.7 percent from the field in an 88-71 victory over the Cougars Jan. 24 at John Kresse Arena.

"We've got Kyle Hines and company and of course they beat us up the first time," Cremins said. "They played one of their best games of the year against us."

One positive for the Cougars is that tonight's game is the final road game of the season for Charleston.

The Cougars wrap up the regular season with home games against Georgia Southern on Thursday and Furman on Saturday.

The SoCon Tournament begins March 7 at North Charleston Coliseum.
But Cremins says he hopes to keep his team motivated with the games remaining.

"We have no choice but to stay up," he said. "We're playing not only for now but for the future. The tournament will be our postseason. We know that, but we want to take these last three games as a chance to start playing well heading into the tournament."

From the Post & Courier: Cougs fall to WCU

2008-02-17T10:24:00.000-08:00

Western Carolina 65, Charleston 57

The College of Charleston's up- and-down basketball season took another downward turn Saturday at John Kresse Arena.

The Cougars shot 35.3 percent from the field and committed 21 turnovers in a 65-57 Southern Conference loss to Western Carolina.

"It's not as bad as it could be, but it was a bad loss," said guard Andrew Goudelock, who led the Cougars with 15 points. "We could have won this game, should have won this game. Down the stretch we didn't make plays. We have no one to blame but ourselves."

Charleston (12-14, 7-9 SoCon) was coming off a 79-73 victory over Chattanooga Thursday night, while the Catamounts (8-17, 4-11 SoCon) were coming off a 57-51 loss to The Citadel, previously winless in the conference.

"We really made a commitment to fight for the whole 40 minutes this game and to respond after our poor showing on Thursday," said Catamounts' forward Jake Robinson. "We had two rough days thinking about that loss."

The Catamounts didn't exactly come out with guns blazing, shooting 39.3 percent from the field, but they got 25 points from guard Brandon Giles and seemingly made every big play down the stretch.

The Cougars play at Elon at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

3-Point Goals — Western Carolina 5-16 (Gore 0-1, Giles 2-7, Waginger 0-2, Robinson 3-6); C of C 6-15 (Scott 0-3, Wiggins 1-3, Goudelock 3-3, White 2-4, Monroe 0-1, Hammond 0-1). Steals — W. Carolina 10 (Giles 4); C of C 5 (Scott, Johnson 2). Blocks — W. Carolina 3 (Gordon, Giles, Wilson); C of C 5 (Scott 3). Turnovers — W. Carolina 8 (Wilson 3); C of C 21 (Scott, Johnson, White 4). Technicals — W. Carolina 1 (Waginger). A — 3,104.

Click here for the entire article by Charles Bennett.

Dwight Howard (aka: Superman) Wins the Slam Dunk Contest!

2008-02-16T23:17:00.000-08:00

AJ Traded to the Kings for Bibby

2008-02-16T18:23:00.000-08:00

A.J. is now a King
The eighth place Atlanta Hawks sent starting point guard and College of Charleston alum Anthony Johnson, 2007 first-round pick Shelden Williams, backup point guard Tyronn Lue, veteran forward Lorenzen Wright and a 2008 second-round pick to the Kings for Mike Bibby. The same Bibby who had one heck of a game to end the College of Charleston's big dance, after the Cougars upset Maryland and then lost a close one to Arizona in the 1997 NCAA Tournament.

Click here for the story on ESPN

The Cougs Face Western Carolina tonight at 6 pm.

2008-02-16T13:48:00.000-08:00

The College of Charleston Cougars (12-13, 7-8 SoCon) will host the Catamounts (7-17, 3-11 SoCon) of Western Carolina tonight at 6 pm at the Kresse Arena. Game coverage will be on WTMZ 910-AM. The Cougs have won 9 straight against WCU, including an exciting win last December in Cullowhee and their coach Larry Hunter is 0-4 against the Cougars.

(Photo courtesy of the Catamounts' sports web-site)

See you at the game!

From the Post & Courier: Cougars have eye on a bye

2008-02-16T13:31:00.000-08:00

The College of Charleston is plodding along with a 7-8 record in the Southern Conference, and today's 6 p.m. game at John Kresse Arena with Western Carolina may not seem so important in the grand scheme of things. (Photo of Andrew Goudelock and Tony White Jr dancing courtesy of Alan Hawes w/ the Post & Courier)

But it is to Cougars' coach Bobby Cremins, who would like his team to play well enough down the stretch to earn a first-round bye in the Southern Conference Tournament.

"The most important thing for us is we're still fighting for a bye, so every game is crucial," Cremins said. "We're still in this thing. We have a shot."

The top five teams in the 11-team Southern Conference earn first-round byes in the tournament, to be held March 7-10 at North Charleston Coliseum.

Davidson (16-0) has already clinched the No. 1 seed, and Appalachian State (11-5), Georgia Southern (11-5) and Chattanooga (10-6) are likely to occupy the next three spots, leaving one more bye up for grabs.

In addition to Charleston, the main contenders for the fifth seed are Elon (8-9), Wofford (7-9) and UNC Greensboro (7-7).

After today, the Cougars have road games at Elon and UNC Greensboro before finishing the regular season at home against Georgia Southern and Furman.

The Cougars are 1-3 against those four teams this season, so Charleston would do well to take care of business today against Western Carolina (7-17, 3-11 SoCon).

The Catamounts are winless on the road this season, and have lost nine consecutive games to Charleston.

However, Western Carolina gave the Cougars all they could handle earlier this season when Charleston escaped with an 86-84 victory at Cullowhee, N.C., on Dec. 1.

"Western is a very dangerous team," Cremins said. "We can't take them lightly, for sure. We've just got to come out here Saturday night and play some basketball."

--Cougars' small forward Antwaine Wiggins, who suffered an ankle sprain in Charleston's victory over Chattanooga Thursday night, is listed as probable. Cremins said the Cougars will move guard Marcus Hammond into Wiggins' spot if Wiggins is unable to go.

Reach Charles Bennett at cbennett@postandcourier.com.

I Love the Maroon Nation this Much!

2008-02-15T18:42:00.000-08:00

Photo of Coach Cremins showing his love courtesy of Alan Hawes/Post & Courier

From the Post & Courier: C of C weathers the run and gun of Chattanooga

2008-02-15T18:28:00.000-08:00

More isn't always better, and Chattanooga proved it Thursday night against the College of Charleston. (Photo of Antwaine Wiggins laughing at Kevin Bridgewater selling the foul courtesy of Alan Hawes/Post & Courier)

Chattanooga took 82 shots — but missed 54 of them — and the Cougars escaped with a 79-73 Southern Conference victory at John Kresse Arena.

"I've never played a team that shot 82 times," said Charleston junior forward Jermaine Johnson. "That's a lot of shots. That just lets you know that they're a run and gun team, and it also lets you know that we played some defense."

Charleston (12-13, 7-8 SoCon) held the Mocs (15-11, 10-6 SoCon) to 34.1 percent shooting from the field, but still had to battle to get the victory.

The Cougars made 11 of 14 free throws in the final three minutes.

"Things got a little hairy there at the end," said Cougars coach Bobby Cremins. "We had to make some clutch free throws. We're a young team, and you never know what's going to happen, but it was a gutty performance and a great win."

The Cougars lost 86-70 at Chattanooga on Dec. 18 after hurling up a school- record 39 3-pointers, making 10.

Charleston took a more balanced approach Thursday night, making 24 of 54 shots from the field, including 10 of 26 from 3-point range.

Guard Andrew Goudelock scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. Backcourt mate Tony White Jr. also finished with 17 points and was 8-of-8 from the free throw line.

Jermaine Johnson finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

"I kind of refocused at halftime," said Goudelock. "I got some good open looks, and fortunately, I made them."

Despite poor shooting, Chattanooga kept things close by forcing 20 turnovers and getting to the offensive boards 19 times.

"They're probably the best rebounding team in our conference," Johnson said.

"They really get to the glass. We just came out and did what we had to do."

Charleston led by as many as 14 points in the second half, but saw the lead dwindle to three with 1:22 to play.

But the Cougars clamped down defensively from there and put the game away at the free throw line.

"I had no idea they took 82 shots," Goudelock said. "Good thing they were missing them. Usually the team that takes the most shots wins."

Charleston led 35-30 at the half after outshooting the Mocs 46.4 percent to 33.3 percent.

The Cougars waxed hot and cold in the first half, and helped keep it close with 12 turnovers.

Charleston started the game on a 9-0 run, only to be outscored 15-2 over a four-minute span.

The Cougars managed to regain the lead and push the margin back to nine with 1:36 to play, but the Mocs scored the last two baskets of the half to close the gap to five.

Happy V-Day-Cougs Win!

2008-02-14T21:01:00.000-08:00

Happy v day Cougs win by 6, beating UT-Chattanooga 79 to 73!

If you are wondering why there are so many prematurely gray-haired gents in the crowd...

