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..

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)

C of C Legend Kresse Closes Namesake Arena

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)

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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. Copyright © 1997 - 2007 the Evening Post Publishing Co.

Cougs Lose to Davidson Eyes Wide-Shut!

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.

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

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."

UNC Greensboro 88, College of Charleston 71

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.

Who should fill the A.D. position at the College of Charleston? Gene Sapakoff thinks he has it answered.

The Post & Courier’s Gene Sapakoff has an interesting proposal for the Athletic Director’s vacancy at the College of Charleston.

Who should fill the spot left vacant by Jerry Baker? “No one”, Sapakoff suggests following the Modus-operandi of Vandy (which canceled their athletic department all together and have coaches deal directly with the administrative deans). Sapakoff’s suggests that without a football team, and with talented, “marquee”, head-coaches and the George Street “brain-trust” (Kresse, Ciuffo, Daniels and Evans) the College of Charleston doesn’t need an A.D.

Perhaps Sapakopff is over simplifying things here or perhaps not, I must admit, I am not totally sold on the idea (despite Sappy’s generous selections for the usage of the extra $150,000. As usual, I’d love to hear from you about this, so please leave your opinions in the comment section.

Click here for Gene Sapakoff’s article.

Cremins pleased with first full C of C recruiting class by Andrew Miller w/ the Post & Courier

College of Charleston basketball coach Bobby Cremins certainly hasn't lost his touch when it comes to recruiting.

Known as one of college basketball's top recruiters when he was at Georgia Tech, Cremins signed five players, including one of the top junior college prospects in the country, to this year's recruiting class.

In his first full season of recruiting, Cremins landed 6-0 guard Donald Davis of Deer Park, N.Y.; 6-1 guard Andrew Goudelock of Stone Mountain, Ga.; 6-1 guard Donovan Monroe of Waxhaw, N.C.; 6-8 forward Dustin Scott of Tallahassee Community College and Timberland High School; and 6-7 forward Jeremy Simmons of Stone Mountain, Ga.

"I'm ecstatic about this recruiting class, and we're still waiting to hear from one more kid to make it truly a great class," Cremins said. "We filled almost all of our needs. We would have liked to have signed a point guard in this class, but a couple of the guards in this class should be able to play at the point."

The biggest catch of the class is Scott, who led Timberland High School to the Class AAA state title in 2003. Scott, who will be a junior next season, was rated among the nation's top junior college players. Scott reportedly got serious consideration from Clemson, Louisville, South Florida, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee before signing with the Cougars.

"I think Dustin has a chance to come in and help us right away," Cremins said. "We were on him pretty hard during the early signing period, but to be honest, he didn't have much interest in us. He was getting interest from some big-name schools, so I wasn't sure we had a chance at him."

The turning point for Cremins and Scott, who averaged 14 points and almost eight rebounds a game at Tallahassee Community College, came when the Cougars advanced to the Southern Conference Tournament final at the North Charleston Coliseum.

"I think that had a lot to do with him signing with us," Cremins said. "He was there for the finals against Davidson and he saw what we were trying to build here. I like having local kids in the program and to get a player of Dustin's stature is just phenomenal."

Cremins said he worked hard to land a couple of players during the early signing period in November.

"We went 0-for-2 during the early signing period and I was starting to get a little concerned," Cremins said. "I thought I'd lost my touch. The kids decided to go with some bigger-name programs, so it was understandable, but we were a little worried back in November."

The Cougars are still waiting to hear from one last prospect and hope to learn something this morning.

With just one scholarship point guard in the program - rising sophomore Tony White, Jr. - Cremins is hoping that either Davis, Monroe or Goudelock can eventually be play some at point guard.

"All three are combo guards that have the potential to play the point," Cremins said. "We were really looking for a point guard in this year's class. If one of them doesn't work out, we'll sign a point guard in next year's class."

Cremins is quick to point out that Dontaye Draper wasn't a full-time point guard until his senior season.

"Dontaye turned out OK for us at the point," Cremins said.

Monroe, who played last season at Fork Union Military Academy, could be the sleeper of the class, Cremins said.

"Because we need help at the point, I think Donovan has a chance to come in and get some early playing time," Cremins said. "I think he's going to surprise some people."

