Saturday, December 16
Kingston, R.I.
4:00 PM
College of Charleston
at
Rhode Island
Battle Of Two Preseason Conference Favorites In Saturday Showdown
12/15/2017 7:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (7-2, 0-0 CAA) vs. RHODE ISLAND (5-3, 0-0 Atlantic 10)
Game #10
December 16, 2017 • 4:00 p.m. (ET)
Thomas M. Ryan Center (7,657)
at Kingston, R.I.
Television: None
Radio: College of Charleston Radio Network (ESPN Radio 910 AM)
Series History: Rhode Island Leads 2-0
Last Meeting: Rhode Island def. CofC, 75-66, on Nov. 19, 2010 in Toledo, Ohio
Internet: Free Live Statistics at www.CofCStats.com
Live Video: Free Live Video at
http://www.atlantic10.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?mid=80216&db_oem_id=31600
Tickets: www.GoRhody.com
Twitter: @CofCBasketball
THE COACHES
College of Charleston: Earl Grant
Fourth Year at CofC: 58-50
Fourth Year Overall: 58-50
Rhode Island: Danny Hurley
Sixth Year at URI: 92-77
Eighth Year Overall: 130-100
TELEVISION (None)
RADIO (College of Charleston Radio Network)
Play-By-Play: Everett German
GAME PREVIEW
A battle of two preseason conference favorites is up next for the College of Charleston men's basketball team (7-2) as it travels to Rhode Island (5-3) for a Saturday, Dec. 16 showdown at 4 p.m. (ET) at the Ryan Center in Kingston, R.I. The Cougars, who return the majority of their 2017 NIT squad and reached the conference finals a year ago, were picked to win the Colonial Athletic Association, while the Rams favored in the Atlantic 10 Conference. CofC has won its last five-straight games including a post-final exams victory over North Greenville (92-60) on Dec. 10, while URI suffered a four-point loss at Alabama (64-68) on Dec. 6 and have been on 10-day layoff between contests. Like the Cougars, Rhode Island is an undefeated 4-0 at home and played Top 25 competition this season. The College lost at No. 6-ranked Wichita State in its second game of the season and URI upset No. 20 Seton Hall at the NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament on Nov. 23 in Brooklyn, N.Y. Both teams have been without the services of a top returning player in the lineup – the Cougars without preseason All-CAA First Team selection Jarrell Brantley (knee injury) the entire regular season and the Rams without star guard E.C. Matthews (wrist injury).
SCOUTING RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island is averaging 76.0 points per game with four games of the season over the 80-point threshold, but will be pressured by CofC, which ranks No. 22 nationally in scoring defense (62.1 ppg). The Rams currently rank No. 63 in the nation in three-point field-goal percentage shooting with a 38.6 percent accuracy from beyond the arc this season. They are led in the back court by sophomore point guard Jeff Dowtin, who ranks No. 11 in the nation with a 4.13 assist-to-turnover ratio. Rhode Island is currently No. 24 in the NCAA RPI Index Report with the seventh-toughest strength of schedule as of Dec. 14.
COUGARS ON THE AIRWAVES
Fans can listen to all CofC men's basketball games throughout the 2017-18 season on ESPN Radio 910 AM in Charleston or via a live audio link at: www.charlestonsportsradio.com. Voice of the Cougars Everett German will call the action live from the Ryan Center on the College of Charleston Radio Network.