2008-02-14T20:43:00.000-08:00

(Game-time coverage) It's because the Cougars have just let UT-Chattanooga back in the game. Here is a picture of Andrew Goudelock at the line. Jermaine is having a "Shaq" night from the Charity-Stripe, but everyone else, especially TW-Jr. is taking advantage of the opportunities.

The officials are a nightmare. That's right, I said it. The three-amigos are killing me, I am not sure if they just don't know what a "walk" looks like unless the offender has a white-jersey on, but the zebras are definitely keeping the Moccassins in the game-good bye 10 point lead, hello down to the wire. (For the record: the dark haired guy next to me just had around 50 gray hairs pop-out.

An apology for the "dueling banjos" comment

2008-02-12T20:34:00.000-08:00

And what pray tell would cause us here at the CofC Sports Fan to post an apology, the answer is 6-year veteran and co-captain of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders squad, 29-year old Leigh Killian a 1999 graduate of Appalachian State and a recent guest on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. A correctional probation officer by day and a cheerleader on the weekends makes this High Point, NC native quite an interesting woman. Our bad Leigh.

Link to the Professional Cheerleader Blog for the entire article

College of Charleston selected as #1 in SoCon Coaches' Preseason Poll

2008-02-12T20:06:00.000-08:00

Preseason Poll
1. College of Charleston (5) 86
2. Western Carolina (3) 77
3. Georgia Southern (2) 70
4. Elon 68
5. The Citadel 55
6. Appalachian State 54
7. UNC Greensboro 51
8. Wofford 33
9. Furman 27
10. Davidson 19
Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team.

First Team
Catcher—Blake Murphy (WCU), First Base—Jeremiah Parker (GSU), Second Base—Tim Carrier (UNCG), Shortstop—Michael Gilmartin (WOF), Third Base—Isaac Harrow (ASU), Outfield—Michael Harrington (C of C), Outfield—Chris Swauger (CIT), Outfield—Barrett Shaft (WCU), DH—Andrew Franco (ASU), Pitcher—Drew Saberhagen (WCU), Pitcher—Steven Hensley (Elon), Relief Pitcher—Garrett Sherrill (ASU)
Second Team
Catcher—Richard Jones (CIT)
First Base—Michael Kohn (COFC)
Second Base—Shane Kirkley (WOF)
Shortstop—Jason Altenhof (ASU)
Third Base—Nick Liles (WCU)
Outfield—Sonny Meade (CIT)
Outfield—Chris Shehan (GSU)
Outfield—Pat Irvine (Elon)
DH—Kyle Blackburn (GSU)
Pitcher—Ben Austin (WOF)
Pitcher—Tyler Sexton (WCU)
Relief Pitcher—Chris Masters (WCU)
(Source: the Post & Courier)

From The Post and Courier: Davidson 81, College of Charleston 56

2008-02-10T14:58:00.000-08:00

League-leading Wildcats once led Cougs by 34
By Charles Bennett
DAVIDSON, N.C. — With time waning in a blowout victory over Charleston, Davidson coach Bob McKillop sent in his subs, including his seldom-used son Brendan. McKillop could have played his grandmother, had she been available. Davidson showed once again why it is the best team in the Southern Conference, handing the Cougars an 81-56 loss at Belk Arena, their worst league loss in history and the worst overall since a 92-65 loss to eighth-ranked Kentucky in 1996.

"They're like Duke when I was in the ACC," said Charleston coach Bobby Cremins.
"Duke could just beat the hell out of anybody. They're the Duke of the Southern
Conference."

For more of Charles Bennett’s article click here for the link.

From the Den: After beating Appalachian State, 68-63, on Thursday night, College of Charleston (11-13, 6-8 SoCon) there was a modest amount of anticipation for the game against Davidson (17-6, 15-0 SoCon) but as Coach Cremins said, “They’re the Duke of the So-Con” and the Wildcats have that same “Dukeness” (i.e. excellent perimeter shooting, solid fundamentals: passing, shooting and ball movement) basically good from the top-down.

I watched the game late on CSS Sports and the Cougars played well, and the only advice that I could give our young Cougars is that “they just need to take the easy shot; our starting five are trying way too hard and are trying to force it. College basketball is not that difficult: play-hard, pass-efficiently, and be patient for the open (and easy) shot. And before you lace up those shoes, know that you are a College of Charleston Cougar and you should play like one, think like a winner and the wins will come. Don’t be scared of teams like Davidson with their ugly mascot, pre-pube point-guard and Capt Hair-do of a coach because no matter what the chatter says about our disappointments this season, at least we didn’t lose because we quit. Keep clawing your way up Cougs, Keep clawing your way up.
(Photo courtesy of Rotorob.com)

Wishful thinking?

2008-02-09T03:03:00.000-08:00

The Cougs will face off against Davidson at 3 pm, you can catch it on CSS (Comcast Sports-South) Special thanks to the kids at Daphne High School in Daphne, Alabama for keeping our spirits up.

College of Charleston beats Appalachian State 68 to 63

2008-02-08T20:22:00.000-08:00

From the Post & Courier:

BOONE, N.C. — The College of Charleston has had its share of heartbreaking losses this season, so perhaps it was only fitting that the Cougars would earn a heartwarming basketball win.

Trailing by five points, Charleston outscored Appalachian State 10-0 over the final 2:12 of the game to beat the Mountaineers 68-63 Thursday night at the Holmes Center.

"This is the biggest win of the season for us by far," said Charleston coach Bobby Cremins. "It looked like we were going to lose another close one, and finally the breaks went our way. I'm really excited."

Charleston (11-12, 6-7 SoCon) had lost at home to Appalachian State (14-8,

9-4) 70-66 in Charleston on Jan. 3, a victory that jumpstarted the Mountaineers to nine victories in their last 10 games. Meanwhile, the Cougars struggled and went 4-5 over the same span.

But on Thursday night, Charleston made all the plays down the stretch against the Mountaineers.

Andrew Goudelock, who led the Cougars with 19 points, made a jumper with 25 seconds to play to put Charleston ahead 64-63.

After a Mountaineers' turnover, Charleston guard Tony White Jr., an 82 percent free throw shooter who missed the front end of a one-and-one in the closing seconds of the Cougars' 67-66 loss at Wofford on Jan. 28, made two free throws with 14.5 seconds to play for a 66-63 Charleston lead.

Charleston forward Jeremy Simmons, a 56 percent free throw shooter, made two free throws with 6.6 seconds to play for the coup de grace.

"I can't say enough about our team," Cremins said. "I'm just really excited abut this victory. This is what we needed. We needed something good to happen. Finally, when it looked like we were going down for another defeat, the breaks went our way. We got a tremendous win. Now we've got something to build on."

The Cougars missed 12 of their first 13 3-pointers, but made their next two to lead 30-27 at the half.

The game started out close and stayed that way in the first half , with neither team leading by more than three points.

An 8-0 run to start the second half put the Cougars ahead 38-27 with 18:33 to play, but the Mountaineers rallied to get back in the game.

Cougs travel to the "Dueling Banjos Arena" to take on Appalachian State tonight!

2008-02-07T07:40:00.000-08:00

The College of Charleston Cougars travel to Boone, North Carolina tonight to take on the App State Mountaineers. The Mountaineers squeaked out a four point victory over the Cougars in the last meeting between the two schools on January 3^rd. Game time is at 7 pm and will air here in Charleston on WTMZ 910-AM.

Recon: App State’s guard Kellen Brand was wheeled off the court in a stretcher late in their game last Saturday against Western Carolina, Brand is noted as having received a “slight” concussion, and although concussed, Brand is expected to play in tonight’s game. Forward eremy Clayton has been hot recently, blocking six shots and pulling down a career-high 17 rebounds against Elon on January 28th, on his way for a double-double with 12 points. Forward Donte Minter was out with the flu against Elon, but was back in the following game against Western Carolina scoring 13 points (team high) for the Mountaineers. Finally, ASU guard Donald Sims really started to make an impact for the Mountaineers in January with 34 assists and 12 turnovers for the month, giving him a 3 to 1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Although, the App State has seven games which were decided by five points or less this season, ASU is 5-2, and a major threat in the SoCon, combined with a two-game win streak, the College of Charleston needs to play tight defense (especially in the paint) if we want to come home with a win on the road and continue our one-game win streak.

(Photo courtesy of pizzaz.net)

Hitler's Gamecocks Video

2008-02-06T17:14:00.000-08:00

All right, so when Mel sent me this, I didn't want to post or watch this video of the changed sub-titles since I'd already posted the Cowboys' video on the Bushido. Well, that and I didn't want the folks in the next office to think that I was fuhrer fan, but this video is pretty funny and they don't misspell "lose" in this clip, so it was that much better. Funniest part-I'd say the Bobby "Cremins' wigs from '93" that A.H. can only sell when the drag show comes to town. Quite clever, and I am sure there will be more schools jumping on board.

