Cougars To Rekindle Old SoCon Rivalry With Elon
1/14/2015 2:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (5-12, 0-4 CAA) vs. ELON (10-7, 2-2 CAA)
Game #18
January 14, 2015 • 7:00 p.m. (ET)
Alumni Gym (1,607)
at Elon, N.C.
Television: None
Radio: College of Charleston Radio Network (ESPN Radio 910 AM)
Series History: CofC Leads 13-5
Last Meeting: CofC def. Elon, 68-60, on March 11, 2013 in Asheville, N.C.
Internet: Free Live Statistics at www.CofCStats.com
Live Video: Free Live Video at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/elon/
Twitter: @CofCBasketball
THE COACHES
College of Charleston: Earl Grant
First Year at CofC: 5-12 (.294)
First Year Overall: 5-12 (.294)
Elon: Matt Matheny
Sixth Year at Elon: 87-89 (.494)
Sixth Year Overall: 87-89 (.494)
RADIO (College of Charleston Radio Network)
Play-By-Play: Jeff McCarragher
Color Analyst: Everett German
TELEVISION (None)
GAME PREVIEW
The College of Charleston men's basketball team (5-12, 0-4 CAA) will rekindle an old Southern Conference rivalry with first-year CAA member Elon (10-7, 2-2) on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. (ET) in Elon, N.C. The game will not be televised, but can be accessed for free online via the Elon video portal at: www.ElonPhoenix.com. The Cougars and Phoenix have always had knock-down-drag-out battles when playing each other at the rather intimate 1,607-seat Alumni Gym. In fact, the last two road meetings have been decided by two points or less – CofC won the last one (56-54) on Dec. 1, 2012 and Elon the previous one (99-98) in double overtime on Feb. 2, 2012. The Cougars are currently without the services of third-leading scorer Anthony Stitt (Charlotte, N.C.) for the next two-to-four weeks as he recovers from a knee injury. Their last two games have been decided by six points or less including losses to current league-leader Hofstra (66-71) on Jan. 8 and Delaware (58-64) on Jan. 10, which closed out a three-game homestand. CofC will play its next five-of-six league games on the road, while Elon plays three of its next four on its own home court. Sophomore guard Joe Chealey (Orlando, Fla.) turned in a team-high 17 points in the setback to the Blue Hens, while sophomore guard Canyon Barry (Colorado Springs, Colo.) is on a two-game double-digit scoring streak.
SCOUTING ELON
Elon was picked to finish last in the preseason CAA poll, but has won five of its last seven contests including its first-ever conference win at Drexel (77-67) on Jan. 3. The Phoenix currently rank No. 60 in the nation in scoring offense (73.3 ppg) and No. 59 in rebounds per game (38.0). They are 5-2 at home this season with an 85-79 victory over William & Mary on Jan. 8. Three players are averaging double figures in scoring paced by freshman guard Elijah Bryant, who has been named CAA Rookie of the Week four times this year, with a team-best 14.1 ppg off the bench. Elon's signature non-conference win was a 70-68 road upset at Miami (Fla.) on Nov. 30.
PROJECTED COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON STARTERS
#13 Joe Chealey, G, 6-3, 190, So. (11.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.2 apg, 31.4 min)
#12 Cameron Johnson, G, 6-4, 200, Fr. (5.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.3 apg, 23.7 min)
#24 Canyon Barry, G, 6-6, 205, So. (11.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.2 apg, 34.4 min)
#0 Donovan Gilmore, F, 6-7, 205, Fr. (7.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 0.1 apg, 19.2 min)
#1 Adjehi Baru, F, 6-9, 250, Sr. (7.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.1 apg, 26.3 min)
PROJECTED ELON STARTERS
#10 Austin Hamilton, G, 5-10, 190, Sr. (5.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.5 apg, 19.1 min)
#3 Tanner Samson, G, 6-4, 195, Jr. (12.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.3 apg, 29.2 min)
#11 Kevin Blake, G, 6-3, 195, Sr. (7.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.1 apg, 20.8 min)
#32 Ryan Winters, F, 6-7, 218, Sr. (5.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 0.7 apg, 25.4 min)
#15 Tony Sabato, C, 6-7, 220, Jr. (3.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.9 apg, 17.6 min)
RIVALRY SERIES NOTES
College of Charleston leads 13-5 in the all-time series with Elon. The Cougars have won the last two games in the series and six of the last seven contests between the two schools. Senior big man Adjehi Baru (Abidjan, Ivory Coast) was the only player, besides the sidelined Anthony Stitt (Charlotte, N.C.), to play in both teams' last meeting with eight points and nine rebounds in the semifinals of the SoCon Tournament held on March 11, 2013 in Asheville, N.C.
