COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (1-0, 0-0 CAA) vs. WESTERN CAROLINA (0-1, 0-0 SoCon)
Game #2
November 10, 2018 • 12:00 p.m. (ET)
Ramsey Center (7,826)
at Cullowhee, N.C.
 
Television: ESPN3
Radio: College of Charleston Radio Network (ESPN Radio 910 AM | 94.7 FM)
Series History: CofC Leads 22-7
Last Meeting: CofC def. Western Carolina, 69-60, on Nov. 30, 2017 in Charleston, S.C.
Internet: Free Live Statistics at www.CatamountSports.com
Live Video: Free Live Video at http://www.espn.com/watch
Twitter: @CofCBasketball
 
THE COACHES
College of Charleston: Earl Grant
Fifth Year at CofC: 78-56
Fifth Year Overall: 78-56
Western Carolina: Mark Prosser
First Year at WCU: 0-1
Second Year Overall: 5-24
 
RADIO (College of Charleston Radio Network)
Play-By-Play: Everett German
 
GAME PREVIEW
The first road trip of the 2018-19 season takes the College of Charleston men's basketball team (1-0) to the home of its former Southern Conference rival Western Carolina (0-1) for a Saturday, Nov. 10 matinee tilt at noon (ET) at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee, N.C. The Cougars have won the last six-straight meetings between both schools including an 18-point road win in December of 2016 – the only contest to be decided in double digits over the last seven games in the series. When both of these two teams meet, it's always a battle. CofC is coming off a season-opening 85-73 victory over Presbyterian College on Nov. 6 at TD Arena. Junior guard Grant Riller, the team's top returning scorer, put up a game-high 27 points versus the Blue Hose, while senior forward Jarrell Brantley had a double-double with 19 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. The Cougars also got 17 points from its bench and held PC to 25.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc (7-of-27).
 
SCOUTING WESTERN CAROLINA
Western Carolina was picked to finish ninth in both the preseason Southern Conference Coaches and Media Polls. The Catamounts opened the season on the road with a 96-73 loss at Wright State on Nov. 7. Junior newcomer Carlos Dotson, a transfer from Central Florida Community College, scored a team-high 17 points in his WCU debut. First-year head coach Mark Prosser, who previously served six years on the coaching staff at Winthrop, leads the Catamounts.
 
COUGARS ON THE AIRWAVES
Fans can listen to all CofC men's basketball games throughout the 2018-19 season on ESPN Radio 910 AM and 94.7 FM 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 Ramsey Center on the College of Charleston Radio Network.
 
PROJECTED COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON STARTERS (*2017-18 Statistics)
#10 Zep Jasper, G, 6-1, 170, RS-Fr. (DNP)
#1 Grant Riller, G, 6-3, 190, Jr. (18.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.0 apg, 33.6 min*)
#2 Brevin Galloway, G, 6-2, 215, So. (0.4 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 0.1 apg, 4.3 min*)
#5 Jarrell Brantley, F, 6-7, 255, Sr. (17.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.7 apg, 32.3 min*)
#23 Nick Harris, F, 6-10, 270, Sr. (5.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 0.4 apg, 25.5 min*)
 
PROJECTED WESTERN CAROLINA STARTERS (*2017-18 Statistics)
#2 Matt Halvorsen, G, 6-1, 170, So. (8.5 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 1.0 apg, 22.3 min*)
#14 Kameron Gibson, G, 6-3, 180, Fr. (DNP)
#4 Carlos Dotson, F, 6-7, 265, Jr. (DNP)
#12 Marc Gosselin, F, 6-7, 205, Sr. (8.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, 27.2 min*)
#44 Adam Sledd, F, 6-8, 220, Jr. (1.9 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.2 apg, 6.8 min*)
 
THE ROAD AHEAD …
The Cougars will play five of their next six games away from the friendly confines of TD Arena with two weekend road trips to Western Carolina (Nov. 10) and Oklahoma State (Nov. 18). They will later travel to the AdvoCare Invitational on Nov. 22, 23 & 25 in Orlando, Fla. CofC will open that tournament with preseason No. 23-ranked LSU in the opening round on Nov. 22 on ESPN2.
 
