Charleston Southern are City Champs for a 2nd Straight Year

The College of Charleston dropped their second straight game to Charleston Southern tonight at the North Charleston Coliseum. Leading the Buccaneers was Donnell Covington with 25-points and Chris Moore with 9-points.

The Cougars shot 42% (5 of 8 from behind the arc and from the charity line) and the Buccaneers out-rebounded the Cougs 45-32.

From the Den:


David Lawrence and Tony White Jr. led the Cougs with 18-points and 5 boards a piece. Jermaine Johnson had 17-points and 5 boards. Dontaye Draper was held to 10-points, missing 2 from the charity stripe in OT and the potentionally game winning basket at the buzzer.






1st--2nd--OT--Final


CofC: 28-36-16-80


Chas. Southern: 31-33-20-84

We are Cougars, not Masons!

These are bricks (see photo). Bricks are commonly used as durable building material for building structures such as homes, buildings, gates, fences, and as you see in the photo, the fireplace at my home here in Charleston.

Bricks don't make for very apt devices on the basketball court, nor are they conducive for winning basketball games. For instance, if you play a team like the Kentucky Wildcats and only shoot 31%, your team probably won't win. If you play a cross town rival such as Charleston Southern and your team shoots a paltry 42%, (as seen in the outcome of tonight's game at the North Charleston Coliseum) you won't win. Lesson learned, I hope.

I know the Cougs are probably fatigued from their 3rd game in 5 days, especially considering the game they played in Rupp Arena on Tuesday, but we still need to work on our shooting skills if we plan on winning games. The fast-break or "run and gun" offense only works win you are making those baskets. If there is one thing that upset me with Coach Herrion's teams was their lack of discipline-taking rushed shots and not passing the ball enough. It seems when the Cougs go into panic mode they go back to that Herrion style of ball. Let's all get some R&R, and start the SoCon off right Saturday night against Coach Cremins' old team App. State 6:00 pm @ Kresse Arena.

Last day to register for this Saturday's Reindeer Run on-line

Today is the last day you can register on-line for Saturday's Half Moon Outfitter's Reindeer Run. You can still register at MUSC's Wellness Center's Horseshoe tomorrow and before the race on Saturday. This year you can also register your dog in the race. And the costume contest (see photo "600 lumps of coal" compliments of the Reindeer Run) is still in effect.

Registration fees now are $30.00. The 5k race begins at 9 am in front of SouthEnd Brewery. I'll see you there.

College of Charleston vs Charleston Southern

The Cougs face Chas. Southern tonight, 7:30 at the North Charleston Coliseum. If you want to sit in the lower sections by the team you should try to get seats anywhere in sections 133 through 129.

The Cougars are 26-7 (lifetime) at the North Chuck Coliseum. Our first win and largest win at the NCC was against Chas. Southern and the Cougars lead 46-22 all-time against Charleston Southern. The Cougars lost last year to Chas. Southern (82-77) for the first time since 1988 (a 23-game win streak) and Charleston Southern then defeated the Citadel to become (Holy) City Champs!

*Picture of the North Chuck Coliseum courtesy of Charleston Conventions

Minor alterations made to the Clemson Memorial Stadium's goal posts

As you see in this picture, Clemson is making minor adjustments to their goal posts to make the yellow bars more conducive to their kicking game. I am not sure who did this picture but it was one of many in my In-Box when I returned from holiday.

CofC vs Chas. Southern face-off in the Trademark Properties Lowcountry Classic

I am at the Apple Store in the Queen City on my way home from the game. The Cougs lost last night to Kentucky 72-61. I'll have more on that later. Dontaye Draper had 15-points and Tony White Jr. had 12-points. The talk around George Street is that he is the next Marion Busby (6th on the all time scoring list for the Cougars-we'll have to wait and see. Words to the wise, if you are even the slightest bit a basketball fan, put seeing a game at Rupp Arena on your "to-do" list. To answer your question, indeed, Ashley Judd was there for the game. I am rushing home for the Cremins Show at George's after my visit with the "genius bar" here at Apple.

