Cougars and USC Upstate Tip-Off The 2019-20 Season On Tuesday at TD Arena

Tuesday, November 5

TD Arena

7:00 PM

College of Charleston

USC Upstate

Tickets

Cougars and USC Upstate Tip-Off The 2019-20 Season On Tuesday at TD Arena

11/4/2019 11:35:00 PM | Men's Basketball

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (0-0, 0-0 CAA) vs. USC UPSTATE (0-0, 0-0 Big South)
Game #1
November 5, 2019 • 7:00 p.m. (ET)
TD Arena/John Kresse Court (5,100)
at Charleston, S.C.

Television: FloSports
Radio: College of Charleston Radio Network (ESPN Radio 910 AM | 94.7 FM)
Series History: CofC Leads 15-7 (1-0 in NCAA Division I Era)
Last Meeting: CofC def. USC Upstate, 72-60, on Nov. 27, 2016 in Charleston, S.C.
Internet: Live Statistics at www.CofCStats.com
Live On-Demand Video: FloSports Subscription at http://bit.ly/2JP6sGV
Tickets: www.CofCSports.com/tickets
Twitter: @CofCBasketball

THE COACHES
College of Charleston: Earl Grant
Sixth Year at CofC: 101-65
Sixth Year Overall: 101-65
USC Upstate: Dave Dickerson
Second Year at Upstate: 6-26
Seventh Year Overall: 74-110

TELEVISION AND RADIO (FloSports and College of Charleston Radio Network)
Play-By-Play: Everett German
Color Analyst: Danny Johnson

GAME PREVIEW
The College of Charleston men's basketball team will officially tip-off its 110th overall season with USC Upstate on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. (ET) at TD Arena. The Cougars begin a three-game homestand that also includes tough matchups with 2019 NCAA Tournament participant and defending Sun Belt Conference champions Georgia State on Nov. 9 and Oklahoma State on Nov. 13. CofC returns two starters from last season's 24-9 squad that reached the semifinals of the CAA Championship including preseason Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year Grant Riller. He is one of the top returning players and scorers in the country averaging a team-best 21.9 points per game a year ago. Both the Cougars and Spartans last met during the 2016-17 season with CofC prevailing 72-60 at home. It was a first-time meeting between the two Palmetto State schools in the program's NCAA Division I Era. They previously met 21 times from 1980-89.

GAME PROMOTIONS
The first 1,000 fans will receive a TD Arena replica court rally towel. Tickets are still available for purchase by calling (843) 953-COFC or online at: www.CofCSports.com/tickets

EARLIEST START IN PROGRAM HISTORY
For the second-straight year, this will be the earliest start to the season in program history. Last year, the Cougars faced Presbyterian in their season opener on Nov. 6, 2018 at TD Arena, which eclipsed the previous early start of November 8 on two prior occasions in 2012 and 2013.

SCOUTING USC UPSTATE
The youthful Spartans are led by second-year head coach Dave Dickerson and in their second year as members of the Big South Conference. They were previously members of the Atlantic Sun Conference (formerly the TAAC). Thirteen players on the roster are underclassmen including top returning player Everette Hammond, a sophomore guard, who averaged 7.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per game during his rookie season in 2018-19. He also turned in eight double-figure scoring games last year.

COFC IN SEASON OPENERS
The Cougars are 16-2 all-time in home openers since 1991-92 including an 85-73 victory over Presbyterian last season at TD Arena. In the Earl Grant Era, CofC is 5-0 in season openers.

LAST TIME OUT
Five players scored in double figures as College of Charleston picked up a 91-67 exhibition victory over 2018 NCAA Division III national champion Nebraska Wesleyan on Oct. 29 at TD Arena. Zep Jasper led the way for the Cougars with a team-high 18 points followed by Riller with 16, Brevin Galloway 14, Jaylen Richard 13 and DeAngelo Epps 10 in his unofficial collegiate debut.

COUGARS ON THE AIRWAVES
Fans can listen to all CofC men's basketball games throughout the 2019-20 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 TD Arena along with color analyst Danny Johnson on the College of Charleston Radio Network.

PROJECTED COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON STARTERS (*2018-19 Statistics)
#10 Zep Jasper, G, 6-1, 175, So. (5.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.3 apg, 25.3 min*)
#1 Grant Riller, G, 6-3, 190, Sr. (21.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.1 apg, 35.5 min*)
#2 Brevin Galloway, G, 6-2, 215, Jr. (7.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 0.9 apg, 25.2 min*)
#24 Jaylen McManus, F, 6-7, 230, Sr. (4.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 0.3 apg, 18.9 min*)
#33 Osinachi Smart, C/F, 6-8, 240, Jr. (0.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.0 apg, 5.2 min*)

PROJECTED USC UPSTATE STARTERS (*2018-19 Statistics)
#23 Thomas Booker, G, 6-2, 180, RS-Jr. (4.2 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 0.2 apg, 10.8 min*)
#12 Everette Hammond, G, 6-3, 185, So. (7.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.8 apg, 18.8 min*)
#5 Bryson Mozone, G/F, 6-6, 200, So. (5.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.6 apg, 15.6 min*)
#22 Andrew Tate, F, 6-6, 200, Jr. (0.6 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.1 apg, 3.5 min*)
#35 Nevin Zink, C, 6-9, 230, So. (6.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.2 apg, 19.2 min*)

COUGARS AGAINST THE BIG SOUTH
The Cougars have won 13 of their last 16 contests against Big South Conference opponents including victories over Campbell (2014 and 2015), Winthrop (2009), Charleston Southern (2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012), Coastal Carolina (2010, 2011 and 2012), UNC Asheville (2011), High Point (2017) and Presbyterian (2018).

INSIDE THE SERIES
College of Charleston leads 15-7 in the all-time series with USC Upstate (formerly USC Spartanburg). The Cougars have won the last three-straight meetings between the two schools. Of their 22 meetings, only one has occurred during both program's NCAA Division I Era. CofC's first season was 1991-92, while USC Upstate is in its 13th year overall as a D-I program. Prior members of the NAIA, the Spartans won the NAIA National Championship in 1982, while the Cougars captured the same title in 1983.

LAST FIVE GAMES IN THE SERIES
W, 72-60 on 11/27/16 in Charleston, S.C.
W, 79-67 on 3/6/89 in Charleston, S.C.
W, 71-61 on 1/19/89 in Spartanburg, S.C.
L, 78-85 on 11/29/88 in Charleston, S.C.
W, 71-58 on 3/7/88 in Charleston, S.C.

COUGAR SOUND BITES
"They have a lot of new guys. They have a big kid, (Nevin) Zink, who is big and physical around the basket. They have a couple of talented guards. They are going to mix their defenses. We will have to be sharp tomorrow night. They move the ball well and have shooters. We just need to play defense to our capabilities and make sure we take care of the ball like we normally do and let the chips fall as they may." – CofC Head Coach Earl Grant on USC Upstate matchup

"It's a new year. This is the first of three games at home. Hopefully, we can get off to a great start and play basketball at high level." – Grant on the new season ahead

"I'm pretty excited for the season. This is what we all have been waiting for. Every college basketball team, when you put your time in during the summer, you are more excited for the season to start." – Junior center/forward Osinachi Smart on starting a new season

"They are a pretty good team. We will have to come out and try to do what we always do (which is rebound and defend) and not try to lay back. We are going to come out and play hard on every possession." – Smart on the team's opener versus USC Upstate