11/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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COASTAL CAROLINA UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL
CHANTICLEERS vs. RAIDERS
Coastal Carolina's Kimbel Arena (1,039) ~ Conway, South Carolina
Saturday, November 19, 2006 ~ 2 p.m.
www.GoCCUSports.com
THE HOME OPENER: After playing its first two games away from home, the Coastal Carolina men's basketball squad returns to the friendly confines of Kimbel Arena for its home opener, hosting Wright State, Sat., Nov. 19.
THE COACHES: Coastal Carolina Head Coach Buzz Peterson (North Carolina, '86) is in his second season at the helm of the Chanticleers with a 20-12 record and holds a 186-121 overall coaching record in 10-plus seasons. Last season, Coastal posted a 20-10 mark, including 12-4 in Big South Conference play.
Brad Brownell (DePauw, ’91) is in his first season at Wright State with an 84-40 record in four-plus seasons as a head coach. Last season, Brownell led UNC Wilmington to the Colonial Athletic Association title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Raiders return four starters and seven letterwinners from last year's squad that went 13-15 and 8-8 in Horizon League play to finish fourth.
SERIES HISTORY: This is the second meeting ever between the Chanticleers and Raiders. The first occurred at the 1990 Cleveland State/North Coast Tournament in Cleveland, Ohio, with Coastal getting an 83-69 victory. Coastal eventually won the Big South Conference that year and advanced to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. CCU is also 2-0 in games with current Horizon League squad, also with one win over Youngstown State in the 1990-91 season.
LEASURE BACK IN HIS ZONE: After ending the 2005-06 season ranked second in the nation in three-pointers at 4.2 per game, junior Jack Leasure opened the season with no treys in the loss against Xavier. However, Leasure made up for that with flying colors in the 83-63 loss to Campbell. He led all scorers hitting five from behind the arc and finished the game with 19 points.
HARRIS DOUBLES UP: The Nov. 16 game at Campbell was one of the best nights in the career of sophomore Joseph Harris who captured his third career double-double in the loss. He finished the game with a career-best 14 points, grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds, and added a three blocked shots, also a career-high. All of this was accomplished as Harris came off the bench.
HOME OPENERS HAVE BEEN FUN: The Chanticleers have enjoyed success in home openers during the program's history. Coastal is 23-9 in home openers in its 32 years of college basketball, including 15-6 since moving to NCAA Division I. However, CCU has dropped two of its last three home openers, but did get a 70-35 win over Coker last year.
KIMBEL HAS ITS ADVANTAGES: Coastal Carolina's Kimbel Arena may seat just over 1,000 fans, but it had been large for the Chanticleers the previous two seasons. Coastal is now 18-3 since the start of the 2002-03 season in non-conference games at home. Coastal was a combined 17-9 at home over the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons, and finished 8-5 in 2004-05. CCU did open the 2005-06 home schedule with a resounding 70-35 victory over Coker and carried that over to a 14-1 mark last season at home. CCU is also 39-15 (72.2 percent) overall in the last four years. The Chants' 14 home victories were the most since the program went Division I during the 1985-86 season.
LAST TIME OUT -- AT CAMPBELL: The Coastal Carolina men’s basketball team lost their second straight road game to open the 2006-07 season, falling to host Campbell, 83-63, Thursday, Nov. 16. Sophomore Joseph Harris led the Chanticleers with a double-double, scoring a career-high 14 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and adding a career-high three blocked shots.
The Chanticleers took a quick lead going up by seven within the first three minutes of the game. Junior Jack Leasure put the Chants on the board hitting a three to get a quick CCU lead. The first few minutes were back-and-forth down the court, with both teams feeling each other out.
Coastal built the largest lead of the first half at the 11:52 mark, going up by nine at 19-10, on jumper by Steven Sexton. The Chants fought back the charge until 7:25 remained in the half and Coastal led 25-20. For the next 6:10, CCU was held scoreless as the Camels took control of the game with a 17-0 run, including taking the lead for good at 27-25 when Jonathan Rodriguez was fouled on a break away and converted the three-point play. The first half ended with Campbell guard Ledell Eackles hit a three-pointer from 30 feet out at the buzzer to go up 40-27 going into the break.