The Cougars (3-3) will face Charleston Southern (4-3) tomorrow night (7 pm) at the North Charleston Coliseum in the Trademark Properties Lowcountry Classic. The Cougars and the Citadel lost to Chas. Southern last year making the old Baptist School the City champs. With Chas. Southern's trio of seniors Donnell Covington and Dwayne Jackson and junior Chris Moore the Cougars will have their hands full, but I doubt the outcome will be the same as this year's Johnny Suzuki Classic where the Citadel Bulldogs lost to Chas. Southern.

Chas. Southern's wins of note:
Chas. Southern defeated the Citadel (72-63) and Coker College (87-46).

In the "L" Column for Chas. Southern:
Chas. Southern lost to Furman (69-80), Tulane (69-75) and Clemson (50-74)

College of Charleston vs. Kentucky

The College of Charleston will play the Kentucky Wildcats tonight @ Rupp Arena (7:00 pm). I will be at the game with my Mom, Sister and Big Papi (who is a UK alum and basketball fan). I still think the Cougars have an excellent chance of winning and if the season goes as planned returning to Rupp in the Big Dance to take on the Buckeyes. Go Cougs!

Click here for Directions to Rupp Arena.

Click here for the Rupp Arena seating chart.

Map round Rupp Arena

For those of you headed to the game tonight, here is a map of the area around the Arena. Parking in the orange section is $10. If you are coming in on Hwy-60 (from Man of War) turn left on Lex. Center Drive and park as close to the front exit as possible because 60 West is your quick escape out of town.

CofC vs Kentucky (Dance off)

And now it is time for a break down: Which school has the better dance team?

The University of Kentucky's Dance Team (formerly the UK Pom Squad until 2003)
Varsity Squad picture by Matthew Perry







The College of Charleston Cougarettes! I don't know about Y'all but it sounds sexier than Pom Squad. Cougarettes rolls off the tongue like cigarettes or something so sexy it is bad for your health.






The Wildcats have a JV squad as well.


Photo compliments of UK Athletics/Matthew Perry





But they don't have a guy on their team named Terrence! Terrence gives us a flying V for victory on this one, Cougs win this round! Thanks T $$$

Kentucky vs College of Charleston (Actors Notable Graduates)

As we lay it all to measure this week, I thought that it would be interesting to compare and contrast the Wildcats to the Cougars in different aspects. Here we have to notable grads from both schools in the field of acting.

Representing the Wildcats, my girlfriend (but of course, she doesn't know it) Ms. Ashley Judd

(Photo compliments of our friends at Palmetto Sports)

Representing the Cougars, Mr. Orlando Jones (Class of 1990)



Orlando has starred in such movies as Bedazzled, Magnolia, The Replacements, Office Space and Runaway Jury.











Obviously, the point goes to Kentucky and Ms. Judd.

College of Charleston vs Kentucky (Miss USA)

Another comparison for you home gamers out there, who has the best beauty queen?



Representing the College of Charleston is Miss USA 1994, Frances Louise Parker (1990) who beat the odds and spent her summer off from teaching to enter the Miss America Contest.







Representing Kentucky is Miss USA 2006, Tara Elizabeth Conner. Actually, the fact checkers here at CofC Sports Fan didn't have a chance to fact-check to see if Ms. Conner graduated from UK, but due to time restraints we'll have to go with it.

This one is a toss up, I have a soft spot in my heart for blondes with cute smiles, but Lu is Charleston's own, so discuss it amongst yourselves.