Cougs Beat The Citadel 63-48!

2008-02-05T22:51:00.000-08:00

Tony White Jr. scored 17 points, Andrew Goudelock added 12 points and Jermaine Johnson and Jeremy Simmons each added 10 rebounds and six points to lead the College of Charleston to a 63-48 win over The Citadel last night. The Cougs’ other big man, senior Konimba Diarra also had six points and three boards in the much needed win. Translation: the Cougs are becoming a little more balanced, but are still focused on their perimeter shooting.

From the Den:

When I saw the stat, “Charleston had 38 rebounds, nine more than The Citadel” on CBS Sportsline, I was quite surprised. If you went to the game, I am sure you heard various members of the Maroon Nation lament, “Get the rebound!” throughout the game. In fact, it was the lack of tenacity on the boards in the second half that let the Bulldogs back into the game! Come on Cougs, the SoCon Tourney is less than a month away and both defensive and offensive boards pay-off huge dividends when it comes to the final score. Remember, the play is not over after the ball leaves the shooters hand and the ball is still alive until it drops through the netting. If you are at half-court (what some people call overly anxious transition defense) while the ball is still in the air, your chance of getting a rebound and second chance “put-in” is naught.

Shooting Percentages

The Cougars shot 49 percent (25-of-51) from the field, compared to 32.7 percent (18-of-55) for the Bulldogs.

Bobby Knight announces his retirement...

2008-02-05T19:27:00.000-08:00

We could have posted one of Coach Knight's chair-throwing tantrums to celebrate his retirement, but we decided to go ahead with a more "neighborly" video. Here is the video of Bobby arguing with his neighbor after shooting at his neighbor's home. I am not sure if you call this arrogance or just a sociopath's behavior. But it is somewhat entertaining.

Carolina First Center Construction

2008-02-04T18:42:00.000-08:00

Cougs host the Citadel tonight @ 7 PM!

2008-02-04T18:27:00.000-08:00

With road games at Appalachian State on Thursday and Davidson on Saturday, the (9-12, 4-7) College of Charleston Cougars need a win tonight to get their heads straight and their confidence back on track. Across town, the young Citadel team (5-15, 0-11) needs to right their ship after losing 9-straight games or they might join Davidson as the only SoCon school to not win a conference game during the season*. Tonight won’t be a replay of the blowout at McAlister Field House last month. The Bulldogs will give the Cougars a fight tonight and with Dustin Scott and Marcus Hammond sitting out tonight’s game for violating team rules, the Bulldogs won’t have quite the issue in the paint as they did in the last meeting of these two teams.

See you tonight, if you can’t make the game, catch it on Comcast Channel 42. Go Cougs!

*Davidson was 0-10 in the SoCon for their 1959-1960 season.

Look what you started, Bobby Cremins by Gene Sapakoff of The Post & Courier

2008-02-02T10:35:00.000-08:00

Ready for a new challenge

By Gene Sapakoff

The Post and Courier

Friday, February 1, 2008

Al Behrman/AP

Coastal Carolina basketball coach Cliff Ellis.

At 61, former Clemson coach Ellis rebuilding again at Coastal Carolina

CONWAY — Look what you started, Bobby Cremins: An obvious trend in which former major conference basketball head coaches emerge from retirement and broadcasting to beat the bushes for power forwards and study UNC Wilmington video before the warm South Carolina sun shines on breakfast.

Cliff Ellis doesn't need this. Not the Big South Conference bus rides or losses to VMI and Liberty.

Financially secure at 61, he was three years removed from a coaching career spanning 29 NCAA Division I seasons at South Alabama (1975-84), Clemson (1984-94) and Auburn (1994-2004) with eight NCAA Tournament appearances and 12 NIT trips.

Only a last-second shot by Connecticut's Tate George kept his 1990 Clemson team from the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. His Auburn program made the cover of Sports Illustrated.

But there he was Monday night at Kimbel Arena, the new Coastal Carolina head coach zipping about the Chanticleers' sideline late in a tight game against UNC Asheville and waving his arms at the student section across the floor.

"Get up!" Ellis shouted. "Get up!"

He kept cheerleading, even creeping several feet onto the court.

"Get up!"

Wearing a lime green tie, no less.

The students complied, roaring as sophomore guard Logan Johnson made a 3-point shot to cut UNC Asheville's lead to 46-44 with 5:04 remaining.

"I know Coach Ellis wants a home-court advantage as much as we do," Johnson said. "When he gets them going, it's a great feeling."

It wasn't enough. Injury-riddled Coastal Carolina lost to the Bulldogs and 7-7 center Kenny George, 56-52, to fall to 9-10 overall and 2-4 in the Big South going into Saturday's home game against Charleston Southern (1 p.m., Fox Sports South television).

"I've taken on a massive building operation, you can see that. Massive," Ellis said. "But I love rebuilding. I love the game, I love teaching and I missed the competition."

As a TV analyst, he got a close look at "mid-major" programs, including the College of Charleston last season with former Hilton Head retiree Bobby Cremins in his first year as head coach. Ellis consulted with Cremins, Citadel athletic director Les Robinson and Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

When Ellis led Clemson to the 1990 Atlantic Coast Conference regular season championship, he clinched Clemson's only such title with a victory over Coach K's Blue Devils and other fellow ACC coaches also included Cremins (Georgia Tech) and Robinson (N.C. State).

"I asked Bobby last year what it was like getting back," Ellis said. "He said, 'Truly, it's helping me stay young.' He said it was like running, at first you have to get in condition and then it's just like riding a bicycle. It's been the same for me."

Surely, another part of the lure was salary (a five-year contract calls for $150,000 a year) and location (Cliff and Carolyn Ellis are renting in Surfside Beach while building a home overlooking Murrells Inlet).

For its investment, Coastal Carolina wants Ellis to stick around. The Myrtle Beach Sun News reports his buyout clause is $1.5 million, perceived insurance after Buzz Peterson left two seasons into his Chanticleers tenure to take a front-office job with the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats.

"Cliff wants to build a program," said Coastal Carolina athletic director Warren "Moose" Koegel, a former Penn State and NFL offensive lineman. "These kids are playing their hearts out and a lot of it is because of Cliff and his staff. We're really excited about the future."

Koegel knew Ellis was forced out at Clemson and Auburn, and knew Ellis had run-ins with the NCAA during his tenure at both schools.

"We investigated it, called people and talked to him about it," Koegel said. "We found out his name was not really mentioned in any of it. We got the true story, I think. When we had a chance to hire somebody with that kind of coaching experience, we did it, and he's a great person."

Ellis introduced himself to Coastal Carolina boosters with a $10,000 donation to the school. His young staff includes Jimbo Tolbert, one of his former Auburn team managers.

"The very first team meeting we had when I was at Auburn and the way he commanded the room, that's the day I figured I wanted to be a coach," Tolbert said. "I was in awe."

Ellis seems to have adapted well to a team led by senior guard Jack Leasure, the Big South's best shooter. Leasure, a history major who introduced presidential candidate Barack Obama at a campus rally last fall, knows leadership.

"This is my third coach in four years but it's turned out great," Leasure said. "He's a lot of fun to play for and he's a good preparation coach. It's a real thinking man's game with him."

Ellis, who says he has nothing but sweet feelings for Clemson and Auburn, knows how he wants this story to end.

"I want a championship here," Ellis said. "I took this job because there was one winning season in the last 13 years. I'm not a Kentucky or Duke guy. I'm an Auburn, Clemson, South Alabama guy. I love the challenge. This is me."

Reach Gene Sapakoff at gsapakoff@postandcourier.com or (843) 937-5593.

Cougs Lose to Davidson Eyes Wide-Shut!

2008-01-27T23:23:00.000-08:00

Playing "D" like this and shooting like this (20 of 59 (33.9%) from the field, 14 of 35 from the paint and 3 of 17 from behind the arc) doesn't win basketball games. I hate to point out Jeremy and Jermaine here because the loss to Davidson was a team effort, but guys, and this is just a suggestion, if you keep your eyes open while shooting and going up strong to the basket, I guarantee an improvement in performance. (Photo courtesy of the Charleston Post & Courier/Mic Smith)

To end on a good note: Andrew Goudelock led the College of Charleston Cougars with 13 points and Jermaine Johnson finished with 11 points and 11 boards for another double-double. And finally, the Wildcats' scoring sensation, Stephen Curry who averages 24.3 ppg was held (mainly by Antwaine Wiggins) to 16 points.

Sofa King Embarrassed! Davidson gives the Maroon Nation a headache!

2008-01-27T23:09:00.000-08:00

Forget our rivals on the Wildcat blogs, forget that Davidson by beating the Cougs 70-58 (on our own court) just won their 21st consecutive So-Con victory and are now 13-6, 11-0 in the conference and forget that we are now in a three game slide. Just someone please pass the Tylenol. Keep your chins up Cougs-Wofford is next and we beat them by 10 earlier this season.