SERIES HISTORY
College of Charleston holds a 22-7 advantage in the all-time series with Western Carolina. The Cougars have won the last six-straight meetings between the two schools. Aside from Davidson, WCU has been the most continuous series against a former Southern Conference rival since CofC joined the Colonial in 2013.
 
LAST 10 GAMES IN THE SERIES
W, 69-60, in Charleston, S.C. on 11/30/17 (+9)
W, 77-59, in Cullowhee, N.C. on 12/22/16 (+18)
W, 57-56, in Charleston, S.C. on 11/27/15 (+1)
W, 78-70, in Asheville, N.C.^ on 3/9/13 (+8)
W, 67-65, at Cullowhee, N.C. on 2/20/13 (+2)
W, 62-58, at Charleston, S.C. on 2/9/12 (+4)
L, 62-70, at Cullowhee, N.C. on 2/26/11 (-8)
W, 93-64, at Charleston, S.C. on 1/20/11 (+29)
L, 90-100 at Cullowhee, N.C. on 1/25/10 (-10)
W, 67-48 at Chattanooga, Tenn.^ on 3/7/09 (+19)
^ SoCon Tournament
 
PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE RECAP
College of Charleston 85, Presbyterian College 73
• College of Charleston went with the starting five of Zep Jasper, Grant Riller, Brevin Galloway, Jarrell Brantley and Nick Harris. It marked the first career starts for Jasper and Galloway.
• With the win, the Cougars have now won seven-straight meetings in the all-time series with Presbyterian College. It was the first meeting for both schools since 1996.
• CofC is now 16-2 all-time in home openers since its first season as a NCAA Division I member in 1991-92. In the Earl Grant Era, the Cougars are a perfect 5-0 in season openers.
• Grant Riller registered a game-high 27 points including 7-of-8 made free throws against Presbyterian. It marked his 18th career 20-point outing.
• Jarrell Brantley recorded his 24th career double-double with 19 points and game-high 14 rebounds versus Presbyterian.
• Redshirt freshman Zep Jasper scored 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field in his collegiate debut.
• Freshman Isaih Moore came off the bench and tallied 13 points and five rebounds in 19 minutes of action against Presbyterian. He also made one of the team's six three-pointers on the night.
• The Cougars have now won 17-straight games at TD Arena since the end of the 2016-17 season.
• The November 6th game against PC marked the earliest start in program history.
 
COUGAR SOUND BITES
"I knew Presbyterian would challenge us, because of the fact that they had a lot of seniors and we were going to play our freshmen. Jaylen McManus just got back and we played him a good amount of minutes. I thought it would take awhile for us to adjust in the game. I knew they (PC) would make some threes and we would have to make sure to challenge every shot. The next game is going to be mental for us. We are going to play at 12 o'clock on Saturday and up in the mountains. We have to really come up with our game plan the next few days, before we go up there. It will be a mental contest." – CofC Head Coach Earl Grant on the team's adjustment in the Presbyterian game and easing into the schedule with Western Carolina up next
 
"There's a lot more interaction between me and the point guards for sure this year. But, that's normal. For the last three years, the guy who was running the point and quarterbacking the ship, he (Joe Chealey) had figured out my mind. He knew what I was thinking before I could say it. Now, Zep (Jasper) is trying to figure it out. I always felt he would be an unbelievable leader and an unbelievable point guard. He has a very bright future." – Grant on the play of redshirt freshman point guard Zep Jasper
 
"Zep is a great player, but still has a lot to learn. But, that comes with time. He just played his first college game. He plays and shoots the ball well. You never have to question how hard he plays. He will help us out a lot this year." – Junior Guard Grant Riller on the addition of Zep Jasper in the lineup
 
"We have so many great pieces on our team. If we (Grant Riller and I) do our part, we have a lot of other guys that can help us out and we will be okay. We have a lot more depth this year." – Senior Forward Jarrell Brantley on stepping-up offensively this year to replace the scoring of Joe Chealey