CofC and Cremins win their first home game against UNC-Wilmington

The Cougars won their first home game at Kresse Arena under Bobby Cremins against UNC-Wilmington 91-70. The team on the court showed the "Bah-Bee Cremins" (the crowd chanted Coach's name with 2-minutes left to the game) touch complete with fundamental outside shooting and impeccable defense. The Cougars are on a two-game win streak and are now 3-2, 0-0 in the SoCon and play the Kentucky Wildcats @ Rupp Arena on Tuesday. The game will be televised on Fox Sports South. (Photo courtesy of SoCon Sports.com)

From the Cougar Den:
Dontaye Draper (G) led the Cougs with 28-points, scoring 22 of his 28-points in the 2nd half. Senior Philip McCandies (C) notched his 4th career double-double (his 2nd this season) with 15-points and 15-boards. Sophomore Jermaine Johnson (F) scored a career high of 19-points and our forwards, David Lawrence and Renardo Dickerson each had 8-points 8-boards to help bring the Cougars and Coach Cremins their first victory at home.

The Circus is back in town

I just read Ken Burger's article about Cremins and the Cougars. I have attached it here for your viewing pleasure.
Ken Burger's article:

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2006 8:05 AM
Happiness
back in Cougarville
BY KEN BURGER
Like the veteran coach that he is, Bobby Cremins said Sunday's
home opener against UNC Wilmington was just another basketball game.
But as
the College of Charleston's new head coach, he should know better.
There was,
in fact, a tingle of that old electricity in this building that has been witness
to the best years of Cougar basketball. The seats were filled with all those
familiar faces that have made this program tick and they all came to see if
things were really going to be different.
Different from the four years of
uncomfortable tension they lived through with Tom Herrion coaching the
team.
Different from what many loyal Cougars fans considered a step backward
from the glory days of the John Kresse era.
Different from watching an
undisciplined offense, a lackadaisical defense and a general lowering of
standards within the program itself.
What they got was their first look at
what could be the most important team in the history of Cougar basketball. And
what they saw should leave them
thinking that things are, indeed, headed in
the right direction.
Team in transition
For those who just checked in from
outer space, this is a small-college basketball team in transition from what it
used to be to whatever it is going to be.
What it used to be was a giant
killer. Under legendary coach John Kresse, the Cougars became one of the most
dangerous teams in college basketball.
They routinely earned they way into
the NCAA Tournament and had a reputation for knocking off big-name schools with
regularity.
When Kresse retired in 2002, he was replaced by Herrion, a former
Virginia assistant, who simply was a bad fit. Four years later he was
fired.
The soap opera that followed made a shaky situation even worse. Former
C of C assistant Gregg Marshall was wooed back from Winthrop, but flip-flopped
and changed his mind the next day.
Fortunately for the college, former
Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins was waiting in the wings, ready to give the
game one more run.
The euphoria and anticipation surrounding this change has
been palpable, with every moment chronicled and analyzed.
Sunday, therefore,
was the official unveiling of this team for the loyalists who can't wait for
better times to return. And, it seems everybody got what they wanted.
Circus
is back
For starters, the Cougars won the game. While the 91-70 final score
doesn't clearly reflect the college's sketchy play in the first half, it does
indicate that this team has the talent and ability to blow out good teams when
it plays together.
UNC Wilmington was an NCAA Tournament team last year and
always gives the Cougars more than they bargain for.
In the first half, the
Seahawks were clearly the better team. Cremins admitted that his crew was
nervous, out of sync, uneasy, whatever. So was the home crowd of more than 3,100
that had hoped for a better showing. There was some squirming when the Cougars
trailed 30-29 at the break. And for good reason.
Cremins' club simply didn't
look good. Ball movement was awkward. Shot selection was poor. Nothing seemed to
be working. But a 62-point second half proved the circus was back in
town.
The crowd roared with approval, sensing the good old days might be just
around the corner. And perhaps they are.
Because there is more to winning
than just winning.
Done well, it requires that special mix of a team's
ability to perform combined with its personality. In short, you not only have to
be good, you have to be entertaining.
Sunday's home opener, while no
guarantee of future success, went a long way toward showing those who care the
most that the circus is back in town.
Reach Ken Burger at kburger@postandcourier.com or 937-5598.
This article appeared in The Post and
Courier and updated online at Charleston.net on Monday, November 27,
2006.