(Photo credits/Mic Smith of the Post & Courier)

Les Robinson Calls it Quits As The Citadel's A.D.

2008-01-26T08:45:00.000-08:00

From the Post & Courier (By Jeff Hartsell)

During The Citadel's basketball game with Davidson on Thursday night, Les Robinson's cell phone buzzed with a text message. It was from his 14-year-old granddaughter, who wrote, "You are jealous. I'm going to almost heaven, West Virginia."

Starting in June, The Citadel's 65-year-old athletic director will have a lot more time to join his wife, Barbara, and their eight grandchildren on such adventures. Before a McAlister Field House crowd packed with friends, family and luminaries, Robinson on Friday announced the end to an almost 50-year career in college athletics, dating back to his start as a basketball player at North Carolina State in 1960.

"I'm just at the point where I really want to do something else with my time," said Robinson, whose nearly eight years as The Citadel's athletic director capped a career that included stints as the Bulldogs' basketball coach, coach and athletic director at East Tennessee State and at North Carolina State, and six years on the prestigious NCAA Division I men's basketball committee. He's the only person in NCAA history to serve as basketball coach and AD at three different Division I schools.

Robinson will continue as athletic director through June 30 and then will work with the military school as a consultant, though the details of that role have not been worked out, school president Lt. Gen. John Rosa said.

"We've got to sit down and figure that out," Rosa said. "But Les has a lot of contacts, personally and professionally, and he's an excellent fundraiser, and we don't want to lose that."

Robinson said that consulting work would involve both The Citadel Foundation and the Brigadier Foundation, fundraising arms of the school, in maintaining relationships with donors and alumni. Robinson also will be involved in the search for his successor, Rosa said.

The president said a search committee of people "from across The Citadel family" will be formed, and that financial acumen and fundraising skill will be a must for the next AD.

"At The Citadel, we are running a $9 million business in athletics," Rosa Robinson announces end to 50-year career said. "That person has to be fiscally responsible, and most of these guys in the profession now are. He also has to be a fundraiser, someone who can pull all our coaches together and pull us into the 21st century."

Rosa cited the $30 million renovation of Johnson Hagood Stadium as one of the highlights of Robinson's tenure. Plans and ideas for rebuilding the old stadium, where the Bulldogs started playing in 1948, had floated around The Citadel for years. But it was Robinson's bold decision to tear down the rusting homeside stands, without having the money on hand yet to rebuild, that jump-started the process. Today, the homeside stands of the 20,000-seat stadium have been rebuilt, with a state-of-the art scoreboard installed and a new pressbox, luxury suites and club seating slated to open this fall. The Citadel also has a 10-year marketing deal with scoreboard maker Daktronics Inc.

"I told them, we don't have the money, but we've got to tear that down," said Robinson, who personally donated $100,000 to the stadium project, with others matching his donation to bring the total to almost $1 million. "I knew Citadel alumni would step up to the plate, and they did."

Robinson helped the school heal rifts with author Pat Conroy, a former Bulldogs basketball player who wrote "The Lords of Discipline" based on his Citadel experience, and with ex-football player Marc Buoniconti, who sued the school after he was paralyzed in a 1985 football game.

Robinson also hired basketball coach Ed Conroy and football coach Kevin Higgins, who ended a period of turmoil in the football program and led the Bulldogs to a 7-4 record last season, their most wins since 1992. Robinson also was noted for his scheduling of big-money games for the football team, bringing in more than $5 million for the athletic department budget.

But despite the infusion of guarantee money, Robinson faced budget crunches during his tenure. The Citadel had to controversially cut men's soccer and men's golf from its roster of varsity sports, and heading into this fiscal year the athletic department faced a deficit of $1.4 million. Last summer, Rosa assigned one of his special assistants, Lt. Col. Paul Puckett, to the athletic department as associate AD for financial matters.

Starting with the hiring of a new AD, those challenges will belong to somebody else. In his goodbye speech Friday, the noted storyteller Robinson spent more time talking about other people than himself. He told stories about ACC official Fred Barakat, Wofford athletic director Richard Johnson, former Air Force football coach Fisher DeBerry and College of Charleston coach Bobby Cremins, all of whom were in attendance.

Robinson told one story about former Citadel basketball standout Patrick Elmore. Elmore had a "bad attitude" and didn't make it in his first stint as a cadet. Robinson told him to "Go join the Army for three years, and I'll give you a scholarship."

That's just what Elmore did, and he went on to graduate and have a successful career with UPS and in the National Guard. He recently brought his wife to Robinson's office to meet the old coach.

"A story like that," Robinson said, "is what this profession is all about."

Come see Kenny G in North Charleston Tonight!

2008-01-26T07:43:00.000-08:00

Alright, so I'm not talking about that Kenny G, I meant the Chicago Latin High School product Kenny George the tallest kid on the court in the NCAA last year and the biggest kid UNC Asheville and the Big South Conference has ever had on the hardwood. At 7'-7" and 360-lbs, this kid is a formidable opponent in any league-he's the guy about a foot taller than anyone else on the squad below in the picture. The Bulldogs play Charleston Southern tonight! So if you don't have other plans-which you should-check out the game.
(Photo of Kenny G courtesy of SNG)
(UNC-A Team Photo courtesy of UNC-Asheville)

Ready For A Rivalry!

2008-01-25T19:37:00.000-08:00

After last night's game, I am quite apprehensive about tomorrow's game. But even though we don't know which Cougar's team will take the court, the rivalry continues. Hopefully it isn't foreshadowing to show WB's video from the Davidson Basketball Blog getting one up on the Maroon Nation, but I did laugh out loud when I noticed yours truly in one of his candid photo shots, which, btw, the CofC Sports Fan uses as our header photo-thanks WB for being a classy nemesis.

Game time is tomorrow at 5 pm! If you can;t make the game, catch it on the tube Turner Sports South on Comcast.
Good luck tomorrow Cougs!

UNC Greensboro 88, College of Charleston 71

2008-01-25T07:50:00.000-08:00

From The Post & Courier: Charles Bennett, Photo Wade Spees (Post & Courier-staff) Donavan Monroe and the College of Charleston couldn’t get past Kyle Hines (42 ) and UNC Greensboro on Thursday.

A College of Charleston fan turned to his buddy during the Cougars' game with UNC Greensboro on Thursday night and said, "OK, they just missed a shot. We've got 'em now."

UNC Greensboro didn't make every shot, it only seemed that way, and the Spartans 66.7 shooting percentage produced an 88-71 Southern Conference victory that was the Cougars' second-worst defeat in John Kresse Arena.

Spartans center Kyle Hines led the way with 32 points.

"Kyle Hines is as good as advertised," said Charleston coach Bobby Cremins. "We didn't have an answer for him."

Or anybody else.

In addition to Hines' 32, the Spartans got 16 points from Kevin Olesiak, 15 from Ben Stywall and 13 from Mikko Koivisto.

"You can't win when you let Kyle Hines get his and all the other players, too," said Cougars guard Andrew Goudelock.

UNC Greensboro (11-6, 5-3 SoCon) started out hot and stayed that way. The Spartans were 18 of 27 from the field in each half.

"I said at halftime, 'We're not going to shoot the ball like this the second half,' " said UNCG coach Mike Dement. "Then we came out and did it. It's the best we've shot the ball in the three years I've been here and then I find out it's the best we've shot the ball in 19 years. It takes that against a good team."

Dement, who has watched Hines' dominant play in the Southern Conference for each of the last two years, said the defending Southern Conference Player of the Year was at his absolute best.

"Kyle Hines was the best I've seen him perhaps all year long," Dement said. "He was really focused, made some great moves. But everybody played well."

The Spartans came into the game 0-9 in John Kresse Arena and handed the Cougars their worst home defeat since a 68-42 loss to North Georgia in 1985.

"We came in focused," Hines said. "I don't know if it's the best game we've played this year, but it's in the top two or three. Everybody contributed."

The Cougars trailed by 10 at the half and never drew closer than nine points in the second half.

Goudelock led the Cougars (9-10, 4-5 SoCon) with 17 points and Tony White Jr. added 14. Goudelock and White Jr. were a combined 9-of-14 from 3-point range.

On most nights, that's good enough to win, but not on a night when stops were harder to come by than shots made.

Hines was unstoppable, making 14 of 16 shots from the field.

"I thought those two were going in for sure," said Hines, when asked about the two misses. "I guess it was just one of those nights."

It was a great night for all the Spartans.

When the Cougars doubled down on Hines, he simply kicked it out to the open man. The open man, regardless of who it was, usually made the shot.

"It seemed like they were just automatic," Goudelock said. "Every time I went up for a rebound it was going in."

Reach Charles Bennett at cbennett@postandcourier.com.