Post and Courier article by Andrew Miller

Click here for the Post and Courier's Andrew Miller's article about the game. The guys played their hearts out and there is still a chance at a NIT bid. It is truly remarkable what this team has accomplished this season. They went from being a 3-6 team labeled and chanted by Davidson fans during the game as being "over-rated" to becoming one of the best teams in the SoCon that reached the SoCon Finals.

(Photo from Mic Smith at the Post and Courier)

Southern Conference Tournament on SoCon Tv and ESPN 2!

If you can’t make it to the Holy City, click on SoCon Tv for all of your SoCon Tournament action. I heard they are doing a special rate for the Tourney, but I haven’t seen anything on the web-site to give any weight to this.

Here is the link for the SoCon Tournament bracket in PDF.

Also, check out the special edition in the Post and Courier, “No Safe Bets” (in PDF) for SoCon Tournament information and articles. The Championship Game will air on ESPN 2, Saturday, March 3rd at 6pm.

College of Charleston holds off the full-press by the Citadel, winning at home 50-40

The Cougars improved to 20-9, 13-4 (SoCon) and clinched a 3rd-seed in the SoCon Tourney next week, with their win over the Citadel Bulldogs, 50-40. (Link is to the Post & Courier's article). The Bulldogs dropped to 7-21, 4-13 (SoCon) but don't count the Dogs out yet as we all know how formidable they can be in the SoCon Tournament. (Photo by Alan Hawes of the Post & Courier)

The Cougars shot 40% against the Bulldogs 22.7% as the College held the Citadel to a paltry 10-points in the first half, but as the Cougars rested on a lead of 24-points (shooting 53.3% from the field) in the 2nd-half, the momentum changed in favor of the Bulldogs as Dontaye Draper earned his 4th foul and the Bulldogs' defensive-press took effect: forcing 13 Cougar turnovers as the Bulldogs went on a 14-0 run (shooting 41.4% from the field), closing the Cougars' lead to 10 with less than 6 minutes left on the clock. The pressure of the Citadel press and the absence of Draper on the court allowed the Bulldogs to become dangerously close to putting a damper on Senior Night for the College's 4 seniors on the hardwood of Kresse Arena.

Despite Draper's return in the final 5-minutes, with a quick exit after getting his 5th foul with less than 3-minutes on the clock, the Cougars did not hit a field-goal in the final 9 minutes of the game as the Citadel closed the gap-trailing by 8-points (44-36). The Bulldogs have been plagued with injuries and tired legs all season, and it showed in the final moments of the game as the Dogs ran out of bite, despite closing the gap to 7 (45-38). The Cougars would find their salvation through "charity" as they added 5 crucial points from the charity-stripe, ending with their 10th straight victory over the Citadel, 50-40. Demetrius Nelson led the Bulldogs with 19-points.

College of Charleston Basketball Seniors in Action

In their final home game, in front of the 3rd largest crowd at Kresse Arena the Cougars' 4 seniors did not have the blow-out victory they wanted, but a "W" is a "W" and there is still a lot of basketball for the Cougars to play before they move to greener fields.

Renardo Dickerson: Nardo only played for 4-minutes, and wasn't able to increase his stats, but he was a dependable presence on the court in transition.

Dontaye Draper: Dontaye went 4-6 from the field, scoring 8-points with 3-boards in his 27-minutes of play.

David Lawrence: David was a rock star for 30-minutes, putting 21-points on the board, hitting 7-13 from the field, 3-4 from the charity-stripe, grabbing 5-rebounds and he was 4 for 8 from behind the arc.

Philip McCandies: Philip was limited to only 5-points, but he played fantastic defense and grabbed 11-rebounds for the College in his 30-minutes of play. He took advantage of the Citadel's pressure-defense, hitting 3 for 4 from the charity-stripe. Philip is averaging 8.3-boards in the last 3-games.