The College of Charleston Volleyball Team Earns Their 3rd Straight NCAA Tournament Invitation

The College of Charleston Volleyball team (27-7) won their 3rd straight SoCon Title-with a 3-1 win over the 7th seeded UNC-Greensboro on the 19th of this month. They will represent the SoCon as the Cougs return to the NCAA Tournament to face Arizona State (15-14) in Gainesville, Florida at UofF. If the Cougs advance they will face the winner between Florida and Florida Atlantic.

CofC has an excellent chance to win at the NCAA Tournament. After beating the UNC Tarheels last year, the Cougars became the first SoCon team to win in the NCAA Tournament. They advanced to face Purdue, but the Boilermakers sent our ladies home with a close margin of victory. The College responded with a strong season this year, playing (closely) many big named programs, beating UNC once again and winning a 3rd straight SoCon Title (4th since 2002). (Photo of NCAA Tournament Selection Party compliments of CofC Sports)

All SoCon Team:

The Cougars have three players on the 7-member all SoCon Team:

1. Tiffany Blum-also voted Most Outstanding Player


2. Marie Dobrenz


3. Deanna Patrick

Gamecocks Win!

And it did come down to the kicking game. The Ol' Ball Coach and the Gamecocks hang-on to win 31 to 28 and tie the South Carolina Rivalry 1-1 (during Spurrier's tenure).

Clemson vs Carolina

I know that Coach Spurrier had all of the beat Clemson signs taken down around Williams-Brice and he mentioned in the Post & Courier (11/22/2006) that this game is just like any other game, and (that) "we should try to win them all". But Bobby Bowden anticipates a different story for the "most exciting 2-minutes of football" (when the Tigers take the field) as he said, "That's not his M.O. (to wait until Clemson takes the field) he might be on buses behind us."

Either way, Coach Spurrier lost a close game to Clemson last year, and this year will probably be just as close.

Coach Spurrier is a competitor and being 0-1 against a Bowden is not (to steal line from Coach Bowden) his M.O. Coach Spurrier might just think this is another game, but I think that is just what he tells the Press. Spurrier is ready for his first (of many) win against Clemson. It will be close, but without a kicking game, Clemson will probably come up short against Carolina. Go Cocks!

Congratulations to 2003 CofC Graduate Josh Tarokh and his wife Laura for having their first child

In an effort to give props to friends and fellow CofC alums and CofC Sports Fans, I thought that we'd take a moment to say congrats to our friends Josh and Laura Tarokh and the birth of their daughter Emma Claire. Holding Baby Emma is fellow birthday girl Corbin Miller. Happy Birthday Corbin and welcome to the party Emma!

UCLA beats Tubby Smith's Wildcats in the EA Sports Maui Invitational

You always know that you are in for something special when the two most storied basketball programs in the land face-off on the hardwood. No, I am not talking about the College of Charleston continuing their excellence (2-0) against the UNC Tarheels; I am referring to the UCLA Bruins (3-) with the most (11) NCAA Titles vs the Kentucky Wildcats (3-1) with the second most (7) National Titles. Tubby Smith and the Wildcats never seem to produce in Lahaina, Hawaii @ the EA Sports Maui Invitational, and this year would be the same dance, different song for the Kentucky blue. The Wildcats did put on a good show-after being down by 8-points at the half, they made one hell of a come back in the second half outscoring the Bruins by 3-points, but the Bruins were hungry, made less turnovers and ended with a chance to move on and play the 19th ranked Ga. Tech Yellowjackets who came back to beat Memphis 92-85.

Recon!