The second half started out with both teams trading baskets and fould with the Camel lead staying around 10 until the 14:21 mark when the Chants got within seven points at 47-40 when senior Moses Sonko laid the ball in after freshman guard Joshua Mack dumped him the ball from the top of the key. However, Campbell scored the next four points to push it back to 11 and went on a 13-5 run to make it a 15-point margin with 8:56 to go. Coastal hnng around but couldn’t get the lead back below double figures the remainder of the game.
Coastal was 43.3 percent (26-for-60) from the field, while Campbell hit on 45.6 percent (26-for-57) from the floor. CCU was outrebounded 36-33, but the real difference was at the free throw line, where the Camels hit on 25-of-29 attempts, 86.2 percent, as compared to CCU going to the line just nine times and hitting four.
Leasure led all scorers with 19 points, including five three-pointers, while Harris was the only other Chanticleer in double figures. Campbell had five players in double figures, led by Rodrigues with 17, while Russ Gibson and Eackles each added 14.
NEWCOMERS GET SOME EXPERIENCE: Coastal had three freshman make a significant impact in the season opener at Xavier, Nov. 11. Redshirt freshman Logan Johnson got his first start in a Chanticleer jersey recording four points and two rebounds. Johnson also was 2-for-2 from the free throw line. Joshua Mack also got his first collegiate start scoring 11 points, including a pair of three-pointers and two rebounds. Randon Cavette tallied five points from off the bench and pulled down one defensive rebound.
THE FIRST YEAR WAS A GOOD START: For head coach Buzz Peterson accomplishing much in Coastal annals. Among first year CCU coaches, he led last year's team to more victories (20) and Big South wins (12) than any previous first-year Coastal coach. He also engineered a 10-win turnaround from last season's 10-19 mark, the third-best in school history and seventh best in Division I basketball last season.
SOME BIG ACCOMPLISHMENTS LAST YEAR: The Chanticleers have some significant accomplishments in the 2005-06 season. Coastal posted its first winning season, both overall and in the Big South, since 1993-94 when CCU was 15-11 and 10-8 in the league. Coastal's 20 wins were the most since the 1992-93 team went 22-10 and the 12 league victories were the most since that same team was 12-4. Additionally, the Chants' 14 home victories last year were the most since the program went Division I during the 1985-86 season.
THEY SAY TALKING ABOUT STREAKS ISN'T GOOD: But for the Chanticleers, the win streak late last year was a good one. CCU put together a 12-game winning streak, surpassing the previous record of 11 games, set during the 1992-93 season. It was also the fourth-longest current win streak in the NCAA Division I when it ended.
OTHER TEAM NATIONAL RANKINGS: Coastal was ranked in the top 60 in the nation in five categories as a team in the final 2005-06 rankings. CCU's best ranking was in free-throw percentage, as the Chanticleers were 31st at 74.4 percent from the stripe. Coastal was 32nd in three-pointers per game at 8.2 and 60th in three-point percentage at 37.5 percent. CCU also ranked in assists per game (52nd, 15.9 apg) and field goal percentage (56th, 46.4 percent).
THE LAST 16 OF LAST YEAR MADE OPPONENTS SEE STARS: Over the last 16 games of 2005-06, the Chanticleers started to make the system of then first-year head coach Buzz Peterson work for them. In the last 16, CCU amassed a 14-2 record and was dominant defensively in those games. The Chanticleers averaged giving up just 63.8 points a game, with 11 of the 16 at 63 or less and all but one of 72 or less. Coastal knocked down 48.2 percent (387-for-803) while holding opponents to just 42.1 percent (333-for-791). The real key was the possessions, as Coastal outrebounded its opponents by 3.6 rebounds a game and forced an average of 2.0 more turnovers a game. Other areas stepped up also, as Coastal had 36 blocks in the 16 games and the current five starters all averaged at least 7.7 points per game, with three (forwards Joseph Harris and Moses Sonko and guard Pele Paelay) averaging at least 5.0 rebounds a contest.