Cougs Couldn't Stop UNC-G's (#42) Kyle Hines

2008-01-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

The Cougs trailed by 10 at the half, but the Spartans wouldn't put the brakes on in the second half. With the return of Jeremy Simmons, one would have expected the College of Charleston to have an answer for the Spartan's big men: Sellers, Wall, Mitchell, Hines and Pete Brown off the bench, but we didn't. I quit scoring the game half-way through, so I am not sure how many points Hines put on the board, but I do know this, he controlled the paint and our beloved Cougs didn't have an answer.

Cougs Lose (Big) at Home...

2008-01-24T21:05:00.000-08:00

It wasn't pretty tonight. I haven't checked the stat sheets but I think this is the worst loss for the Cougs in Kresse Arena in twenty years. Which makes me quite apprehensive about Saturday.

Final score: Cougs 71, UNC-G 88

Under the Lights with Coach Cremins & Reminder, Cougs Host UNC-G Tonight!

2008-01-24T06:03:00.000-08:00

The Cougs host UNC-G tonight. UNC-G are coming off two straight loses to UT-Chattanooga and App. State but don’t count these Spartans out. Kyle Hines became only the second player in Southern Conference history to record 300 blocked shots in a career with his two blocked shots against Elon on Jan. 19. These kids are definitely talented and hopefully the Cougs will have an answer to their forward’s attack in the paint. Game time is 7 pm @ Kresse Arena. I'll see you at the game!

Across town the Davidson Wildcats are facing off against the Citadel Bulldogs. Wear them down Dogs!

Cougars on the Road to Face Furman Tonight!

2008-01-19T11:00:00.000-08:00

The 9-8 (4-3) College of Charleston Cougars head to Greensville, SC tonight to face the Furman Paladins 2-15 (1-7). Furman has only beat the College once at Timmons Arena, but our rivalry is one of the oldest in the state, which since joining the SoCon, the Cougars lead the Paladins 18-2. The Cougs need to control the tempo (run with the Cougars) and work hard in the paint tonight: controlling the boards and getting the ball to the big men underneath. Furman shouldn't be taken lightly because their record doesn't reflect their talent and ability.

Recon Report: Alex Opacic is the guy the Cougs need to shut down tonight. Opacic is averaging 10.4 points a game, with 5 rebounds and 1.1 assists. Also, the word on the street is that Furman's freshman Nolte will get his first start tonight, the kid is a natural shooter and a southpaw which makes for an interesting opportunity for the Cougars to show their defensive skills. Finally, I haven't heard much about this kid Dehm but evidently he's a talented, scappy kid for the Paladins.

Game Time: Tonight's game will air on CSS (Channel 42), tip-off is at 5 pm.

Cougs beat Wofford by 10

2008-01-17T23:21:00.000-08:00

Jermaine Johnson scored 17 points, grabbed 12 boards and hit all of his 4 opportunities from the charity stripe in the final minute of the game to lead the Cougars to another SoCon win over Wofford 70-60. The Cougars improved to 9-8, 4-3 by out-shooting 52.9% (27 of 51) to Wofford's 38% from the field and controlling the boards, out-rebounding the Terriers 37-23.

From the Den:
Andrew Goudelock scored 16 points, Dustin Scott put up 9 points and freshman Antwaine Wiggins added the power of "ten" in his double-double in tonight's victory.

Brett Favre Sends His Daughter Brittany to the College of Charleston!

2008-01-17T10:47:00.000-08:00

I had heard the rumor, but today the Post & Courier announced that Brett Favre's daughter, Brittany, is a freshman at the College of Charleston. When I first heard the rumor a few months ago, I couldn't imagine Favre having a kid old enough to be a freshman in college, but evidently, he and is wife Deanna had Brittany back in February of 1989, before either had graduated from college.

Personally, I'd like to see Favre win another Super Bowl ring this season. Then again, it's hard to find someone that doesn't like Brett and his family. Despite his previous addictions and Deanna's bout with cancer, their family stuck together through thick and thin-they're fighters and winners; which is why we here at the CofC Sports Fan are proud to welcome a member of their family into ours. Good luck on Sunday Brett!
(Photo courtesy of Spmedia.com)

Fwd: Cougs vs. The Citadel

2008-01-14T04:29:00.000-08:00

The Cougs face off against their cross-town rivals on Monday night at McAlister Field House. The Cougars are coming off a six-point loss to Georgia Southern in overtime and finish their road trip at the Citadel tonight tip-off is at 7:05 pm. If you can't make it to McAlister the game will air on CSS (Comcast Sports South) and the Sirius Satellite Channel 181.

Despite the College of Charleston's recent dominance over the Bulldogs, It's always an interesting match-up between our two schools and other than last season, McAlister Field House is always a rowdy place (hostile environment) to catch a game. An interesting point for the Bulldogs is that they're the only team in the country starting five freshmen. This just happens to be the same number of wins "El Cid" has to their credit this season. (See random) And the Bulldogs are currently on a 4-game stretch of losses.

Random: The only team even close to the Citadel's youthful mark is Purdue, who start four freshmen.

See you at the game! Go Cougs!

The Cougs host Elon tonight at 6 pm!

2008-01-05T13:28:00.000-08:00

The Cougars host Elon tonight at 6 pm, you can catch the game on ESPN radio 910. The Cougs have a one win streak (67-45 on January 20, 2007) against Elon and are 5-1 all time against the Phoenix. Elon's coach Ernie Nestor is 1-3 against the Cougs in his 5th season at Elon.

Recon: Elon's Montell Watson is their BMOC and he scored 18 points against the Citadel in their 72-63 win over the Bulldogs this week. Jermaine Johnson is leading the Cougs with 14 ppg over the last 8 games and Jermaine is shooting 54% from the floor. Andrew Goudelock is leading the Cougars' bench with 14 ppg in the last 4 games, shooting 45% from the floor.

Cougs Host Appalachian State Tonight @ 7 pm

2008-01-03T02:40:00.000-08:00

The College of Charleston Cougars (6-6, 1-1 SoCon) are favored by 2 tonight as they host the Mountaineers at Kresse Arena. You can catch the game on local radio 910-AM or on Comcast Channel 42. The Cougs are kicking off an eighteen-plus-game stretch of SoCon Games with App tonight and Elon on Saturday (I included the SoCon Tourney as the plus). Appalachian State is 5-6, 0-2 SoCon with conference loses to E.T.S.U. and Davidson.

And of course, we will get our fair share of the Mountaineers starters: forward (Sr) Donte Minter (11.1 ppg), sophomore guard Kellen Brand (11 ppg) and senior forward Jeremy Clayton (7 ppg). Which of course, does brings some point of concern in the Maroon Nation as the Cougs have been a bit lax on the glass of late.
I’ll see you at the game! Go Cougs!

Jim 'N Nicks Cougar Classic (Recap)

2007-12-30T20:22:00.000-08:00

Dec. 29th: James Madison won over South Carolina State Univ. 84-75

Dec. 29th: College of Charleston defeated Mercer 84-74

Dec. 30th: Mercer held on to win over SC State 76-73

Dec. 30th: The Cougars won the Cougar Classic blasting JMU 76-53

(Photo courtesy of J.Trabert)

The College of Charleston drops their third straight

2007-12-22T19:08:00.000-08:00

I didn't make it to Columbia for Cremins's second return to his alma mater this year, but I did catch the game on the tube. It was a great day for college basketball with Memphis taking on one of our old favorites, the Georgetown Hoyas and showing why the Tigers deserve to be ranked second in the nation. Memphis is quick, strong and aggresive, they just have such a great squad. (Photo courtesy of the Bushido)

But back to the College, the Cougs took on the Gamecocks and had three different 15 point leads but unfortunately the Cocks had hot hands from behind the arc, keeping them in the game and the College just couldn't answer. At times, I felt the old "live by the three, die by the three" mantra nagging the Cougs. Tony White Jr. had another great game, but the Cougs still didn't get the extra pass around the horn to find the open shot. We kept falling into traps on the wings and simply took deep shots that we just didn't have a chance to drop. And I hate to put it on the refs, but they simply made a bad call on a foul against the Cougs at the end of the game, which put the nails in the coffin. Cougs lost 82-85.

Cougs lose on the road at Florida State

2007-12-18T23:00:00.000-08:00

The Cougs lost a close one to the Noles 61-66 tonight! Do to the holiday schedule, we're only going to do score-posts until the new year-sorry Maroon Nation. If you happen to catch a game and want to send me your own thoughts of your experience, by all means, send me an e-mail or leave your thoughts in the comments section.

(Photo courtesy of Lauren Sauer-FSU Cheerleader)

Live by the three, die by the three

2007-12-17T04:06:00.000-08:00

Cougs lose on the Road to Chattanooga
The Cougs lost to Chattanooga on Saturday 86-70 dropping to 4-4, (1-1 SoCon). Tony White Jr. led the Cougs with 12 points; Jeremy Simmons was just short of a double-double with 10-points and 8 rebounds.