I watched this game because the College of Charleston has the pleasure of playing Kentucky next Tuesday at Rupp Arena. Indeed, I will be there at the game. The keys for the College to upset the Wildcats are as follows:

1. Force Turnovers: This Kentucky team has trouble with man to man defense. As shown in the game against UCLA if the pressure is added and the passing lanes are shut down (although talented) the Wildcats are missing fundamentals when it comes to dribbling, passing and making things happen.



2. Shut down Joe Crawford: Anytime we are outsized by a Junior point-guard standing at 6'5" and tipping the scales at 211 lbs, there is going to be a mis-match. That being said, Crawford can be shut down with pressure and speed-something our boy Draper has in spades. Crawford is on fire as he put up 18-points against UCLA and 16 against Miami (Ohio), but his numbers are reflective of a lack of team effort and his inability to get the ball to other players.



3. Pressure Derrick Jasper: Another large body for the Wildcats @ guard is the 6'6", 213 lb. Freshman Jasper. Miami (Ohio) was able to pressure this youngster into turning the ball over and kept him scoreless. UCLA gave him "room to grow" and Jasper took advantage of it putting up 12-points.



4. Pressure Perry Stevenson: Another Freshman who if pressured will make bad decisions resulting in turnovers. Once again, UCLA let another freshman have "room to grow" and they paid dearly for it as he put 10-points on the board. Miami (Ohio) held the youngster to 2-points. Once again, point goes to Miami (Ohio) for doing their homework.



5. Use our big men to keep Randolph Morris out of the game: Morris is a 6'11", 259 lb. Junior with the size and experience to get to the charity stripe and put points on the board. He had 12-points against the Bruins tonight, but he wasn't unstoppable. If the ball isn't in his hands, the bleeding can be stopped becuase despite his shooting skills, his rebounding ability is less than desired.



6. Don't get allow the shock and awe of Rupp Arena to make you play out of your game: Rupp Arena is a shrine to the glory days of Kentucky basketball complete with National Championship banners, retired jerseys of the great ones and (always a well-deserved attention grabber) the beautiful Ashley Judd. Listen up Cougs, the Wildcats have lost numerous games at Rupp and they will lose to you because they fear the Cremins and may think you are just a SoCon pantsy team that they can walk all over. Don't let it happen! Be prepared, play your game and listen to Coach. If you do, I have a feeling we'll be coming home with the scalp of another giant to hang in Kresse Arena. ESPN Bracketology has us playing Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Rupp, so you might as well get used to winning in the Bluegrass State.

Cremin's Right Hand Man: Kyle Perry

If you get the chance, check out David Caraviello’s article, “Paradise Jam no vacation for CofC’s Perry” in today’s Post & Courier. The article spotlights Coach Cremins’ right hand man, CofC’s Director of Basketball Ops, Kyle Perry. (Photo compliments of CofC Sports.com)

Cremins and Perry's relationship began at Tech where Perry was a basketball walk-on for 1-year before becoming a scholarship athlete and four-time All-ACC Academic honoree. Kyle cut his teeth as an assistant-coach for 3-years and then the associate-head coach @ Carson-Newman for a year before leaving to join Coach Cremins in Charleston. Cremins tapped Kyle as Director of Basketball Operations (now a paid position) because he needed a capable and smart guy that he could count on. CofC Sports Fan thinks he got it! Welcome aboard Mr. Perry!

Meanwhile on the other side of George Street (remodeling of the old Yo Burrito locale)

These are pictures of the recent augmentations the College is making as they remodel the old Yo Burrito building into dorms and a canteen.

Meanwhile on the other side of George (old parking garage remodeling on the George St., St. Phillip & Liberty Street block)

(Photos courtesy of J. Trabert)

It is what it is-a bad rumor!

This is a CofC sports blog, but at the same time, our school doesn't have a football team, so we Cougars are left to pull for one of two teams in our state: either the Gamecocks or the Tigers. With the big game less than a week away, today the scuttlebutt on ESPN and CBS is that USC Coach Spurrier is leaving Columbia. Here is the rundown.