Teams---1st half---2nd half---total

El Cid---10---30---40

CofC---22---28---50

Senior Night: Dontaye Draper and Sapakoff's article in today's Post & Courier

Dontaye Dominic Draper is undoubtedly the leader of this year’s Cougar squad and he has the chance to become the first Cougar since Thaddeus Delaney to be named to the First team All-Conference in back-to-back years. Draper was a SoCon Player of the Year candidate and All-American candidate last season. Draper is also the only senior on the squad to spend all four years at the College of Charleston. Dontaye is averaging 16-points and 38.6-minutes per game this season. (Photo courtesy of the Post & Courier’s Mic Smith, the picture in the paper is mislabeled with Carmelo’s name).

The Baltimore, Maryland native began the season ranked 23rd on the All-Time Scoring List for the Cougars, and after a sensational senior season he is within one-point of passing Steven Johnson (played for the College of Charleston from 1984-1988, with 1,456 career points) as 7th on the Cougar’s All-Time Scoring List. Assuming he breaks the mark, he will be 49-points from Marion Busby’s 6th spot on the All-Time Scoring List.

2005-2006 Season
As the shooting guard last season, Draper led the Cougars with 18.5-points per game. He averaged 2.6 rebounds starting in 28 games for Cougars. Draper was named to the Billy Minardi Classic all-tournament team (University of Louisville tournament).

Gene Sapakoff’s finally penned an article worth his billing
Sapakoff wrote in today’s Post & Courier about the formula that produced the hard-working, corn-row wearing, future NBA star, Donataye Draper. The article covers every aspect of Draper’s rise to greatness showing with his body-ink a tribute to both his West-Baltimore background, where he developed life-long friends-namely Denver Nugget Carmelo Anthony and his love for his maternal-heritage, Aundra Coner his mother and Mary Coner his grandmother. Sapakoff also goes into detail about his player development due to his friendship with Anthony and his competitive performance at Carmello’s “boot-camp” this past summer.

Despite whatever numbers Draper leaves the College with, I am sure he will go on to a bright future and (just as Carmelo Anthony has) give back to his community. The young group named HOOD (Holding Our Own Destiny) from West Baltimore has their eyes on greatmess and with their talents, they will achieve their goals. The Maroon Nation will always have a special place in our hearts for Dontaye and as Draper’s remarks show, "When the College of Charleston started recruiting me and I read about the history here, I fell in love," Draper said. "Once I got down here, I never wanted to leave. I love the fans. I love the school. I just love everything about Charleston." Love is a two-way street.

Special note: Draper has won me over the past 4-years, but it was his use of my high-school soccer coach’s “buzz-word”, “lackadaisical” that made the final attachment of my heart strings. Good Luck Dontaye in your future endeavors, do what you do best on the court to return our Cougars to the Big Dance! The guys look to you as their General; we need you to have an unstoppable performance in your last two regular season games and in the Southern Conference Tournament if we are to have a “Cinderella story book ending” this season.

Draper and his teammates give the members of the Maroon Nation great anticipation for the possibility of March Madness. If the Cougars can dance this season, this team will go down as one of the greatest squads ever and coach Cremins will undoubtedly add to his legacy, returning to basketball and leading a mid-major school to greatness.

Maybe Sapakoff was right!

We are the worst fans ever...Naught, don't let the liberal Davidson media fool you folks, when you come to the Kresse, you better come prepared. The College of Charleston has the best fans in the nation, with a higher basketball-IQ than Post & Courier sports writer Gene Sapakoff. More on this later. (Photo of the Popo giving Cougar fans a lecture compliments of the Davidson Basketball Blog)

Despite the loss and Sapakoff's remarks, the Maroon Nation looked great tonight!

I know, Gene Sapakoff wanted to give our fans a "B-Ball Fans 101 Class", but I for one don't think that it is needed. Sorry Gene, but your comments were unwarranted and out of touch. Have you missed the white-haired members of the Maroon Nation?

The car-keys shaking in unison as the chant, "Hey, hey, hey, good-bye" is uniformly sung by the student-section?









But I am sure Mr. Sapakoff is right. In fact, we should ask Dontaye about the base-line at the Citadel; I was there for the game and the cadets were too busy studying to make any noise to intimidate the Cougars! Get a grip Gene!




Had you attended the Citadel vs. CofC game at McAllister Field House you would have heard the same thing, as when your Editor received your lackluster article....pin-drops.
(Photos of the team, cheerleaders and the Maroon Nation compliments of the Bushido)