PROJECTED COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON STARTERS
#13 Joe Chealey, G, 6-4, 190, Sr. (19.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 4.7 apg, 34.4 min)
#1 Grant Riller, G, 6-3, 195, So. (13.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 30.6 min)
#12 Cameron Johnson, G, 6-4, 200, Sr. (10.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 34.6 min)
#24 Jaylen McManus, F, 6-7, 230, So. (6.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 0.6 apg, 19.9 min)
#23 Nick Harris, F, 6-10, 260, Jr. (6.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 0.4 apg, 26.2 min)
PROJECTED RHODE ISLAND STARTERS
#11 Jeff Dowtin, G, 6-3, 170, So. (8.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.1 apg, 32.8 min)
#32 Jared Terrell, G, 6-3, 215, Sr. (16.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.8 apg, 32.5 min)
#1 Jarvis Garrett, G, 6-0, 175, Sr. (9.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 27.9 min)
#13 Stanford Robinson, G, 6-4, 200, RS-Sr. (10.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 28.3 min)
#34 Andre Berry, F, 6-8, 275, Sr. (9.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 0.6 apg, 20.1 min)
SERIES NOTES
Rhode Island leads 2-0 in the all-time series with College of Charleston. Both teams' previous meetings happened during the 2010-11 and 1995-96 seasons. This will mark the Cougars' first visit to the Ryan Center. URI last defeated CofC, 75-66, as part of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer on Nov. 19, 2010 in Toledo, Ohio. Meanwhile, in both programs' last meeting in the Ocean State, former CofC greats Stacy Harris (16 points) and Rodney Conner (career-high 15 rebounds) led the Cougars in a close 62-58 overtime loss to the Rams in the NIT Second Round held on March 19, 1996 at the Providence Civic Center in South Kingston, R.I. The Cougars advanced to the second round with their first-ever postseason win as a NCAA Division I school at Tennessee (55-49) prior to the trip to URI under legendary head coach John Kresse.
FOR THREE
The Cougars have made 10-or-more three-pointers in a game this season on three occasions including a season-high 13 treys versus North Greenville on Dec. 10. CofC is led by sharpshooters Joe Chealey (20 three pointers and 37% from beyond the arc), Cameron Johnson (13 threes and 38%), Marquise Pointer (10 threes and 32%), Jaylen McManus (13 threes and 41%) and Evan Bailey (10 threes and 38%). For the season, the team is shooting the three-ball at a 34.7 percentage and averaging 8.2 per game.
NORTH GREENVILLE RECAP
College of Charleston 92, North Greenville 60
• For the third-straight game, College of Charleston used the starting lineup of Joe Chealey, Grant Riller, Cameron Johnson, Jaylen McManus and Nick Harris.
• With the win, the Cougars improve to 2-0 in the all-time series with North Greenville. Both teams last met in 2015.
• CofC has now won five-straight games and remains an undefeated 4-0 at home this season at TD Arena.
• Joe Chealey recorded his third 20-point game of the season with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field with four three-pointers. He also dished out five assists and made six rebounds versus North Greenville. He is currently on a nine-game double-digit scoring streak and has scored in double figures in the last 26 consecutive games dating back to the 2016-17 season. Chealey surpassed former CofC great Donovan Monroe (2007-11) to move into 13th all-time in career scoring with 1,388 points to date.
• Cameron Johnson is on a season-best three-game double-digit scoring streak with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field against North Greenville.
• Nick Harris was one-point short of a double-double with nine points and a season-high 12 rebounds versus North Greenville. It marked the fifth double-figure rebounding game of his career – one short of tying his career high.
• Jaylen McManus has now scored in double-figures in back-to-back games with 11 points versus North Greenville.
• Marquise Pointer came off the bench and poured in 11 points against North Greenville in addition to a game-high tying five assists.
• Grant Riller turned in his third-straight game in double figures with 11 points in 23 minutes of action against the Crusaders.
• CofC dished out a season-high 18 assists with just five turnovers for a 3.6 assist-to-turnover ratio versus North Greenville.
• The Cougars registered a season-best 92 points against North Greenville including a season-high 53 first-half points. Their previous season high was 81 points in a road win at Charlotte on Nov. 18.
• For the first time this season, five players scored in double figures and all 11 active players checked into the ballgame including junior walk-on Trent Robinson, who scored his first career points on a layup with 21 seconds remaining in regulation.
COUGAR SOUND BITES
"They (Rhode Island) are an experienced team with a lot of older guys. They are very perimeter oriented. They play four guards and small ball. They really like to run in transition. They are very talented shooting threes and driving the ball. They have a couple of big kids inside. They are well coached and are playing really well right now and have some Top 25 wins." – College of Charleston Head Coach Earl Grant on Rhode Island
"I feel good about where we are at this point of the season. Certainly, things could be a little bit better, if we could have won a few more games. But, the team has handled the adversity well that we have faced. They have been very unselfish (18 assists versus North Greenville). They have been playing hard and have been taking care of the ball. We've seen a lot of good and positive things happening right now. We have to continue to build on it. I'm pleased with the effort the guys have been giving us." – Coach Grant on the team's current progress as the non-conference slate comes to a close before CAA play ahead
"They (Rhode Island) are good. It will be another good challenge for us on the road. But, that's what we need before conference play, a good challenge." – Junior Forward Nick Harris on Rhode Island
Game #10
December 16, 2017 • 4:00 p.m. (ET)
Thomas M. Ryan Center (7,657)
at Kingston, R.I.