CBS Sportsline is promoting the rumor that Steve Spurrier is leaving USC to take the Miami (FL) job. Coach Spurrier denied the rumor that he is leaving, but less than a week away from the inter-state rivalry between the #24 Tigers and the Gamecocks members of the liberal Clem(p)son media is promoting this rumor. Coach Spurrier flattered yes, but he is not leaving "unless he is ran out of town".

Quotes from Coach Spurrier's press conference:

1. "I think this is just a bad rumor," Spurrier said about his possible move. "There's nothing to it that I know about. How's that? I don't know what else to tell you."


2. "I'm not leaving unless I get run off," said Spurrier, who led the Florida Gators to the 1996 national championship. "This is where I plan to be, hopefully, for the next five, seven or eight years or whatever."


3. "Spurrier said he hadn't had contact from Miami or any other school about potential vacancies."


4. "I'm not a candidate for any job, just leave it at that," he said. "We've got our goals in place and our goal this week is to beat Clemson, a team we haven't beaten very much at all over the years. That's the only thing I need to worry about this week."
   

Membership has its privileges
I find this rumor (Clempson) biased and baseless. First, USC just announced last week their fundraising efforts to raise $100 million to revamp Williams-Brice and other sports facilities. Second, Larry Coker has yet to be removed from his positon as head-coach of Miami. Third, although Spurrier is in his second year at Carolina with a record 13-10, he is rebuilding the program and is currently fielding a competitive team. Finally, Coach Spurrier loves golf and part of his compensation package was a membership at Augusta National-I doubt he's going to give up his membership and proximity to Augusta for a move to Miami.

Winthrop gives UNC-Chapel Hill a run for their money

Coach Gregg Marshall (CHOAD-Charleston Had Only A Day) rattled Roy Williams and the Tarheels tonight losing only by 7 in the NIT Season Tip-Off in Charlotte, N.C. Winthrop has knocked off a few big names in recent basketball memory: Clemson, Marquette, Georgia, Missouri and Providence to name a few, and with 4 returning starters for the Eagles, it wasn't that big of a surprise they led by 8 at the half. Then again, any team (Coached by Roy Williams or not) that turns over the ball 14 times in the first half is going to be trailing when they head into the locker room.

The Heels turned things around in the second half:

Baby Heel Marcus Ginyard finally learned to play some 'D' and shut down Torrell Martin who'd shot 6 of 8 from behind the arc in the first half, but was limited to only 1 for 7 in the second half. All of the Heels stepped up their 'D' in the second half causing 14 turnovers for the Eagles. Sophomore, Tyler Hansbrough kept Roy from losing his cool on the side-lines ending with 20-points and 10-boards. Wayne Ellington put 13 on the board and Brandon Wright electrified the floor with his 12-points.

The Eagles put up good numbers against the Heels and I am sure that other teams are taking note. Martin finished with 25-points, Michael Jenkins knocked back 15-points despite needing medical attention at the half and Craig Bradshaw finished with 14-points. After watching Winthrop play it is easy to see why the College wanted him so bad, but with 4-returning starters, a convincing wife and Winthrop Coliseum having a capacity of 6,100 for a school that only has an enrollment of 6,500, I guess it is also easy to see why Coach (CHOAD) Gregg changed his mind.

(Photo compliments of Winthrop Eagles web-site)

Bobby Cremins Show

I went to the first Bobby Cremins Show to meet the coach and to listen to his game-plan for this year's season. I dragged Craig to George's Sports Bar for the show and I was deeply impressed with Coach Cremins and his plans for the strenghtening the Cougars this year! Tony Ciuffo EMCs the show and keeps the Coach fed. (Coach Cremins unknowingly ate Tony's sandwich.)

The show takes questions from the crowd and from callers as it is broadcasted live via ESPn Radio-910 AM from 7-8 pm. The next show is on November 22 and then the following Wednesday after the CofC v Kentucky game.