The Good: The Cougs did come-back from a 20 point deficit 30-8 in the first. And the College of Charleston set a new school record for 3-point attempts.

The Bad: The Cougs only made 10 of the 39 attempted shots from behind the arc.

The Ugly: UTC scored 44 points in the paint compared to the Cougs 18 and the Mocs out rebounded the Cougs 56-36.

Bonus: And finally, Dustin, Jermaine, Antwaine and Tony all had four-fouls, which is either good-tough aggressive “D”, bad officiating or ugly defense.

Photo of Jeremy Simmons guarding UTC’s Qavotstaraj Waddell courtesy of the Chattanooga Times Free Press

Sure Erin Andrews is hot, but what about Davidson making Playboy's Top 25 list?

2007-12-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

I read in the Post & Courier the other day about Erin Andrews leading Playboy's "America's Sexiest Sportscaster" survey, which is great that they show a bit of color in their sports' commentary, but how could they miss the SoCon's very own Davidson Wildcats making Playboy's "Top 25 in the Tip Off '08"?

From Hef's Magazine: "#22 Davidson: Last season was a magical one on the Davidson campus as coach Bob McKillop's team won 29 games and advanced to the NCAA tournament, a rare thrill for this little North Carolina college. The top four scorers return. Guard Stephen Curry leads the offensive (he scored 21.5 points a game last season). His running mate, senior Jason Richards, provides experience and a threat from the perimeter. The frontcourt is deep and talented. X factor: Can this mid-major team handle the spotlight? Expectations are suddenly high. Don't miss: Early season tests against North Carolina on November 14th and Duke on December 1st could open America's eyes on how good this club is.

Random Shots: You can vote for your favorite sideline sportscaster at playboy.com/sexiestsportscaster
(Photo courtesy of Sidelinehotties.com)

College of Charleston Baseball Update from Mark Etheridge

2007-12-06T21:13:00.000-08:00

The following article written by Mark ethridge (sebaseball.rivals.com)

Talk about it in The Dugout
Last season College of Charleston led the nation in batting average (.350), runs (552), and slugging % (570). With all that offense it is hard to fathom how they were an unlikely omission from Regional play.

This spring the Cougars will rely on more on pitching and defense as they attempt to defend their Southern Conference regular season title.

"We will be deeper on the mound and better defensively," said Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Scott Foxhall. "The question is whether we can be as good as we have traditionally been offensively. Will the new guys answer the bell? I think the talent is here ... maybe as talented a team overall as we have had."

Head coach John Pawlowski's squad lost their entire infield including the catcher along with the weekend rotation.

College of Charleston will have a different look this season
Gone are top hitters Chris Campbell (.385/12/82), Graham Maiden (382/10/42), Ben Lasater (.376/15/54), Alex Garabedian (.353/13/58), and Oliver Marmol (.345/7/45). The quintet totaled 57 home runs - more than five of the ten SoCon team totals last season.

Also missing are pitchers Nick Chigges (11-1/3.52), Jeff Beliveau (3-2/4.56), and Michael Bunton (4-2/6.72). The trio combined to start 44 of the 58 games last season.

Fortunately, there are some Cougars returning with experience to blend with an impressive group of newcomers.

Michael Harrington (.364/13/66) is the top returning hitter. He'll play a corner outfield spot and hit third or fourth. The other two outfield starters also return in Gabe Marchant (.299/8/47/16 sbs) and Stuart Haywood (.389/1/37/10 sbs). Jedd Cordisco (.333/2/11) provides speed as the fourth outfielder.

The infield will have a different look as the newcomers lead the way. Defensive whiz Austin Morgan is a junior college transfer behind the plate. The left side has a pair of juco transfers as probable starters. Jeremie Tice is a middle of the order type who will play third. Mike Hentz is a strong defensive option at short.

Second base is a competition between junior college transfer Brandon Sizemore and returnee Joey Bergman (.418/1/14). Michael Kohn (.312/9/42) is a candidate at first and DH along with junior college transfer Joash Brodin. Brodin comes from the same school that produced former Kentucky slugger Ryan Strieby and has some similarities.

The pitching staff gets a boost from Danny Meszaros who missed 2007 with labrum surgery. Jake Goldberg (6-1/3.72) did well last season and will get an opportunity for an enhanced role this year. The coaches are excited about junior college transfer lefty Austin Garrett. Garrett may be the team's best arm. Other starting candidates include Clay Caulfield and Ole Miss transfer Jesse Simpson.

Top bullpen options include freshman Casey Lucchese and junior Jordan Tiegs.

The team got a huge boost this fall from Kohn - a first baseman/DH a season ago. Kohn worked on the mound and was phenomenal earning a chance to be the Cougar closer. His emergence is a real key since the bullpen -- normally a Charleston strength -- was a liability last season.

If Kohn, a senior pitching for the first time in college can close games, there is no reason to expect anything less than another successful campaign for the Cougars at renovated Patriots Point.

A Thrilling Win For The Cougs Against Western Carolina!

2007-12-03T17:00:00.000-08:00

The College of Charleston Cougars won their third straight game this season and their ninth straight game over the Western Carolina Catamounts on Saturday, improving to 4-3. The Cougars will head to Chattanooga for their next game on Saturday, December 15th.

Jermaine Johnson earned SoCon Honors, as Player of the Week, with his career-high 26 points, and tying his career best 14 rebounds. Jermaine was excellent from the charity-stripe hitting 7 of 8, and cool as a Kennedy in the last 5-minutes of the game, putting 8 points on the board and grabbing 4 rebounds to secure a Cougar win! Andrew Goudelock added 25 points with a career-high 15 assists. Antwaine Wiggins and Jeremy Simmons both had 11-points as the Cougars brought home their first SoCon win of the season.

The key to the Cougs' win here is more than just the BMOC (Johnson) but also the depth of the College's bench: the Cougs bench outscored the Catamounts 34-4. The College shot 55.2% from the field in the first, but only 40% in the second half allowing Western Carolina to get back into the game, as they outscored the Cougs in the second-half 52-46. The Cougs still need to work on their shots from behind the arc, but they definitely have improved dramatically (since last season) from the charity-stripe.

Teams-1st---2nd--Total
CofC---40---46---86
WCU---32---52---84

Ja-Marco...Ja-Polo....

2007-11-29T08:05:00.000-08:00

Despite my best efforts last night, and the luke-warm acceptance received as I began this little, school-yard-ditty as I sat right next to a line-up of Chas Southern boys, JaMarco Warren still scored 21-points against the Cougs. Warren is a scrappy little guy, who seems to get lost in traffic which makes him a huge asset for the Bucs.

(Picture courtesy of Tyrone Walker/Post & Courier)

Cougs Win Over Charleston Southern! Improve to 3-3 for the season!

2007-11-29T07:57:00.000-08:00

The Cougs found their groove last night in the second half at North Charleston Coliseum, despite letting the Buccaneers hang around all night, winning 79 to 70. This victory in Coach Cremins 800th career game boosted his all-time record to 479-321 over a span of 17-seasons. And the Cougs improved to 3-3 for the season. CSU fell to 3-3 as they loss to their longest standing rival spanning the past 42 years. The College leads this rivalry 46-22 all-time.

Click here for Post & Courier article

The Cougars controlled the pace of the game and did a superb job of keeping the Bucs forward Chris Moore contained as well as their BMOC Knysas (Did he pronounce that “nice ass”-any Lithuanians out there who want to give a help with pronouncing this kids’ name?) But as you know the old adage about closing one window, another "Ja-Marco…Ja-Polo" opens, JaMarco-Ja-Polo Warren led the Bucs with 21.

From the Den

The Cougs did a great job of moving the ball and opening up lanes to take it to the hoop; as a result Jermaine Johnson had his first double-double, grabbing 10 boards while putting 21 points (8-11 FG/5-10 FT) just shy of his career-high. Tony White Jr. was consistent and scrappy last night putting 17 points (5-10 FG/3-4 FT) on the board, hitting 4-6 from behind the arc. Dustin Scott added another 10-points (4-6 FG/1-2 FT/1-3 3FG). Antwaine Wiggins and Marcus Hammond combined for 10-points.

Bench production:
Goudelock (as seen in this Tyrone Walker picture courtesy of the P&C) with two steals and a few other attempts (we like this kid’s effort) joined Jeremy Simmons with 9-points, Diarra came in for a few minutes to shake things up and Donovan Monroe hit one of four three-ball attempts. Not bad bench production and the team seemed pretty fluid during the interchange.

Scoreboard---Record---1st---2nd---Final
Chas Southern (3-4)---29---41---70
The Bucs shot 36.4% (28-77) from the field, 87.5% (7-8) from the charity stripe and 26.9% (7-26) from behind the arc.
College of Charleston (3-3)---26---53---79
The Cougs shot 47% (31-66) from the field, 43.5% from the charity stripe and 23.3% from behind the arc.