Television: None
Radio: College of Charleston Radio Network (ESPN Radio 910 AM)
Series History: Rhode Island Leads 2-0
Last Meeting: Rhode Island def. CofC, 75-66, on Nov. 19, 2010 in Toledo, Ohio
Internet: Free Live Statistics at www.CofCStats.com
Live Video: Free Live Video at
http://www.atlantic10.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?mid=80216&db_oem_id=31600
Tickets: www.GoRhody.com
Twitter: @CofCBasketball
THE COACHES
College of Charleston: Earl Grant
Fourth Year at CofC: 58-50
Fourth Year Overall: 58-50
Rhode Island: Danny Hurley
Sixth Year at URI: 92-77
Eighth Year Overall: 130-100
TELEVISION (None)
RADIO (College of Charleston Radio Network)
Play-By-Play: Everett German
GAME PREVIEW
A battle of two preseason conference favorites is up next for the College of Charleston men's basketball team (7-2) as it travels to Rhode Island (5-3) for a Saturday, Dec. 16 showdown at 4 p.m. (ET) at the Ryan Center in Kingston, R.I. The Cougars, who return the majority of their 2017 NIT squad and reached the conference finals a year ago, were picked to win the Colonial Athletic Association, while the Rams favored in the Atlantic 10 Conference. CofC has won its last five-straight games including a post-final exams victory over North Greenville (92-60) on Dec. 10, while URI suffered a four-point loss at Alabama (64-68) on Dec. 6 and have been on 10-day layoff between contests. Like the Cougars, Rhode Island is an undefeated 4-0 at home and played Top 25 competition this season. The College lost at No. 6-ranked Wichita State in its second game of the season and URI upset No. 20 Seton Hall at the NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament on Nov. 23 in Brooklyn, N.Y. Both teams have been without the services of a top returning player in the lineup – the Cougars without preseason All-CAA First Team selection Jarrell Brantley (knee injury) the entire regular season and the Rams without star guard E.C. Matthews (wrist injury).
SCOUTING RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island is averaging 76.0 points per game with four games of the season over the 80-point threshold, but will be pressured by CofC, which ranks No. 22 nationally in scoring defense (62.1 ppg). The Rams currently rank No. 63 in the nation in three-point field-goal percentage shooting with a 38.6 percent accuracy from beyond the arc this season. They are led in the back court by sophomore point guard Jeff Dowtin, who ranks No. 11 in the nation with a 4.13 assist-to-turnover ratio. Rhode Island is currently No. 24 in the NCAA RPI Index Report with the seventh-toughest strength of schedule as of Dec. 14.
COUGARS ON THE AIRWAVES
Fans can listen to all CofC men's basketball games throughout the 2017-18 season on ESPN Radio 910 AM in Charleston or via a live audio link at: www.charlestonsportsradio.com. Voice of the Cougars Everett German will call the action live from the Ryan Center on the College of Charleston Radio Network.
PROJECTED COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON STARTERS
#13 Joe Chealey, G, 6-4, 190, Sr. (19.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 4.7 apg, 34.4 min)
#1 Grant Riller, G, 6-3, 195, So. (13.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 30.6 min)
#12 Cameron Johnson, G, 6-4, 200, Sr. (10.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 34.6 min)
#24 Jaylen McManus, F, 6-7, 230, So. (6.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 0.6 apg, 19.9 min)
#23 Nick Harris, F, 6-10, 260, Jr. (6.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 0.4 apg, 26.2 min)
PROJECTED RHODE ISLAND STARTERS
#11 Jeff Dowtin, G, 6-3, 170, So. (8.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.1 apg, 32.8 min)
#32 Jared Terrell, G, 6-3, 215, Sr. (16.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.8 apg, 32.5 min)
#1 Jarvis Garrett, G, 6-0, 175, Sr. (9.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 27.9 min)
#13 Stanford Robinson, G, 6-4, 200, RS-Sr. (10.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 28.3 min)
#34 Andre Berry, F, 6-8, 275, Sr. (9.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 0.6 apg, 20.1 min)
SERIES NOTES
Rhode Island leads 2-0 in the all-time series with College of Charleston. Both teams' previous meetings happened during the 2010-11 and 1995-96 seasons. This will mark the Cougars' first visit to the Ryan Center. URI last defeated CofC, 75-66, as part of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer on Nov. 19, 2010 in Toledo, Ohio. Meanwhile, in both programs' last meeting in the Ocean State, former CofC greats Stacy Harris (16 points) and Rodney Conner (career-high 15 rebounds) led the Cougars in a close 62-58 overtime loss to the Rams in the NIT Second Round held on March 19, 1996 at the Providence Civic Center in South Kingston, R.I. The Cougars advanced to the second round with their first-ever postseason win as a NCAA Division I school at Tennessee (55-49) prior to the trip to URI under legendary head coach John Kresse.