Click here for a full listings of the Bobby Cremins' Show schedule.

Where’s the Lords of Discipline when you need them?

If a picture says a thousand words, this one speaks volumes to me. In fact, as I look at this Citadel Cadet (the guy held in a head-lock by a female cheerleader), I can't help but recall all of those binge-drinking short-haired, straight-backed idiots wearing their ice-cream salesmen uniforms out on the streets of Charlestown, thinking chicks dig them, and showing up to my parties because they knew some random person (girl who was friends of their sister back home) at the party. Did these cadets arrive as three amigos ready to run game? Hardly. They always came in packs of twenty and my deep-seeded rearing of Southern Hospitality would not allow me simply throw these kids out of my house.

The cadets would continue their over-imbibing of alcohol, make barking or some kind of Yut???? sounds and then surprise all of us with their smug sarcasm, baseless criticism and then grace us with a garden-variety of slurs regarding our (CofC men's) sexuality, "hippiness", patriotism and athleticism. It was always good for a laugh, because 1) most of those guys are idiots, and 2) it is kind of an unwritten rule, but we College of Charleston guys entertained or slept with (however you want to interrpret it) the cadets' girlfriends during the week and after the cadet's curfew on the weekends. I almost forgot, thanks guys for doing all of the leg work getting those girls into a nice social disposition.

I guess what I am trying to say is since there is a lack of discipline in the ranks and these hooligans play capture the flag when they should concentrate on a football game, I think they received their just desserts. All of the hubris and machismo in the world can't dig yourself out of this photo and the accompanying video all over the internet. I couldn't imagine being a Citadel grad and seeing this in the paper. VMI may have lost the game, hell, they'd lost their last 8-games prior, but they didn't get schooled by a female cheerleader.

Next time a cadet shows up at one of my parties, I'll do my best to bite my tongue, showing which school in Charleston actually graduates Southern Gentlemen and not remind those Citadel boys they had their "brass tarnished" by another girl. Shannon Faulkner...Shannon Faulkner...

CofC Men’s Basketball Coach Bobby Cremins’ Radio Show begins tonight from 7:00 to 8:00 pm

CofC Men’s Basketball Coach Bobby Cremins’ Radio Show begins tonight from 7:00 to 8:00 pm on ESPN Radio or CofC Sports.com. Coach Cremins will be joined by the “voice of the Cougars” Tony Ciuffo broadcasting live from George’s “Georgie the Greek” Sports Bar (1300 Savannah Highway) and can be heard on (WTMZ) ESPN Radio 910 AM or streamed via the web @ CofCsports.com. I am looking forward to tonight's broadcast and if there is anyone who should be sitting down with Coach Cremins it is Tony Ciuffo, aka, the "Voice of Cougar Basketball" for the past 11-seasons.

One thing, I think Coach will address is how both he and the team came out a little flat during their first game against Georgia State. If you went to the game @ the Georgia State Sports Arena-capacity 4,500, but only 2,512 came to watch the Cougs beat the Panthers for the 11th straight time-you saw Cremins relaxing, sitting cross-legged wearing no socks with his loafers and just taking in the first-half like a spectator, half-time result-Cougs down by 4-points 35 to 39. Second half, other than the tie being maroon instead of gold, Cremins was remniscient of his side-line marching, referee-sparring, yelling, play-calling, all-around motivating coaching style that he had at Ga. Tech. The Cougs responded by out-hustling, out-playing and stepped up their superior TEAM-DEFENSE (where's that been since the days of Kresse) against their opponent, holding the Panthers to 38% shooting in the 2nd half.

And that folks, as Coach would say, "Anytime you win on the road, it's a great feeling" Coaches All-Time Record is now 455-308.

(Photo compliments of Cachenet.)

Southern Conference Basketball Begins!

So-Con Basketball Begins!
The CofC Cougars man-handled the Ga State Panthers (72-66) on the road, but we weren't the only ones to bring home a win in our first game.