Cougs Face Charleston Southern in the Battle of the Holy City tonight!

2007-11-28T01:45:00.000-08:00

The Citadel defeated Charleston Southern for the first time in nine years on Monday night winning, 76-73 at the Coliseum, finally preventing Chas Southern from gaining enough "So-mentum" to be in contention with the College of Charleston.

Which brings us to tonight's game: first let's do a bit of house-keeping, to answer WB's question, no-there isn't a trophy (yet) just bragging rights for who the Holy City Champ is. Secondly, I know it seems odd for those of us who served in the Peace Corps or who save lives as Emergency Room Doctors can't get a free pass for tonight's game, but EMT, Cops, Meter-Maids, etc can, but that's just how it is. It usually works that way across the board. Military discount at the IHOP but nothing for those of us who served in Africa fighting AIDS and other diseases. Just go with it, shell out the 10-bucks and cheer on the Cougs tonight!

(Photo credit: JET via phone @ El Cid library)

Reminder: Game vs Chas Southern at the North Chuck Coliseum Wednesday Night!

2007-11-26T18:05:00.000-08:00

The Cougs will face Chas. Southern (7 pm) on Wednesday night at the North Chuck Coliseum, for the annual City Champs match-up (Chas Southern plays El Cid tonight).

Hootie (sans Blowfish) will get things started with a stunning performance of the National Anthem. Before the game the Charleston Nine (local firefighters who died in the Sofa-Super Store blaze this past July) will be honored and all local Po-pos, fire-fighters, EMS, garbage men and military personnel in the area get in free to the game.

Cougs win on the road at Fordham, 73-68

2007-11-25T03:13:00.000-08:00

Quite honestly, there was a bit of confusion in regards to who was whom when it came to the Fordham and College of Charleston fans last December at John Kresse Arena; maroon and white are both school’s colors and the universal-collegiate-gray t-shirt was quite prevalent at the game. To much surprise Fordham had quite a large fan base here in Charleston, and with the student section off for the Christmas break, I almost felt outnumbered at our own place. The Cougs battled to beat Fordham by 10 (65-56) last season and I was a bit worried things might be more hostile this time in New York.

Despite getting off to a rough start this season, both teams and schools are quite similar in size, reputation and record. The only difference this season was that the Cougs haven’t been home all season and with another road trip to a hostile environment, things didn’t look promising.

Stop Spreading the News…
I’ll be the first to apologize for not making the trip to NYC, but as it is I am allergic to the Bronx. And what can I say? Not many Southerners decide to retire and live in NYC (my justification for the high turnout of Rams fans at Kresse last season).

I did catch the game on ESPN radio as Blackie and I headed to Charlotte on Saturday and despite the wonderful, half-fuzzed AM broadcast, I was quite concerned to hear Jeremy Simmons take a knee to the back of the head, but glad to hear that he was fine, just sitting out as a precaution. The Cougs had the lead at the half by 10-points (34-24) and despite a well executed effort at the end of the game, the Cougs held on to win by 5, with a final score of 68-58.
From the Den
Despite coming off the bench, Donavan Monroe led the Cougs with 15-points, Tony White Jr. and Goudelock both scored 12. Jermaine was in foul trouble early, but who said that was a bad thing? As long as they are smart fouls that help establish your dominance in the paint and not just lazy-lapses of judgment, the CofC Sports Fan says, “Foul On Brother”! Slipping into his spot was the “Rally from Mali” (West Africa), 6’10”, 235 lb center, Konimba Diarra who played for twelve minutes, hitting 2-4 (50 %) for 4 points in his first chance at double-digit minutes of playing time. (You know this kid is a senior and I am finally thinking that if he wants to make an impact on this Cougar team, this is the season to do it. So Konimba get tough in there and show us what you got!)

The Rams outscored us in the second half, 44-39, but the Cougs held on, played smart and won by (everyone get ready for this) hitting 7 of 8 free-throws in the final seconds of the game. The Cougs shot 51% (25-49) from the field and 73% (16-22) from the Charity-Stripe.

Press Play
The Cougars are now 2-3 on the season, tied with the Citadel for 4th in the SoCon (Southern Division) and our next game will be against Chas Southern this Wednesday. The Citadel plays Chas. Southern on Monday, so it would appear this will be one of those battles for Holy City bragging rights again this year! Go Cougs!

Cougs Announce Additions

2007-11-22T05:36:00.000-08:00

From the CofC Sports Official Web-Site:
"College of Charleston coach Bobby Cremins announced Wednesday the signing of point guard Quasim Pugh and forward Matt Sundberg to national letters of intent for the 2008-09 season.
Pugh (5-11, 165) is from St. Thomas More High School in Oakdale, Conn., while Sundberg (6-6, 185) prepped at Harrison High School in Kennesaw, Ga.
“We are excited about these two young men coming to the College of Charleston," The will definitely make our team better," said Cremins, whose teams plays at Fordham at 1:00 on Saturday. “Quasim is a very exciting point guard from New York City who can handle and push the ball up the court. He plays with a lot of energy and is a tremendous passer. He is also coached by Jere Quinn, one of the highly regarded coaches in the country.“Matt is a very athletic wing player and an excellent shooter. He is versatile and can play three positions. Matt knows how to play and will help our team with his perimeter shooting.”

Cougs lose to Houston, slip to 1-3

2007-11-18T21:12:00.000-08:00

The Cougs didn’t have much left in the tank for their game against Houston in the final round of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico. Simply put we just didn’t have an answer for their big man, Robert McKiver.

But we did learn a few things from this tourney down in Puerto Rico

1-This (CofC) Cougar team is balanced, we’ve had a different scoring leader in our four games.

2-The Cougs are young but I believe by the end of the year this will be an outstanding squad of players.

3-Cuban-styled shirts with our logo are still cool, even though our team didn’t play in Cuba during this tournament and Bobby and the Cougs staff didn’t have stogies hanging out of their mouths.

CofC makes record comeback to defeat Temple!

2007-11-17T13:24:00.000-08:00

On our second excursion into the local bar scene to watch the Cougs on ESPNU, the “James Edward” Trio headed to George’s Sports Bar to catch last nights’ CofC basketball game against Temple in their second game of the O’Reilly Auto Parts ESPNU Puerto Rico Tipoff.

It’s never a good vibe when you get some 5-Star-A-hole Memphis fan old enough to be your father talking smack to you about your team when your beloved Cougs are trailing by 25 at the half (50-25), turning the ball over or when they continue to throw up the trey as soon as they begin trailing. In fact, sometimes you just have to be the better person, remain calm and seated in order for the aforementioned degenerate to step away from your table and to get out of your face. (Full disclosure: Indeed, if the Cougs weren’t 2-12, 16.7% from behind the arc in the first half, I probably wouldn’t complain about this sort of rookie mistake).

And the beatings will continue
I am not quite sure what I did to disrupt my Karma points that night, but it seemed one bad play, one bad pass and one terribly rushed shot happened right after another. And this obnoxious “distinguished” Memphis guy has now entered the, “I know Bobby Cremins and he isn’t going to stay at the College but one more year”. Good grief, someone put a lid on this guy.

Our server seemed to bring the gloom as well: What’s that? No Bobby Cremins Show here at George’s Sports Bar this year. George sold the bar. Oh and there having the B.C. Show at California Dreaming this season; oh that seems like a great spot. Assuming no where else is available. But alas, none of this sports-bar hazing was a joke and the Cougars looked young and behind the eight ball throughout the first half. But on a bright note: at least they are hitting 83.3% from the charity stripe!

Don't call it a comeback
I am not sure if Coach Cremins gave the guys a dose of LL Cool Jay’s “Momma Said” at the half but the Cougs came out a little rusty but then all of the sudden became a more mature and developed team. Boom, I have been here for years! Tony White Jr. lowering the number of turnovers, getting the extra pass and the extra look, and dropping 3 from behind the arc. Antwaine Wiggins would become more of an offensive threat, the big men are getting angry in the paint and the team as a whole looked more fluid. The Cougars are back in this game, tying the score at 76 with 46 seconds left on the clock as Jermaine Johnson dropped his second attempt from the charity stripe (are you all watching this?) Jermaine is 5 for 6 from the foul line and the Cougs just made their largest comeback in team history.*

Momma Said!
Oh please don’t break my heart guys! Don’t tease us Cougars! Please don’t tease us. Ryan Brooks had just hit a trey less than a minute ago to give the Owls the lead, are they looking for him again? Luis Guzman just re-entered the game for the Owls. (Is that the same Luis Guzman from the show John From Cincinnati? Dang, that guy is good, nope, different Luis Guzman.) The Owls call a time-out and then rebound the ball to their high-scorer Dionte Christmas (31-points), he misses from the field. Cougs bring the ball down court with 12-seconds left, ball to Dustin Scott who drops it a three-ball at the buzzer! Count it! Cougs Win! Cougs Win! Now if that doesn’t make the ESPN Highlights tonight I will be pissed. (Note: Scott’s buzzer beater did make the ESPN Plays of the Day Highlights)

* On December 15, 2001, the Cougs were down 35-18 @ UNC-W before staging their comeback for a 60-58 win, a record response overcoming a 17-point deficit, which is now surpassed.