MORE HISTORY ACHIEVED: Digging into the historical archives of Coastal basketball, last year's team made its mark on the record books.
Among the team records, Coastal's 20 wins tied for the seventh-most in school history, while the Chanticleers hit 241 three-pointers, setting a new single-season school record. Coastal's free-throw percentage of 74.4 percent (381-for-512) was the top single-season mark in school annals, while last year's team ranked 10th in assists (460) and eighth in blocked shots (64).
A LESSON IN HOW TO WIN GAMES LATE: Coastal Carolina was a great example of that over the last 12 games prior to the Big South Championship game last year, as CCU strung together a 12-game winning streak. The last five minutes can be key in any game and Coastal made that its own during the streak. Only in five games had the Chants led by more than eight going into the last five minutes and trailed in two of the contests heading into that segment. Coastal hit 67.7 percent (42-for-62) of its shots from the field in the last five minutes of this streak, including 55.0 percent (11-for-20) from the three-point arc. The Chants limited opponents to just 40.0 percent (42-for-105) from the floor during the same time and outrebounded the opponents 61-39 down the stretch. Additionally, CCU hit 78.2 percent (61-for-78) of its free throw attempts in the closing minutes of these 12 contests.
INDIVIDUALS IN THE COASTAL RECORD BOOKS: Several Coastal players added their name to the school's records list, both for a single season and for their career.
Last year, guard Jack Leasure broke the school and league's three-pointers made record, a mark set at 125. His 535 points last year rank 10th all-time. On the career chart, Leasure ranks third in three-pointers with 210.
Junior forward Moses Sonko finished fifth in single-season free-throw percentage at 84.2 percent and sixth in field-goal percentage at 55.6 percent. He also currently ranks ninth in career free-throw percentage at 74.8 percent.
SOME KEY ITEMS FOR COASTAL’S VICTORIES LAST YEAR: Several trends developed in regards to Coastal winning in the 2005-06 season. Coastal was 17-4 when leading at the break, 18-1 when ahead with five minutes to play and 16-2 when scoring at least 70 points. Defense is always a key, as Coastal was 15-1 when holding opponents to less than 70 points, as well as 11-3 when forcing at least 15 turnovers. The Chants were also 18-2 when giving up less than 15 turnovers and 14-2 when shooting at least 45 percent from the floor. Another interesting note is that when guard Jack Leasure led Coastal in scoring, the Chants were 13-2. Actually in all but one of CCU's 20 victories, either Leasure or guard Pele Paelay at least shared team-high scoring honors. That one game was the win over Charleston Southern in the semifinals, Mar. 2.
PETERSON EARNING RECOGNITION: CCU head coach Buzz Peterson continued to earn regional and national recognition for the job he did with the Chanticleers last year. After finishing as the runner-up for Big South Coach of the Year, Peterson was named a finalist for the Hugh Durham Mid-Major Coach of the Year by CollegeInsider.com, as well as the publication's Big South Coach of the Year. The group also named guard Jack Leasure as its Big South Player of the Year.
FROM DOWNTOWN...BANG!: Sophomore Jack Leasure continues to believe -- and proved last year -- that outside the three-point arc was his domain. In 30 games last season, the guard has hit 125 three-pointers, an average of 4.2 per game, and surpassed the former league record, set by Doug Day of Radford with 117 in 1991-92. The success from the arc shows in the NCAA Division I national rankings. In the final ranking, he finished second in the nation in three pointers per game and 15th in three-point field goal percentage at 42.9 percent.
As a team, Coastal was also among the nation's leaders in triples. The Chanticleers averaged 8.20 threes per game, which ranked them 19th in Division I.