Here are the current standings of the SoCon South Division:

1. Furman (2-0) defeated Charleston Southern 88-69 and Erskine 67-55


2. CofC (1-0) won on the road by six just a few miles from the "Thrillerdome". George Street has all of the talent and the magic of Coach Cremins, but can we deflate our egos in time to earn nationally ranking? Hey Coach, take a page out of Greg Schiano's book and just let the guys humbly chop wood, one-game-at-a-time.


3. Davidson (2-1) the Wildcats beat Central Connecticut State 91-64 and they beat Eastern Michigan on the road, 81 to 77 to get their first notch on the proverbial victory belt. Davidson may not be favored, but they always put a crafty and tough group on the hardwood, which is seen in their only loss to the Michigan Wolverines by 10 (68-78)


4. Georgia Southern (1-1) the Eagles put up triple digits in their win against UC-Davis (116-73) and lost to Duke by 24 (72-48).


5. Citadel (1-2) Our cross-town rivals the Citadel defeated Ohio Valley 79 to 58 for their home-opener Friday night to begin Ed Conroy's tenure and to kick off their Homecoming Weekend. The Bulldogs then lost (respectively) on the road to Michigan State (73-41) and Iowa (75-53).


6. Wofford (0-1) Woof! Woof!

The CofC Volleyball team makes bid for 3rd straight SoCon Tournament Title

The CofC volleyball team will play for their 3rd straight SoCon Tournament Title this weekend @ App. State (Boone, N.C.). The Cougs are 23-7, 17-1 in the SoCon and are the #1-seed for this weekend's tournament; they will play the Ga. Southern v Western Carolina winner on the 17th @ 12:30 pm. (Photo compliments of CofC Sports.com) After the SoCon Tournament the Cougs will have their final regular season game against South Carolina on the 22nd of November @ 5 pm before the NCAA Tournament.

Make no doubt about it, the Cougars are formidable. Although I didn't make it to any of the games, I've been pulling for them all year. The Cougs beat UNC-Chapel Hill (3-1) in September and they won a big game in their season opener against San Diego State. Highlight: Senior Libero Marie Dobrenz was named SoCon Player of the Week for a second time this week.

The Cougars have one lost in the SoCon (Elon) and their other out of conference losses came from big programs: Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Cal-State Fullerton, Coastal Carolina, Iowa and Wichita State (Shockers).

The Rebirth of Cougs

White Smoke?

I started this blog as a forum to discuss and focus on College of Charleston sports-mainly basketball and baseball-but I will do my best to spread the wealth around to the other Cougar team sports and news that I hear coming from George Street. The College of Charleston has the distinction as the oldest Municipal College in America, but we continue to grow and develop into a premier institution for a liberal arts education, as well as a producing pretty tough teams to face on the hardwood and on the diamond. Unfortunately, the College doesn’t get a lot of press-coverage, so that is where this blog will try to find its’ niche.

It is a very exciting time at the College-we just made a big splash naming our new school president, Dr. George Benson and just as big of a splash-in the sporting world-naming Coach Bobby Cremins as our new head basketball coach. You are going to hear a lot about Coach Bobby Cremins for the next few months, so I’ll spare you the intro here. Most people would be anxious having lost their school head basketball coach and school president in the same year, but I was confident that "white smoke" would come out of the Randolph Hall Chimney and everything would be all right.

Will this blog be loved by the folks on George Street? No. Will it be sanctioned by the College? Highly doubtful, I plan on staying true to the principles I learned at the College-questioning authority with raw observations never seems to go over well with administration types, and “the squares” hate seeing pictures of cheerleaders and other miscellaneous forms of pulchritude from the target rich environment of which we live. That door swings both ways, if you want to comment-do it! If you want the CofC Fan to address certain questions or sports articles-send them to me!

Don’t get me wrong, I am here to have fun and I am ready to watch the Cougars kick some ass! Go Cougs!