First Look @ Davidson and Our Loss to Arkansas

2007-11-16T23:00:00.000-08:00

Last night we had our first look at Davidson and they look very tough, losing to the #1-ranked UNC Tarheels by just four points. And I doubt that it would be a stretch to say that Davidson if they stay healthy (read: Stephen Curry doesn’t hurt an appendage or ankle) and continue to develop from their big games against the likes of UNC, UCLA and Duke, the Wildcats could quite possibly win another SoCon Title. But let’s not anoint the Cats just yet, UT-C looked pretty good against Indiana and of course, the College will have plenty of time to watch Davidson in the SoCon before we meet on January 26, 2008. I recommend visiting WB's Davidson B-Ball Page from time to time.

I don’t have much to say about the loss to Arkansas tonight other than the point that you could tell that we have a lot of talent, but our team is quite young. Perhaps some of you might question the ‘talent’ comment when the Cougs only shot 28.6% from the field, but these comments are of course, reliant on one another because when you are down 14-points with 11-minutes on the clock, and all you throw up are three’s, and sadly, none of these shots from behind the arc are falling, then your percentage will go down.

The Cougs need to get back to basics (fundamentals) and work on getting more ball movement (without the high amount of turnovers) to get that extra pass, which usually leads to someone getting a nice open look at the basket. The Cougs just aren’t looking crisp at all. Give it to Davidson, across the board the players on their team have excellent fundamentals (both in shooting and passing). Their passes are normally crisp, designed and when you see the bounce pass from the Wildcats you will see thumbs down from the passer.

Simply put we need more aggressiveness from our big guys in the paint, better communication on the floor and fundamentals in the passing and shooting aspects of the team. I think these kids have a lot of heart and I know they will battle like hell, but we’ve seen it time and time before, show-boats can only go so far, but teams leave legacies.

Start with the basics Coach Cremins and let’s get a win down there in Puerto Rico.
The Cougars are now 0-2. Our next game will be against Temple.

Carolina First Center's Progress! (Viewed from the Cougar Club and Burns' Lane)

2007-11-15T19:31:00.000-08:00

2007 O’Reilly ESPNU Puerto Rico Tip-Off

2007-11-15T07:30:00.000-08:00

The Cougars face the #18 Arkansas Razorbacks tonight in the opening round of the 2007 O’Reilly ESPNU Puerto Rico (aka: the San Juan Shootout); tip-off is at 5:00 pm. The game will televise on ESPNU (we’re headed to a sports bar) and will be available on ESPN Radio 910-AM WTMZ.

The Cougs Drop their Season Opener on the road @ UNCW in Over-time

2007-11-11T07:27:00.000-08:00

The Cougars dropped their season opener to UNCW in OT. Obviously we didn’t get the outcome the Maroon Nation was looking for, but we did learn a few things from this road game; mainly, that this is a talented team and they are scrappy. (Photo courtesy of CofC Sports)

From the Den
Scoring the most points for a CofC freshman since Rod Conner dropped 29 points against South Carolina State back in 1993, freshman guard, Andrew Goudelock led the Cougs with 27 points. Jermaine Johnson put 19 points on the board and pulled down 9 boards. Charleston’s other “BMOC”, recent transfer; Dustin Scott scored 12-points (5-10) and had 6-boards for his first game as a Cougar. Tony White, Jr. was 6 for 13 with 15 points.

The Cougars shot 50% (15-30) from the field in the first and went into half-time tied with UNC-Wilmington at 36. The Cougs dropped in scoring percentage from the field to 45.9% (17-37) in the second half, but increased in percentage from behind the arc, hitting 36.4% (4-11) but the Seahawks’ Daniel Fountain with 27 points) and Vladimir Kuljanin who scored 25 points were able to hold of the Charleston attack to win 98-91.

The Cougars’ next game is against Arkansas in the San Juan Shootout November 15th.

App State-itis??? Or Michiganitis, Cougs lose in exhibition game against Augusta State

2007-11-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

As we all know the biggest shocker of this football season was App State (a powerhouse in their Division winning back-to-back National Championships) defeating Michigan at the “Big House”. Now that the shock is over and the Wolverines are back in action, I’d be hard pressed to think the Mountaineers could return to Ann Arbor and beat Michigan, but as the football season progressed we’ve learned one thing-no one is safe.

So it seems the “Michiganitis” plagued the Cougars in their exhibition game against Division II powerhouse Augusta State, losing 65-63. Not only do the two “upsetters” have the same initials (ASU) but the favored teams had similar heartbreaks at the end of the game as the Cougars watched Jaguars’ Ben Madgen dropped a trey with 7.3 left on the clock, but the Maroon Nation would be hard pressed to think they (Augusta State) could come into the house Kresse built later on this season and walk away with a victory.

The Cougars led 32-28 at the half, but ASU showed the Cougars what we need to work on before the regular season begins next Saturday, mainly stopping a big man (i.e. Jaguars’ 6-11, 305 lb. center Garret Siler who scored 24 points) in the paint. Tony White, Jr. led the Cougars with 18-points (15 in the 1st half).

But remember, this is an exhibition game and thankfully it doesn’t count. Augusta State returned all five of their starters and they are a good basketball team. And although we have Coach Cremins at the helm, he doesn’t have a magic wand. It takes time for even the most talented players to develop and reach their full potential.

We returned two starters (Jermaine Johnson and Tony White, Jr.) from last season. It would seem only natural that most of our scoring in this exhibition game came from the perimeter, when we scouted our new talent (freshman-guard Andrew Goudelock who scored 17 and freshman-shooting forward Antwaine Wiggins who scored 13) we knew they would be a threat from behind the arc. And with the addition of Dustin Scott this season, Jermaine will have some added muscle in the paint; we just need these guys to get mean and in sync-which will come.

Link to Charles Bennett’s article in the Post & Courier

The Cougars begin their season at UNC Wilmington, 7 pm, on November 10th! Go Cougs!

The Knicks are in town this week, practicing at Kresse Arena!

2007-10-02T23:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a video clip for any of you interested from our friends at "Count-On-Two", with a slight edit from friends at the Bushido Way.

Magnolia Electric Company playing tonight at the Village Tavern in Mt. Pleasant 8:00 pm

2007-09-24T00:54:00.000-07:00

It was about four years ago when Jay-Bird passed me Jason Molina's (link to My-Space Page), aka: Songs Ohia) album Magnolia Electric Company and Pyramid Electric Company-both had been recently released despite being conceived as a box-set. Jay-Bird told me, "I think you are going to like it, smooth and strong like Neil Young. Plus, Molina is from Loraine, Ohio and I know how you like those Buckeye-Bands (i.e. The Black Keys & O.A.R.)." Dang, calling out a fellow CofC Sports Fan on the O.A.R. as if he didn't dig "Crazy Hand of Poker" in college. Regardless, I liked the albums so much that I played out two copies of the album Magnolia Electric Company and just backed up a copy on my iTunes on Friday to help prepare for tonight's show. I have a handful of other Molina's albums on my iTunes, but for some reason MEC just gets me, great driving music by the way if you ever happen to be on a long road trip. (Photo from the band's My-Space page)

I digress; Molina is touring as Magnolia Electric Company (link to My-Space Page) with Michael Kapinus (keys, trumpet, voice), Mark Rice (drumset), Jason Groth (guitar & voice), & Mackie "Loosejeans" Hotpepper (bass) and they will be play tonight at the Village Tavern in Mt. Pleasant @ 8:00 pm.

Cremins Key-Note Speaker at TCC!

2007-09-22T18:24:00.001-07:00

Coach Cremins will be the guest speaker for the 2007 Tallahassee Community College Sports Hall of Fame inductions ceremony on September 28th @ 7pm. Tickets are available through TCC's Athletic office at 201-8588.

Inductees:
TCC will induct Cincinnati Out-fielder Ryan Freel, who played for the Eagles for one season and helped them win their first Panhandle Conference Title in 1995. TCC & Florida State basketball player Kerry Thompson who helped the Eagles fight for their first thirty-win season, their first FCCAA State Tourney and was key in their fifty-four victories in the two-years he played for the squad before transferring in 1997 to FSU. Also being inducted is Tinsley Floyd a faculty member and a key supporter of the TCC Athletic Department in its' infancy.

Hopefully Coach's appearance will continue the tradition of talented players from TCC transferring to the College of Charleston.