AT YOUR LEASURE: Junior Jack Leasure was impressive on the offensive end of the floor in his first two seasons as a Chanticleer. Last season, Leasure led the Chants in scoring, averaging a team-high 17.8 points a game (fifth in the Big South) and adding 3.1 rebounds. He hit a league-record 125 three-pointers (4.2 per game), including a career-best nine in a win over Chowan, Dec. 19. He ranked third on CCU's all-time three-pointers chart with 210 in just 59 games (3.56 3p/g). His nine three pointers tied for the second-best performance in school history, while his seven three-pointers against Coker, Nov. 30, and St. Andrews, Jan. 3, tied for the fifth-best single games in Coastal history. He ranked second in the Big South with 4.1 assists per game and added 49 steals (sixth in the Big South) last year. For his play, Leasure was named the Big South Conference Player of the Year and the league's Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
In his freshman season, he averaged 14.5 points (seventh in the Big South) and hit 42.5 percent (85-of-200) from the three-point arc, second best in the Big South Conference. He also led the league and ranked 29th nationally in three-pointers per game with 2.93. Leasure improved his averages to 15.8 points (third in the Big South) and 2.8 rebounds per game in league play.
HARRIS MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Sophomore forward Joseph Harris grew throughout the 2005-06 season and it showed in games toward the end of the season. In the win over High Point, Feb. 6. Harris posted career-highs of 14 points and 16 rebounds for his first career double-double in leading the Chanticleers to the victory. The 16 rebounds tied the 10th-best single-game performance in school history and amazingly, of those 16 rebounds, 12 of them came in the first half. He then followed it up with his second consecutive double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds in the win at Charleston Southern, Feb. 9. In the Big South Semifinal versus CSU Mar. 2, Harris grabbed a career-best 16 rebounds, just two off the tournament record. He finished ninth in the league in rebounding at 5.8 per contest, including 2.28 offensive boards per game (sixth in the league). In conference action only, he ranked fourth at 7.3 rebounds per contest. For his play last season, he was named to 2005-06 Big South All-Freshman Team.
STEPPING UP THE DEFENSE: In their 20 victories last year, the Chanticleers made the difference on the defensive end of the floor. In the 20 wins, Coastal gave up just 62.5 points per game and just 41.9 percent (431-for-1028) shooting from the floor. Additionally, the Chants forced 3.7 more turnovers a game in the wins, including 8.6 steals per game. Coastal also outrebounded its opponents by 3.9 caroms a game in the 20 victories.
This doesn't mean Coastal wasn't solid offensively as well in the wins. The Chants averaged 76.9 points in the wins. They also hit on 48.9 percent (545-for-1114) of their shots from the floor, including 39.3 percent (168-for-428) from the three-point arc.
Individually, guard Jack Leasure was the leader for the Chants in the 20 wins, averaging 20.3 points per game in the victories. Additionally, Leasure hit 48.9 percent (135-for-276) of his shots from the floor, including 96 three pointers and 45.3 percent (96-for-212) shooting from beyond the arc. He also had 2.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.0 steals per game in the 20 victories.
SONKO CONTINUED THE SOLID PLAY: Senior forward Moses Sonko has made strides from his sophomore year and was solid for Coastal in 2005-06. As a sophomore, Sonko averaged 6.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 19.9 minutes per game, starting in 13 of the 27 games he played in. Last season, his numbers went up, as he started all 30 contests and averaged 11.7 points (16th in the Big South), 5.5 rebounds (17th in the league) and 26.3 minutes per game. He scored in double figures in 19 games, including his first career double-double in the win at Winthrop, Jan. 24, with 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds, and second double-double against Liberty, Jan. 28, with 16 points and 11 boards. He earned his first career Big South Player of the Week award, Jan. 30, after posting those back-to-back double-doubles. In the last game, he set a season best and tied a career high with 21 points in the Big South Semifinals win over Charleston Southern, Mar. 2. He was also named to the Big South All-Tournament honors for his play in the league tournament.
INJURY REPORT FOR TONIGHT: For today's game against Wright State, forward Phil Wallace (knee) is questionable.
LIVE ON THE RADIO AND THE WEB: Coastal Carolina men's basketball will be broadcast live on "The Team", 93.9 FM, 93.7 FM and 1050 AM in the Conway/Myrtle Beach area, as well as on the Internet at www.GoCCUSports.com. Matt Hogue returns for his ninth year as "Voice of the Chanticleers". In addition, a returning feature this year will be Live Game Stats of all CCU home basketball games on the Internet.