FOR THREE
The Cougars have made 10-or-more three-pointers in a game this season on three occasions including a season-high 13 treys versus North Greenville on Dec. 10. CofC is led by sharpshooters Joe Chealey (20 three pointers and 37% from beyond the arc), Cameron Johnson (13 threes and 38%), Marquise Pointer (10 threes and 32%), Jaylen McManus (13 threes and 41%) and Evan Bailey (10 threes and 38%). For the season, the team is shooting the three-ball at a 34.7 percentage and averaging 8.2 per game.
NORTH GREENVILLE RECAP
College of Charleston 92, North Greenville 60
• For the third-straight game, College of Charleston used the starting lineup of Joe Chealey, Grant Riller, Cameron Johnson, Jaylen McManus and Nick Harris.
• With the win, the Cougars improve to 2-0 in the all-time series with North Greenville. Both teams last met in 2015.
• CofC has now won five-straight games and remains an undefeated 4-0 at home this season at TD Arena.
• Joe Chealey recorded his third 20-point game of the season with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field with four three-pointers. He also dished out five assists and made six rebounds versus North Greenville. He is currently on a nine-game double-digit scoring streak and has scored in double figures in the last 26 consecutive games dating back to the 2016-17 season. Chealey surpassed former CofC great Donovan Monroe (2007-11) to move into 13th all-time in career scoring with 1,388 points to date.
• Cameron Johnson is on a season-best three-game double-digit scoring streak with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field against North Greenville.
• Nick Harris was one-point short of a double-double with nine points and a season-high 12 rebounds versus North Greenville. It marked the fifth double-figure rebounding game of his career – one short of tying his career high.
• Jaylen McManus has now scored in double-figures in back-to-back games with 11 points versus North Greenville.
• Marquise Pointer came off the bench and poured in 11 points against North Greenville in addition to a game-high tying five assists.
• Grant Riller turned in his third-straight game in double figures with 11 points in 23 minutes of action against the Crusaders.
• CofC dished out a season-high 18 assists with just five turnovers for a 3.6 assist-to-turnover ratio versus North Greenville.
• The Cougars registered a season-best 92 points against North Greenville including a season-high 53 first-half points. Their previous season high was 81 points in a road win at Charlotte on Nov. 18.
• For the first time this season, five players scored in double figures and all 11 active players checked into the ballgame including junior walk-on Trent Robinson, who scored his first career points on a layup with 21 seconds remaining in regulation.
COUGAR SOUND BITES
"They (Rhode Island) are an experienced team with a lot of older guys. They are very perimeter oriented. They play four guards and small ball. They really like to run in transition. They are very talented shooting threes and driving the ball. They have a couple of big kids inside. They are well coached and are playing really well right now and have some Top 25 wins." – College of Charleston Head Coach Earl Grant on Rhode Island
"I feel good about where we are at this point of the season. Certainly, things could be a little bit better, if we could have won a few more games. But, the team has handled the adversity well that we have faced. They have been very unselfish (18 assists versus North Greenville). They have been playing hard and have been taking care of the ball. We've seen a lot of good and positive things happening right now. We have to continue to build on it. I'm pleased with the effort the guys have been giving us." – Coach Grant on the team's current progress as the non-conference slate comes to a close before CAA play ahead
"They (Rhode Island) are good. It will be another good challenge for us on the road. But, that's what we need before conference play, a good challenge." – Junior Forward Nick Harris on Rhode Island
Players Mentioned
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