LAST EIGHT GAMES IN THE SERIES
W, 68-60 at Asheville, N.C.^ on 3/11/13 (+8)
W, 56-54 at Elon, N.C. on 12/1/12 (+2)
L, 98-99 (2OT) at Elon, N.C. on 2/2/12 (-1)
W, 63-44 at Charleston, S.C. on 1/14/12 (+19)
W, 78-60 at Chattanooga, Tenn.^ on 3/5/11 (+18)
W, 85-67 at Elon, N.C. on 2/9/11 (+18)
W, 80-77 at Charleston, S.C. on 2/11/10 (+3)
L, 53-59 at Charleston, S.C. on 1/31/09 (-6)
^SoCon Tournament
HIGH SCHOOL REUNION
CofC freshman forward Donovan Gilmore (7.4 ppg) and Elon sophomore guard/forward Christian Hairston (5.2 ppg) will reunite on the hardwood. Both were high school rivals from nearby Greensboro, N.C., starring at Wesleyan Christian Academy and Greensboro Day School respectively. This season, Gilmore earned his first career start at No. 17-ranked West Virginia on Nov. 29, while Hairston versus Virginia University of Lynchburg on Dec. 2. Previously, they played AAU Basketball together for CP3 All-Stars from ages 11-14 years old placing No. 2 in the country in the U14 Florida Super Showcase. Wesleyan Christian also beat Greensboro Day in the state championship game during Gilmore's junior year and Hairston's senior year. Both attended the funeral of former U14 teammate Josh Level the same day as that state championship game.
NEW PLACES, SAME FACES
Elon is the fourth former SoCon foe the Cougars will have played this season with wins over Furman (75-40) in their season opener on Nov. 14 and The Citadel (59-55) on Dec. 2 in non-conference play. They are 5-1 versus old league opponents since joining the CAA during the 2013-14 campaign. CofC's lone loss since its departure was a 80-68 setback to Davidson, now a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, on Dec. 20 at TD Arena.
COUGAR SIDEBARS
• Head Coach Earl Grant, a Lowcountry native and former Clemson assistant coach with coaching experience in the ACC, is one of 44 head coaches in their first season at their respective schools among the 351 NCAA Division I men's basketball programs in the country. He claimed his first career-coaching victory at Furman on Nov. 14, and at the age of 37, is tied as the fourth-youngest coach in Division I next to Butler's Brandon Miller (35), UMBC's Aki Thomas (35), Dayton's Archie Miller (36), Louisiana Tech's Michael White (37), Manhattan's Steve Masiello (37) and Memphis' Josh Pastner (37).
• Last season, CofC reached the CAA Quarterfinals in its inaugural year and led the league in scoring defense (62.7 ppg) and rebounding margin (+5.5) which ranked 27th and 20th nationally. The Cougars also ranked second best in the CAA in field-goal percentage defense (40.9%) and blocked shots (4.1 bpg).
• Besides Gilmore and Hairston, CofC sophomore forward/center Glen Pierre, Jr., and Elon freshman guard Dmitri Thompson were both Top 100-ranked players in the state of Florida in their respective classes in 2013 and 2014. Thompson led Orlando Christian Prep to a pair of state titles in 2012 and 2014, while Pierre, Jr., was a Florida Association of Basketball Coaches All-Star Game participant after one season at Oldsmar Christian School near Tampa, Fla. He previously played his first three years at Orlando-based East River High School where he played against Thompson in tournament play.
DELAWARE RECAP
Delaware 64, CofC 58
• For the first time this season, the Cougars used the starting five of Joe Chealey, Cameron Johnson, Canyon Barry, Donovan Gilmore and Adjehi Baru (0-1). It marked the first career start for Cameron Johnson, who led the team in assists for the second time this season with four against Delaware.
• Delaware won its third-straight in the all-time series and now leads 3-2 with College of Charleston.
• Joe Chealey scored a team-high 17 points to mark his eighth game this season in double figures.
• Canyon Barry has now recorded back-to-back games in double figures with 13 points against the Blue Hens.
• Adjehi Baru registered eight points, eight rebounds and three assists against Delaware. He has now tallied 977 career points to date and is 23 shy of the 1,000-Career Point Club.
• Donovan Gilmore recorded his eighth career game in double figures with 12 points and a team-high tying eight rebounds.
• The Cougars shot 48.9 percent from the floor (23-of-47) versus the Blue Hens, their third-best shooting percentage of the season in a single game and first since a season-best 52.5 percent outing at Charlotte on Dec. 16.
• CofC turned in its second-straight game with only single-digit turnovers (9) – its third-fewest of the season.
COUGAR SOUND BITES
“It's good for us to go out and play the next game (at Elon). We have had several close games and have been trying to figure out a way to win those. We have been very competitive in our last two games, but have had a hard time closing them out in three minutes and under. It's good to be back on the road, not so much to get away from home, but to get out and play basketball again.” – CofC Head Coach Earl Grant on regrouping as a team and playing the next two games on the road at Elon and Northeastern
“Elon is a different team than last year. They lost a lot of good players, but they have a good coach, good players and they are playing good basketball right now. We watched them play a really good William & Mary team, where they played really well and won. I don't know if it helps our team that they've played Elon in the SoCon before, but I hope it does.” – Coach Grant on the team having played Elon in the past translating into better knowledge of that team than other CAA opponents
“I told our guys, 'nobody is going to feel sorry for us, because we are losing. The next opponent is actually happy you are down. They aren't going to be feeling sorry for you, so you better not feel sorry for yourself.' We are trying to keep the approach and the mentality that we are improving. We have had some very unfortunate things happen to us. Anthony Stitt being out was a shock to the system, which happened the day before the (Delaware) game. Wed didn't have a lot of time to prepare for life without him. Now, we know he won't be around for the next two-to-four weeks and it won't be a shock to us. As coaches, we are approaching it with a mentality of getting better and the next day being the most important day to us. There have been some ebbs and flows of emotions for a lot of different reasons. But, they've done a good job of sticking together, trusting the process and knowing at the end, we still have a shot of playing for something.” – Coach Grant on the team's mentality during several hardships this season and remaining positive through this stretch
