Men's Basketball Global Sports Classic Journal
11/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving from the Chanticleers! Coastal Carolina spent its second full day in Las Vegas going through an hour-and-a-half practice at the Thomas and Mack Center and having Thanksgiving dinner in the Orleans. There is another tournament going on in the Orleans Arena and there are plenty of Kentucky fans throughout the casino. Also, for the second straight day, rain and cloudy skies dampen Vegas. It’s supposed to be nice starting Friday. It’s an early wake-up call for tomorrow’s game against Western Illinois. The game will begin at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Be sure to listen to Matt Hogue on THE TEAM 93.9 FM or on .
Nov. 26, 2008
The Chanticleers are now in Vegas and they brought the rain from Cincinnati. The locals are saying it never rains in Vegas, but it’s supposed to rain today and tomorrow. The team is staying at the Orleans Hotel, which has all you need – food, a movie theatre, a bowling alley and an arena that will host the other tournament going on in Vegas that features Kentucky, Iowa, Kansas State and West Virginia. The hotel is off the strip, but it’s just a couple of blocks away. There was a rumor that Floyd Mayweather, Jr., was at the casino, but I didn’t see him. Coastal Carolina will practice at 5 p.m., local time in getting ready for the game against Western Illinois on Friday.
Nov. 25, 2008
The Chanticleers are now in Philadelphia scheduled to head to Vegas at 6 p.m. Last night’s game showed signs that this team could be a force in the Big South, but the Chants went cold in the beginning of the second half and Cincinnati’s outside shooting and strong defense proved too much. Here is a link to the Cincinnati Enquirer’s story on the game. . We have a five-hour flight to Vegas, so it probably will be a short night, but Coastal Carolina will have four full days to experience everything in the city.
Nov. 24, 2008
As Coastal Carolina shoots around at the Fifth Third Arena, it is now rainy and cold in Cincinnati. When the Chants landed on Sunday, it was sunny and fairly mild, but the weather has taken a change for the worse for game day. The town still is a buzz over the Bearcats football win over Pittsburgh on Saturday night. This is still a big basketball area, so I expect a good crowd for tonight’s game. The Chants should have a good crowd as well, as there are many ties to the Cincinnati area. You can listen to the game on THE TEAM 93.9 FM in Myrtle Beach and on the Internet at . Cincinnati also is video streaming the game for a small fee.
Nov. 23, 2008
The Chants will be up in the air shortly, heading to chilly Cincinnati at around 2 p.m. The plane stops in Charlotte, but we do not get off the plane. Coastal Carolina led by two points with six minutes left, but the Chants came on the short end with a 12-point loss. Despite the loss, there were positives that came out of the game. Mario Edwards had 18 points and six rebounds. The Chants shot the ball well from the outside and Joseph Harris and Anthony Breeze did some things in the paint. Coastal Carolina has a night practice in Cincinnati and an late morning shootaround Monday before the game against the Bearcats. Here is the Tallahassee Democrat's story on Saturday's game
Nov. 22, 2008
Welcome to the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Fla, for shootaround with the Chants. The Chanticleers took the floor at 10 a.m., after breakfast. The arena is nice, but the chairs are all dark and different colors, making it seem very dark. This will be the second time that five of the Chants have played in this arena, so hopefully the familiarity will help in our favor. This also is a homecoming for Sam McLaurin and a return to the area for Mario Edwards. After shootaround, Coastal Carolina will eat lunch and prepare for the 4 p.m., game. You can listen to the game on THE TEAM 93.9 FM in Myrtle Beach and on the internet at with Matt Hogue on the call.
Nov. 21, 2008
This is the first entry for the Global Sports Classic journal, an inside look at the men’s basketball’s nine-day trip to Tallahassee, Fla, Cincinnati, Ohio and Las Vegas, Nev. The Chanticleers will play four games and travel over 7,000 miles on the trip. The team is at the Myrtle Beach airport getting ready to fly to Charlotte, N.C., and transfer to Tallahassee, Fla. The team will then practice tonight at Florida State in preparation for the 4 p.m., game on Saturday. This will be the first-ever flight for some of the guys, but it doesn’t seem as if anyone is nervous. Temperatures are supposed to be a little warmer in Florida than in Myrtle Beach, where we were greeted to cold temperatures this morning. I hope to have an entry after practice tonight. If you have any questions or comments about the trip, please email me at kreicher@coastal.edu.
