Anthony Johnson Crushed by Benching!

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!

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!

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

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

 

Copyright © 1995 - 2009 Evening Post Publishing Co..

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

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/.

 

Copyright © 1995 - 2009 Evening Post Publishing Co..

SoCon all-tournament teams

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

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)